After falling 5-1 in their series opener, Toronto looks to bounce back ahead of Tuesday’s meeting against the Boston Bruins. Going into game two, the Maple Leafs have some key points they need to address if they hope to knot the series up heading back to Toronto. First and foremost they need to address their goaltending situation. Going into these playoffs there was a giant question mark surrounding who would be the Leafs game one starter. Ultimately head coach Sheldon Keefe went to the teams on paper starter in Ilya Samsonov who led them through Tampa in last year’s postseason. This was a somewhat controversial decision as the netminder, who signed a one year three and a half million dollar contract extension this summer, has struggled greatly throughout this season posting a .890 save percentage and a 3.19 goals against average. The decision was reflected in the game as the Bruins handled Toronto on the scoreboard despite advanced analytics suggesting this game was perhaps Toronto’s to win. Now I’m not one for relying on all of the fancy advanced statistics to plead my arguments, however this may be a case of Toronto getting let down by their backend. The Leafs led Boston in expected goals 7.21 to 3.71 via moneypuck.com. I wont get into the nitty gritty of what this means exactly, but to streamline it, Toronto dominated the Bruins in high scoring chances. It doesn’t help Samsonov’s case that Jeremy Swayman pulled out of a legacy game between the pipes for Boston giving them the 1-0 series lead. With Boston possessing unquestionably the best goaltending tandem in the NHL the leafs will need Samsonov to step up after a disappointing game one or turn to Joseph Woll if they want any chance of breaking down the Bruins.
#NHLBruins #LeafsForever game 1 was a wild one. pic.twitter.com/j7HbNtVLJP
— Jaden Teja (@jtsportsbcit) April 22, 2024
Next up is the defensive gaffs. Moving forward in this series, it is crucial for Toronto to tighten up the defensive play and not not allow so many lapses in their own zone. Boston possess one of the better defensive cores in the league with a top pair of McAvoy and Lindholm, whereas the Leafs have a subpar defense that pales in comparison and has taken a significant step back from previous seasons. Finally they need their big stars to step up after a quiet first game. While Auston Matthews looked like a man on a mission he’ll need help from his supporting cast in Marner and Tavares to crack the fortified Bruins defense and goaltending. A Leafs loss tonight would put them down two in the series, heading back to Toronto where they have been known to struggle at home in the playoffs. Moreover teams that hold a 2-0 series lead go on to win the series about 86 percent of the time. It is a crucial game for the Leafs to win tonight if they hope to stand a chance going back to Toronto.