Maple Leafs pull off beautiful Game 4 comeback, Alexander Kerfoot pots extra time winner

Alexander Kerfoot scored on the ability play at 4:14 of extra time after Toronto worn out a three-goal deficit within the third interval, and the Maple Leafs beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-4 Monday night time to take a commanding 3-1 sequence lead of their first-round playoff matchup.

Alex Killorn scored twice in serving to the Lightning construct a 4-1 lead that the Maple Leafs erased with three targets — two by Auston Matthews — in a span of 6 minutes, 20 seconds. Morgan Rielly’s second aim of the sequence tied it 4-all at 16:04 of the third interval.

It was the second time in three nights Toronto rallied late to power extra time. Ryan O’Reilly’s aim with 60 seconds left in regulation saved the Maple Leafs alive in Game 3, and O’Reilly received it at 19:45 of OT for a 2-1 sequence lead.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have a good time a aim in extra time by Alexander Kerfoot #15 to win Game Four of the First Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs in opposition to the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena on April 24, 2023, in Tampa, Florida. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Mikhail Sergachev and Steven Stamkos additionally scored for the Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 32 pictures and had a few large saves within the extra time interval earlier than Kerfoot redirected Mark Giordano previous the goaltender for the win.

Noel Acciari scored for the second straight sport for Toronto, deflecting Justin Holl’s shot previous Vasilevskiy early within the second interval to briefly get the Maple Leafs inside one aim earlier than Tampa Bay pulled away with targets by Stamkos and Killorn that made it 4-1.

DEVILS EVEN UP SERIES AGAINST RANGERS AFTER HARD-FOUGHT GAME 4 VICTORY

It was 2-0 after one interval, and Toronto was lucky the deficit wasn’t greater.

Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov stopped Brandon Hagel’s penalty shot rather less than eight minutes into the sport, however the Lightning’s persistence paid off when Killorn — after which, Sergachev — scored their first targets of the sequence off excellent feeds from Nikita Kucherov.

Steven Stamkos #91 of the Tampa Bay Lightning shoots within the second interval throughout  Game Four of the First Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs in opposition to the Toronto Maple Leafs at Amalie Arena on April 24, 2023, in Tampa, Florida. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

In each circumstances, Samsonov was positioned to defend a attainable shot from Kucherov when the Lightning star as a substitute delivered the puck to Killorn and Sergachev from the precise circle.

Killorn scored his first aim on an influence play. His second got here from a shot from the left circle that beat Samsonov to the far put up for a three-goal lead.

Samsonov stopped 27 pictures.

Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrates a aim within the third interval throughout  Game Four of the First Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs in opposition to the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena on April 24, 2023, in Tampa, Florida. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

TOUGH POINT

Tampa Bay’s Brayden Point was within the lineup Monday night time after tumbling head-first into the boards whereas battling for a free puck with Toronto’s Morgan Rielly. 

Rielly initially was assessed a five-minute main penalty for boarding, nonetheless the decision was ultimately overturned. The hit sparked a number of skirmishes, together with separate fights pitting Stamkos in opposition to Matthews and Kucherov in opposition to O’Reilly. 

Point returned six minutes later and completed the sport. Lightning coach Jon Cooper stated earlier that the high-scoring middle can be a game-time resolution. Point had an help on Sergachev’s aim, which put Tampa Bay up 2-0 within the first interval.