Morgan Rielly says Maple Leafs need to stick together and stay grounded with Game 6 looming

Nobody has experienced the ups and downs of being a Toronto Maple Leaf like Morgan Rielly. The team’s first-round pick in 2012 and longtime defenceman is the longest-serving Leaf, and despite some great individual seasons and lots of successful regular seasons, he’s also been there for all of the lows.

The Leafs couldn’t have had their fans in a better headspace heading into Game 4. After starting the series with a 3-0 lead, the Senators have hit back two games in a row, and it’s set the stage for what’s sure to be an emotional Game 6 in Ottawa on Thursday night. For any other team, this wouldn’t be a cause for panic, but for the Leafs, who have a record of 1-13 all-time in games with an opportunity to clinch, the demons have returned and have already started bubbling despite two more chances for the Leafs to win the series.

Rielly knows about the type of situation the Leafs find themselves in all too well, and while he acknowledged the nerves that come with a playoff series of this kind of magnitude, he stressed the importance of keeping their heads above the water and sticking to the plan that worked for them in Games 1-3.

I think you just stick together,” Rielly told reporters following practice on Wednesday. “We have a lead in the series, and it’s important that we focus on the good things that we’ve been able to do and just keep that focus.”

It’s a lot to ask of Leafs fans to adopt this attitude, since we’re talking about a fanbase that sat through choking a 3-1 series lead to the Montreal Canadiens, countless playoff losses to the Boston Bruins, and one series win in eight playoff runs during the Auston Matthews/Mitch Marner era. But, for the team on the ice that’s tasked with overcoming their demons and getting to the second round, all they can do is stay grounded and block out the demons to the best of their ability.

“We’ve been in this spot before, I think there’s comfort in that,” Rielly said when asked how they can use past playoff struggles to channel a better effort on Thursday night. “Like I said, you just gotta stick together. It’s a matter of staying focused and staying in the moment, understanding that we’re still leading the series, and there have been periods of time where we’ve been playing some really good hockey. So, there’s no reason to panic, it’s just about sticking together and going in there and playing good hockey.”

Rielly has two goals in the series and has looked more comfortable than ever playing alongside Brandon Carlo, but he doesn’t care about his individual stats if they’re not translating into wins. That’s been the goal of this team since the start of the series, and it hasn’t wavered. Rielly said that regardless of what the core players have been through in the past, they can’t dwell on the teams that have struggled in the past. All they can do is focus on the moment.

“They’re all different, and this team is different. I think there’s a belief within our group that we’ve learned over the years, we’re comfortable in these close games, moving forward, for our group,p it’s just about being ready to play. We believe in the people in this room, the coaching staff, the structure, so it’s just about going out there and executing.”

Game 6 is Thursday night at 7 pm Eastern.