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For twenty minutes, the 2013-14 edition of the Toronto Maple Leafs played the type of physical, forechecking, high-energy game that it would take to defeat the Boston Bruins.
The Blue and White stepped up their physical play, led by the hitting of team captain Dion Phaneuf and ramped up their offensive attack, as Joffrey Lupul spearheaded an 18 shot attack on the Bruins with spectacular dashes around Boston behemoth Zdeno Chara and the tying goal late in the second period.
“Every coach would like your team to play that way, but I don’t know if you can specifically say that you can expect them to do that for sixty minutes.… Head Coach Randy Carlyle said following the game. “That’s more the type of hockey that we’re gonna ask the hockey club to play. A little bit more of a cycle game, a little bit more of a puck possession game instead of the up-and-down and trading chances.…
The problem with that effort is that it lasted only the middle frame and was sandwiched in between 40 minutes in which the hometown Bruins dominated with and without the puck. The result was a 3-1 victory at the TD Garden in Boston on Saturday night that was like walking through a crime scene days or weeks later and seeing the taped outline of a body on the floor.
“I didn’t think we had a very good start to the game, they were all over us. We didn’t do a lot of things from a physical standpoint. We really didn’t get involved early.… Carlyle said. “The most disappointing part is our penalty killing has been one of strongest suits this year and we give up two power play goals that basically were empty net goals.…
As in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Quarter Final nearly six months ago, Chara and Patrice Bergeron were at the core of the Boston victory, as the big blueliner logged over 28 minutes of ice time, successfully shut down the Leafs Phil Kessel and scored the game’s opening goal on the power play late in the first period. Bergeron scored twice in the third period, including the game winner 1:06 into the third period with Toronto’s James van Riemsdyk serving a double-minor for cross checking and an empty netter in the waning seconds.
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The Leafs best player throughout the game was goaltender James Reimer, who made 32 saves on the night. Reimer was the sole reason why Toronto was still within striking distance after a dominant first in which Boston fired 14 shots and was hindered in trying to make the save on Bergeron’s game winner as teammate Paul Ranger was draped all over him.
Carlyle indicated that he thought his club ran out of gas in the third period of their second game in back-to-back nights, which was exasperated by the Leafs going mostly with 10 forward. Winger Troy Bodie saw only 2:50 of ice time and Frazer McLaren played only 2:07, which included a first period tilt with Boston’s Adam McQuaid.
The Leafs clearly missed the faceoff abilities and veteran presence of Tyler Bozak and Dave Bolland up the middle, as Jay McClement, Nazem Kadri, James van Riemsdyk and Jerred Smithson were all at 50% or below on faceoffs and struggled in matchups against Bergeron, David Krejci and Chris Kelly.
The game last night also illustrated that the Leafs missed feisty ex-Leaf Leo Komarov and Colton Orr’s physical presence in the playoffs last season, laying the body and wearing down Chara instead of the Bruins captain having the energy to lay out Leafs forwards like Mason Raymond in the third period.
This is one game of 82, but if the Leafs use the Bruins as a measuring stick, they still have a bit of growing to do.
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