Tampa Bay Lightning center Ross Colton, center, celebrates as he scores a goal during the third period of Game 4 of the first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Amalie Arena. Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Lightning rout Maple Leafs 7-3, even series 2-2

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated 5/8/22

The two-time defending Stanley Cup-champion Tampa Bay Lightning are still very much alive in their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, after picking up a 7-3 win in Game 4 on Sunday. Through four games in the best-of-seven set thus far, every contest has featured at least five goals, but all have been decided by at least two scores, including Sunday's 10-goal scoring spree.

#BOLTSWIN GAME 4!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/lO7CSYnpYT
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) May 9, 2022

With the series now knotted at 2-2, play will now move back north of the border for Game 5, which is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

Sunday's victory came after Tampa Bay fell 5-2 at home on Friday and continued an impressive streak.

Will the streak continue? #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/Uzqpldn85O
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) May 8, 2022

The Lightning jumped all over the Toronto defense and goalie Jack Campbell, going ahead 3-0 at the end of the first period and holding a 5-0 edge after the second. That signaled the end of Campbell's evening in net, but after the Maple Leafs showed signed of life with the first two strikes of the third, Tampa Bay's Ondrej Palat made it a three-score game again with his first goal of the contest and put the game on ice.

Ross Colton (two goals), Brandon Hagel (two assists) and Nikita Kucherov (two assists) all had two points in the win, while William Nylander had two goals for Toronto.

More must-reads: