Embarrassed In Toronto
from Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun,
The final score actually flatters the Leafs.
The game did not in any way.
Sunday night began badly for Toronto, ended badly, and in the between wasn’t much to see either. There was barely a glimpse of anything resembling pride, anything resembling effort, or a willingness to compete at a level necessary to advance anywhere in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
This loss was that complete, that nasty, that disheartening. And it was also that certain. And this best-of-seven series is now tied at two games apiece but it sure doesn’t feel that way. It feels as though coach Jon Cooper has solved the Leafs, found the answer every playoff series requires, coming up with the formula in which to attack his opponent. He talked a little about it on Saturday. He said he didn’t worry about what Toronto might do: And then his team demonstrated why.
That was going to happen on offence. And now the Lightning doesn’t appear to be heading for apparent defeat, even with the series now reduced to a best of three with the knockout victim Leafs wobbling with mouths open, on the ropes.
On the ice, the Lightning owned the scoreboard, the boards the loose pucks, the pucks behind the net, all of it predicated on its quickness and physical play — two areas in which the Leafs came up horribly short Sunday night.
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Below, watch the game highlights from Tampa's 7-3 win....
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