The Maple Leafs win 3-2 in overtime to take the 2-0 series lead

The Toronto Maple Leafs headed into Game 2 of the Battle of Ontario with a convincing 6–2 win against the Ottawa Senators in Game 1. The Core Four had an outstanding night, scoring four goals and tallying six assists for 10 points. Many fans felt like this was the dominant performance we should’ve been seeing for years from this group in the playoffs. The Maple Leafs were looking to take a 2-0 series lead against the Senators.

The Senators showed their playoff inexperience by taking six penalties in Game 1. They won’t be making the same mistake twice. The Maple Leafs would have to continue to play the Craig Berube playoff-style and grind out 15 more wins.

Fortunately for the Maple Leafs (and Leafs’ faithful), Max Domi was the overtime hero. He had a beautiful snipe, winning the game in overtime to take a 2–0 series lead against the Senators. Let’s take a look at the main storylines coming out of Game 2’s 3–2 overtime win.

Stolarz’s excellent performance

There was concern when Anthony Stolarz missed practice due to needing rest, that he was injured. Stolarz’s performance last night, without a doubt, proved these claims to be wrong. Stolarz had an excellent performance last night, helping the Maple Leafs get the win.

Stolarz made several big saves, especially on the Senators’ power plays. The Maple Leafs took the second period off and looked eerily similar to how they looked in previous playoff series. However, Stolarz weathered the 13 shots, keeping it a one-goal game heading into the third period.

In the third period, Stolarz didn’t have to do much work. The Maple Leafs did a good job at limiting the Senators to four shots. The Senators did not get a shot on net until roughly the 15-minute mark of the period. Unfortunately, this shot came off a deflection off of Adam Gaudette, forcing overtime. Stolarz cannot be blamed for that one.

The Core 4 and power play shine again

Maple Leafs fans have seen the same story year after year come playoffs: the superstars can’t score, and the power play falls off a cliff. Like Game 1, the script was different in last night’s game.

Morgan Rielly deflected a bullet of a pass from William Nylander to open the scoring for the second game in a row. Then, five minutes later on the power play, John Tavares scored after Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews spread out the Senators’ penalty killers.

The Maple Leafs have four power play goals in the last two games. For reference, the Maple Leafs had only one power play goal against the Boston Bruins in the entire seven-game series last playoffs. Whatever Marc Savard has done to revamp the power play since the final third of season, it is clearly working. The Maple Leafs capitalized on their only power play opportunity of the night, and they needed to.

This team is different…right?

Non-Leafs fans would say: “There goes Toronto almost blowing it. Again.” While this may be “true”, the devil’s in the details. While it’s only been two games, the team under Craig Berube has played a completely different style than the Sheldon Keefe teams of the past.

Perhaps the biggest difference is that the superstars have shown up (so far). The other difference is that the power play has scored four power play goals in two games. Stolarz has been solid in both games, and the defence has been exactly what you want to see.

However, not enough attention is paid to how the Maple Leafs are playing to achieve the above results. The first period in last night’s game was similar to how the Maple Leafs played Game 1: outscored the Senators, heavy on the forecheck, and finished their checks. Even the superstars. When the Senators would force entry into the zone, the Maple Leafs either forced the Senators to the perimeter, or blocked shots and forced turnovers for quick counterattacks.

Then, in the second period, many Maple Leafs fans had PTSD flashbacks to prior playoff series. The Maple Leafs sat back, allowed the Senators to enter the zone easily, and get quality scoring chances. The Maple Leafs could barely get the puck out, and when they did, they dumped… and did not chase. The Senators were able to come within one heading into the third period.

While not as dominant offensively as in the first period, the Maple Leafs played an excellent third period defensively. The Maple Leafs stymied any offensive chances on the rush, or simply got bodies in the middle of the slot to block shots or passes. Previous playoff performances have shown us that the third period would’ve been like the second period. But it was much better in last night’s game. Old habits die hard, and we’re seeing this team change before our eyes. 

Then the secondary scoring for the Maple Leafs came through and won the game in overtime. Both secondary scoring and the ability to overcome adversity in high-pressure moments have been lacking in the Keefe era. We may be traumatized, but these are steps in the right direction.

Onto Game 3

Kind of fitting that Max Domi gets the overtime goal. The last time the Maple Leafs took a 2–0 series lead against the Senators, was when Tie Domi was in the lineup. The Battle of Ontario will head to Ottawa on Thursday night at the Canadian Tire Centre. 

The building is going to be electric for several reasons. One reason is that the Senators have missed the playoffs for seven years in a row, and Senators fans are starved for playoff hockey. Another reason is that it’s the Battle of Ontario, and there will be many Senators fans who will vocalize their hatred of the Maple Leafs (and vice-versa). Lastly, Captain Brady Tkachuk will make his home playoff game debut, and given that he scored last night, perhaps the beast is awakened.

If the Maple Leafs want to prove that they are different, then they need to get back to how they played the first four periods of the series. Either way, onto Game 3! Let us know your thoughts about how the Maple Leafs have played so far below!

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