The Toronto Maple Leafs are looking for an effort that can finally put them over the top and eliminate the Ottawa Senators in Game 6 of their first-round series at the Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday, and if they cannot, they will face the unthinkable of a deciding Game 7 after taking a 3-0 lead just one week ago.
Leafs head coach Craig Berube has done his best to quell and deflect the growing sense of dread in Toronto that his club, despite all the changes made to the roster over the last year, does not have the wherewithal to put away the Sens, who staved off elimination in overtime in Game 4 and took advantage of an on-edge Leaf squad in a shutout loss on Tuesday.
The statistical anomalies of the Leafs in elimination games are stunning. Since 2018, with the same core group, Toronto has a 1-13 record against Boston, Columbus, Tampa Bay, Montreal, and now Ottawa. The more unbelievable statistic is that in those games, the club’s power play has gone 0 for 30 and has given up three short-handed goals.
The club at their morning skate in Kanata went through line rushes with the same group of 12 forwards. Veteran Max Pacioretty moved up to the second line with John Tavares and William Nylander. Pontus Holmberg moved down to the third line to center Bobby McMann and Max Domi, with the top line of Matthew Knies-Auston Matthews-Mitch Marner, the fourth unit of Steven Lorentz-Scott Laughton-Calle Jarnkrok, and three defensive pairings remaining intact.
“There’s always debate about lineup changes. Max had some real good stretches with those guys before he got hurt. (He’s a) big guy, strong, physical, good around the net.” Berube said. “I just didn’t feel that we needed (lineup changes) right now. There’s a lot to like about our team right now, the way things are going. So best to leave it.”
Things may come down to whether the Leafs core group can perform closer to their level of play in the first three games and not the disastrous performance in Game 5, where they went a collective -16. As with Game 3, Toronto will likely have to weather an early emotional onslaught from Ottawa, who will hope to put the Leafs on their heels from the outset.
The last thing this Toronto team needs is the prospect of another seventh game against a young team with nothing to lose. The Leafs also face the prospect of taking on a more rested Florida Panthers squad. The Panthers put away the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games on Wednesday, but that challenge should not be on their minds; the focus of Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Auston Matthews, John Tavares, and Morgan Rielly has to be putting forth the best effort of their careers on Thursday.
For the latest Leafs updates on Twitter, follow me at @MikeInBuffalo
After watching The Leaf’s Convo I can’t say I expect the Leafs to win tonight, you sold me that they won’t Mike!!
With me, hope and expectation are two different things. The Leafs finally played a game that put away the Sens. That effort was one game too late, but they did get it done.
Matthews, Marner, Knies, and Nylander must show up, or they are up the creak without a paddle.
Glad to see that they’ve finally gotten back into the second round. It’s going to be an uphill fight to beat the Panthers. No passengers if they want to have a chance to win this series.