The Daily Faceoff Show: Which team needs a Game 5 win the most?

Four Game 5s are on the docket for first-round playoff action Tuesday night, all featuring series tied 2-2.

Between the Boston Bruins and Carolina Hurricanes, Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs, St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild and Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers, which team is under the most pressure to win Game 5?

On The Daily Faceoff Show, Frank Seravalli and Colby Cohen made their picks.

Colby Cohen: I think it’s the Toronto Maple Leafs. I just do not think that they can lose. And I know you might have a similar thought process. If Tampa Bay loses tonight, they can still win the series. If Boston loses tonight, they can still win the series. I do think L.A.’s in trouble if they lose tonight. If they lose, I would probably put them second behind the Leafs. But ultimately, with all the pressure in Toronto and the noise about Jack Campbell from last game, tonight is an absolute must win, more for the Leafs than anybody else.

Frank Seravalli: I wholeheartedly agree. And really from the factor of, I don’t see the Leafs beating the Tampa Bay Lightning two straight. No one’s done it in three playoff years. The Lightning are 16-0 coming off a loss, and that’s essentially what you’d have to do, win Games 6 and 7 if you end up losing Game 5. This series mirrors the end of the regular-season series for these two teams head -to-head. It’s blowout after blowout, but it’s been alternating, and that’s gone back to the last two games of the regular season and the first four of this series. Not really any close games, so I don’t know who really has the advantage, because there’s been no momentum back and forth. It just feels like, every time you think the Leafs are gonna be in the driver’s seat, the Lightning punch back, and you’re like, “OK, well, these are the two-time defending Cup champs. Where’s their weakness? I don’t see it. They just find the way to flip the switch at the right time every time, it seems.”

Colby Cohen: And look, at the end of the day, I’m betting on Andrei Vasilevskiy over Jack Campbell. I’m betting on Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh. I’m betting on Steven Stamkos and Brayden Point. When it comes to those tense moments, when it comes to those Game 6 moments, Game 7 moments that we are going to see, I’ve got my money on those guys. I would like to see Toronto eventually get into the second round of the playoffs, I’d like to see Auston Matthews get to star through the playoffs and break the game, but ultimately I just think the matchup is bad for them. And I like the goaltending position in particular, and I like Tampa Bay’s ability to dig in and flip that switch and say, “Tonight is the night where we end this thing.”

Frank Seravalli: At some point these Toronto Maple Leafs are going to break through. I think they’re too good not to. In the meantime, they’ve got plenty of question marks. You mention Jack Campbell in net. Where’s John Tavares been? Some pretty quiet moments as well from William Nylander. Plenty of heat on him in the Toronto market.

You can watch the full episode here…