Lightning 6, Maple Leafs 2
Mattias Ritola scored twice as the Tampa Bay Lightning closed within three points of the Southeast Division lead with a 6-2 victory over the host Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night.
Ritola's goals came midway through the second period and broke a 1-1 tie as the Lightning (39-22-9) snapped a two-game losing streak.
The Maple Leafs
(30-30-10) remain at 70 points, six points behind seventh-place Buffalo and the New
York Rangers for the final playoff position in the Eastern Conference.
After Nikolai Kulemin's 26th goal of the season brought Toronto to within 3-2, Vincent Lecavalier restored the Lightning's two-goal advantage with 1:07 left in the second period.
Nate Thompson scored in the first period, and Dominic Moore and defenseman Mike Lundin added third-period goals for Tampa Bay.
Leafs goaltender James Reimer gave up five goals on 29 shots before being pulled during the third period in favor of Jean-Sebastien Giguere.
Dwayne Roloson stopped 30 shots, Teddy Purcell had three assists, and Martin St. Louis and Steven Stamkos had two assists apiece for the Lightning, who were coming off losses to Florida and Ottawa.
Defenseman Dion Phaneuf also scored for Toronto.