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How will we know if this version of the Toronto Maple Leafs is different from teams that fell short in the past? That fact could be proved Monday when the Leafs face the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 4 of their best-of-seven series at Amalie Arena.
Toronto took back home-ice advantage in the first-round series with a come-from-behind 4-3 overtime victory on Saturday, with Ryan O’Reilly scoring the tying goal with a minute left in regulation and six attackers on the ice, and Morgan Rielly scoring late in the first overtime on a long shot that beat Andrei Vasilevskiy.
MORGAN RIELLY GAME 3 OT WINNER vs Tampa Bay Lightning courtesy of Joe Bowen and Jim Ralph. #LeafsForever @BonsieTweets @Jim_Ralph
— LeafsJellyHD (@LeafsJelly) April 23, 2023
22/4/2023 pic.twitter.com/uybmXb1Iz4
The Leafs were significantly outplayed after Brandon Hagel’s tying goal late in the first period that tied the game 2-2. Tampa took the lead in the middle frame on a Darren Raddysh goal and exerted their will physically and offensively in regulation and in overtime, but Ilya Samsonov rebounded after a shaky first and kept Toronto within range, stopping 25 of 26 shots and keeping the deficit at one until O’Reilly tied the game.
Toronto played nearly half of the third period without the services of Auston Matthews and O’Reilly, who were serving fighting majors after the Morgan Reilly hit of Brayden Point, and Tampa’s tactic clearly is to drag this series into the gutter, with depth players Corey Perry and Patrick Maroon and stars Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov playing on the edge. Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe clearly was annoyed at the Lightning’s tactics after the game, citing their opportunism after Kucherov retaliated against Rielly to create a melee that took Toronto’s top two centers off the ice.
“The fight itself is a classic example of a veteran, championship team like Tampa Bay manipulating the officials and taking advantage of a situation. They know we are basically already going on the power play because of the Kucherov situation. It is a free-for-all. They can do whatever they want. They just know, with the way the game is called, they are not going to get another penalty.… Keefe said. “If you watch that sequence back, to say we shouldn’t be on a 5-on-3…… Keefe said after the game. “Credit to Tampa for recognizing that situation. It is a free pass. You can do what you want. Not only do they get out of it unscathed, but they take Matthews and O’Reilly with them to the box. Brilliant play by the Lightning there manipulating that situation.…
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Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper pushed back on Keefe’s assertion, but that is to be expected as both bench bosses are using the media to gain some sort of advantage in advance of Game 4.
Toronto has an opportunity to put a stranglehold if they can up their game. Keefe admitted after the contest that his club normally has not won that game in the past. If you look back at the games where the Leafs had a chance to either clinch a series or take a commanding lead in the Brendan Shanahan era, they have failed in every situation.
In 2018, the Leafs were up 4-3 on Boston in Game 7 and surrendered four third-period goals in a 7-4 loss. In 2019, Toronto led in Game 6 with a chance to close out the series, but lost 4-2 at home and lost another Game 7 at TD Garden. In the 2020 bubble, the Leafs had a 3-1 lead in a critical Game 3 and allowed Columbus to tie the game and win it in overtime. Had Toronto held on to the lead, their incredible rally in Game 4 would’ve given them a series win.
In 2021, the Leafs had two chances to close out on the underdog Habs, but could not score in overtime in Games 5 and 6, and folded under the pressure in a deciding Game 7. Last season, Toronto was in the same spot against the Lightning, winning Game 3 and having a chance to take a commanding 3-1 lead, but they were dominated 7-3 in Game 4. Each team won at home in Games 5 and 6, and in Game 7, the Leafs came up small and were outscored by Nick Paul.
Many people believe this version of the Leafs is different because of the additions of players like O’Reilly, Samsonov, Noel Acciari, Luke Schenn, Jake McCabe, and Matthew Knies, but a sure sign of that would be to step on the neck of Tampa in Game 4 and go back to Toronto with a chance to close out the series on Thursday.
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Keefe once again said that there is the possibility of lineup changes for Game 4, but would not reveal them after the optional morning skate on Monday. With the continuing physical onslaught that Tampa is putting up, you could see Wayne Simmonds being inserted on the fourth line. Cooper said that Erik Cernak will not play on Monday and that he is hopeful that Point will be ready, who returned soon after going heavily into the boards.
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