As the Toronto Maple Leafs face elimination from the 2020 post-season, they will need their stars to perform to a level they’ve yet to throughout this series.
Following a disappointing Game 3 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, which saw them go down 2-1 in their play-in series, the Toronto Maple Leafs are right back at it again tonight for Game 4.
Often viewed as the worst lead in hockey, Columbus bounced back from a three-goal deficit and won in overtime. This type of scenario continues to haunt this Toronto franchise and its fans.
A contributing influence that was far from being in Toronto’s favour was the fact that the refs let them be abused, resulting in anything but the justifiable power plays that should have followed.
No, that’s not to be blamed for a team collapse where they let a 3-0 lead slip away as freely as they did. But it certainly didn’t help. An extra attacker could have been the difference in giving them the chance to earn it back.
Finding Some Highlights
However, not to be overshadowed is the fact that their stars came ready to play throughout Game 3. The names that the Maple Leafs need to be seen, made themselves visible all over the ice.
Other than anyone named Frederik Andersen, leading the team in ice time was Morgan Rielly (32:26), Mitch Marner (28:00), and Auston Matthews (27:47). Necessary minutes for key players.
Captain John Tavares was also an obvious presence during every shift, with his puck control and possession tactics on full display. He made seemingly impossible plays a reality for his teammates.
Fans also got to enjoy Nick Robertson‘s first NHL goal, which is a special milestone for the 18-year-old and presents another layer of anticipation for what this fanbase has to look forward to.
https://twitter.com/MapleLeafs/status/1291546196218085378?s=20
Although Andersen let in four goals on 43 shots, that doesn’t paint the picture of his play. He was steady the whole way and made some timely saves that would have otherwise ripped their chances away far sooner.
Toronto looked like a team on a mission, even if their production wasn’t necessarily aligned with the battle being showcased throughout their roster. Unfortunately, clearly, it’s still not enough.
Performers Need to Produce
The Maple Leafs are past the point of being provided with participatory kudos for a strong effort. With their backs up against the wall, this team needs to see more points on the board from the players expected to put them there.
It’s debatable whether or not it works to the advantage of a struggling squad to be right back out there with a chance to redeem themselves. We’ll see first-hand tonight.
With an elite level lineup that includes players like Matthews, Marner, Tavares, and Rielly, it’s fair to expect that these stars would have collectively earned more than six points through the first three games of this round.
As a whole, the entire roster has only scored six goals thus far. That’s just not going to be enough to break through and bypass this Blue Jackets team.
| Scor | Scor | Scor | Ice | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Player | Pos | Age | GP | G | A | PTS | ATOI |
| 34 | Auston Matthews | C | 22 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 24:50 |
| 15 | Alexander Kerfoot | C | 25 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 15:15 |
| 88 | William Nylander | C | 23 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 21:06 |
| 24 | Kasperi Kapanen | RW | 23 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 15:49 |
| 83 | Cody Ceci | D | 26 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 20:54 |
| 44 | Morgan Rielly | D | 25 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 26:29 |
| 89 | Nicholas Robertson | LW | 18 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 12:01 |
| 91 | John Tavares | C | 29 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 21:36 |
| 23 | Travis Dermott | D | 23 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 18:21 |
| 11 | Zach Hyman | C | 27 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 21:25 |
| 16 | Mitch Marner | RW | 22 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 24:02 |
| 3 | Justin Holl | D | 28 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22:13 |
| 94 | Tyson Barrie | D | 28 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20:37 |
| 73 | Kyle Clifford | LW | 29 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7:10 |
| 47 | Pierre Engvall | LW | 23 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:46 |
| 33 | Frederik Gauthier | C | 24 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4:14 |
| 52 | Martin Marincin | D | 27 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19:29 |
| 65 | Ilya Mikheyev | F | 25 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:57 |
| 8 | Jake Muzzin | D | 30 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:38 |
| 19 | Jason Spezza | C | 36 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6:56 |
| Team Total | 6 | 11 | 17 | 18:01 |
Provided by Hockey-Reference.com: View Original Table
The narrative could be that this is still a young organization with a lot to learn and there’s truth to that. However, that doesn’t mean it’s irrational to hold them to the standards they’ve shown they are capable of.
Tonight’s game is as crucial as any, especially with regards to what comes next for this franchise. Calling it a must-win seems cliche, yet so appropriate for far too many reasons.
For the Toronto Maple Leafs to continue their post-season, they need to build on the full team effort they illustrated in Game 2, with the battle they maintained throughout Game 3, topped off by the production their stars earned all season.