After a chaotic final night of the regular season, the Tampa Bay Lightning now have their first-round playoff matchup set as they begin their quest for a Stanley Cup threepeat.
The Bolts had clinched a playoff spot long before Friday night, but the opponent wasn't settled until all of the games wrapped up Friday night. Once the dust settled, the Lightning settled in as the number three seed in the Atlantic Division.
The Lightning will play the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round starting Monday night. Games 1 & 2 will be played in Toronto on Monday and Wednesday nights with puck drop at 7:30 p.m. both nights.
Then the series will shift back to Tampa for Games 3 & 4 at the Amalie Arena next Friday and Sunday (May 6 and 8) Puck drop both nights will be at 7:30 p.m.
After that, no game times have been set in stone, but Game 5 would be played in Toronto, Game 6 in Tampa, and Game 7 in Toronto (if any of those games are needed). Game 5 would be scheduled for May 10 with the following games on May 12 and May 14.
Comparing the two teams, Toronto finished the season with a 54-21-7 record and tallied 115 points on the season. The Lightning posted a 51-23-8 record while compiling 110 points this season. The two teams split the season series at two games apiece.
The Bolts have never faced the Maple Leafs in the playoffs.
