Auston Matthews gives Maple Leafs series lead over Lightning, Stanley Cup champs on the ropes

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have the defending Stanley Cupchampion Tampa Bay Lightning on the ropes thanks to Auston Matthews’ go-ahead goal in the third period on Tuesday night.

Mitchell Marner received a pass in the neutral zone after a Lightning turnover and tried to fire one past goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy. The Tampa Bay goaltender stopped the shot but it bounced right to a surging Matthews who cleaned it up and sent one into the back of the net.

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Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews (34) celebrates with teammate Jack Campbell (36) after defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning during third period of Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, Tuesday, May 10, 2022, in Toronto. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

It was Matthews’ third goal of the series and it gave Toronto a 4-3 win.

The win put Toronto up 3-2 in the series and on the verge of sending the powerful Lightning home early in the playoffs for the first time in two seasons.

Tampa Bay got off to a hot start, scoring the first two goals of the game. 

Steven Stamkos picked up the first goal on assists from Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat. Victor Hedman would follow Stamkos later in the first period on assists from Kucherov and Alex Killorn.

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Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews (34) scores the game winning goal against then Tampa Bay Lightning during third period of Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, Tuesday, May 10, 2022, in Toronto. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

But three goals