TORONTO — When the Lightning acquired forward Nick Paul at the trade deadline, general manager Julien BriseBois said his game was made for the playoffs.
And with the Lightning’s season on the line, it was Paul — one of just two players in the Tampa Bay lineup playing in his first postseason — who was the difference in sending the reigning back-to-back Stanley Cup champions on to the second round.
The Lightning never had a lead in their best-of-seven series against the Maple Leafs until the end. They had to claw back trailing at every turn, including an overtime win at Amalie Arena just to force a do-or-die Game 7.
