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The Lightning delivered an emphatic start to the playoffs, exploding offensively to cruise to a 7-3 victory over the Maple Leafs in Game 1 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
Tampa Bay started quickly, building a 3-0 lead through 20 minutes. After Toronto scored twice with the man advantage to make it a one-goal game in the second, the Bolts reeled off three unanswered power play goals of their own to rebuild a comfortable lead.
Andrei Vasilevskiy got the win for the Lightning, stopping 28 of 31 Toronto shots.
Something to monitor, however, was the early exits for Victor Hedman, Erik Cernak and Michael Eyssimont. All left the game with apparent injuries and were unable to return.
The two teams will return to Scotiabank Arena for Game 2 on Thursday night.

Scoring Summary
1st Period
TBL 1, TOR 0
1:18 Pierre-Edouard Bellemare (1) - Corey Perry
Tampa Bay got off to an ideal start, grabbing the lead just 1:18 into the game. Corey Perry started the play, circling the net and getting an initial shot through. Ilya Samsonov was there for the save, but Pierre-Edouard Bellemare was first to the rebound in the blue paint and swept it home on his backhand.
TBL 2, TOR 0
7:18 Anthony Cirelli (1) - Brandon Hagel
The Bolts took advantage of another juicy rebound to double their lead in the first period. Brandon Hagel's first shot was stopped, and the rebound pinballed around the slot. Anthony Cirelli managed to settle the loose puck, spinning and whipping a shot past Samsonov to put the Lightning up two.
TBL 3, TOR 0
19:56 Nikita Kucherov (1) - Mikhail Sergachev, Alex Killorn - PPG
Nikita Kucherov cashed in on a late first period power play chance, wiring home a one-timer from the right circle with less than five seconds remaining to cap a dominant start to Game 1 for Tampa Bay.
2nd Period
TBL 3, TOR 1
8:06 Ryan O'Reilly (1) - John Tavares, Mitch Marner - PPG
Tic-tac-toe passing from the Leafs netted them their first goal of the night on a power play. John Tavares got the puck to Ryan O'Reilly in the bumper position, and he beat Andrei Vasilevskiy upstairs to get Toronto on the board.
TBL 3, TOR 2
13:11 William Nylander (1) - Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner- PPG
It suddenly became a one-goal game when William Nylander added another power play goal at 13:11 of the second period. Nylander held the puck in the high slot before wristing a shot past Vasilevskiy.
TBL 4, TOR 2
14:29 Brayden Point (1) - Nikita Kucherov, Anthony Cirelli - PPG
Tampa Bay quickly answered with a power play goal of their own just over a minute later. Point cut across the face of goal and tucked his shot around Samsonov to put the Bolts back up by two.
TBL 5, TOR 2
17:54 Corey Perry (1) - Ross Colton - PPG
With Michael Bunting given a match penalty for an illegal check to the head of Erik Cernak, the Lightning headed to a five-minute power play late in the period. Perry took advantage, stuffing home the puck at the far post to re-establish the Lightning's three-goal lead.
TBL 6, TOR 2
19:58 Brayden Point (2) - Corey Perry, Nikita Kucherov - PPG
For the second straight period, the Lightning beat the buzzer, adding a sixth goal with less than two seconds to play. It looked like the period was set to expire, but Point threw a backhander on net in the dying seconds that snuck through Samsonov's five-hole.
3rd Period
TBL 7, TOR 2
6:59 Ross Colton (1) - Nick Perbix, Ian Cole
A stretch feed from Nick Perbix hit Ross Colton in stride at the far blue line to create a breakaway chance. Colton beat Joseph Woll, who entered the game in net for Toronto to start the third, for the Lightning's seventh goal.
TBL 7, TOR 3
8:06 Calle Jarnkrok (1) - Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews
On the rush, Mitch Marner dished to Calle Jarnkrok at the near post for a tap-in goal that got the Maple Leafs within four.