Burns: 3 Things we learned from a wild win in Toronto
Steven Stamkos scored two goals and Ben Bishop lost a few teeth in Bolts 7-3 win
The Lightning scored their most goals since netting seven against the New York Islanders last season, a 7-4 victory on March 25, 2016.
Four different Lightning players - Steven Stamkos (4), Nikita Kucherov (4), Andrej Sustr (2) and Vladislav Namestnikov (2) - recorded multiple points on the night, and 11 Bolts found their way on the score sheet.
But despite the offensive explosion from the Bolts, there were still some nervy moments. Toronto cut the lead to 5-3 midway through the third period after being down four goals and threatened to make it closer.
The Bolts gave up 43 shots, the most they've allowed all season, to Toronto.
And Ben Bishop lost a few of his front teeth when he took puck off the cage of his mask but remained in the game.
Tuesday's win certainly had a little bit of everything.
We'll break it all down in today's 3 Things.
Video: TBL@TOR: Stamkos rips a one-timer past Andersen1. WHAT FIRST PERIOD DROUGHT
The Lightning entered Tuesday's game in Toronto having been outscored by opponents 5-0 in opening periods through the first five games.
The Bolts can finally put that dubious stat to bed.
Tampa Bay scored early and often in the first period in Toronto, Steven Stamkos ignoring the smattering of boos from Leafs nation the first time he touched the puck to jump on a turnover deep in the Toronto zone and easily beat Leafs' goaltender Frederik Andersen 1:19 into the game. With the goal, Stamkos pulled into a tie with Alex Killorn for most goals on the Bolts.
A little less than six minutes later, Killorn wrestled the goal lead away from Stamkos temporarily by netting his fifth goal of the season to make it 2-0 Tampa Bay.
Stamkos came right back to re-tie Killorn for goals at 17:12 of the first period with a wicked slap shot from the edge of the right circle that went bar down as it screamed past Andersen.
The Lightning outscored Toronto 3-0 in the first period.
"We wanted to come out strong, and I think that was the first game where we scored in the first period," Stamkos said. "So it was something we talked about before was getting out to a good start, especially on the road, it's always important. It definitely set the tone for the game and put us up."
2. ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS
Midway through the second period with the Lightning comfortably in front 4-0, Ben Bishop blocked an innocuous-looking shot from Toronto's Peter Holland.
Bishop, though, immediately doubled over in pain and went down on the ice after the puck hit him in his cage. When Bishop rose to his feet and took off his mask, Lightning head athletic trainer Tommy Mulligan found the source of the goalie's pain.
Bishop's top front teeth had been knocked out by Holland's shot, leaving him with a gaping hole and looking not unlike a youngster shedding his baby teeth for permanent ones.
Seeing Bishop down on the ice in pain was an eerie feeling for Bolts' fans, who not that long ago watched Bishop get stretchered off the ice during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final in Pittsburgh.
Bishop missed the rest of that series with a lower-body injury.
Tuesday's calamity was a bit less severe, Bishop opting to stay in the game and continue, minus a few chicklets.
"There was no reason (to come out)," Bishop said following the game with at least three of his top front teeth missing. "It felt okay."
Bishop said his mouth was "throbbing a bit" but the pain wasn't too bad.
"I don't know exactly what happened," he explained. "I just felt both my teeth pop out."
Stamkos said during his post-game interview Bishop's courage was a "boost" for the Bolts.
"He was solid in there," he said. "He's going to go under the radar, but he made a lot of saves and a lot of key saves, especially when it was tight at the end…He showed why he's one of the best tonight."
Bishop finished with 40 saves on 43 shots for his third victory in four starts this year (and a trip to the dentist once the Bolts land in Montreal).
3. FINISH THEM
After going in front 4-0, the Lightning eased off the gas a bit and let the Maple Leafs back into the game. Toronto got on the board at 19:03 of the second period with a power-play goal, and, after Nikita Kucherov netted his first goal of the season to make it 5-1 Bolts in the third, scored two more in a 1:19 span midway through the third to make things a bit uncomfortable for the Lightning.
With momentum shifting toward the Leafs, the Lightning caught a break when Mitch Marner was hit with a double minor for a high stick on Valtteri Filppula.
The Bolts took advantage of both power plays, Vladislav Namestnikov striking with 16 seconds left on the first penalty to make the score 6-3 and Jonathan Drouin connecting 46 seconds later to put the Leafs away for good.
Still, the Lightning were leaking oil in the third and the Leafs were pushing to make the game tighter down two until the back-breaking pair of penalties.
"I think that's human nature a little bit," Stamkos said of the Bolts' let up. "You obviously don't play a lot of games where you're up 4-0. You have to give them some credit, they came hard. They're at the point where they need to go all out and produce, and we sat back a little bit."
The Bolts did well to respond once Toronto started to claw its way back.
And they learned a valuable lesson in the process: Once you have a team down, stomp on them until they're out for good.
