The Tampa Bay Lightning swept their season series against the Toronto Maple Leafs with an emphatic 6-2 victory on Monday, the win reviving their pursuit of the Southeast Division crown.
Mattias Ritola scored back-to-back goals in the second period to help the visitors pull within three points of the division-leading Washington Capitals.
Tampa Bay (39-22-9) had lost six of their previous seven matches to surrender control of the division, but looked rejuvenated in beating Toronto for the fourth and final time this season.
“We knew they’ve been fighting hard lately and can smell blood because the playoffs are getting closer,” Lightning coach Guy Boucher told reporters of the Maple Leafs. “Today we got secondary scoring. That’s why we are where we are right now.”
Ritola’s two scores put the Lightning 3-1 ahead and after Toronto reduced the deficit to one, Vincent Lecavalier, Dominic Moore and Mike Lundin netted the final three goals of the night to clinch the game.
Tampa Bay center Nate Thompson scored the game’s opening goal in the first period, Teddy Purcell chipped in three assists and goaltender Dwayne Roloson made 30 saves in the triumph.
Dion Phaneuf and Nikolai Kulemin scored for the Maple Leafs (30-30-10), who remain six points behind the eighth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Toronto is looking to make the post-season for the first time since 2004, but has lost four of their last five games.
“We didn’t get pucks on and get enough shots through,” Maple Leafs forward Mike Brown said. “We did that a little bit, but we needed to step it up.”
CANUCKS 4, WILD 2
In Vancouver, Raffi Torres, Daniel Sedin and Ryan Kesler scored in the first period and the Vancouver Canucks hung on for their sixth straight win with a 4-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Monday.
Kesler added his second goal into an empty net with 3.4 seconds left after the Wild failed to convert two power plays in the final 5 minutes with a chance to tie the game.
Roberto Luongo finished with 32 saves for the league-leading Canucks, who were back home after sweeping a five-game road trip, and became the first NHL team to pass the century mark this season with 101 points.
Minnesota captain Mikko Koivu returned to the lineup after missing 11 games with a broken finger to set up Andrew Brunette’s goal late in the second period and scored one of his own 4:32 into the third period.
They were Minnesota’s first goals in three games, but came too late to prevent a third straight loss.
BLACKHAWKS 6, SHARKS 3
In Chicago, Marian Hossa scored two power-play goals less than three minutes apart to spark off a massive five-goal outburst by Chicago in the second period.
Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane each had a goal and an assist in the second as Chicago moved into fourth place in the Western Conference with 84 points.
Kane’s goal was the 100th of his career.
Viktor Stalberg and Niklas Hjalmarsson also scored, while Patrick Sharp had a career-high four assists for the Blackhawks.
Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton and Logan Couture scored for the Sharks, who lost in regulation for just the fourth time in their past 25 games.
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