Following a frustrating Game 1 in which many familiar playoff issues reared their ugly heads, the Maple Leafs will need a cleaner and tighter performance in Game 2 if they’re to bring the series back to Toronto tied at 1-1 (7:00 p.m. EST, Sportsnet, CBC, ESPN).
The reactions to Game 1 on both sides of the spectrum have been… well, reactionary. On the one hand, the Leafs also got blown out in Game 1 a year ago against the Tampa Bay Lightning, yet rebounded to win the series in six games. On the other hand, the Leafs are now 2-7 in Game 1s in the Matthews era and just 1-5 since Sheldon Keefe took the reins as head coach. To state the obvious, a 0-1 series deficit makes a difficult task — one that the Leafs have only completely successfully once in the last 20 years — that much more difficult.
It’s also true that the five-on-five play was a lot closer than the final Game 1 scoreline reflects. Even if we removed the third period when score effects were in full swing at 4-0, Natural Stat Trick pegged the 5v5 expected goals at 2.03-1.88 in favor of Toronto, and shot attempts were 29-28 Bruins over the opening 40.
The Leafs gave the Bruins five power-play opportunities, and it wasn’t only a case of some dodgy officiating. The Leafs took some sloppy penalties, including one from each member of the top line, with Tyler Bertuzzi and Auston Matthews taking high-sticking calls in front of the Bruins’ net. They also were off to a positive start to the game before giving up a 2-on-1 goal, and on the PK, Jake DeBrusk’s goal was far too easy. Those are the types of looks the Bruins simply did not afford the Leafs over the course of the game.
The other big storyline continues to be the Leafs’ infamous streak of scoring two goals per game in the playoffs (now at eight games). Some of the challenges were due to Jeremy Swayman, and some were Toronto’s offensive approach in the game. The (possibly) good news is that one of the team’s best offensive weapons was on the ice this morning and is not ruled out for tonight.
William Nylander was seen at the Leafs’ optional skate Sunday morning with the Leafs’ projected scratches and again participated in the morning skate on Monday. With all due respect to Nick Robertson, he’s nowhere near the calibre of the play-driving threat Nylander is both at five-on-five and on the power play. On paper, a new-look third line of Järnkrok-Holmberg-Nylander could give the Bruins some matchup headaches after Game 1 played out in a fairly straightforward manner for Jim Montgomery.
As was the case in Game 1, with Keefe staying mum in the media, we won’t know for sure about Nylander until close to puck drop.
Maple Leafs’ Keys to Game 2
via Anthony Petrielli
– The Bruins have scored first in all five games this season, and the Leafs have not led a single game at any point. The first goal would provide Toronto with some confidence and allow them to settle down.
– The Leafs need to play more north/south and attack the net. There was too much east-west in Game 1.
– There was a lot of focus on the PK, the defense, and the goaltending after Game 1, all of which are real issues, but the Leafs have eight goals in five games vs. Boston this season. Cut it any way you want, but the Leafs are not going to win consistently with that poor of an offensive output. They need to get inside on Boston, crash the net, shoot more, and win battles in front of the net.
– The Leafs’ penalty kill needs to do a better job of pressuring. They can’t allow a player like Jake DeBrusk to curl up top with the puck, go downhill, and shoot untouched. That’s far too easy.
– The Leafs need to limit time in the box and not get carried away physically or with the overall emotions of the game.
– Put simply, the Leafs need some saves and for their stars to be stars. The Bruins’ top players have outplayed the Leafs’ in all five games so far this year. In Game 1, Boston got away with matching Brandon Carlo vs. Auston Matthews. It is very difficult for any team in the league to win when its best players don’t deliver.
Game Day Quotes
Jim Montgomery on his starting goalie for Game 2:
I don’t like keeping you guys in the dark. Do any of you play Wordle? The starting goalie tonight has two vowels in his first and last name.
Montgomery on why he keeps his goalie decision tight to his chest:
I don’t know why we would divulge information. If you are preparing for a game, there are parts of the goaltender that are a part of your pre-scout. That is an advantage for us, right? We don’t know who is starting.
I don’t tell my wife. I am not telling [the media].
Montgomery on what he is hoping to repeat about the team’s Game 1 performance:
I liked our physicality. That has to be repeated. I liked how we got over top of people. We didn’t give up too much off the rush. That is really important against such an electric offensive team.
Sheldon Keefe on the expectation for his team in Game 2:
I expect our team to come out and play hard, play well, and play — in a lot of ways — like we did the other night. Just make a few fewer mistakes and finish a few of our chances. We don’t have to change much more than that. Quite honestly, we liked a lot of things about our game. We just have to get back to it.
Keefe on shifting Tyler Bertuzzi onto PP1:
Bert is good around the net. It gives you a second guy similar to John in the sense that he can hound the puck and be good around the net. That is really it.
Keefe on the message to Max Domi after his slashing penalty in Game 1:
It is playoff hockey. I don’t even have to talk to Max about these things. He has been through it a lot. It is all part of the intensity. I don’t need Max to change anything about who he is and how he plays.
He is an important guy for us. I love the intensity he brought the other night. He got caught on a penalty. Their guy is probably going to give the same slash 10 times over the rest of the series. We’ll see if he gets called on it.
I love Max’s intensity.
Keefe on the group of six defensemen he’s started the series with, with TJ Brodie on the outside looking in:
We looked at how the season has gone, how the group has come together, how the pairs fit, the opponent, and the type of matchups and intensity you expect early in the series. Those are the guys we are going with.
Head-to-Head (Regular Season) Stats: Maple Leafs vs. Bruins
In the regular-season statistics, the Leafs hold the advantage over the Bruins in five out of five offensive categories, but the Bruins hold the advantage in three out of five defensive categories.
Toronto Maple Leafs Projected Lines*
Forwards
#59 Tyler Bertuzzi – #34 Auston Matthews – #11 Max Domi
#23 Matthew Knies – #91 John Tavares – #16 Mitch Marner
#89 Nick Robertson – #29 Pontus Holmberg – #19 Calle Jarnkrok
#24 Connor Dewar – #64 David Kampf – #75 Ryan Reaves
Defensemen
#44 Morgan Rielly – #46 Ilya Lyubushkin
#2 Simon Benoit – #22 Jake McCabe
#20 Joel Edmundson – #37 Timothy Liljegren
Goaltenders
Starter: #35 Ilya Samsonov
#60 Joseph Woll
Extras: TJ Brodie, Mark Giordano, Conor Timmins, Noah Gregor, Martin Jones, Cade Webber
Injured: Bobby McMann, William Nylander
Boston Bruins Projected Lines*
Forwards
#43 Danton Heinen – #18 Pavel Zacha – #88 David Pastrnak
#63 Brad Marchand – #13 Charlie Coyle – #74 Jake DeBrusk
#94 Jakub Lauko – #39 Morgan Geeke – #11 Trent Frederic
#19 John Beecher – #70 Jesper Boqvist – #61 Patrick Maroon
Defensemen
#27 Hampus Lindholm – #73 Charlie McAvoy
#48 Matt Grzelcyk – #25 Brandon Carlo
#22 Kevin Shattenkirk – #52 Andrew Peeke
Goaltenders
Starter: #35 Linus Ullmark
#1 Jeremy Swayman
Extras: James van Riemsdyk, Parker Wotherspoon, Mason Lohrei
Injured/Out: Justin Brazeau, Milan Lucic, Derek Forbort
*Note: At playoff time, with neither coach forthcoming on lineup decisions or injury situations, the final lineups won’t be known until close to puck drop.
