Minggu, 30 April 2023

Winnipeg Jets: Kevin Cheveldayoff speaks to media about season | CTV News - CTV News Winnipeg

Despite falling in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in five games and just squeezing into the last wild card spot in the west, Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said he was proud of what his team accomplished.

The GM spoke with media Sunday afternoon for the first time since falling to the Vegas Golden Knights.

While he said the final result wasn't what they wanted, he was proud of the group for making the playoffs.

"I'm proud of that group that they, you know, battled through that gauntlet and got to the point of, you know, making the playoffs," said Cheveldayoff.

Cheveldayoff still has some player exit interviews as well as meetings with coaches scheduled for Monday, but he noted from what he has heard so far, the team is happy with the changes compared to last season.

"I guess a question that we asked all the guys that were here in prior years, what was the difference? And, you know, to a man, I think they, you know, they appreciated what the coaching staff brought to the table, but more so, you know, they appreciated that opportunity to try and compete and prove that they were a playoff team."

RESPONDING TO RICK BOWNESS' CRITICISM

Saturday players were asked what they thought about head coach Rick Bowness' comments following the team's Game 5 loss.

The players joined forces saying they didn't agree with how Bowness shared his frustration, with former captain Blake Wheeler saying he thought his coach could have handled himself better.

A day later, Cheveldayoff said Bowness could have chosen his words better.

"One thing that is, you know, again, came as advertised and is as advertised, is Bones held no punches to anybody. It didn't matter who you were, he was honest."

When asked what it means about the leadership group that no one stood up and agreed with Bowness, Cheveldayoff said each player wears the loss.

WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE CORE?

One of the main questions facing this team is what happens next with many of the star players. Mark Scheifele, Connor Hellebuyck and Blake Wheeler all have one year left on their contracts, while Pierre-Luc Dubois is a restricted free agent this offseason.

Multiple times, Cheveldayoff said he wouldn't get into specifics about certain players and their contracts but said his top priority this offseason is to step back and assess the season that was.

"We had conversations obviously, individually with all the players and certainly those players involved. I have not had any conversations with, you know, any representatives yet."

Starting a rebuild was also a topic asked on Saturday to the players, who all noted they wouldn't want to see that happen with this team. Cheveldayoff was asked what it would take to prevent that happen, something he didn't have a clear answer to.

"I think we're not at that point here yet to make any bold proclamations. There's lots of conversations, that, you know, that I have to have."

'I'M NOT COMING UP HERE TO JUSTIFY MY JOB'

Since the Jets came back to Winnipeg in 2011, Cheveldayoff has been the general manager. In that time, the team sits 25th out of 32 for playoff wins in the league.

Cheveldayoff was asked if he is still the right person for the job.

"I'm not coming up here to justify my job. I have the pleasure and the privilege of having one of the 32 general manager jobs in the National Hockey League and you don't take that lightly," he said. "We developed that core, we drafted it, we signed it, we kept it, and you know, again, five of six years, we got an opportunity to you know play for the cup."

He said there are tough decisions to be made for the future of this team, but is thankful he is the guy making those decisions.

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2023-04-30 19:43:19Z
1991893463

'Craziest feeling of my life': Toronto Maple Leafs fans celebrate 1st playoffs series win in 19 years - CBC.ca

The last time the Toronto Maple Leafs took their first playoff series, Joseph Pentresca wasn't even born.

But after nearly two decades, the Leafs are finally headed to the second round of the playoffs. The hockey team beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in overtime Saturday night to take their first round series, sending fans like 18-year-old Pentresca into a frenzy.

"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us to see this," Pentresca told CBC Toronto. Other fans could be seen scaling a pole in the distance. 

"It's been 19 years. We're so ecstatic and I'm just grateful to be here."

Pentresca was one of thousands of fans who took to Yonge-Dundas and Maple Leaf Square in Toronto, majorly delaying vehicle, streetcar and bus traffic. Discarded dinner rolls and hot dog buns littered the ground, the sound of honking horns and people chanting the Leafs name, and even a spontaneous display of fireworks marked the night.

WATCH | Fans celebrate Maple Leafs winning first round of playoffs since 2004

Leafs fans hyped after 1st Stanley Cup playoff series win since 2004

3 hours ago

Duration 1:13

Toronto Maple Leafs fans celebrate Saturday night after beating the Tampa Bay Lightning to get them into the second round of the NHL playoffs for the first time in nearly two decades.

John Tavares scored in overtime to give the Leafs a 2 to 1 victory. They clinched the best of seven series over Lightning, with the Leafs winning four games to two in total.

The crowd erupted in applause and cheers upon his goal, knowing it signalled the Stanley Cup may finally be within reach.

"I kind of thought it was gonna go to game seven, but like ... when that puck went into the net, craziest feeling of my life," said 18-year-old Amin Elsherif, adding he's grateful he got to celebrate with other fans as it happened.

"I'm in disbelief. I can't believe they actually did it, so I'm excited," said Aleksandra Patalita, 22.

WATCH | John Tavares scores series winning overtime goal, eliminating Lightning

Tavares' overtime winner against Lightning in Game 6 advances Maple Leafs to 2nd round

17 hours ago

Duration 1:42

Toronto's John Tavares scored the series winning overtime goal against Tampa Bay Saturday night giving the Maple Leafs a 2-1 win, and a 4-2 series victory.

Next week the Leafs and their fans will turn their attention to round two, where the Leafs will face either the Boston Bruins or the Florida Panthers.

While Saturday's win is historic, Pentresca hopes it's not the end of the road for his team.

"More to come, this is just one of many," he said.

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2023-04-30 17:32:39Z
1987817169

Winner of Panthers-Bruins Game 7 debated by NHL.com - NHL.com

The Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers will play Game 7 of the Eastern Conference First Round at TD Garden in Boston on Sunday (6:30 p.m. ET; TNT, CBC, SN, TVAS, NESN, BSFL).

The winner will advance to the Eastern Conference Second Round and play the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Bruins (65-12-5) would host the Maple Leafs (50-21-11) while the Panthers (42-32-8) would start on the road.

The Panthers won 7-5 in Game 6 in Florida on Friday to even the best-of-7 series after trailing 3-1.

Boston is 15-14 all-time in Game 7, including 14-9 at home. The Bruins lost their most recent, 3-2 at the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round last season.

[RELATED: Complete Bruins vs. Panthers series coverage]

Florida is 1-1 in Game 7, having defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-1 on the road in the 1996 Eastern Conference Final before a 3-2 double-overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils in the 2012 conference quarterfinals.

Florida coach Paul Maurice is 3-0 in Game 7.

The numbers can be applied to argue for each team in a do-or-die situation.

So, we asked the nine staffers who have covered the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for their opinion on who will win Game 7.

Bruins

As the person who has attended all six games of this series -- not to mention watching the Bruins all season -- I'm at a loss. The Bruins haven't looked like the team they've been all season in almost any games in this series. Goalie Linus Ullmark has looked shaky (and the Bruins could swap to Jeremy Swayman). Coach Jim Montgomery has made some head-scratching decisions but, somehow, I still have faith in this team turning it around. Maybe it's that they've been here so much -- Boston is 4-2 since 2010 in Game 7s after losing Game 6 when they could have eliminated their opponent -- or maybe it's that I can't see captain Patrice Bergeron going down with this team, in this Game 7, in what could be the final game of his NHL career. I'm not as confident as I once was, but I'm going with the Bruins. -- Amalie Benjamin, staff writer

I picked the Bruins to win the Stanley Cup, so I'm not giving up on them now. Look, the Panthers have shown a lot of heart, and they've poked holes in the Bruins' cloak of invincibility. It wouldn't surprise me if Matthew Tkachuk scores another huge goal to finish off the upset. The Panthers have no pressure; the Bruins must be feeling a ton. But Boston had a record-breaking regular season for a reason and odds are, at home, in front of their fans, desperate to win, knowing they can win the whole thing, the Bruins will put their best performance on the ice and move on to the second round. This team has found a way to win time after time in situation after situation this season. I'm betting it will do so again. -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

I picked the Bruins to win the Stanley Cup, and I'm sticking with them. Boston will win Game 7 for the same reasons I chose them to win the Cup -- they have too much talent and too much veteran experience to let it slip away. Brad Marchand is leading the way for Boston against Florida with 10 points (four goals, six assists), including four assists in a 7-5 loss Friday. Marchand has played in Game 7 on 10 occasions, winning six, and has seven points (three goals, four assists). Patrice Bergeron has appeared in a Game 7 a whopping 13 times, winning six, and has 11 points (six goals, five assists). David Krejci has 11 Game 7 appearances (6-5) and has 10 assists. Boston had a historic season, setting a new regular-season record for wins (65) and points (135). They'll work to avoid joining the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings and the 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning, who each held the previous NHL regular-season record of 62 wins, to not win the Stanley Cup. -- William Douglas, staff writer

Credit to the Panthers for their resilience and defiance, led by Matthew Tkachuk, to come back from a 3-1 series deficit to get to this point. Tkachuk is the major difference for the Panthers, who were too deferential in being swept by the Tampa Bay Lightning (two-time defending Stanley Cup champions at the time) last season. Florida has not backed down against Boston, which was the best regular-season team in NHL history in terms of wins (65) and points (135). But the Bruins were that good during the regular season for a reason and, after losing their way the past two games, I think they will regroup and find a way to win Game 7 at home. Every team that wins faces adversity at some point and this is the Bruins' time to overcome it. --Tom Gulitti, staff writer 

OK, I never believed this series would go seven games. Nothing against the Panthers, who have played the David role to Boston's Goliath in stellar fashion, but I still see the Bruins winning in Game 7. Part of it is just seeing how incredible the Bruins were throughout the regular season. That doesn't just disappear in the playoffs. Do you have lapses? Sure. Off nights? Absolutely. The Bruins didn't have many of either in the regular season and they're seeing them now, but I still think they right the ship. I know winning the Presidents' Trophy can sometimes be the kiss of death but as someone who covered the Chicago Blackhawks who won that and went on to win the Stanley Cup in 2013, this Bruins team reminds me a lot of that group. -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

I figured this wasn't going to be an easy test for the Bruins, at least physically. That's been the case. Any time you have Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett and Radko Gudas coming at you shift after shift, it's going to take a toll. That isn't going to change in Game 7, especially in and around the Bruins net where the Panthers have made goalie Linus Ullmark look like anything but a Vezina Trophy winner. What points the needle in Boston's favor for me is captain Patrice Bergeron, if healthy. The forward hoisted the Stanley Cup in 2011, and if anyone knows how to calm the nerves of a jittery team that has lost two consecutive games, it's him. Of course, that's not going to matter if Boston doesn't get more consistent goaltending. -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

Video: Panthers, Bruins all set for epic Game 7 in Boston

Panthers

I find it hard to believe the Presidents' Trophy-winning Bruins are in this position, but they suddenly appear vulnerable against what appears to be a more confident and energetic team with nothing to lose. I'm taking Florida to win. It basically comes down to the fact I have more confidence in goalie Sergei Bobrovsky than I do in Linus Ullmark right now. The Panthers have succeeded in two must-win scenarios already, so why not a third on the road in Boston in a winner-take-all matchup? Ullmark has allowed four or more goals three times in this series after conceding four goals or more just twice during the regular season. Boston had the best regular-season record in NHL history, finished 43 points ahead of Florida in the standings and couldn't hold one-goal leads on two separate occasions in the third period of Game 6. The Panthers have the momentum. -- Mike G. Morreale, staff writer

Paul Maurice is the reason the Panthers will author one of the great upsets in the history of the NHL. The Panthers coach has been here, done this. Boston coach Jim Montgomery has not. It is a huge advantage in games like this. Like players, coaches run hot and cold and the 56-year-old is running hot. His decision to switch to Sergei Bobrovsky has changed the tenor of the series and he has out-coached Montgomery thoroughly throughout the past two games. The 53-year-old Montgomery will be coaching in his 20th NHL playoff game and is on his heels, likely forced into making a goaltending decision that will define his legacy and that of his team. I am going to go with experience in this game and Florida will prove my pick of the Bruins reaching the Stanley Cup Final to be ill-advised. -- Shawn P. Roarke, senior director of editorial 

Every instinct I have says it has to be the Bruins. But every instinct I had before the series started said it had to be the Bruins. When they were tied 1-1 after struggling in Game 2, it was Bruins. When they went up 3-1 after winning two games in Florida, there was no question it was Bruins in five. Well here we are in Game 7 and the Bruins have more questions than the Panthers. I'm not sold anymore. So, it's Panthers in seven. They're playing better. They have the good mojo going. They have the biggest difference maker in the series in Matthew Tkachuk. They have, gasp, less of a doubt about their goaltending right now. And still hardly anybody expects them to win. Don't tell me they have nothing to lose. They do. They have Game 7 to lose. But they won't. They don't have the burden of history weighing them down. Tkachuk scores and the Panthers get the job done. -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

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2023-04-30 13:47:36Z
1995278952

Jumat, 28 April 2023

'Disgusted' Jets coach Rick Bowness tears into team after season-ending loss to Golden Knights - Yahoo Canada Sports

Winnipeg Jets head coach Rick Bowness was not happy with his team's performance in Game 5 against the Golden Knights. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images)
Winnipeg Jets head coach Rick Bowness was not happy with his team's performance in Game 5 against the Golden Knights. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images)

To say head coach Rick Bowness was upset Thursday night after watching the Winnipeg Jets become the first team eliminated from the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs would be a significant understatement.

Bowness’s club entered Game 5 with its season on the line, trailing 3-1 in the series against the Vegas Golden Knights. Despite being one loss away from elimination, the Jets displayed little fight and fell behind 4-0 before Kyle Connor added a late goal in garbage time.

The damage was already done by then, though, as Winnipeg’s playoff hopes were crushed following a series-ending 4-1 loss. It was an effort that mirrored their inconsistencies during the regular season, which nearly prevented them from reaching the postseason in the first place.

No one knew that more than Bowness, who called out his team — including his top players — during a fiery, albeit brief post-game press conference that he cut short after just one minute.

"I’m so disappointed and disgusted right now, that’s my thoughts," Bowness said.

"No pushback. But it’s the same crap we saw in February. It was. As soon as we were challenging for first place and teams were coming after us, we had no pushback. This series we had no pushback. Their better players were so much better than ours, it’s not even close."

The Jets had a Western Conference-leading 59 points on Jan. 18, only to finish the season from that point on with an 18-22-5 record, the 25th-worst league wide. As a result, they placed just two points ahead of the Calgary Flames for the final wild-card spot.

After a late March loss to the San Jose Sharks, Bowness made similar comments about the work ethic of some of his players, saying they are "dreaming" if they "think they’re giving us everything in their tank."

Injuries certainly didn’t help Winnipeg’s chances of avoiding elimination, as they were without Josh Morrissey, Mark Scheifele and Cole Perfetti. Nikolaj Ehlers, who missed Games 1-4, returned for a must-win Game 5 but was far from 100 percent healthy.

Even so, Bowness was unhappy with the lack of response from the Jets players who did suit up at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday, blasting them for their inability to dig deep during a season-defining game.

“We’ve got to push back. There’s go to be a pushback, there’s got to be pride. You've got to be able to push back when things aren't going your way," Bowness said.

The 68-year-old, hired by the Jets last offseason, coached his team to a 46-33-3 record during his first season behind the bench. His recent rant, however, is likely only the beginning of what should be an intriguing summer for Winnipeg.

With Scheifele, Blake Wheeler, Connor Hellebuyck and Pierre-Luc Dubois — a restricted free agent this offseason — all just one year away from unrestricted free agency, Thursday night may have marked the end for many of the franchise’s core players.

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2023-04-28 15:42:33Z
1988260589

Kamis, 27 April 2023

NHL playoffs: Nathan MacKinnon calls out refs over no-call in Avalanche loss to Kraken: 'It's not 1975' - Yahoo Canada Sports

There's been no shortage of controversy so far in the NHL playoffs, with the Seattle Kraken's 3-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche providing the latest polarizing moment.

Ten minutes into the second period, Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon had possession of the puck along the boards in the Kraken’s zone and was taken down to the ice by defender Will Borgen. After losing the puck on the fall, MacKinnon slammed his stick on the boards and was visibly frustrated after the officials didn't call a penalty on the play.

As he was yelling at the referees, the Kraken took the puck back up the ice and in his first-ever NHL game, undrafted forward Tye Kartye rifled one past Alexandar Georgiev to give Seattle a 2-1 lead.

Although it didn't stand as the game-winner, the Avalanche were unable to catch up after playing from behind for the rest of the game. Yanni Gourde put the Kraken up 3-1 less than two minutes into the third period and while Evan Rodrigues brought the Avalanche within one in the final minutes, that was as close as they got.

MacKinnon had some choice words about the play and the state of officiating in these playoffs after the game.

"I get five feet on a guy and he takes my feet out," MacKinnon told reporters. "I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. It’s not 1975; I feel like that’s a trip.”

Nathan MacKinnon was not happy with the officials following the Avalanche's Game 5 loss to the Seattle Kraken in Round 1 of the NHL playoffs. (Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)

Nathan MacKinnon was not happy with the officials following the Avalanche's Game 5 loss to the Seattle Kraken in Round 1 of the NHL playoffs. (Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)

MacKinnon did end up taking responsibility for his role on the play after airing his frustrations.

“I’ve got to keep my cool there better,” said MacKinnon, who finished with a goal and an assist and a team-leading 27:01 of ice time. “I can’t get upset. It’s on me there.”

The Avalanche have no more room for error heading back to Seattle on Friday for a do-or-die Game 6, a level of adversity they never faced en route to their championship last season. Colorado never trailed once in a series last year and only lost a total of four games during its Stanley Cup run.

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2023-04-27 14:52:47Z
1970751505

Avalanche's MacKinnon miffed about no-call that leads to Kraken goal: 'It's not 1975' - Sportsnet.ca

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2023-04-27 05:13:00Z
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'Job's not done:' Leafs' Tavares staying even-keeled ahead of Game 5 - TSN

TORONTO — The opportunity at hand is not lost on Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares. And he says it’s a great one for his team to rise to.

Toronto holds a 3-1 lead in its first-round playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning heading into Game 5 on Thursday at Scotiabank Arena. The Maple Leafs have not won a playoff series since 2004 and are 2-17 over their last 19 post-season contests when leading a series.

Asked what the moment is like, the Mississauga, Ont., native shared a similar mantra to that of Basketball Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant's famed "job's not finished" from the 2009 NBA Finals.

"It's cliché, but you really just try not to get too high or too low. I think we've just put ourselves in a good spot but the job's not done," Tavares said. "The hardest one to get is the last one, so just continue to go about our business as we have all season.

"We're up against a tough opponent, it's a tough challenge, so it's a great opportunity to rise to that and go out there and play well."

After dropping the series opener 7-3 at home, Toronto strung together three consecutive wins, including back-to-back comeback overtime victories on the road.

Winning in such fashion, along with the talent the Leafs possess, gives the team confidence going forward.

"I think, obviously, finding ways to win those two games, not playing our best, shows us that, 'Hey, we're a good team here, we could find a way,'" said forward Ryan O'Reilly. "Over the course of a seven-game series, there are ones that you got to steal and that's what we did.

" … Knowing that if we do get back to playing a full 60 (minutes) the right way and the way that we know how to and dictating more, we're going to put ourselves in an even better spot to succeed."

But It's not the first time the Leafs have been in this position. They held the same advantage two years back against the Montreal Canadiens but were ousted after losing three straight.

Despite having a much different roster from that 2020-21 season, Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe says the collective memory from that collapse still lingers.

"The core, of course, has remained the same and those guys have been through a lot together, myself included, so that's real and that's felt," he said. "I think there's growth inside of that. There's motivation and focus because of those things.

"We've got great experience within our group all the way through, including the depth, and I think that brings a lot to the team and that's part of, again, the different type of feel around the group."

Tavares added that the noise from the outside regarding the past is out of their control.

"It's in the past and it's done with," he said. "Obviously (there have been) results we haven't liked and I think they just add fuel to the fire."

With fans in anticipation of a potential first-round win after years of agonizing post-season losses, Tavares looks forward to building on their energy.

"Should be fantastic, no doubt they're gonna push us on," he said. "You gotta be smart in managing the emotions … but it's obviously an opportunity to take advantage of the energy they're gonna bring and the environment they're gonna create."

As far as pressure goes, O'Reilly says the team has the focus it needs for Thursday.

"We also got a lot of work left. To close these guys out, it should be tough," he said. "The pressure, I think just playing in Toronto, it's always elevated, … but in the room, we have a narrow focus and it's just win the next game, do what we can there and build from that."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 26, 2023.

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2023-04-27 11:26:00Z
1987817169

Rabu, 26 April 2023

Vasilevskiy, Lightning struggling with more playoff-ready Maple Leafs - NHL.com

TAMPA -- Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy is considering an equipment upgrade to help him in the Eastern Conference First Round against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

"I don't know," Vasilevskiy said. "Maybe I'll buy myself some [bleeping] X-ray glasses."

The Lightning trail 3-1 in the best-of-7 series. Game 5 is in Toronto on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; TBS, CBC, SN, TVAS, BSSUN).

Vasilevskiy has been the backbone of the Lightning's run to the Stanley Cup Final the past three seasons, including Cup championships in 2020 and 2021. But he has struggled through four games against the Maple Leafs, with a 4.33 goals-against average and .856 save percentage.

He acknowledged that the Maple Leafs' effort to get pucks on net from the blue line and create traffic in front of the net has given him problems.

"I'm 100 percent sure it's a game plan for them and so far they've executed that plan well," Vasilevskiy said. "Lots of screens, tips, deflections and obviously we haven't got much luck on those tips and bounces as well. But it happens in the playoffs. We just have to work hard to get over it."

[RELATED: Complete Maple Leafs vs. Lightning series coverage]

The Lightning have tried to close the middle of the ice, particularly in the slot where Maple Leafs forwards Auston Matthews, Mitchell Marner and William Nylander can create high-danger scoring chances. But Vasilevskiy also said that Toronto is no longer solely relying on those opportunities, making them a more dangerous team offensively than they were in the first round of the 2022 playoffs, when the Lightning won in seven games.

"Last year they were trying to play more of a skill game," Vasilevskiy said. "I'm not sure if they've done something different or if we're not doing as good of a job as a team up front. But last year they played more skilled hockey; this year they are playing more playoff hockey to score those ... I don't want to say garbage goals ... but [greasy] goals."

There also have been questions about whether Vasilevskiy historically has struggled seeing pucks from the blue line. Detroit Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde, a Lightning assistant from 2018-22, suggested as much while doing analysis for Sportsnet.

Lightning coach Jon Cooper said that he heard about Lalonde's comments and dismissed them as not being accurate.

"Sportsnet is paying him well to give an opinion, so he's got to make something up about that kind of stuff," Cooper said. "He's trying to offer insight and give the fans something. He should be doing that. He's just got to make sure he's accurate in what he's saying."

The outside noise is something Cooper doesn't have much time for with the Lightning facing elimination. He was more concerned about a strong effort at practice Wednesday and being fully focused on what has to be done Thursday.

"I think that day off (Tuesday) did us well," Cooper said. "We're not going to win a series in our next game. We've just got to win one game and we've done that ample times this year."

The Lightning have had plenty of positive moments during the series. They controlled play for most of Game 3 and held a 3-2 lead in the final minute of the third period before Ryan O'Reilly tied the game and Morgan Rielly scored in overtime.

In Game 4, Tampa Bay dominated the first two periods and held a 4-1 lead before Toronto scored three goals in a span of 6:20 in the third period to tie the game, and then Alexander Kerfoot won it in overtime.

Forward Pat Maroon said the Lightning can't think about what might have been.

"It could be 3-1 for us, it could be 2-2 right now," Maroon said. "It's in the past. It's over. Playoff hockey is a game of inches. It's getting the puck in, getting the puck out, winning your puck battles on the wall. Getting in front of the net, scoring the dirty goals. It's just outworking your opponent and doing the little things."

Forward Steven Stamkos said elimination games are less about the skill of a team and more about their willingness to do everything possible to stay alive. It's something the Lightning captain has seen out of his teammates many times during a run that has seen Tampa Bay win 11 of 12 playoff series during the previous three postseasons.

"When your back is against the wall it's either fight or flight," Stamkos said. "You either say it's going to be too hard to come back and you don't give your best effort, or you go out there and lay it all on the line. That's what I expect this group to do."

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2023-04-26 20:18:25Z
1987817169

The Day After +5.0: Edmonton Oilers push LA Kings to brink of elimination with 6-3 win - Oilers Nation

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  1. The Day After +5.0: Edmonton Oilers push LA Kings to brink of elimination with 6-3 win  Oilers Nation
  2. Surging Oilers have fading Kings on ropes after lopsided Game 5 win  Sportsnet.ca
  3. Bjugstad, Oilers beat Kings to take 3-2 series lead  TSN
  4. Edmonton Oilers playoff tension getting to some dedicated fans  Global News
  5. View Full Coverage on Google News

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2023-04-26 13:03:23Z
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Edmonton Oilers force the L.A. Kings to the brink with a commanding 6-3 win in Game 5: Cult of Hockey Player Grades - Edmonton Journal

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The Edmonton Oilers have pushed the Pacific Division rival Los Angeles Kings to the brink of elimination with a dominant 6-3 victory in Game 6 at Rogers Place. Edmonton scored early and never trailed.

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The script was flipped from a year ago when L.A. seemingly took command of that series only to lose in a Game 7. Only, this time, it is set up for the Oilers to clinch.

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And a loud & rowdy Rogers Place was also effective in the role of the “7th man” in this one.

Here is the tale of the tape…

Cult of Hockey Player Grades

STUART SKINNER. 7. Looked a little shaky early with a few healthy rebounds squirting free. But settled in after that. Big, point-blank save off Moore in the 2nd. Stopped Durzi on a dangerous 3rd Period chance. His best save may have been a glove snapping away a would-be goal off the stick of Kempe in the final frame. Bled a huge rebound on a shot by Iafallo in the 3rd but swallowed up the rebound. No real chance to prevent any of the 3 that got by him. Stopped 25 of 28 for the victory, a nice comeback after being pulled in Game 4.

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CONNOR McDAVID. 6. Funneled a perfect pass from behind the net to a waiting Draisaitl for the 2-0 but that only tells part of the story of a dominant shift by 97, 29 and 91. Drew a 1st Period PP. Left his man in the slot and it was that same man who kept going to the crease to put home the 2-1. And had a chance at the puck along the wall on the 3-2 but did not get to it. Did remove a puck sitting at the crease after it had hit the post. Could not bury a chance early in the 2nd after Draisaitl hit him with a pass in full flight. Earned a secondary assist on the 5-2. Then, one of a number of Oilers at-fault on the 6-3. Good, not great, but with a complete effort up and down the lineup that was enough.

EVANDER KANE. 7. Was a menace out there. 6 hits. The best one was when he left Roy on the seat of his pants with a heavy body slam in the Kings zone. Fired a rocket of a snapshot over Korpisalo’s glove hand for the 1-0. Tremendous job spilling time off the clock with an end-to-end-to-end ragging of the puck. 3 shots.

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ZACH HYMAN. 6. Did his best Pele imitation by heading home a Bouchard shot from the point for the 5-2. Went hard to the net on the 6-2. 6 hits.

DARNELL NURSE. 8. A strong performance. Fed Evander Kane for the shot that put the Oilers ahead 1-0. Could not take his man into the boards until a pass was thrown into the middle that turned into the 3-2. He and Nugent turned the puck over along the wall in the 2nd. A well-earned assist with an excellent retrieval on the 4-2. Took the club’s only minor and his mates killed it off. 5 hits. 5 blocks. 2 Assists in 21:02. The game’s 1st Star.

CODY CECI. 6. Got caught in no man’s land on the 3-2. Hobbled by a shot block late in the 1st but returned. Floated a seeing-eye shot from the point which was expertly deflected home 5-hole by Bjugstad. Effective defensive stop on Arvidsson in the 3rd. Bent but did not break: Scoring Chances For/Against were 5-14 on his watch but only allowed two HDSC’s.

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LEON DRAISAITL. 7. Managed to rake home the 2-0 first by setting up at the top of the crease and then banging a McDavid pass from behind the net through Korpisalo. Terrific pass funneled through to McDavid for a chance early in the 2nd. Turned in a dominant shift just in advance of the 4-2 goal. Part of the hard, heavy sequence on the 5-2. Got puck watching on the 6-3. Led a Edmonton skaters in TOI at 21:38. 5 shots. 69% on draws also led Edmonton. Was a serious handful for the Kings’ defenders.

RYAN NUGENT-HOPKINS. 6. Rang the post in the 1st. Giveaway along the wall in his own zone in the 2nd. Smart play to force the puck out on the PK in the 3rd. Excellent rush up the ice and then fed Bjugstad whose back-hand deflected in for the 6-2 which effectively iced this one away. Some signs of him coming out of his mini-slump.

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KAILER YAMAMOTO. 4. Had the presence of mind to be back to cover but was nonetheless turnstiled by Kempe on the 3-2. Crushed in shot shares. A shot, a hit, -1. Cannot seem to get on track. Was solid on the PK.

MATTIAS EKHOLM. 7. Surveyed the zone then fed Nurse who dropped it over to Kane for the kill shot on the 1-0. Also earned the secondary assist on the 2-0 with a smart retrieval on the play. Turned the puck over along the wall on the 6-3. Scoring Chances 9-4 in favor on his watch. He delivers “calm” in his own zone.

EVAN BOUCHARD. 6. His soft turnover at his own blueline led directly to the 2-1. Came back with a heavy hit on Kempe in the neutral zone. His shot from the point deflected off Hyman’s face and in for the 5-2. Slow to his man and then could not intercept the pass on the 6-3. Smart defensive play on Kopitar deep in his own zone in the 3rd.

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NICK BJUGSTAD. 8. Elevated in the lineup and he was flat-out excellent. His deflection of Ceci’s seeing-eye point shot dropped between Korpisalo’s legs and in for the 4-2, chasing the Kings starting netminder. Then, flung a backhand to the net and into the feet of the charging Zach Hyman. Dropped Doughty with a heavy 3rd Period check. Numerous smart plays in heavy traffic in his own zone. 3 shots, 6 hits. His acquisition looks better and better all the time.

RYAN McLEOD. 6. A bullet pass in front to Kulak back-door for the 3-1. 2 shots of his own, and more physical than he typically is (4 hits). Good on the PK. Good, quick boots.

WARREN FOEGELE. 6. A lot of demanding work along the walls. Secondary assist on the 3-1. Absorbed a filthy crosscheck right in the numbers in the 3rd. I thought that should have been more than just a minor.

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BRETT KULAK. 8. Back-to-back terrific games. Skated miles and miles. Notched his 1st career Stanley Cup Playoff goal by sneaking in from the point back-door and burying a perfect pass from Ryan McLeod for the 3-1. 2 shots in 17:12, not a single High Danger Scoring Chance against with him on the ice 5v5. You will take that from your 5D every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

VINCENT DESHARNAIS. 6. Big bounce back for the big man after a rough outing in Game 4. Could not tip away the pass on the 2-1. Particularly good clear on a 3rd Period PK. 10-10, 50% 5v5 CF. HDSC’s 5v5 3-2. 1:02 on the PK.

DEREK RYAN. 6. Started the sequence on the 3-1 by gaining the zone and dishing off to Kulak who eventually finished that shift with a goal. Smart neutral zone steal which led to chances by Foegele and Mcleod back-to-back.

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KLIM KOSTIN. 6. Several strong shifts in the offensive zone in the 1st, just missing a set-up from McDavid and feeding a smart pass that led directly to a Draisaitl chance. Set up Bjugstad later in the Period. Dangerous second period shot off a feed from Broberg. Took a couple very vocal shifts in the final 90 seconds and was an effective peacekeeper against a chippy L.A. bunch. 5 hits on the night.

PHILIP BROBERG. 5. Nice setup for Kostin in the 2nd. Went hard into the boards but shook it off and did not miss a shift. Not much else to report in 8:14 of TOI.

The Oilers now lead the series 3-2. Game 6 is in L.A. on Saturday.

Find me on Twitter @KurtLeavins, on Instagram at LeavinsOnHockey, and now on Mastodon at KurtLeavins@mstdn.social

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2023-04-26 05:04:34Z
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Selasa, 25 April 2023

GDB +5.0: Edmonton Oilers throwing smoke screens at LA Kings (7:30pm MT, CBC) - Oilers Nation

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  1. GDB +5.0: Edmonton Oilers throwing smoke screens at LA Kings (7:30pm MT, CBC)  Oilers Nation
  2. Leon Draisaitl: 14 for 14  NHL
  3. G5 Game Notes: Kings and Oilers Finding Goalie Weaknesses?  Oilers Nation
  4. 3 Keys: Kings at Oilers, Game 5 of Western 1st Round  NHL.com
  5. View Full Coverage on Google News

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2023-04-25 19:13:34Z
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Senin, 24 April 2023

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Tampa Bay Lightning - Round 1, Game 4 - Preview, Projected Lines, & TV Info - Maple Leafs Hot Stove

Tonight, the Maple Leafs have an opportunity to do what they couldn’t accomplish in Game 4 in Tampa last May: put the Lightning on the brink of elimination as the series heads back to Toronto for Game 5 (7:30 p.m. EST, Sportsnet/CBC/TBS).

In the postmortem of last year’s series against Tampa, it was easy to focus on the Leafs giving up the 3-2 lead in the third period of Game 6 or yet another Game 7 loss in which their offense dried up, but Game 4 with a 2-1 lead was one of the moments when the Maple Leafs did not step on the opponent’s throat when they were down, allowing the Lightning hang around in the series. Tampa came out with significantly more urgency and built a 5-0 lead inside the opening 25 minutes en route to a 7-3 victory.

Tonight, we find out if this year’s Leafs team has another gear in its gearbox. Process-wise, the team needs to look at the last game — a dramatic come-from-behind 4-3 overtime win — for what it was: A stolen win that should provide them with a wake-up call to respond urgently in a situation where they’re fortunately in the great position of playing from ahead in this series.

A solid start to Game 3 on the road was followed by a complete aberration from the kind of game the Leafs need to play in order to dictate the terms against Tampa at five-on-five. They conceded the line too easily and readily collapsed on their own slot while getting worked inside the territorial battle for much of the final three periods. The zone exits, under the weight of a persistent and aggressive Tampa forecheck, became more about survival than working up the ice with pace and possession in order to tilt the ice back in the team’s favour.

All in all, through three games, the Maple Leafs have been edged in shot attempts, shots, and scoring chances at five-on-five, but the goals are 8-8 and the expected goals are marginally in Toronto’s favour (6.42-6.32).

The bend-but-don’t-break defensive commitment was a definite positive in Game 3 as well as the play of Ilya Samsonov and the individual clutch moments from the likes of Ryan O’Reilly and Morgan Rielly. The Lightning’s Pat Maroon called Game 3 “probably our best game of the season”; the Leafs might have taken Tampa’s best shot and still won the game. That could mean Game 3 was a series-turning development in the Leafs’ favour, but it only matters if they respond the right way in Game 4.

As the mind games and the matchup battles continue to play out as the stakes rise deeper into the series, the coaches are playing their cards closer to the chest. Sheldon Keefe hinted at a few game-time decisions as well as consideration toward splitting up Matthews-Marner, but he did not elaborate with any further details or anything approaching a confirmation as to the possible lineup adjustments.


Game Day Quotes

Sheldon Keefe on the adjustments needed ahead of Game 4:

Coming out of our end is going to be an important piece, getting through the neutral zone, and all of those kinds of things. Both teams are trying to establish very similar things in terms of trying to establish territory and getting on top of the opposition.

We are looking to [play] more or less the way we started the game. I liked a lot of how he started the game really up until Auston’s goal to put us up 2-1. If we can start that way again and look to sustain it, that would be the goal.

Luke Schenn on Ryan O’Reilly’s invaluable contributions to the team:

The first time I kept a really close eye on him was in the playoffs on St. Louis. He made the run there with my brother to the finals. You could see how good he was.

It’s every little detail… As a defenseman, he is around the puck all the time in the d-zone supporting the puck. He is heavy on his stick, which helps win battles and exit the zone. He is good at those little two-to-three-foot give-and-go plays.

Probably a lot of it doesn’t get talked about as much in the NHL these days — everyone talks about speed and play off the rush — but it is the little give-and-go plays out of corners and around the front of the net where he is really good, too.

He is a really good addition. He has been playing great for us and has been a workhorse for us.

Schenn on how the team can exit the zone better than in Game 3:

When you are disconnected and aren’t moving your feet, those passes aren’t there, and then you’re typically chipping it into no man’s land. That is when they recover, quick up it, and come back at you. Now you are playing in the defensive zone again, too.

A lot of it is skating, getting to spots, and finding goals where you are supporting your teammates. There are not a lot of stretch plays involved in the playoffs. It is the little short plays, chipping onto speed, and getting your feet going.

Ryan O’Reilly on the team’s goal of establishing the forecheck better than in Game 3:

We have to be more aggressive with it and a little tighter with it, too. In the last game, we were a little more hesitant with it trying to read it and not just kind of going and sorting it out from there.

In general, as a group, all five guys have to be involved. We have to be more aggressive with it. That will give us some more pucks back and more possession.

Keefe on the play of the McCabe – Brodie pairing in the series:

I thought they had a tough game the other night coming out of their end, which has been a real strength of theirs. They just have to get back to that.

Those guys have played a lot and taken on really difficult matchups. They played extremely well for us down the stretch. I think they can play better collectively. I believe that they will.

That in and of itself will help us greatly.

Keefe on the play of Matthews-Marner in the matchup against the Cirelli line:

Those guys are good players. That is a big part of it. They have had time away from them as well, and I think it helps.

They’re good players. They are going to do a good job of carrying the play. Last year, they were pretty dominant in the series as well in that regard.

It is one thing to carry the play and spend time in the offensive zone. It is another thing to find ways to produce and score goals. That is an additional challenge.

They scored us a big goal last game. They had a good night in Game 2. Those guys just have to continue to go with it.

The bigger challenge for me: We had three lines that were really struggling the other night. That was something for me to manage and try to find ways through that. In the third period, we split up Auston and Mitch, and we thought we could get a little more help from the other lines. Those are all different things we have to look at.

Those guys, when they are together and they’re good, have good chemistry and make it a challenge on the opposition. We have to balance things out, too.

Jon Cooper on what his team did well to tilt the ice on Toronto in Game 3:

Everything. We played hard. We competed hard. When you do that, usually, good things happen. We were skating. We were pretty physical. We were on top of things.

It is hard because Toronto has a good team. You have to take advantage of the chances when you get them. But, in the end, it wasn’t quite enough.

Our compete was really high in the game. We have to make sure we do that again. As you saw, it wasn’t quite good enough, and we have to be a little bit better.

Cooper on his team’s response to a tough Game 3 loss:

Being around this group, I never walk in and say, “This team looks defeated.” That is one of the things that has made me proud of our group. There is always fight in the dog.

I just felt that night coming in that there was more anger than depression. I really liked that. I think they wanted to play this game right after last game. There was a lot of that.

There was no hanging of the heads. There was no, “I can’t believe we lost that.” I think they have got a little bit of the eye of the tiger. It was good.

Cooper on Ryan O’Reilly’s impact on the series:

I am not going to get into a practice of talking about Leaf players. They are not our team. I am here to talk about our guys.

I had O’Reilly, though, so I will give it a break because I have coached him. He is a fabulous kid.

I am going to stay away from the hockey side of things. Just as a human being, I really enjoyed coaching him. He has natural-born leadership skills. He is a guy you love to have on your team.

Plus, if you need someone to play the guitar, he’ll do it.

Patrick Maroon on the team’s tough Game 3 loss and whether the Lightning can build on it despite the result:

We felt we played a hell of a game. I thought was probably our best game of the year, to be honest with you. I thought we stuck with our structure. We did everything right.

The only thing we didn’t do is score enough goals. You have to give credit to the goalie, who made big-time saves. Honestly, I thought we had control.

Keep breaking out pucks clean and doing all the little things — not getting hemmed in too long. We broke it out well, and that goes into our offense.

When we are onto offense, it is not making hope plays into the middle. It is holding onto it, making the right plays, getting it up to the D, and getting that shot-and-scramble game going with the second and third opportunities going against the goalie. We did a good job of that.

It starts in the D-zone. The faster you close in the D-zone, the faster you get to play on offense, and the faster you get to move off the puck, the more chances you get, and the less time you spend in the D-zone.

Good teams find a way to win, and they found a way to win the last game. Give them credit for sticking with it, but we just have to keep working and keep doing what we have been doing. Hopefully, we get a better result.


Toronto Maple Leafs Projected Lines

Forwards
#19 Calle Järnkrok – #34 Auston Matthews – #16 Mitch Marner
#15 Alex Kerfoot – #91 John Tavares – #88 William Nylander
#23 Matthew Knies – #90 Ryan O’Reilly – #52 Noel Acciari
#12 Zach Aston-Reese – #64 David Kämpf – #28 Sam Lafferty

Defensemen
#22 Jake McCabe – #78 TJ Brodie
#55 Mark Giordano – #3 Justin Holl
#44 Morgan Rielly – #2 Luke Schenn

Goaltenders
Starter: #35 Ilya Samsonov
#60 Joseph Woll

Scratched: Wayne Simmonds, Timothy Liljegren, Erik Gustafsson, Erik Kallgren
Injured: Matt Murray, Nick Robertson, Jake Muzzin, Victor Mete          Suspended: Michael Bunting


Tampa Bay Lightning Projected Lines

Forwards
#91 Steven Stamkos – #21 Brayden Point – #86 Nikita Kucherov
#38 Brandon Hagel  – #71 Anthony Cirelli – #17 Alex Killorn
#79 Ross Colton – #20 Nick Paul – #84 Tanner Jeannot
#14 Patrick Maroon – #41 Pierre-Édouard Bellemare – #10 Corey Perry

Defensemen
#77 Victor Hedman – #48 Nicklaus Perbix
#98 Mikhail Sergachev – #43 Darren Raddysh
#28 Ian Cole – #24 Zach Bogosian

Goaltenders
Starter: #88 Andrei Vasilevskiy
#1 Brian Elliott

Injured: Erik Cernak, Michael Eyssimont

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2023-04-24 20:39:55Z
1913598505

Minggu, 23 April 2023

Zach Hyman Plays OT Hero As Oilers Complete Comeback Win Over Kings In Game 4 - SPORTSNET

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2023-04-24 04:41:28Z
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Great Start From Gausman, Jays Beat Yankees - Bluebird Banter

Blue Jays 5 Yankees 1

We wondered if Kevin Gausman would make up for his poor start in his last game. He certainly did. Whenever a starter has a bad game, we are told that aces never have poor starts, but mostly from people who just started watching baseball. Good pitchers, sometimes, have bad starts.

Gausman went 7 innings, allowed just 3 hits, no walks and had 11 strikeouts. Not bad at all.

On the offensive side, we didn’t get out first hit until the fifth inning, which was annoying since Yankees’ starter Clarke Schmidt came into the game with an 8.79 ERA. But, in the fifth, Matt Chapman doubled, and Whit Merrifield followed with a walk. But we didn’t score.

Then, in the sixth, George Springer reached on an error by SS Anthony Volpe. And then Vladimir Guerrero homered. Daulton Varsho followed with another homer, giving us a 3-0 lead.

We’d score again in the seventh on back-to-back doubles from Merrifield and Danny Jansen. And we got a run in the ninth. Chapman singled, Kirk walked, Merrifield hit a fly ball deep enough to move Chapman to third, and Danny Jansen hit into a force at second but beat out the throw to first to allow Chapman to score.

We’d have just 6 hits, but when they are grouped nicely, 6 hits is enough. Chapman was the only Jay to have two hits.

Eric Swanson pitched a nice neat eighth. Adam Cimber got the ninth, giving up the one run the Yankees got, an Anthony Rizzo home run. Cimber also gave up a couple more hits after that just to get the sweat going for us watching at home, but a popup got him out of the inning.

We did benefit from our improved defence. Kevin Kiermaier made a nice catch at the wall in the eighth, and Daulton Varsho made a nice catch.


Jays of the Day: Gausman (.356 WPA), and Vlad (.278).

No one had the number for the Other Award.

Taking 2 of 3 from the Yankees in New York is always good.

Tomorrow we start a three-game series with the White Sox back in Toronto.

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2023-04-23 20:04:15Z
1974296162

Maple Leafs' GM Dubas jaws with Lightning fans in Game 3 video - Toronto Sun

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Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas joined his players in the heat of the battle on Saturday night.

A video of Dubas apparently jawing with Lightning fans, shot from the crowd at Amalie Arena during the Leafs’ eventual 4-3 overtime victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning, continued to make the rounds on Sunday. 

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With special assistant to the GM Jason Spezza sitting to his left in the Leafs’ management booth in the press box, Dubas was seen yelling at a fan, who is not in the video, and making hand gestures before the 25-second video ends. 

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Posted by a twitter account called The Kirkentobers, the video had 3.6 million views as of early Sunday afternoon. 

A little passion might not be unexpected from Dubas, especially considering the pressure both he and the team are under to finally advance to the second round.

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The win gave the Leafs a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, with Game 4 scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Monday.

Also on Sunday, the NHL announced that Leafs winger Sam Lafferty was fined $3,108.11, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for cross-checking Lightning forward Ross Colton during Game 3. The play occurred at 15:10 of the second period and Lafferty was assessed a minor for roughing.

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2023-04-23 17:06:58Z
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Maple Leafs’ Morgan Rielly scores game winner in OT: How Toronto came back to beat Lightning in Game 3 - The Athletic

The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 in overtime, winning Game 3 of their first-round playoff series Saturday. Here’s what you need to know:

  • Morgan Rielly scored the game winner at 19:15 of the overtime frame.
  • Down 3-2 with a minute remaining, Leafs forward Ryan O’Reilly tied the game. Noel Acciari and Auston Matthews also scored for the Leafs on Saturday.
  • Toronto takes a 2-1 series lead. Game 4 is Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET.

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

Bad blood boiling over

The three fights in Game 2 only set the table for the continued bad blood that boiled over in a messy, out-of-control third period that saw the two teams reach a new level of physical intensity. Rielly’s original five-minute major penalty for boarding against Brayden Point sent Point to the Lightning dressing room clutching his midsection. Though the play itself looked incidental and the call was eventually overturned, the Lightning weren’t happy about it and a melee ensued.

By the end, Matthews and Steven Stamkos got locked in an out-of-character fight, Corey Perry stood alone at the Leafs bench, seemingly challenging the entire team and 24 minutes of penalties were handed out in that one sequence. This series still feels far from over, as does the nastiness. — Kloke

Hedman’s return makes an impact

After missing Game 2, the Lightning’s best defenseman, Victor Hedman, made his presence felt with a return in Game 3. Even if he wasn’t operating at 100 percent, you wouldn’t have known it by the way he blocked shots, moved the puck effectively and helped the Lightning control large portions of the game. When the former Norris Trophy winner was on the ice, the Lightning generated an impressive 72 percent of the five-on-five shot attempts. Hedman kept the Leafs out of the game for long stretches. — Kloke

Rielly OT winner

Rielly’s goal with 45 seconds left in overtime sealed the Leafs win and capped off an eventful night for the defenseman. He originally took a major boarding call in the third period but the call was overturned. Rielly stayed even keel and built on his strong Game 2 performance. — Kloke

Backstory

Acciari opened the scoring for the Maple Leafs. Lightning forward Anthony Cirelli responded to the tie game at 4:50 in the first period.

Matthews retained the Leafs’ lead at 11:10 in the first period. The Lightning followed it up with two goals from Brandon Hagel and Darren Raddysh. This gave Tampa a 3-2 lead, which they held until the tying goal from O’Reilly with a minute remaining in the game and the OT winner from Rielly.

The Lightning outshot the Leafs 39 to 27.

Highlights of the game

Stanley cup bracket

Required reading

(Photo: Kim Klement / USA Today)

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2023-04-23 09:28:36Z
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