Toronto have lost their last 10 series-advancing games amongst their current core players and Thursday's 4-2 loss was eerily similar to the ones before it.
Toronto have lost their last 10 series-advancing games amongst their current core players and Thursday's 4-2 loss was eerily similar to the ones before it.
This could have been the Toronto Maple Leafs' day to break through.
But from the warmups to the end of the game, it felt like the Toronto Maple Leafs were tentative and not becoming a team with a 3-1 series advantage.
[gallery ids="5062,5063,5064,5065"]
Maybe it was because the Maple Leafs didn't necessarily play like the aggressor in Games 3 and 4, where a desperate comeback helped spearhead unlikely victories. Or perhaps it's because they carry the weight of some disappointing results in the playoffs.
But Toronto didn't play like a team that was trying to put a dagger into the throats of the defending Stanley Cup champions. They were mostly waiting out the game.
"The starts are maybe a bit of an issue but I feel like they were coming out hard, especially in the first five, 10 minutes, dictating the play" Auston Matthews said following the game. "That's definitely something we'd like to clean up and maybe be more of the aggressor in that category."
Despite a game-opening goal from Morgan Rielly. whose shot perfectly hit the right post before beating Tampa goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, it took a mere 28 seconds for the Lightning to suck the energy out of Scotiabank Arena.
Tampa carried 63 percent of the shots share (Corsi) at 5-on-5 following after the opening period. They improved on that in the second period with a 64 percent and a goal from Mikey Eyssimont, who returned after missing the last three games with an injury.
The goal, a bit of a weak from Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov, gave Tampa their first lead of the game.
Although the Maple Leafs improved their play in the third period, Nick Paul scored his first goal in 30 games, but his third goal in his last two games in which Toronto had a chance to advance in a playoff round, a bitter reminder of the team's recent past.
As he did in Game 4, Matthews tried to spearhead a comeback and cut Tampa's lead down to 3-2 with a little over three minutes left. But Tampa scored an empty-netter to force Game 6 in Tampa on Saturday.
"One team is going to get on top of the other and they've been able to get on top of us pretty consistently," Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said. "We have to find our way through that."
And therein lies some of the concern for the Maple Leafs heading into Game 6. They effectively stole both games on the road to put themselves in the driver's seat heading into Thursday. But they didn't take advantage of the moment.
The loss marked the 11th consecutive time the Maple Leafs have failed to win a series-advancing game. But the key number is the last 10 of those have occurred with the core of Matthews, Rielly Mitch Marner, William Nylander on the team.
Marner was pleased with the way his team played in the third period and seemed less concerned about how things played out.
"I think it was a pretty tight game and not a lot (of chances) for either team," Marner said. "We don't quit in here and I'm proud of us for doing that, but we just have to make sure we start like that in Game 6."
Adjustments will certainly be coming on Saturday. Michael Bunting appears to be a shoo-in to re-enter the lineup after missing his fourth consecutive game, but first one as a healthy scratch. He served a three-game suspension for Games 2-4 for an illegal check to the head of Tampa defenseman Erik Cernak.
The other question is about what the Maple Leafs do on defense. Justin Holl was on the ice Tampa's three goals that didn't occur with an empty net. The Maple Leafs have been outscored 14-2 in the series when Holl has been on the ice.
"My first response would be whether he has been on the ice by himself in those situations. I think the answer is he is not out there by himself in those situations when he is getting scored on," Keefe said when defending Holl's play. "We need those guys (Holl players he's on the ice with) to be better. They were involved in the goals here tonight. They have also done a good job at different times in the series."
A couple of Maple Leafs mentioned that they struggled to break the puck out on Thursday. Timothy Liljegren could help with that should his number get called.
The Maple Leafs still lead the series and have two more chances to get the first-round monkey off their back. But Game 5 was just too familiar. And the Leafs can ill afford to get too comfortable with the familiar.
Related
Why Michael Bunting Will Not Get Into Maple Leafs Lineup for Game 5 Against Lightning
Maple Leafs Pull Off Shocking Comeback Victory Over Lightning That 'Feels Different'