Toronto Maple Leafs: Another Test for Young Maple Leafs
By Cary Byron
The Toronto Maple Leafs received quite the pushback from the Washington Capitals, as promised.
The Toronto Maple Leafs will look to do the same in game five. On the other hand, the Capitals gave the exact response they were promising heading into game four in Toronto and seemed to catch a young Leafs squad on an off night.
In what has been an extremely tight series, the Capitals showed a little glimpse of their Presidents Trophy level of play that was on display for most of the regular season.
Unfortunately, the Leafs start in game four echoed a near exact start in the previous game, with the Maple Leafs finding themselves in a 2-0 hole just five minutes into the game.
As Mike Babcock stated post-game, you can’t continue to put yourself behind that early and often and expect to win.
Babcock: "You can come back once in a while like we did the other night, but I don't think you can spot the other team 2 goals all the time"
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) April 20, 2017
This series is proving to be the ultimate teaching tool for the inexperienced Leafs. Frankly, I think it’s the matchup that’s best suited for a team looking to continue its rapid growth and development.
Matched up against a team in the Capitals that is built and designed for long playoff runs (despite their history), the Leafs get a front row seat to the depth and experience they possess. The Capitals performance in game four was just another lesson for the young Maple Leafs.
While the youth for the Leafs has for the most part been on display for all the right reasons, the inexperience showed Wednesday night in another slow start out of the gate. They failed to show the speed and determination that has made them so successful for most of the playoff series.
Babcock: "We talked a lot about how the game was going to be today but we didn't look like any of that sunk in. We weren't prepared."
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) April 20, 2017
Young Leafs are still learning
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The kids continue to get their feet wet in big moments and games, so the learning curve is there. That being said, they continue to keep pace with the experienced Capitals team.
However, the Maple Leafs continue to show some resilience and pushback, even against all odds. They have embraced the “underdog” label that so many have branded on them and have shown the league that they’re a team that should not be taken lightly.
Patience is the name of the game with this team. While there have been moments where fans are left shaking their heads at questionable blunders, this young team has and continues to have a special season that has not been seen many times before. The emergence of a very young but very effective core with budding stars, a legitimate backstop in Frederik Andersen that the Leafs have been longing for since the days of Cujo, Belfour, etc, and a head coach, Mike Babcock, made for the Toronto spotlight.
It’s hard not to reflect but we’ve still got a series and its far from over.
Expect a big response in DC by the Maple Leafs, but no matter the result of this exciting series, the Maple Leafs have made a statement to the rest of the NHL that they are just getting started.
They will find their groove… and when they do, the league will learn from them.
Age is just a number.
Go Buds.