Morgan Rielly and Brandon Carlo (Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/3dc3d68e-2d64-4f25-b3dd-deef8c5710ec.jpeg] Morgan Rielly and Brandon Carlo (Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images) When it comes to the Toronto Maple Leafs, much of the spotlight is directed at their ‘Core Four’ of star forwards. But very quietly, the Maple Leafs [http://thn.com/toronto]’ defense corps has been doing a terrific job – and it’s time for Toronto’s blueliners to get their share of the credit for the Buds being up 2-0 in their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series against the Ottawa Senators [http://thn.com/ottawa]. Ryan Kennedy and Michael Traikos discuss Anthony Stolarz' performance during Playoff Frenzy Live. It isn’t just the eye test that confirms how effective the Leafs’ defensemen have been against the Senators. There are some statistics that offer great insight into what Toronto coach Craig Berube has been looking for from his defense corps. Take, for instance, the blocked shots category. The Leafs had 18 blocked shots in Game 1, while Ottawa only had 12. In Game 2, the Senators had just six blocked shots, and the Leafs had 32. Toronto’s D-men led the way: Brandon Carlo was tied with superstar center Auston Matthews with a team-high four blocked shots. Morgan Rielly had three, and Chris Tanev, Simon Benoit and Oliver Ekman-Larsson each had two blocked shots. That sets the tone for the entire Leafs team, prioritizing individual sacrifice over individual accomplishment. “You’ve got to do that,” Berube told reporters Wednesday morning [https://youtu.be/OkTaGHSFr-U?feature=shared]. “You’ve got to block shots when you have to. And we had to (Tuesday) night…guys did a great job of it. And everybody’s got to do it. It’s highly important. I can look back on playoffs, teams, and look at the stats…if you look at a lot of the teams that were successful, they block a lot of shots.” Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs’ group of defensemen also made contributions on offense. Toronto’s blueliners were last in the NHL in the regular season in terms of goals scored, with 21 in 82 games. But in the first two games against the Senators, the Leafs’ defensemen have produced three goals – two from Rielly, and one from Ekman-Larsson. On the overtime goal Tuesday night [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/demoted-but-not-down-max-domi-scores-ot-winner-for-toronto-maple-leafs], Benoit joined the rush to set up Max Domi for the game-winner, getting the primary assist on the goal. 'That's Playoff Hockey': Leafs' Stolarz Explains Bodychecking Senators' Greig In Game 2 Win [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/ae67ab82-1aaf-4e76-93ee-83c5b7964e9b.jpeg] 'That's Playoff Hockey': Leafs' Stolarz Explains Bodychecking Senators' Greig In Game 2 Win The Ottawa Senators outhit the Toronto Maple Leafs 44 to 25 in Game 2 on Tuesday night. [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/thats-playoff-hockey-leafs-stolarz-explains-bodychecking-senators-greig-in-game-2-win] That all-around game is what makes the Leafs’ defensemen so valuable. Their size doesn’t hurt either. Rielly and Jake McCabe are the runts of the litter at 6-foot-1. But Carlo is 6-foot-5, Benoit is 6-foot-4, Tanev is 6-foot-3, and Ekman-Larsson is 6-foot-2. You can’t intimidate Toronto’s defensemen because they’re too small. Leafs GM Brad Treliving has methodically remade the defense corps, and you can make a good case that this is the deepest, most well-balanced group of blueliners since the Matthews and Mitch Marner era began. The Leafs have done a very solid job of compartmentalizing their duties. Although they aren’t going to complain about defensemen posting goals and assists, Berube doesn’t need them to do so. So long as they box out well, clear the front of the net, and limit shots to the fringes of Toronto’s defensive zone, Berube is going to be happy with his defensemen. If you compare the Leafs [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/we-stayed-with-it-maple-leafs-halt-senators-comeback-bid-to-take-2-0-series-lead]’ group of D-men with Ottawa’s, you can see why the Leafs have won their first two games against the Sens. Ottawa [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/ottawa-senators/latest-news/leafs-take-2-0-series-lead-after-ot-win-series-shifts-back-to-ottawa-thursday] has got only one assist from each of Thomas Chabot and Tyler Kleven. Meanwhile, Jake Sanderson and Artem Zub each have three blocked shots, and Chabot has one blocked shot, but Nick Jensen and Kleven don’t have any blocked shots. NHL Playoff Predictions 2025: Which East Teams Get Past Round 1? Expect Tight Battles [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/af112ef4-ce76-4585-a7f9-3528c5a2da37.jpeg] NHL Playoff Predictions 2025: Which East Teams Get Past Round 1? Expect Tight Battles The NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs are upon us, and we continue to predict how the first round will go. [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/nhl-playoff-predictions-2025-which-east-teams-get-past-round-1-expect-tight-battles] If the Senators are going to extend the series against the Leafs, they’re going to need to create cracks among Toronto’s defense corps. They’ll also need to do more in their own zone to thwart the Maple Leafs’ offensive surges. In sum, the Maple Leafs’ defensemen have done just about everything that’s been asked of them – and though Toronto’s D-men aren’t often showing up on any playoff highlight reel, their commitment to the team concept and their sky-high panic threshold are among the key reasons the Leafs have the Sens on their heels. Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.
