Monday's night game started off on the right foot for the Toronto Maple Leafs against the rival Tampa Bay Lightning. But things quickly took a turn.
Rookie Matthew Knies opened the scoring, giving the Maple Leafs some much-needed production from their depth forwards.
That lead lasted just 45 seconds as Victor Hedman tied the game, the first of four goals the Lightning would score in the opening frame. Hedman's strike was quickly followed by a one-time goal in the high slot by Nikita Kucherov to give Tampa the lead. Kucherov added a second goal on the power play — this time a one-timer from the wall — before Brayden Point buried a power-play goal of his own to chase Ilya Samsonov and put the Lightning up 4-1.
Samsonov was visibly frustrated as he skated off the ice and was replaced by Joesph Woll. It's the second time this season he has been pulled in the first period against the Lightning after he allowed three goals in 13 minutes in a game on Oct. 21.
Kucherov had four points in the opening frame and now has seven points in four periods against the Maple Leafs this season. The four points also move him into a tie for the overall scoring lead with the Canucks' Elias Pettersson and Devils' Jack Hughes, who all have 20.
The Maple Leafs have dropped four games in a row and will have to turn things around quickly if they want to snap that losing streak Monday.
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