Editor In Leaf
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Toronto Maple Leafs Need to Fix PP before Game 6

By Lauren Kelly

Apr 21, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Capitals goalie Braden Holtby (70) prepares to make a save on Toronto Maple Leafs center Mitch Marner (16) in the third period in game five of the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Verizon Center. The Capitals won 2-1 in overtime and lead the series 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 21, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Capitals goalie Braden Holtby (70) prepares to make a save on Toronto Maple Leafs center Mitch Marner (16) in the third period in game five of the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Verizon Center. The Capitals won 2-1 in overtime and lead the series 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Toronto Maple Leafs may be hanging with the big, bad, Washington Capitals, but their failing powerplay is costing them wins in this series.

The Toronto Maple Leafs went 0-4 on the man-advantage in Game 5, bringing their total record in this series to 3/14. In comparison, the Capitals lethal powerplay has gone 5/15. That record isn’t much better, but the Leafs penalty killing units have been stellar at times, including killing a full-two minute five-on-three in Game 3.

The problem lies with the Leafs powerplay. It’s not as if they’re not getting opportunities, since Washington afforded them many in Game 4.

The Leafs look tentative.

They barely enter the Capitals zone before the puck is dumped back into their own end.

They waste so much time dropping the puck back that by the time they manage to sustain pressure in the Caps end, they’ve wasted half of their two minutes.

Give credit to the Capitals penalty killers. They don’t let the Leafs powerplay gain zone entry or set up, and work well together as a four-man unit.

The Leafs Can Score Powerplay Goals

The Leafs powerplay is lethal and has proven such throughout this series. Morgan Rielly’s powerplay goal in Game 2 gave the Leafs the lead. Tyler Bozak’s powerplay goal in overtime of Game 3 won the game and gave the team the series lead. James van Riemsdyk’s powerplay goal was instrumental in the Leafs Game 4 comeback.

Auston Matthews and Jake Gardiner both admitted that failing to capitalize on the powerplay was a large reason why Game 5 went to overtime once more:

New Faces, Same Old Story

In February 2016, I wrote a post about why the Leafs powerplay then was so abysmal. Granted, the players the team deployed on the man-advantage were nowhere near the level of talent the Leafs are privy to on their roster now.

However, the set-up is still the same. The defenseman, whoever it may be, will take the puck halfway up the ice, drop the puck back to a forward, who may or may not drop it back to another forward, before they try to cross the blueline as a five-man-unit.

The ‘drop-the-puck-back’ strategy might have worked a few seasons ago, but NHL teams are not idiots. They can watch videos and plan their defense accordingly, which is what the Capitals have done. Washington has the Leafs stymied at almost every zone entry on the man-advantage, which is discouraging not only to the entire team, but the players on the ice trying to score.

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More often than not, the Capitals will win the faceoff shorthanded and clear the puck down the ice. Toronto then has to regroup and start the rush up the ice. If the Leafs happen to gain the Capitals zone, they are apprehensive. Instead of directing pucks towards the net, they continue to pass the puck around looking for a better shooting lane. That allows Washington’s penalty killers time to get down and block a shot, redirect a pass, or clear the puck down the ice.

Is There A Quick Fix?

The Toronto Maple Leafs have to win Game 6 at home on Sunday, there’s no doubt about that. If they want a chance at playing Pittsburgh in the second round, they need to find a way to dethrone the NHL’s best.

A powerplay firing on all cylinders would be a huge reason for the Leafs managing to knock off the Capitals in seven games. Unfortunately, the Caps seem to have the Toronto Maple Leafs number on the man-advantage. The fix is simple; they need to find another way to enter the zone. But coming up with an entirely new powerplay system in one day is hardly an easy task, let alone executing it to a tee come game time.

Whether or not the Leafs can make something out of their currently lethargic powerplay remains to be seen. Maybe they can get it going again without changing their breakout. But if they want to keep playing into May, they’re going to need to get it working again, before it’s too late.

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