A half-beat slow on shots goes a long way toward explaining 1-for-8 on the power play in the last two games.
Twenty-nine shots that missed the net entirely goes a long way toward explaining back-to-back losses and the Florida Panthers rising from the 0-2 grave they’d dug for themselves against the Maple Leafs.
Zero shots for Mitch Marner across the brace of games at Amerant Bank Arena.
The reek of Game 4 has followed the team to Toronto. They’re verbally spritzing the air freshener.
Goalie Anthony Stolarz, who hasn’t played since an elbow to the head in Game 1, worked with assistant coach Curtis Sanford before Tuesday’s practice.
Goalie Anthony Stolarz, who hasn’t played since an elbow to the head in Game 1, worked with assistant coach Curtis Sanford before Tuesday’s practice.
From a distance and with the benefit of slo-mo review, spared the vexation of being harassed and hounded by an opponent of signature physicality, it’s easy for the rest of us — fans watching anxiously at home and the chattering commentariat — to spot how the Leafs got themselves into a knotted pickle where 15 minutes ago they appeared in strong control of their Atlantic Division series.
Too deliberate with the man advantage for one thing, looking for that high-leverage shot. Split-second hesitation that gives defenders time to drop a block, impede with a stick; for the goalie to track and set positionally. Insufficient net-front mayhem.
They know it. They’ve been schooled in it by coach Craig Berube throughout the playoffs. They’ve had an extra day between games to watch the video.
But still the hand-wringing questions are being asked: What the heck are they doing? Where have the smart, savvy Leafs gone?
Let Marner answer.
“They’re trying to make us really work, doing to us what we’re trying to do to them. Trying to skate us out, make us tired, and then make plays underneath us.’’
On Tuesday morning, following a full-on practice, Marner was attempting to decipher the wayward power play on which he’s the fifth forward — Berube has gone with that format all year. No shots off his stick as the primary playmaker setting up the gunslingers clearly aggravates. He needs to generate more shots, which is precisely the gospel that Berube has continuously preached. Yet his snipers aren’t sniping.
“Trying to get yourself in better areas,’’ said Marner of the wayward PP. “I tried to get shots through in the last game. They did a good job of blocking them. Myself, trying to work around it, trying to find sticks a lot of the time … cause havoc down low, that’s what my game is.’’
Muscular Florida D-men, especially the monstrous pairing of Niko Mikkola and Seth Jones, have thwarted the Leafs time after time.
“They’re lengthy, they’re strong, they’re big,’’ said Leaf Matthew Knies, who could just as easily be describing himself. “That’s how their whole D-corps is built. But that’s almost every NHL team these days. Obviously I’m a bigger player and stronger, so being around the net is the best place for me. It’s where the goals are scored, especially in the playoffs and that’s definitely one of my jobs.”
“The Grade A’s aren’t really there as much,’’ Knies added of top-quality scoring opportunities, in particular when the Panthers have a lead and settle into their hard forecheck deny-deny-deny posture. “We’ve got to execute and bury the puck when we do get those chances.’’
Pressure to score has landed hard on Auston Matthews, who’s yet to turn the light red against Florida. He’s the captain, he makes the big bucks — more than anyone else in the NHL — and he should be the straw that stirs the drink. It’s obvious, however, that something is physically amiss and has been this entire season, and possibly he reinjured his hand blocking a shot in the Ottawa series. If so, it hasn’t bothered him in the faceoff circle, but he was leading all playoff skaters with 23 missed shots in 10 games. That’s weirdly un-Auston.
“Everyone wants to produce,’’ said Marner. “Everyone wants to score goals, especially Auston. He doesn’t let it get down on him. His mood, his energy, his demeanour in the locker room has been unbelievable through it all. Just got to stay patient. This is a hard team to score against. We’ve had opportunities, we’ve had looks. They just haven’t dropped yet.’’
And, frankly, they played mighty dumb in Game 4: seven penalties, four in the first period — three of them undisciplined and the fourth a sloppy puck over the glass. It will be intriguing to see whether Berube makes any lineup changes, perhaps swapping in Nick Robertson, who has his drawbacks but also presents more offensive skill.
As well, everyone is wondering whether the nastiness at the buzzer Sunday — misconducts issued to Max Domi, Bobby McMann, Brad Marchand and Aaron Ekblad — will spill over into Wednesday’s Game 5 at Scotiabank Arena. The series was always thumping and snot-nosed; now it’s full metal jacket malevolent.
Max Domi's hit on Sasha Barkov sparks chaos at the final horn
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The lingering image from Florida’s five-game dispatch of the Leafs two springs ago was Radko Gudas (long gone now) roaring like the MGM lion in the face of Joseph Woll after the overtime goal that eliminated Toronto.
What sticks in the craw at the moment, menacingly, is Matthew Tkachuk leaning toward William Nylander on the bench at the end of Game 4, pointing his stick at Toronto’s leading goal scorer and saying — according to lip readers — “I’m going to get you.’’
Perpetually mellow Nylander wasn’t fazed then. Berube isn’t worried now.
“He probably didn’t hear him. He doesn’t even hear me.’’
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