3 Reasons Why Toronto Maple Leafs Need to End Series Tonight
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.
No. 1: Allow More Time For Injuries to Heal
The Toronto Maple Leafs are up 3-1 in the series without having two of their top-six forwards for most of the playoffs.
John Tavares was injured 10 minutes into Game 1, while Nick Foligno has missed the last two games. Despite playing without two veteran leaders, the team has played great and hasn’t had to worry about offensive production.
Although the Leafs would prefer Foligno in their lineup, Alex Galchenyuk and Alex Kerfoot have stepped up in his absence. The second-line looked especially good in Game 4 and there’s no reason to believe they can’t sustain that for Game 5.
Instead of rushing Foligno back, the team should continue to rest him in Game 5 and give him more time to heal.
They’re going to need him back for the next series more than they will against Montreal right now, so by winning the series in five games, it would allow him more time to rest and get back to 100 percent.
No. 2: Give Jack Campbell a Break
Prior to Game 4, there was a debate on who the starting goalie should have been for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Since the team was playing in a back-to-back, many fans thought Freddie Andersen should have started, because the analytics would show that playing the same goalie back-to-back is a bad decision.
Fortunately for the Leafs sake, Sheldon Keefe didn’t follow the analytics and started Jack Campbell, instead of Andersen. Campbell not only got the win, but was perfect on the night, making 32 saves on route to his first career playoff shutout.
In four games so far, Campbell’s made 110 of 114 saves and has been the best goalie of the playoffs.
Although he’s been playing great, a win in Game 5 would be huge for him. Throughout the regular season, Campbell had plenty of “maintenance days” and struggled through some injuries, so the less games he plays, the better.
If Toronto wins, they probably wouldn’t start the second round until next Wednesday or Thursday, so five-to-six days of practice and rest would be huge for Campbell’s health, as they prepare for the Winnipeg Jets.
No. 3: Avoid fans in Montreal
The Montreal Canadiens are expected to have 2,500 fans in attendance for Game 6, if the series does in fact last that long. As a result, the Toronto Maple Leafs should do everything in their power to avoid that from happening.
If you don’t think fans are a big difference-maker between winning and losing, just look at the games down south. The electricity in those buildings has been amazing and has definitely heightened the play.
Although you wouldn’t have a full crowd at the Bell Centre, 2,500 fans would feel like 25,000, after going 15 months without anyone in attendance.
That jolt of excitement and electricity could fuel the Canadiens to victory, which would ultimately lead to a Game 7 in Toronto.
The words “Toronto” and “Game 7” go together like oil and water, so we already know what the end result would be if that happened. That would be torture for the Leafs fanbase and the team cannot let that happen.
I know it’s impossible to do, but the Toronto Maple Leafs need to treat Game 5 like it’s a Game 7 and play their best game of the series. Based on the three reasons we mentioned, it would be in their best interest to end this series tonight, instead of dragging it on any further.