A few thoughts on the Toronto Maple Leafs, who are widely regarded in these parts as playoff chokers and for several hockey reasons a much more favorable matchup for the Boston Bruins than, say, the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Game 1 is tonight at TD Garden, and both teams seem very eager to get the second season started.
A-I image by Daryl Vautour
Toronto won all three overtime games against Tampa Bay in last year’s opening-round playoff series, then lost both OT games in their subsequent series against Florida.
In the one playoff series that the Maple Leafs won since 2004 – last year’s six-game ouster of the Tampa Bay Lightning – Toronto got powerplay goals from seven different players. The Leafs only scored two powerplay goals in their five-game loss to Florida in the second round.
Auston Matthews scored five goals in six playoff games against Tampa Bay but was held off the board by the Panthers in the second round.
Toronto had five fighting majors against Tampa Bay, all in Games 2 and 3. The combatants: Matthews, Mark Giordano, Luke Schenn, Justin Holl and Ryan O’Reilly. There were no fighting majors in the second round against Florida.
Against Tampa, Mark Giordano was a minus-6 and Justin Holl a minus-7. Holl is no longer with the Leafs.
Against Florida, Jake McCabe was minus-6 and TJ Brodie minus-4. These guys and Giordano still play for TO, but their stats are much better for the 2023-24 regular season.
Things I’m looking at tonight include Pavel Zacha when forced to take defensive-zone faceoffs. This was a problem during the regular season, and while Zacha finished the season strong on both sides of the puck, the Bruins did not acquire a left-shot faceoff man for D-zone situations not forced by icing. Charlie Coyle (a right shot) can pull is backhand faceoff win to the LW corner, but Zacha or Johnny Beecher will be looked upon to pull to the RW corner on D-zone draws.
Faceoffs that the Bruins lose in these situations are going to become problematic when the Maple Leafs have such an elite set of sticks for in-zone possession plays.
More generally: Will either team display the kind of physical forecheck that can achieve a cumulative effect over the duration of best-of-seven playoff series?
The Bruins, as we’ve seen, can get quite aggressive on the forecheck but typically from the bottom six. And what they do tends not to sustain itself. It’s still a viable strategy to whatever extent they can generate and cause Toronto’s puck retrievers problems.
Is there any doubt the Maple Leafs, unless they think they can get a body onto Charlie McAvoy (their top priority), that they will soft dump left side of the ice so that Hampus Lindholm, Matt Grzelcyk or whichever right shot on the Peeke-Shattenkirk pairing is fetching the puck? Or to put this another way, how many games before the return of Derek Forbort or the insertion of Parker Wotherspoon?
I don’t like how Max Domi attacked McAvoy late in their last game in Boston and how the Bruins seemed oblivious to it. Whatever Domi and Tyler Bertuzzi have in mind, the Bruins need preemptive strikes to discourage it.
I’m not worried about Brad Marchand. He struggled down the stretch, but he tends to dig out his best at times like these, so long as he is healthy…
Goaltending. I don’t care who’s in net. This time Boston’s goalies are healthy. I think since the trade deadline, Linus Ullmark has played better than Jeremy Swayman. Both have had some excellent games so, again, not an issue until it is.
It doesn’t matter who plays for Toronto if the Bruins cannot gain inside ice. That will matter much more than the name of the back of the blue sweater wearing the goalie gear.
Enjoy this series and enjoy the ones you’re not emotionally invested in even more.
PREGAME WARMUP
Ilya Samsonov and Jeremy Swayman led the Leafs and Bruins onto TDG ice for Game 1 warmups.
It looks like the Bruins are sitting Parker Wotherspoon and James van Riemsdyk. The big one for Toronto is William Nylander not in the lineup tonight.
FIRST PERIOD
Toronto with an early territorial edge, but the Bruins strike first after Pat Maroon springs Jesper Boqvist on a 2-on-1 with Johnny Beecher, who takes a perfect, cross-ice feed and beats Samsonov as he goes left to right, 1-0 Boston. It was the Bruins’ first shot on net after four by the Leafs.
Simon Benoit interferes on the F1 (hooking), Bruins to the powerplay.
Charlie Coyle blasts the puck off the goal post from the slot.
Maroon runs Toronto defenseman Timothy Liljegren (almost) over the sideboards and into the Boston bench to the delight of the TD Garden crowd.
Ryan Reaves shoving his way through contact in the LW corner to level the action. Bruins are a little under the Maple Leafs’ skin right now.
Conor Dewar skate-sprays Swayman and Andrew Peeke takes him on. They go down in a heap inside the Boston net, no penalty. But Tyler Bertuzzi’s ongoing effort to engage Brad Marchand yields another powerplay for the Bruins.
Pavel Zacha rings the post, and Samsonov stops Pastrnak. Leafs get the kill, and they might have left one on the table when Mitch Marner was isolated 1-on-1 with Kevin Shattenkirk. Marner fired from long range, and it was not the end of his PK shift.
Mad scramble at the Toronto net, puck stays out.
Reaves plasters Carlo from behind in the corner, Bruins recover the puck but Geekie gets too cute on the outlet play and Matthews gets a stick on it. But Swayman snares the puck.
Domi takes a swing at McAvoy – surprise, surprise – and Matthews steps into McAvoy’s retaliation swipe. McAvoy and Domi get matching minors that will carry into the second period.
Marner isolated in front with seconds remaining in the period. Hampus Lindholm crosschecks Marner to the ice, saving a potential goal.
Shots after one: 12-11 Toronto
Leafs start the second period on a 4-on-3 powerplay.
SECOND PERIOD
Carlo, Peeke and Coyle on the kill … (McAvoy and Domi exit the box in 1:50).
Bruins get the kill, but in transition Calle Jarnkrok gets a partial breakaway. Swayman knocks away the shot. Big save.
Matthews and McAvoy come together – it looks like maybe a trip, Matthews has an open net from a bad angle with Swayman out chasing and hits the post.
Bruins score, 2-0, at 5:47, on a Brandon Carlo shot from the right point.
Huge swing.
Matthews gets his stick under McAvoy’s face shield, Bruins to the powerplay. The accident spoiled a surge for the Leafs, who were generating shots with Domi and Bertuzzi cycling out the puck.
Jake DeBrusk through a screen, 3-0, and Game 1 is officially about goaltending. 4:58 remaining in the second period.
Domi to the box for slashing with 4:22 left in the second, huge chance for the Bruins to seal this one.
Samsonov sticks away a Pastrnak shot from the right circle that was labeled for the far corner. Mark it down.
Bruins are playing with fire on their PP zone entries, but DeBrusk finishes a centering feed from Marchand with 2:26 left in the period and 5 seconds on Domi’s PIM, 4-0.
Toronto comes right back with pressure, but the Bruins hold on and deflect the Matthews shot over the side glass.
Coyle trips Matthews after the faceoff, Peeke wants Bertuzzi, who ducks. Toronto to the powerplay with 1:54 in the second period. Replay shows a very smart dive by Matthews.
Beecher with a block on Morgan Rielly and the clear.
DeBrusk with a short-handed chance 1-on-1 with Bertuzzi, turns on the speed advantage to the outside and sneaks his stick inside to test Samsonov.
Second period ends 4-0 Boston.
Shots after two: 25-22 Toronto.
THIRD PERIOD
Samsonov returns to the net for the third period.
Six seconds left on Coyle’s penalty, so the big thing for the Bruins is to manage a transition back to full strength without letting anything goofy happen.
David Kampf gets Toronto on the board 1:39 into the third period, 4-1.
Next goal’s a big one (I know I’m supposed to wait a goal before saying that).
Geekie with a big hit in the Toronto zone, Leafs look to retaliate. Bruins stay on the cycle, Jake McCabe to the penalty box, Bruins extend the delayed penalty. Toronto finally disrupts the possession, and the Bruins will go to the powerplay up 4-1 with 13:04 remaining in regulation.
Not a good powerplay, but the Bruins haven’t let down their compete.
Pastrnak and DeBrusk with big hits on the forecheck in difference sequences. Bruins are making Toronto work to get back in the game. 7:35 left.
Carlo to the box with 4:48 in regulation.
Frederic ices the game with an ENG with 2:08 left.
Drive safely.
Rink Rap with Mick Colageo 