giving the Tampa Bay Lightning a 2-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on
Tuesday night.
Malone tapped in an awkward shot that bounced over Jonas
Gustavsson moments after John Mitchell nearly won it for the Maple Leafs on a
pretty rush, with the puck nearly taking another funny hop into the goal.
Malone’s goal stood up after a video review.
Vincent Lecavalier also scored for the Lightning (5-4-4),
who won their first road game of the season (1-4-1).
Ian White replied for the Maple Leafs (1-7-5), who have
lost four straight games in extra time and remained winless at home (0-4-2)
before a crowd of 19,301.
White tied it at 5:04 of the third period, when his shot
from the slot slipped past Antero Niittymaki on a power play. The Maple Leafs
wasted their first six opportunities, including a two-man edge for 49 seconds
early in the second and another in the final minutes.
In the second period, Gustavsson played a puck that might
have been icing behind his goal and fired it into the neutral zone, where
Mattias Ohlund picked it off.
The Swedish defenseman charged in and fired a slapshot
that Gustavsson kicked right to Lecavalier, who fired the rebound into the empty
net at 18:34 of the middle period for his second of the season.
It was the 12th time in 13 games the Maple Leafs
surrendered the first goal.
The timing could not have been better for the Tampa Bay
captain, who is off to a poor start but showed some flashes of his old
brilliance with the entire Canadian Olympic team leadership in attendance.
They were in town to also take a long look at young
Steven Stamkos, who has 11 goals and five assists in 13 games. Martin St. Louis
would also have been on Team Canada’s radar screen.
Phil Kessel, a candidate for the U.S. Olympic team,
received a loud ovation each time he touched the puck and often looked dangerous
once it was on his stick.
Acquired by the Leafs in a September trade with Boston
for two first-round picks and a second-round selection, he had been sidelined
while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. The speedy 22-year-old looked
strong on the puck and showed no fear going into the corners when he had to.
Gustavsson and Niittymaki traded saves throughout the
game, keeping what could have been a high-scoring affair very tight. Gustavsson
set aside 30 shots and Niittymaki 40.
Notes
With his fighting major, Niklas Hagman now has
nine penalty minutes this season. He had four all last year. … Kessel, who
signed a $27 million, five-year deal, after he was acquired, took Jiri Tlusty’s
spot in the lineup. Tlusty was returned to the AHL Marlies on Monday. …
Forwards Jamal Mayers and Jay Rosehill and defenseman Jeff Finger were healthy
scratches for the Maple Leafs, while defensemen Kurtis Foster, Matt Smaby and
Paul Ranger were the Lightning’s scratches.