Maple Leafs report cards: Lightning come from behind for overtime win to force Game 7 & More Trending News

This collection all the time felt prefer it was going to go the gap.

Though the Leafs performed (largely) as composed as they’ve all collection, the Lightning stayed persistent, tying the sport within the third interval and forcing overtime. And with Brayden Point’s overtime aim to seal a 4-3 win, this insanely entertaining collection will certainly go to seven video games. 

“We’ve just got to put our balls on the line and go for it,” stated Auston Matthews postgame.

First star

John Tavares

Early on, Tavares’ line struggled to preserve strain within the offensive zone. On steadiness, he hasn’t had probably the most dominant collection, however full credit score to Tavares for staying with the sport. He intercepted pucks in his personal zone effectively.

But most notable was how, in a brief span within the second interval, Tavares drove to the online and ended up getting the Leafs’ second aim after a scoring change after which used his anticipation to discover an open space of the ice, kick the puck onto his stick (any soccer play will get bonus marks) forward of sniping the Leafs’ third aim.

Tavares solely received 35 p.c of his faceoffs, however with two targets, the Leafs’ captain nonetheless confirmed up when it mattered in Game 6.

Second star

William Nylander 

Another banger of a sport from Nylander. He simply didn’t cease shifting, retrieving pucks and enjoying with the outright confidence he’s turn out to be recognized for. One of probably the most proficient Leafs made constant efforts to attempt to break the sport broad open offensively, darting via a number of Lightning gamers to take the puck to the online. Exhibit A: His heads-up play to arrange Tavares for the Leafs’ third aim. He had two assists. 

Third star

Auston Matthews

It had to be Matthews who put the Leafs again into the sport together with his tip-in aim within the second interval (hardest play to pull off in sports activities, as loyal report playing cards readers know).

Found its method residence ???? pic.twitter.com/TpJJVhzBoz

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) May 13, 2022

Matthews was dominant and decided from the start of the sport, successful faceoffs and logging the vast majority of the group’s photographs on aim throughout an early stretch. But there have been instances when the little performs he made caught out much more:

Matthews makes use of his physique to protect Tampa gamers from the unfastened puck pic.twitter.com/O67w0U4LwN

— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) May 13, 2022

That he’s constantly in a position to force turnovers together with his measurement and rapidly transition to offence is spectacular to watch. He tied up Lightning gamers in his personal zone successfully.

Matthews received 66 p.c of his faceoffs and led the Leafs with six photographs on aim.

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Player studies 

A

Mitch Marner 

Marner frequently learn the play effectively within the impartial and defensive zones, choosing off passes. That strategy was solely amplified throughout his play on the penalty kill when he swatted away passes and cleared the puck from the Leafs’ zone.

Marner didn’t log a single level, however he nonetheless had 69 p.c of the 5-on-5 anticipated targets, a team-high. 

A-

Jake Muzzin

Muzzin performed a largely secure sport, shifting the puck cleanly. I assumed his anticipation in the course of the Leafs’ push towards the top of the third interval was notable. His 65 p.c 5-on-5 anticipated targets was the best amongst all defencemen. And that’s much more spectacular contemplating he logged a team-high 30:15 TOI. For somebody who could be battling accidents, he’s placing collectively collection. 

B+

Morgan Rielly

Rielly seemed engaged for many of the sport, making sensible defensive reads, bodily performs and performs together with his stick most of the time.

Jack Campbell 

Campbell’s first noteworthy save, that includes him leaping into the air to seize a puck within the air, might need been unorthodox but it surely was an indication of how keen he was to attempt to make a distinction within the sport.

Jack Campbell used Ariel Ace pic.twitter.com/vzZfC63Ep3

— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) May 12, 2022

Luckily, that was the one outlandish save Campbell made. To my eyes, not one of the 4 targets scored on Campbell had been on him, and I assumed he performed precisely as calm and composed as he wanted to. He stopped 31-of-35 photographs.

B

TJ Brodie 

Smart and accountable defensive work from Brodie frequently helped the Leafs get out of a jam. How many instances have we heard that earlier than? 

Justin Holl

Holl’s fast stick work was a profit when the Lightning got here on the Leafs with tempo, particularly late within the second interval when Nikita Kucherov appeared to have Holl beat.

JUSTIN HOLL pic.twitter.com/8tI4I6w9oL

— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) May 13, 2022

His block on an Anthony Cirelli shot in overtime stood out.

B-

Mark Giordano 

After a sluggish begin, Giordano grew into the sport with increasingly passes into the precise areas of the ice. The Leafs wanted composure up and down the lineup in a pivotal sport, they usually acquired it from Giordano.

Late within the sport, I assumed Giordano tried to tie up Lightning gamers effectively, and his diving block in entrance of Campbell in overtime undoubtedly received him a couple of extra followers in Toronto. He performed a easy sport, as evidenced by his work to merely put the puck on web forward of the Leafs’ second-period aim. He earned the first help on the play.

He couldn’t correctly shut down Anthony Cirelli on the Lightning’s second aim, although. 

David Kampf 

Kampf’s offensive presence continues to be an underrated a part of his sport. He had 4 photographs on aim, second among the many Leafs.

David Kämpf trying for one other one on Vasilevskiy pic.twitter.com/2knOdBVwmM

— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) May 13, 2022

He didn’t overthink issues, opting to put the puck on web with practically each open look.

Also, I’m right here for David Kampf, the pest:

lol Kämpf pic.twitter.com/re1mjhTuxv

— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) May 13, 2022

His high-sticking penalty was extremely questionable, however I promised myself I wouldn’t wade too deep into the “Let’s talk the penalties called in this series” waters.

Not going to change something now, however positive appears to be like like an errant name on David Kampf high-stick.

Replay appears to point out Kampf acquired Foote within the jersey/shoulder pad, but it surely was bought effectively.

(h/t @JoshRimerPR) pic.twitter.com/h7Q4EZB37L

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) May 13, 2022

C+

Alex Kerfoot 

Not an incredible look from Kerfoot to blindly move the puck again into his personal zone and see it rapidly intercepted by Ondrej Palat. You might counter that Brodie might have anticipated the move and been in a greater spot, but it surely nonetheless looks like an out-of-character play for the usually sensible playmaker.

Credit to Kerfoot although: He stored at it, constantly bringing vitality and never getting down on himself in any method. His sensible move to transfer the puck up towards Nylander forward of the Leafs’ third aim led to as deserving a secondary help as you’ll discover. He was buzzing throughout a late third-period push.

Michael Bunting

Some heads-up work with Bunting’s stick pressured a turnover within the impartial zone and a shot on aim shortly afterward. He continued to attempt to get entangled defensively. I assumed Bunting went quiet at instances, but it surely’s value remembering he’s virtually actually not enjoying at one hundred pc proper now.

Ilya Lyubushkin 

There had been some respectable efforts from Lyubushkin to neutralize Steven Stamkos because the Lightning ahead charged into the Leafs’ zone. He received’t get a lot credit score for it, however Lyubushkin despatched an ideal move into the center of the ice within the lead-up to the Leafs’ second aim.

Like a couple of Leafs, his well-timed blocks made a distinction:

Big block from Lyubushkin pic.twitter.com/dmUOetFomN

— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) May 13, 2022

Ilya Mikheyev

I didn’t love Mikheyev’s play within the offensive zone. It felt like he was a step too sluggish to get on unfastened pucks. And his move forward of the Lightning’s second aim felt prefer it was asking for hassle.

His play improved, particularly in overtime, although.

Ondřej Kase 

Kase’s delicate, one-touch move helped create the Leafs’ second aim. Otherwise, I didn’t see him having probably the most noticeable influence on this sport. I’d like to give him the good thing about the doubt because it’s solely potential he won’t be at full well being, and he’s enjoying restricted minutes.

Colin Blackwell

Blackwell did effectively to carry the puck deep into the offensive zone and permit for some sustained strain.

Nice rush from Blackwell pic.twitter.com/BZfAGBpupT

— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) May 13, 2022

Jason Spezza

I don’t know if I can say way more than my man Fitzy does right here:

If the Leafs someway pull this off, children are gonna find yourself going to Jason Spezza Secondary School.

— SeanFitz_Gerald (@SeanFitz_Gerald) May 13, 2022

After it seemed like Spezza scored the tying aim, he ended up getting an help. No shock, on condition that he’s been offering assists to the Leafs on and off the ice all collection.

I do know he logged a team-low 6:19 TOI however he made an influence in that point.

C

Pierre Engvall

My expectations of Engvall have grown as of late, so I anticipated extra from him in such a pivotal sport. Save for his efforts to throw the puck on web towards the top of the second interval and create some visitors in entrance of Andrei Vasilevskiy, the puck got here off his stick a little bit too rapidly for me. The physicality that may be a difference-maker for the Leafs was not evident, both.

His mad sprint in overtime, adopted by an influential play together with his stick within the Lightning zone, had been highlights, nonetheless.

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Game Score

Game Score is a metric developed by The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn to rapidly measure a participant’s efficiency in a single sport.

Final grade: B+

Since 2013, the Leafs at the moment are 0-9 once they have had an opportunity to win a playoff spherical. Over the final three seasons, the Lightning haven’t misplaced two video games in a row within the playoffs.

Now, this won’t present any comfort to defeated Leafs followers on the market, however this was a sport the Leafs had each proper to win, proudly owning the vast majority of the 5-on-5 possession (52 p.c) and anticipated targets (53 p.c). It took a 5-on-3 energy play for the Lightning to tie the sport. The Leafs ‘ play in overtime was full of the heart that this team is sometimes accused of not having. Again, if you’re a Leafs fan, that the Leafs simply stored working is a optimistic signal heading into Game 7.

“I loved the fight in our team today,” stated head coach Sheldon Keefe postgame.

And neglect about what I stated earlier, there was some actual head shaking stuff from the referees in Game 6:

This could be worse than the phantom excessive stick and the missed too many males name. This is a few clutch and seize period stuff. pic.twitter.com/pndV79OOhG

— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) May 13, 2022

Both Matthews and Tavares declined to remark in regards to the refereeing within the sport, for what it’s value.

Where do the Leafs go from right here?

Back to Toronto, with one other probability to win their first playoff spherical since 2004.

Saturday needs to be a peaceful, stress-free day, no?

Tweets of the evening

It felt like loads of my favorite Leafs Twitter follows had been a little bit extra quiet than traditional forward of and through Game 6. I suppose it’s tough to tweet in case your cellphone retains falling out of constantly sweaty fingers.

This one very a lot captured the temper, then:

I want to go stroll into the woods for twenty minutes or one thing

— Ryan (@ryanfancey) May 13, 2022

Some loyal Leafs followers had the eagerness even late within the sport:

Lo these years, right here’s the place we needed to be, and right here’s the group we wanna be with

— @hockeyesque (@hockeyesque) May 13, 2022

And for some followers postgame, phrases couldn’t do their feelings justice.

pic.twitter.com/8ytKXsxx0S

— ℳatt (@matttomic) May 13, 2022

(Stats through Natural Stat Trick)

(Photo: Mike Carlson / NHLI through Getty Images)

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