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3 Reasons Why Toronto Maple Leafs Need to End Series Tonight

By Stephen Nixon

MONTREAL, QC - MAY 25: Auston Matthews #34, Jake Muzzin #8 and Mitchell Marner #16 of the Toronto Maple Leafs congratulate goaltender Jack Campbell #36 on their win over the Montreal Canadiens in Game Four of the First Round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell Centre on May 25, 2021 in Montreal, Canada. The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-0. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QC - MAY 25: Auston Matthews #34, Jake Muzzin #8 and Mitchell Marner #16 of the Toronto Maple Leafs congratulate goaltender Jack Campbell #36 on their win over the Montreal Canadiens in Game Four of the First Round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell Centre on May 25, 2021 in Montreal, Canada. The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-0. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /
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MONTREAL, QC – MAY 25: Auston Matthews #34, Jake Muzzin #8 and Mitchell Marner #16 of the Toronto Maple Leafs   (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /

After the Toronto Maple Leafs lost the first game of the series against the Montreal Canadiens, the idea of winning in five games seemed improbable, but the team has a chance to close the series at home tonight.

Game 1 was a disaster. Not only did the team lose 2-1 by allowing a short-handed goal in the third period, but the John Tavares injury was one of the scariest incidents we’ve ever seen.

By all accounts, Tavares is recovering very well right now, but at the time, the injury looked way worse than the end result. It was probably the worst outcome the Leafs could have asked for to open up the playoffs.

Now that we know the Tavares injury isn’t as serious as it seemed to be and the Leafs are up 3-1 in the series, the entire landscape of Toronto’s playoff run has shifted.

We went from curling up in a ball in the corner, like we typically do every spring, to screaming from a mountain top about how great this team is. Jack Campbell has been brilliant, allowing only four goals in four games thus far, and William Nylander has all of a sudden been the best forward on the ice.

Nobody wants to see their captain get injured, especially in the way he got hit, but Tavares injury has been a rallying cry for this team. The #DoItForJohnny mantra has seemed to bring this team closer together, as they try to win games for him, with hopes that every win will bring them one step closer to getting their captain back in the lineup.

It’s crazy what a few days can do, but the Toronto Maple Leafs now look like the team we thought they were and have a chance to win the series in five games, like many predicted.

Game 5 isn’t a do-or-die for Toronto, but they should try to think that it is. Here are three reasons why the Toronto Maple Leafs need to close out the series in Game 5 tonight.

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