The Toronto Maple Leafs snatched victory from the jaws of defeat on Saturday night in Game 3 of their Round 1 Stanley Cup Playoffs series against the rival Tampa Bay Lightning, overcoming a 3-2 deficit to tie the score late in regulation and later celebrate in overtime thanks to veteran defenseman Morgan Rielly’s goal.
It’s a critical Game 4 for both teams tonight, as the Leafs can seize a 3-1 stranglehold heading back home for Game 5 on Thursday night. But you can bet that the Lightning have absolutely no intention of having that potential scenario become reality. They’ve advanced to the Stanley Cup Final three years straight, winning two titles, and definitely will not go down without a fight.
In the meantime, the Leafs could be icing a different lineup tonight. According to head coach Sheldon Keefe, there will be many game time decisions among his players, though he declined to specify exactly who.
What’s more, forwards Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner could once again be split up as they were for a brief time in Game 3: