Back on home ice, can the Maple Leafs seize their second opportunity to close out the series vs. the Senators and punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference semifinals? (7:00 p.m. EST, Sportsnet/CBC).
Keys to Game 5
via Anthony Petrielli (@APetrielli)
– The Leafs need a good start. The Senators have scored first in each of the last two games, and Toronto’s first period in Game 4 was their worst of the series so far, given the context: outhit 16-9, and high-danger attempts were 8-1 at five-on-five. Be ready to go.
– It’s time for the Leafs to stop shooting themselves in the foot with bad penalties. The Senators have scored a power-play goal in three straight. They were off a skate, a 5-on-3, and a shot that should be saved, but the Leafs are putting themselves in those positions and need to clean it up. If the game is played at five-on-five, they’ll be fine.
– The coaching staff should move Bobby McMann to the second line at the beginning of the game instead of waiting until the team is trailing. The line is better with him there, and we have a good sample of evidence supporting this. With McMann on L2, a convincing case can be made that the Leafs own the two best lines in the series. Load up and run the Senators over at home.
– Other than the McMann/Holmberg question, there is plenty to like about the Leafs‘ forward lines and defense pairs. There is no compelling reason to change anything else and overthink it.
– Will the extra day of rest help Anthony Stolarz bounce back from Game 4? He has allowed some shaky goals in each of the last two games.
– Will the Senators continue to flip Tim Stutzle and Dylan Cozens? The Leafs should match up Auston Matthews versus either of those two line combinations anyway, and it should be a big advantage for Toronto. If they can avoid the Shane Pinto matchup — as they did in Game 1 and Game 2 on home ice — the Leafs should realistically win all those matchups.
– It’s time for the Leafs to take advantage of home ice and end the series tonight. The crowd should provide a lift; hit and score early, and the building will be rocking. The Leafs have the best line in the series and a deep defense. At home, they should be able to control all the matchups and dictate the game.
Game Day Quotes
Auston Matthews on how he feels physically at this point in the series:
Everybody is grinding right now. It is that point in the season when it is hard, physical hockey. You are always going to go through different things. It is nothing abnormal.
Everybody is grinding and playing hard right now. It is not something that is a big deal.
Matthews on his line not conceding a goal against at five-on-five through four games and its balance of offense vs. defense:
We do get a good number of defensive-zone starts. We are trying to be responsible in our own end and transition that into the offensive zone.
It is all five guys, plus the goalie, out there sacrificing, blocking shots, getting in lanes, and being hard around our net. We are trying to make it difficult for the other team to get to the net and create opportunities.
It is about playing patient. There is not always going to be a lot going on throughout the game. You try to stay patient and continue to try to gain an edge in each shift or each period.
Travis Green on whether the game plan for Game 5 is more of the same from Game 4:
More or less. We have to reset. It is going to be a great atmosphere in this building tonight. We are excited to play.
It is playoff hockey. It’s exciting. Both buildings have had great atmospheres. The great thing about playoff hockey is being excited to play. Look forward to it, and play your game.
Green on the signs of his team’s growth through four games:
It is not an easy question. There has been a lot of it. There is the comfort of playing in playoff hockey and understanding certain parts of the game — the commitment, the compete. You saw our team step up in certain areas last game, as far as doing what it takes to win. Some of that is sacrificing your body, and that is part of it as well.
Green on his team’s shutdown effort versus the Matthews line in the series:
It is not easy. It is one of the best players in the world. You are not going to keep guys like that off the scoresheet. They are going to get goals and points.
I would say we have done an okay job, and he is still a really effective player in the series.
Craig Berube on his belief in Anthony Stolarz’s ability to rebound from his first loss since March 15:
He is solid. He has been around a long time and is a veteran guy. All goalies go through losses. You have to turn the page, move on, and keep focusing on what you have done well and what you do well as a goalie. That is not going to change. He is going to go out and do his thing, as he has in the past.
Max Pacioretty on the team’s mindset ahead of a second close-out opportunity:
I haven’t been here in the past, so I don’t know how to compare it to that, but at the same time, we have a lot of veterans in there who have been in these situations.
You worry about the process. You can’t get too high or too low in the playoffs. That is when you normally get caught up in what you can’t control. What we can control in here is our competitiveness, our mindset, and our effort. It has to be there tonight.
Pacioretty on the team’s buy-in to Craig Berube’s philosophy and systems:
Everybody has bought in right from the beginning. I wasn’t here in years past, but right from the beginning, the guys were talking about that kind of pack mentality where everyone is going to stay up for each other and be on the same page.
The term that was used is “Give more, take less.” Everybody feels they are an important part of the team. We have run with that and had a lot of success with that mentality.
… We want to play strong defensively first and then take advantage of the chances when they come, but we can’t get too high or too low and try to cheat for offense, no matter the situation in the game.
The last game was a good example of that. We were down 2-0, and we weren’t cheating for offense. Guys still found ways to create by staying patient. That is a good quality to have.
Toronto Maple Leafs Projected Lines
Forwards
#23 Matthew Knies — #34 Auston Matthews — #16 Mitch Marner
#29 Pontus Holmberg — #91 John Tavares — #88 William Nylander
#67 Max Pacioretty — #11 Max Domi — #74 Bobby McMann
#18 Steven Lorentz — #24 Scott Laughton — #19 Calle Jarnkrok
Defensemen
#22 Jake McCabe — #8 Chris Tanev
#44 Morgan Rielly — #25 Brandon Carlo
#2 Simon Benoit — #95 Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Goaltenders
Starter: #41 Anthony Stolarz
#60 Joseph Woll
Extras: Nick Robertson, David Kampf, Ryan Reaves, Philippe Myers, Dakota Mermis, Artur Akhtyamov, Jani Hakanpaa
Ottawa Senators Projected Lines
Forwards
#7 Brady Tkachuk — #18 Tim Stutzle — #28 Claude Giroux
#57 David Perron — #24 Dylan Cozens — #19 Drake Batherson
#71 Ridly Greig — #12 Shane Pinto — #22 Michael Amadio
#21 Nick Cousins — #81 Adam Gaudette — #20 Fabian Zetterlund
Defensemen
#85 Jake Sanderson — #2 Artem Zub
#72 Thomas Chabot — #3 Nick Jensen
#43 Tyler Kleven — #33 Nikolas Mattinpalo
Goaltenders
Starter: #35 Linus Ullmark
#31 Anton Forsberg
Extras: Matthew Highmore, Hayden Hodgson, Dennis Gilbert, Travis Hamonic, Leevi Merilainen
