Lightning’s Top 5 Performers in Round 1 vs the Leafs

What. A. Series. The Lightning came out victorious in one of the most exciting playoff series so far this postseason against the Toronto Maple Leafs. With this victory, not only does Tampa advance to the second round, but they now face the Florida Panthers for the second time ever in the playoffs. For those who watched the Lightning vs Panthers series last season, you know how excited every fan is.

With some disappointing results from some players, as well as injuries, quite a few Lightning players were able to shine and helped the Lightning defeat one of the strongest teams in the playoffs. With the series between Tampa and Florida starting Tuesday night, here are our top five performers coming out of round one.

1. Nikita Kucherov

This doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone. Nikita Kucherov has continued to be a dominant force on the ice after coming back from a lower-body injury in the second half of the season. With 2 goals, 6 assists, and 8 points, Kucherov has proven to be one of the best playoff performers in the last 3 postseasons. Kucherov also had the tying goal in game six to keep the Lightning’s hopes alive.

3. Cal Foote

While Cal Foote may not have played a ton of minutes, there’s no denying that when he was on the ice, he was amazing. In the games he excelled in, he was the player Lightning fans have been waiting to see. The maturity of Foote last series as well as his development throughout this season has made for some great games that saved the Lightning from losing multiple games against the Leafs. Foote had a pair of assists round one, including one in game seven.

4. Brayden Point

Mr. Overtime strikes again! Brayden Point saved the Lightning from elimination in game six with an impressive overtime five-hole goal to send the series to a game seven. For those who know about the Leafs, this was the best news Lightning fans could’ve asked for, as the Leafs are known to underperform in game sevens, whether it’s at home or on the road. While Point is not likely to play in game one against the Panthers, there’s still a chance he returns in games two or three. Point had 2 goals, 2 assists, and 2 points in round one.

5. Nick Paul

For those who follow the Bolts By The Bay Twitter account, you’ll see that the pinned tweet says that we had a feeling about Nick Paul in game seven. What a feeling that was! Paul won game seven with the help of Hedman and Andrei Vasilevskiy, but Paul was by far the main contributor to the win. With two goals in game seven, Paul finished round one with 2 goals, 2 assists, and 4 points. An outstanding performance by him, and an even more outstanding performance by the whole team to advance to round two!