Toronto Maple Leafs fans are starting to sweat. A series that looked all but over a few days ago has seen the momentum shift in favour of the Ottawa Senators. That was on full display in Game 5 when the Senators jumped out to an early lead and trounced the Maple Leafs 4-0 to force Game 6. It’s been 11 years since the last reverse postseason series sweep, but you can’t rule anything out in the NHL Playoffs.
Related: Linus Ullmark & the Senators Shut Out Maple Leafs 4-0 in Game 5
The Senators are led by Brady Tkachuk, who has three goals, three assists, and plenty of game-changing hits, while Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot are playing pivotal roles with great play at both ends of the ice. However, goaltender Linus Ullmark is making the biggest difference.
Ullmark had a rough start to this Round 1 series, but he’s finding his footing at the right time, stopping all 29 shots in Game 4 and leaving the Maple Leafs without an answer. With Ullmark playing his best hockey, the Senators have taken over this series.
Ullmark’s Rough Start: Defence Didn’t Help
Ullmark allowed 12 goals on 65 shots in the first three games of this series, but he can’t be blamed for the losses (read my colleague Dayton Reimer’s article about his early series struggles). Ullmark had the odds stacked against him to start the series.
Game 1 got out of hand with all the penalties, and it’s the lopsided score, a 6-2 loss in an otherwise close series. Then came the two overtime games where bad bounces and shots through traffic got past Ullmark. Even Game 4 wasn’t a great one defensively, as the Maple Leafs fired 34 shots on the net and had plenty of great looks, allowing them to net three goals.
The Senators knew that their defence would eventually step up, and when it did, the momentum would shift. That’s what happened in Game 5, as they limited shooting lanes and high-danger shots on net. It’s allowed Ullmark to see the puck better and blank the Maple Leafs’ offence.
Ullmark’s Turning a Corner
Game 5 stands out, but Ullmark also played well in Game 4, making 31 saves, including plenty of big ones late when his team needed them. He had some bad puck luck in overtime in Game 3, but in Game 4, he wasn’t going to be on the wrong side of the outcome, and his lights-out play late in the game allowed the Senators to win in overtime.
Then came his Game 5 performance. On top of earning a shutout, his ability to keep the Maple Leafs, a team that has been an offensive powerhouse this season, off the scoresheet stands out. Ullmark was the best player on the ice. The playoffs have always been a thorn in his side, but he’s finally prepared for the pressure and the big moments, and he’s delivering.
The Senators never needed Ullmark to be great all the time. They just needed him to be great in the big games and when the season was on the line. When the Senators needed him to secure a spot in the playoffs, he stepped up and did just that. When the Senators need him to lead a series comeback, he will lead them.
Maple Leafs Are Falling Apart As Well
The Maple Leafs controlled this series, but they forgot to show up in Game 5. The offence was hapless, while the star players, who have scored most of the team’s goals in this series, were nowhere to be found. Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander had three goals and 16 assists through the first four games, yet they were a non-factor offensively and failed to play well defensively.
The shorthanded goal by Dylan Cozens said it all. The Maple Leafs were caught napping on an offensive zone turnover and didn’t chase down the play, allowing Cozens to skate free to the net for the dagger goal. It was the same on the Senators’ first empty-netter that made the game 3-0. Claude Giroux isn’t a great skater, yet he beat the Maple Leafs to the puck to avoid an icing call and set up the goal.
The question is whether this series is a testament to the Senators’ improved play or the Maple Leafs’ inability to close out a series (nobody does it better than them). It’s likely a bit of both, but right now, it’s all about the Maple Leafs failing to finish the job.
This is Why The Senators Got Ullmark
The Senators have struggled to find the right goaltender since they started the rebuild a few seasons back. Once their core started to take shape, the belief outside the organization was that if they could get baseline goaltending, they’d be a playoff team. That wasn’t the mindset from within.
The goal in acquiring Ullmark was to have an elite goaltender who would lead them to the playoffs and then on a Stanley Cup Playoff run. He has already proved that he can get the Senators into the playoffs. Now, he’s showing that they can beat anyone in the Eastern Conference.
