Tampa’s Broadway Bash Serves As Preview; Leafs Vs. Bruins
For the latest Leafs updates or Follow @mikeinbuffalo on Twitter
*******If you are interested in sponsorship or advertising your business in the Greater Toronto / Southern Ontario area on this column, please send a message for more information by clicking on the “Contact… button at the top of the page. *******
The Toronto Maple Leafs have a chance to lock up home-ice advantage in their first-round series on Thursday, as they take on the President’s Trophy winner Boston Bruins at TD Garden. The Leafs magic number is down to two, which means one victory in the final five games for Toronto or a regulation loss by Tampa Bay would guarantee the best-of-seven series with the Lightning opening at Scotiabank Arena, as well as a potential series-deciding Game 7.
The Leafs inched closer to locking up home ice with Tampa’s 6-3 loss to the NY Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, but the contest between the two Eastern Conference finalists is likely a preview of what Toronto will be facing when they take on the Lightning in less than two weeks.
Scummy play by Alex Killorn on Igor Shesterkin😳 pic.twitter.com/GJ6hiBa6s9
— Everything Hockey (@EHClothing) April 6, 2023
Tampa imposed their physical will on the Rangers, as Corey Perry knocked out captain Jacob Trouba of the game with a hit, and Alex Killorn jabbing at Igor Shesterkin. There were four fights and numerous big hits between the two clubs, but the key to New York’s victory was their response to Perry’s hit and the Lightning taking liberties with their goaltender.
Toronto does not boast the physicality that New York has, but they will have to show some team toughness, get some pushback from new additions Jake McCabe, Luke Schenn, and Noel Acciari, create distractions in front of the net (as the Rangers did on Andrei Vasilevskiy), and get performances from their core and secondary players to best the Lightning.
The big news for the Leafs in Boston is the return of center Ryan O’Reilly, who missed a month with a broken finger. O’Reilly centered a third-line unit with Noel Acciari and Alex Kerfoot, which was widely speculated would be his role when the Leafs acquired O’Reilly from St. Louis in February. Toronto held an optional skate in Boston, so it is unknown which defensemen will sit out against the Bruins, but after sitting out the 3-2 victory over Columbus on Tuesday, it is likely that Luke Schenn will be in the lineup.
Ilya Samsonov will make the start against the Bruins, while it is still unclear whether Linus Ullmark or Jeremy Swayman will go for Boston. The Globe’s Fluto Shinzawa reports that center David Krejci and winger Taylor Hall will not play.
*******
The Frozen Four semi-finals take place in Tampa on Thursday, with top-seeded Minnesota taking on Boston University. Leafs prospect Matthew Knies will be available to sign a professional contract after the Golden Gophers final game, which could be Friday or Sunday after the National Championship game.
"If there's one concern here, it's going to be a negotiation over bonuses." 💸 @FriedgeHNIC sheds some light on the inner workings regarding signing Matthew Knies with @JeffMarek #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/5xy4r15sLY
— Sportsnet 590 The FAN (@FAN590) April 6, 2023
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman says that all indicators point towards Toronto getting the Hobey Baker finalist signed to his entry-level contract, but that the only potential hiccup might be the bonus structure of the deal. This could cause issues with the Leafs being so tight against the salary cap, but it is likely that Toronto could compensate for the lack of bonuses this season with an increase in years two and three of the deal.
Topi Niemela ties the game for the Marlies in the dying seconds pic.twitter.com/oISr1oceIw
— Rink Rat Report (@RinkRatReport) April 6, 2023
*******