The talk about the Toronto Maple Leafs has shifted greatly from their first three games against the Ottawa Senators to the last two.
The Maple Leafs were on the verge of sweeping the Senators after the first three games of their first-round playoff series. While the Senators probably deserved to win at least one of those first three games, the competitive pendulum swung the other way in Games 4 and 5. The Maple Leafs probably deserved to win one of those two games, only to lose both of them as Ottawa clawed its way back to respectability.
What we’ve wound up with is a series that is considerably closer than people who were talking about a sweep had figured on. The truth is, predicting the Maple Leafs would be in a Game 6 situation versus the Senators is not surprising.
If things played out slightly differently, and it was a straight-ahead back-and-forth, we-punch-you, you-punch-back situation from game to game, alarmist Leafs fans might not be as up in arms as they are at the moment.
“We expected it to be challenging,” Leafs blueliner Morgan Rielly told reporters on Wednesday. “No one expected it to be easy. So, again, we're up in a series, and we're in a position where we have a chance to regroup and refocus and go out there and play some good hockey.”
Indeed, we picked Toronto to win this series, but we picked the Buds to win in six games. It doesn’t make a difference exactly how we arrived at this moment – the truth is, the Senators were never going to roll over and be embarrassed en route to a sweep. Ottawa is a well-coached, dynamic and talented group, and so are the Maple Leafs. Nothing we’ve seen through five games has changed our mind in that regard.
“We’re up 3-2 in the series, so we’re fine,” Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev told reporters after Tuesday’s Game 5 loss. “We’re going to prepare for our game Thursday, and we’ll make the adjustments that we need to.”
We’re still confident the Maple Leafs can pull this one out with a Game 6 win in Ottawa, if not then, then in Game 7. The Leafs have already shown they can win at home and on the road, and they’ve been a resilient bunch throughout the regular season and thus far in the post-season.
Of course, we completely understand why Leafs fans would be swimming in anxiety right now. The history with this collection of talent does not lend itself to optimism at crossroads moments like these. Until Toronto proves it can close out opponents, there’s going to be significant doubt among Leafs Nation that it can do so.
But you know what? Sometimes teams do take that next step in their evolution. Sometimes teams can shake off the demons of the past. That’s where we see the Leafs right now. Beating the Sens is certainly not going to be easy. However, Toronto management and coaching have prepared Leafs players for this challenge.
These Maple Leafs Were Supposed To Be Different, But In Game 5, It Was More Of The SameAnyone who has watched the Toronto Maple Leafs over the past decade has seen Game 5 of the Battle of Ontario so many times.
The Leafs know the ramifications that await them if they can’t get the job done. A complete collapse could trigger massive changes from top to bottom in the organization. That pressure may well choke them out, but it’s equally likely that it motivates them to prove their doubters wrong. And so, if Toronto wins in six or seven games, no one should be surprised.
Sometimes the pundits do get things right, and the way things are shaping up in this emotional and rollercoaster series, the Leafs are in the position many of us thought they’d be in. That’s what makes this particular series so compelling. Toronto and Ottawa are worthy rivals for one another, and the rest of this showdown promises to be high drama.
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