TORONTO

Bozak, Connolly record 3 points as Leafs hammer Tampa Bay

The Associated Press Published Tuesday, November 22, 2011 10:32PM EST

Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Brett Connolly (14) stick handles around Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman John-Michael Liles (24) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2011, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Text:

TAMPA, Fla. - Tyler Bozak scored two goals and added an assist and Tim Connolly had a goal and two assists Tuesday as the Toronto Maple Leafs hammered the Tampa Bay Lightning 7-1.

Clarke MacArthur, Joe Colborne, Joffrey Lupul and Joey Crabb also scored for the Maple Leafs, who had dropped four of five.

Vincent Lecavalier replied for Tampa Bay.

Toronto went ahead 3-1 when Connolly and Bozak scored power-play goals late in the first period. Connolly scored after Tampa Bay's Victor Hedman received a four-minute penalty after his high-stick struck MacArthur in the face.

Bozak and Lupul scored 1:21 apart early in third as Toronto took a 6-1 lead. Crabb added a goal of the rush later in the period.

Lupul has two goals and five assists during a four-game point streak.

MacArthur put the Maple Leafs up 1-0 just 41 seconds into the game. The left-winger had missed the previous three games due to an undisclosed upper-body injury.

The Lightning had a couple good scoring chances shortly after MacArthur's goal, but Maple Leafs goalie Jonas Gustavsson made a pad save on Lecavalier's shot off a 2-on-1 and Brett Clark had a drive from the top of the right circle that hit the post.

Lecavalier did convert his next chance, tying it 1-1 from the right circle on a power play at 8:38 of the first.

Colborne got his first NHL goal to make it 4-1 with 2:15 remaining in the second. The centre, playing in his fourth NHL game, scored on goalie Dwayne Roloson from the slot off a back-hand pass from Matt Frattin.

NHL scoring leader Phil Kessel had an assist, giving him 30 points this season. The Toronto centre has league-leading 16 goals.

Notes: Maple Leafs G James Reimer, who has sat out the past 15 games because of concussion-like symptoms, continues to increase his on-ice workouts and could return soon. ... Lightning C Steven Stamkos had an assist. He has 11 assists and 17 points in 13 games against Toronto. ... Connolly has two goals and six points over his last three games. ... Stamkos and Toronto D Jake Gardiner both got double roughing minors with just under two minutes to play in the third. ... Gardiner had two assists.