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Based on how the first four games of the first-round series evolved, the Toronto Maple Leafs were in a precarious spot after twenty minutes in Game 5, trailing the Tampa Bay Lightning by two goals, taking four minor penalties, and not cashing in on three opportunities with the man advantage, but the Leafs rebounded in the final forty minutes, tying and taking the lead in the third, as Auston Matthews goal with 6:06 remaining gave Toronto a 4-3 victory at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday.
John Tavares, Morgan Rielly, and William Nylander also scored for Toronto and Jack Campbell made 32 saves in the comeback win that gives the Leafs a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series and a chance to advance to the second round with a victory in Tampa on Thursday.
A key to the club’s turnaround was veteran Jason Spezza calming down Campbell after falling behind 2-0 and then speaking up in the locker room after the first.
"It's not an uncommon thing to happen you know. That's part of what's (Jason)brings to our team, one of the intangibles. There were times in the regular season, the same kind of thing, but certainly, it was well-timed." Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said after the game.
The Leafs core group had a significant impact, as Nylander had three points, Tavares two, Rielly scored the tying goal, and Marner and Matthews combined for the game-winner late in the third.
"I loved the response. There was great desperation from our group. I think we recognized the situation we were in and had a great push back." Spezza said on Wednesday. "We've had opportunities last year, we didn't get it done. We know that. And then you get into a Game 7 and anything could happen. I think we've given ourselves two chances to win a series. but more importantly, there needs to be urgency similar to what we had last game to come back from down. That urgency has to follow us to Tampa."
Toronto has been unable to follow up an excellent effort in this series with a similar performance in the following game and will have to do that on Thursday to avoid a seventh and deciding game at home on Saturday.
"When you're trying to win a series, finishing it off is the hardest thing to do. When you're playing against the back-to-back champs, (that) knows nothing (other than) winning here for last couple years. It's even harder." Keefe said. "I don't think that tonight is going to matter if we don't take the next step.....the hardest step."
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Leafs forward Michael Bunting was named one of the three finalists for the Calder Memorial Trophy, awarded to the player selected as the most proficient rookie performer this season.
The 26-year-old Bunting led all rookies with 63 points (23 goals, 40 assists) in 79 games and recorded the third-most points in a season by a Toronto rookie behind only Auston Matthews (69 points in 2016-17) and Peter Ihnacak (66 points in 1982-83).
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