The Toronto Maple Leafs kicked off their first-round series against the Boston Bruins last night, and well, it was much the same as previous years. The Maple Leafs felt they were getting more calls, some for actual penalties and some questionable ones. Regardless, the team needed to battle the adversity and come out on top.
Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. They took too many penalties, and the penalty kill (PK) isn’t good enough to continuously kill them. Head coach Sheldon Keefe will need to address the number of calls that they got with the team, and they will need to make the necessary adjustments, or else this series could be over in four games.
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Last night, the Bruins made the Maple Leafs look foolish. Their power play (PP) was deadly, which was truly the difference in that game. The Maple Leafs’ PK wasn’t good, and the Bruins’ PP was as good as a coach could ask for. This is just another thing that Keefe and his staff have to address. The Bruins outscored the Maple Leafs 5-1 and were able to take Game 1 at home.
Lack of Discipline
If I were to tell you that every player on the Maple Leafs’ top line got called for a penalty last night, would you believe it? Most likely not, but it happened. Auston Matthews, Max Domi, and Tyler Bertuzzi were all called for a variety of reasons, and it truly killed their momentum. Simon Benoit and Jake McCabe also received one to give the Bruins five total power plays. They made good on two of them, both courtesy of Jake DeBrusk. It seemed like clockwork that every time the Maple Leafs gained momentum, there was an arm-up and a penalty called that left fans puzzled.
Unfortunately, the team’s fans dwell on that, and it seemed like, at points in the game, that the team did, too. For example, Domi was called for a relatively weak slashing call, and on his way to the box, he appeared to be voicing his displeasure with the ref. This seemed to drag on throughout the game, and at times, the players would look around after hits, thinking that they were receiving a penalty. Regardless, if the refs made questionable calls, the lack of discipline and the need to try and out-intimidate the Bruins must be dialed down. Nothing is intimidating about a team that is knocked out in the first round.
Potential Change in the Crease
After Ilya Samsonov was recalled, he was arguably one of the best goalies in the NHL. He overcame his mental struggles and was able to be the solid number-one netminder that the team needed. Well, things haven’t been the same in the last few years. He seems to be shaking mentally; he seems to have lost confidence. It is scary for the Leafs Nation; neither he nor the team’s backup, Joseph Woll, looks the same.
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So the questions are swirling around Maple Leafs’ Twitter/X and the media about who starts Game 2. Honestly, I don’t think it hurts to give Woll a look, especially after how Samsonov was last night. There were times when he would make a save and then instantly look behind him to make sure the puck didn’t slip by him.
This is exactly like his early-season struggles and a sign that he has lost confidence to make the necessary saves. Woll would be thrown into a game that some members of Leafs’ Land could consider a must-win. The Maple Leafs don’t want to go down 2-0 to the Bruins with the series going back home. The pressure that comes with that will be greater than last night. They just need someone to make the save needed to win them the game, and if that is Woll, then so be it. If it is Samsonov, then the team needs to reassure him that they believe in him before it is too late. This is especially true after the Bruins faithful chanted Sam-Son-Ov to him after they took a 3-0 lead last night; it looked like it played a big part in his play.
The important thing to remember is that this is only Game 1. The Maple Leafs dropped Game 1 to the Tampa Bay Lightning 7-2 and went on to beat them in six games. They just need to re-group and hope they get William Nylander back into the lineup after missing Game 1 with an undisclosed injury. Things will all work out in the wash; the Maple Leafs will find their way and get back into the series before it is too late. This team is too good to waste this season by essentially calling it quits after being down to the Bruins, no matter what the series is.
The Maple Leafs are next in action Monday, April 22, for Game 2 of the best-of-seven series. The puck drop is at 7:00 p.m.
