After the Toronto Maple Leafs got off to a torrid start in their first-round series against the Ottawa Senators going up 3-0, the Senators have reeled off two straight wins to put themselves back into the series as they now have life.
Now, we know that nothing is easy in the playoffs as you need to be ready for any situation at any time. However, the Maple Leafs– specifically the Core Four– have been in this situation plenty of times before and the anxiety within the fan base is starting to stir up the team’s past history of their inability to close out a series.
Days ago, they were in control. After they had their opportunity to end the series and earn some rest for their next round, the seeds of doubt are now growing again as the Senators are putting pressure on the Maple Leafs.
Failed Chances to Clinch
The only way you can describe the last two games for the Maple Leafs was that they had failed chances to end the series. The last time the Maple Leafs swept a series was back in 2001 against the Senators. In Game 4, they had their opportunities and chances to do so. However, it was squandered after they failed on a four-minute power play in overtime and a Jake Sanderson floater was the eventual game-winner. The Maple Leafs had a good game, just a bad result.
However, it was the exact opposite for most of the game in Game 5 as the Maple Leafs failed at another attempt to end their series, losing 4-0. The Maple Leafs had a strong and dominant first period where they outshot the Senators 12-4. However, the power play went cold, the Senators collapsed to the middle of the ice and didn’t give the Maple Leafs much to work with.
More notably, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander, didn’t find the urgency to change the tide of the game when they needed to do so. Their play was reminiscent of past elimination games where their play was below acceptable. They once again faltered in a moment when they needed to be at their best.
Game 5 started off with the result of how Game 4 ended, another floater from the point by Thomas Chabot that found its way past Anthony Stolarz. While he should’ve had that, it wasn’t the reason the team lost. At that moment, that’s when things started to go downhill for the Maple Leafs as they couldn’t connect on their passes, get any sustained pressure or couldn’t stack up multiple shifts to try and change the tide of the game.
Related: Maple Leafs News & Rumours: Berube, Stolarz & Core 4 Heroes or Heartbreak
Those failed opportunities to close out a series when the Maple Leafs should have has now given the Senators momentum and confidence they need. While the Maple Leafs have another opportunity to close it out, the way things have gone in the past, they really need to step it up in an elimination game once again.
Re-Write Script or Face the Music
Things can change, just like in 2023 when the Maple Leafs won in Game 6 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. There were nervous moments, but they found a way. The same thing can happen again or, will their demons creep back in.
Since 2018, the Maple Leafs are 1-13 when closing a series in the Matthews, Marner, Nylander era and haven’t scored on their last 30 power plays in series-clinching games. Not a great success rate in the games that matter the most, but with Craig Berube’s new mindset and style, it’s possible that they can still turn things around. This truly is a different team, style wise, as even when things have looked tough, they’ve found a way and turned things around, but Game 5 was a concern. However, at five-on-five, they’re 12th in the playoffs in Corsi for percentage (43.91%) and 14th in high danger chances percentage (42.86%).
They’re still maintaining confidence which isn’t a bad thing, but they have to show it with their play in order to re-write the script of their past playoff failures. Otherwise, it’ll be the same old song and dance on locker clean-out day where they have to face the music for another early playoff exit where they were the clear favourite and blew a series lead. It’ll be another year where they didn’t learn their lesson and the inevitable break up of this core could actually happen.
Again, nothing is easy in the playoffs and you’d be a fool to think that this would be an easy series, but the sense of urgency and competitiveness needs to be consistent with this team. Game 6 is another opportunity to find that extra gear and show that they really do mean business and quell the nerves of the fan base and prove everyone wrong.
Related: Senators’ Ullmark is Finding Footing At Right Time vs Maple Leafs
Either this team finally changes that story line and makes it easy on themselves for once or they falter and face the criticism where they have failed time and time again. The ball is in the Maple Leafs’ court. We’ll see how this plays out as they can decide how they want this series to end. Either on a high note or another disappointing finish.
Statistics from Natural Stat Trick.
