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Toronto Maple Leafs Sports activities NHL Hockey
Bunting’s enthusiasm and offensive contact can be a profit
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Again to Tampa Bay.
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As a lot because it is perhaps good to get away to Florida for a fast journey, the Maple Leafs would have most well-liked to spend the weekend at house, awaiting to be taught their opponent within the second spherical of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs.
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However it is a tried and true Tampa Bay Lightning membership that the Leafs are coping with within the first spherical, and as we’ve seen within the best-of-seven sequence earlier than, momentum doesn’t add as much as a lot.
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Add it up, and the Leafs couldn’t shut out the sequence at house on Thursday evening.
The Leafs misplaced 4-2 in Sport 5 at Scotiabank Enviornment, and although they lead the best-of-seven sequence 3-2, they’re going to have their palms full in Sport 6 on Saturday at Amalie Enviornment.
Contemplating the Lightning has been the higher group in bigger chunks of the sequence, amongst different elements, few might be stunned if we’re again in Toronto for Sport 7 on Monday.
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With that in thoughts, some takeaways from the Leafs’ Sport 5 loss:
CHANGES COMING?
First, Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe can be foolish to not put ahead Michael Bunting into the lineup for Sport 6.
Bunting’s enthusiasm and offensive contact can be a profit. Do the Leafs fear about whether or not Bunting might be disciplined? Maybe, however that potential concern mustn’t dictate whether or not Bunting performs. He has served his suspension and was a wholesome scratch for Sport 5. He could make a distinction for a Leafs group that has not been in a position to generate offence persistently.
Sit Sam Lafferty, who performed lower than seven minutes on Thursday and had one shot try. Or possibly it’s Zach Aston-Reese who watches for a recreation. A method or one other, Bunting ought to be taking part in in Tampa on Saturday.
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Would Keefe’s lineup adjustments embody the blue line? The pair of Justin Holl and Mark Giordano has not held up its finish, and the fundamental numbers on Holl are unhealthy.
Of the Lightning’s 20 targets within the sequence (in any respect strengths), Holl has been on the ice for 14 of them. Holl has been on the ice for 9 targets at five-on-five. Giordano has been on the ice for eight targets at five-on-five.
On Thursday, the pair was on the ice for the three Tampa targets that made it 3-1 for the guests.
Ready patiently is Timothy Liljegren, who took steps in his recreation in the course of the common season and will are available in and supply a recent look.
Keefe has to think about whether or not Liljegren is perhaps a bit of off since he has not but performed within the sequence. Does Keefe grit his enamel and hold his fingers crossed that Holl and Giordano can get their act collectively? If each keep in and falter once more in Sport 6, how snug would Keefe be in utilizing Liljegren in a win-or-go-home Sport 7?
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“I suppose my first response can be whether or not (Holl) has been on the ice by himself in these conditions,” Keefe mentioned when requested about presumably inserting Liljegren. “I believe the reply is (Holl) just isn’t on the market by himself in these conditions when he’s getting scored on.
“However we want these guys (Holl and Giordano) to be higher. They have been concerned within the targets tonight. They’ve additionally finished a very good job at completely different occasions within the sequence.”
The solutions aren’t simple. Take note, the Leafs will let you know they’ve depth. So use it, then.
FORECHECKING TROUBLE
The Leafs have had points with Tampa’s forecheck all through the sequence, they usually’re going to must get it sorted out to offer themselves the very best probability to win one of many subsequent two video games, if required.
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“Our D wants to interrupt the puck out a bit of bit higher,” Morgan Rielly mentioned. “That’s the foundation of it. Once they’re placing the puck in, they are usually getting it again a bit of bit.
“After we’re in a position to execute and escape, we’ve got had some success. We’re in a position to play with pace within the impartial zone and go to their finish and management play. It begins with our again finish.”
There’s not the connection between 5 gamers on the ice that’s wanted to fight the forecheck. The forwards must do a greater job impeding Tampa’s assault.
Stated Keefe: “They play onerous. One group has to get on high of the opposite, they usually have been in a position to get on high of us fairly persistently. We’ve got to search out our manner by way of that.”
EXPERIENCE MATTERS
The Leafs, and we’re speaking in regards to the ones who’ve been a part of the first-round losses previously six years, determine these playoff scars can assist see them by way of.
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Right here’s the issue with that, and it’s particular to their opponent proper now. Having gained the Stanley Cup in 2020 and 2021 (eleven gamers from that ’20 group are on this Lightning roster), the playoff scars and classes that the Lightning has are way more influential than something the Leafs have endured.
In a good recreation such because the one on Thursday, that helped put the Lightning over the sting.
“We positive hope so,” defenceman Victor Hedman mentioned. “Didn’t show that final recreation, being up 4-1 (and dropping 5-4 in extra time).
“We have been hungry and I believe we got here out actually good. Once they made it 3-2, we didn’t panic and caught with it and did a very good job.”
Additionally factoring within the outcome on Thursday: Tampa goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, apparently having heard sufficient of his struggles, was higher than his counterpart, Ilya Samsonov. One goalie has an enormous quantity of playoff data; the opposite is Samsonov.
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For the primary time in a very long time, Samsonov allowed a very unhealthy purpose, when Mikey Eyssimont beat him from a tricky angle early within the second interval to offer Tampa a 2-1 lead.
“I mentioned this originally of the sequence: Don’t guess towards the blokes, not that group,” Tampa coach Jon Cooper mentioned of his group. “We’ve got gained one recreation and we nonetheless have to date to go, however to return into this setting and play the best way we did … (Tampa) dug their heels in. Who actually dug his heels in was the goalie.”
THEY SAID IT
“Let’s be trustworthy. This recreation is so rattling enjoyable. You will have two groups going at it, so many storylines, there are stars. Significantly, wouldn’t you guys have been pissed off if this ended tonight? So let’s all be again right here for Sport 7.”
— Cooper, quotable as at all times
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“I felt like we have been prepared. The begins, I don’t need to say are a little bit of a difficulty, however I simply really feel they’re popping out onerous, particularly within the first 5, 10 minutes and form of dictating the play. It’s one thing we wish to clear up and be extra the aggressor.”
— Auston Matthews
THE LAST WORDS
Matthews missed the web 5 occasions, together with a few makes an attempt when he obtained the puck in his wheelhouse. His purpose late within the third with Samsonov on the bench got here off a rebound within the crease … Noel Acciari had 9 hits to guide the Leafs, and his 34 hits within the sequence as a complete lead all gamers on both facet … Jake McCabe was a bodily presence, laying out Brandon Hagel and Brayden Level with open-ice hits … After scoring the extra time winner in Sport 4, Alex Kerfoot didn’t have one shot try for Toronto … Tampa outshot Toronto 38-30.
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