Boston, MA – The Toronto Maple Leafs are back on home ice against the Boston Bruins. The first two games were split between the Leafs and Bruins and not the Leafs gained home ice advantage and will look to keep it through the rest of the series. Tonight is game 3 and both teams may have roster changes, with Nylander not ruled out tonight, Peeke injured on the Bruins, as well as former Leaf, James van Riemsdyk a possibility for tonight to try and spark some offense for the Bruins.
- TV: Sportsnet
- Radio: TSN 1050
- Time: 7:00 PM ET
Last Game:
Last game went back and forth but ultimately the Leafs were the team to come out with a narrow 3-2 victory over the Bruins. Morgan Geekie opened the scoring on the powerplay for the Bruins, but only 14 seconds later, Domi scored to bring the game back to a tie. There were chances for both sides throughout the rest of the first period, but with just under eight seconds left to play, due to a solid pass by Zacha and a defensive breakdown by the Leafs, the Bruins gained a 2-1 lead going into the first intermission. The Leafs largely controlled the second period, and after an almost goal that Ullmark stopped, and an overturned goal for a high-stick, the Leafs finally got past the Bruins’ goaltender thanks to a nice shot short-side from Tavares. The third period had chances from both sides, with a goaltending clinic put on by both Ullmark and Samsonov, but ultimately in the final eight minutes of play, Auston Matthews capitalized on a brilliant lobbed pass from Domi, leading the Leafs to their victory and tying up the series against the Bruins at one.
Leafs to Keep an Eye on:
- Joel Edmundson is not an analytical stud based on his defensive style of play, but as other players have said plays a defensive style that is “built for playoffs”. Edmundson has done a great job at keeping the Leafs’ crease clear while playing a physical game as well. Look for Edmundson to keep his game simple while continuing to do the things he has done well tonight as he tries to keep the puck and players away from the Leafs’ net.
- Mitch Marner has been receiving backlash from fans as of late, largely due to a play last game that saw him try to cheat for offense while on a powerplay, that led to the Bruins easily clearing the zone. While the talk around the Leafs is of the biggest stars disappearing in the playoffs, this wasn’t the case in round one last year against the Lightning. Marner was a key contributor and will look to become a key contributor in this series against the Bruins. Look for Marner to add a new level of battle to his game as he tries to continue defending well while producing more offensively.
- Max Domi has bled blue since he was a kid, and now finally gets his chance to play playoff hockey in front of his hometown team. Domi has been quite solid down the stretch, helping Matthews to produce at a high-rate, and that was shown last night as Domi recorded a goal and assist last game. Domi will look to continue playmaking for the Leafs’ best player while playing a feisty and mean game himself.
Thanks for reading! Feel free to follow me on Twitter @ITRnathanbondy.
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