Breadcrumb Path Hyperlinks
Toronto Maple Leafs Sports activities
Article content material
There was anticipation within the air, inside and out of doors a loud Scotiabank Enviornment, however largely there was nervousness on the ice.
Commercial 2
Article content material
Nervousness and sloppiness. Nervousness and an excessive amount of open ice. This wasn’t the form of starting the Maple Leafs had been in search of in opposition to the Florida Panthers, being right here within the second spherical of the Stanley Cup playoffs for the primary time in 19 years. This wasn’t the form of starting, with a metropolis all able to go the place it hasn’t gone earlier than.
Article content material
Article content material
However the recreation didn’t look proper, actually from the start. It didn’t really feel proper for a lot of the night time. There was an excessive amount of open ice. There was an excessive amount of playing on the a part of the Leafs. There was not sufficient power, not sufficient depth.
“They did to us what they did to Boston,” stated coach Sheldon Keefe.
The Panthers received their fourth recreation in a row. They’ve scored 19 targets in 4 video games. They made it look sometimes simple and pure offensively.
Article content material
Commercial 3
Article content material
And the chance was there for the Leafs. They simply didn’t benefit from it.
There was not almost sufficient top-of-the-roster terrific play — the form of work you require within the playoffs in an effort to succeed. And actually, there wasn’t sufficient high quality from the underside of the roster.
Some nights you don’t play properly sufficient to win a playoff recreation and the Leafs didn’t play properly sufficient to win this one. It wasn’t a drubbing, just like the opening recreation in opposition to Tampa Bay within the earlier spherical. It was a recreation with some potentialities. It was a recreation with occasional hope, simply not sufficient of it. And it was a recreation that seemed for under about three minutes just like the Leafs had been going to win.
However whenever you’re enjoying 60 minutes and also you get behind 2-0 early within the second interval and also you come again and tie the sport within the subsequent seven minutes, that’s when it’s time to take benefit. That’s when it’s time to make the most of the house crowd and leap into the lead. The chance was there for the Leafs.
Commercial 4
Article content material
RECOMMENDED VIDEO
They allowed it to slide away with the conclusion — Tuesday night time and definitely by way of video classes on Wednesday morning — that they need to discover a higher approach to deal with Matthew Tkachuk, who was anticipated to be essentially the most impactful participant within the sequence and he didn’t waste any time turning into that.
Tkachuk made Mitch Marner look weak defensively on an evening the Leafs winger was nominated for the NHL award for finest defensive ahead when he arrange Florida’s first objective. He was then in on Florida’s second objective — this one by the previous GTHL Marlie Sam Bennett. On a delayed penalty within the third interval — with the sport nonetheless unsure — it was Tkachuk’s cross to Brandon Montour that made it 4-2 Panthers.
That was mainly it for Sport 1. Tkachuk had three factors, a game-high 9 hits, and three pictures on objective. H even was rocked a couple of occasions — nonetheless being the extremely expert pest when he wanted to be.
Commercial 5
Article content material
Tkachuk had three factors. Marner, Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares — the Core 4 — mixed for one level. That was Sport 1. That was the night time.
RECOMMENDED VIDEO
The Leafs didn’t reply properly to the group. They didn’t reply all that properly to the pace of the Panthers. They appeared too prepared to make massive hits, leaving themselves weak within the course of.
“I believed we made errors,” stated Keefe.
This isn’t the way in which the Leafs succeed at their finest. They play a cleaner recreation than they performed Tuesday night time. They handle particulars much better than they managed in Sport 1. Keefe talked about letting gamers “get on the within” within the defensive zone and he talked afterward a couple of “lack of communication” on free pucks.
Commercial 6
Article content material
“And we gave up a breakaway to the one man you don’t wish to give a breakaway to (Carter Verhaeghe). We can not make that mistake,” he stated.
This isn’t in any respect like the primary spherical in opposition to Tampa Bay. Florida is quicker and extra expert up entrance, weaker within the again finish, and doubtless weaker in objective. Toronto had possibilities to attain on Sergei Bobrovsky, who performed properly sufficient to make stops on pictures that largely weren’t ok.
SIMMONS: Dare I say this – this quickly – the Leafs can win the Stanley Cup!
SIMMONS ON MAPLE LEAFS: Firing Kyle Dubas and Sheldon Keefe? Not anymore
On some nights like this, Matthews is likely to be speaking about scoring two or three targets as a substitute of getting none. He had the possibilities. He missed some, and was stopped on some. However there was a sure sharpness lacking. Throughout the board for the Leafs.
And now the battle turns into all of the tougher. Even when successful Sport 1 appeared to imply virtually nothing within the first spherical of the playoffs.
“I believed we had been good tonight,” stated Panthers coach Paul Maurice. “I didn’t suppose we had been nice.”
That ought to hassle the Leafs. They misplaced on an evening the Panthers weren’t nice. That’s not the way you wish to start one thing new.
ssimmons@postmedia.com
twitter.com/simmonssteve
Feedback
Postmedia is dedicated to sustaining a full of life however civil discussion board for dialogue and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Feedback could take as much as an hour for moderation earlier than showing on the positioning. We ask you to maintain your feedback related and respectful. We’ve got enabled e-mail notifications—you’ll now obtain an e-mail should you obtain a reply to your remark, there’s an replace to a remark thread you comply with or if a consumer you comply with feedback. Go to our Neighborhood Pointers for extra data and particulars on tips on how to modify your e-mail settings.
Be part of the Dialog