TAMPA, Fla. - Morgan Rielly and Matt Martin scored 15 seconds apart during Toronto's four-goal second period, Frederik Andersen made 33 saves and the Maple Leafs moved into the lead for the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot by beating the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-0 on Thursday night.
Roman Polak, Connor Brown and James van Riemsdyk also scored for Toronto, which was coming off a 7-2 loss Tuesday night at Florida. The Maple Leafs hold a one-point advantage over Tampa Bay and the New York Islanders.
Tampa Bay, 12-3-3 over its last 18 games, pulled Andrei Vasilevskiy six minutes into the second after he allowed four goals on 15 shots. The goalie had gone 6-0-1 over his previous seven games.
After Rielly scored 2:24 into the second, Martin made it 3-0 on the next shift. Brown, on the power play, and van Riemsdyk added goals later in the period.
Andersen, who entered winless with a 6.00 goals-against-average in the three losses to Tampa Bay, stopped Brayden Point's power-play breakaway midway through the second. It was his fourth shutout this season and 10th overall.
Polak had the lone first-period goal, a blue-line shot that went off Vasilevskiy's shoulder and bounced into the net
NOTES: Tampa Bay played for the fourth straight game without centres Tyler Johnson, Vladislav Namestnikov and Cedric Paquette, who are all out with lower-body injuries. ... Maple Leafs C Tyler Bozak had an assist in his 500th NHL game. ... Martin stopped a 24-game goal drought. ... Toronto rookie C Auston Matthews has gone pointless in seven straight games. Thirteen Maple Leafs had points Thursday. ... Tampa Bay LW Jonathan Drouin has not scored a goal in his last 11 games.
UP NEXT
Maple Leafs: Host Chicago on Saturday night with Toronto wearing the uniform of the St. Pats (1919-1927). The team said it's just the second time since being renamed the Maple Leafs that the St. Pats uniform will be worn.
Lightning: Play the second of three consecutive home games Saturday night against Washington.
