Rest is a powerful tool, and the Toronto Maple Leafs have taken advantage of it on home ice, all season long.
After losing Game 4 by a score of 4-3 in overtime on Saturday in Ottawa, the Maple Leafs will host Game 5 on Tuesday, with an appreciated second day off in between games. Throughout this season and into the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Toronto has posted a 13-4-0 record when they have two days off before a home game. Craig Berube and company are hoping the rest is exactly what the doctor ordered to allow for the knicks and bruises to subside, and to give his hockey club another day to prepare a way to get the momentum back on their side.
The last three games have gone into overtime, with all four games being as intense as ever between the two rivals. The Battle of Ontario is back in a major way, and there’s certainly been no love lost throughout the first-round series. Unfortunately, the Maple Leafs couldn’t close in Ottawa, which based on this core’s history, is adding to a narrative the team is hopeful they can get past this spring. For now, it’s one game at a time, and nobody on the Maple Leafs is looking in the rearview mirror.
Berube was pleased with Toronto’s effort in Game 4, a game Toronto’s bench boss felt could have gone either way. “There’s a lot of good in that game,” Berube said. “I thought it was a real good hockey game to be honest with you, and I thought we played extremely well. There’s always things you can improve upon. I thought we played well. Didn’t come out on top but we will move on, get ready for practice and Game 5.”
The Maple Leafs will prepare themselves to close things out on home ice in Game 5. The team has battled the injury bug all season long, from Auston Matthews playing through a lingering aliment, Anthony Stolarz missing a few weeks, to Calle Jarnkrok missing most of the regular season, not to mention Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Jake McCabe both held out of action down the stretch. As many off days as you can get in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Maple Leafs will welcome with open arms.
There’s of course, a ton riding on Game 5 on Tuesday, as Toronto looks to finish the deal and exercise some demons in the process. The Leafs, once again couldn’t close, and now move to 1-12 in playoff games with an opportunity to eliminate an opponent since 2017.
If they lose Game 5 will the doubt start to creep in? Considering the Leafs’ track record this season, a handshake line appears very likely on Tuesday night.
