TAMPA – With the latest change of Tampa Bay Lightning and a fierce exclusion line for Alex Killer – Anthony Sirelli – Braden Point, Toronto Maple Leafs superstars Austin Matthews and Mitch Marner were annulled with equal force in Game 3.
When they partnered with left-back Michael Bunting, who entered the post-season after a missed time with an undisclosed injury, Matthews and Marner received 5-1 shots on goal.
Realizing the problem, coach Sheldon Keefe threw Bunting on the fourth line in the third period and raised his reliable Swiss Army knife Alexander Kerfut, who will start match 4 with the big boys.
“Kerf is a very competitive person. He is very responsible. He is very good in all areas of his game and I think that applies very well to this time of year. His details and habits are good and they don’t change, “said Keefe.
So, what happens if Kerfut makes a penalty error in the second period (overturning the puck in the neutral zone instead of safely throwing it into it), which led directly to a Lightning power-play goal?
Keefe spoke to the attacker during the second break and told him to shake off. He was getting a raise.
“It was very obvious that he knew and was well aware of that,” Keefe said. “It doesn’t change who he is.
“I needed him to help with this line. It was a difficult match. “
As a result of the violent Bunting, it will be relied upon to give Toronto’s fourth line a surge of energy. However, Keef expects to mix some offensive starts in the top six for the rookie.
“I have to get back to my game and what has brought me success all year,” Bunting said. “I haven’t gotten to that in the playoffs yet.”
Keefe admits that Matthews and Marner had a “difficult time” in Game 3. They were on the ice for some scary Class A points points, in particular. But he saw some improvement after Kerfut jumped.
“Whatever the line, it seems to be improving,” Keefe said. “You have to have a diverse team.
“Hockey happens. Mistakes happen …. Your depth has been multifaceted, or you are closed. “
No one in Toronto is more flexible than center / right wing / left wing / killer / playmaker Kerfut.
“I talked to him,” Bunting smiles. “I don’t think he played in just one position: the right wing on the fourth line.
“It’s fun to play on the road, to be the bad guy on the rink.” “Michael Bunting.”
– Luke Fox (@lukefoxjukebox) May 8, 2022
Cooper’s creative mathematics
The superiority of Jack Campbell, who beat Conn Smythe winner Andrei Vassilevsky in three games, does not impress Tampa coach John Cooper so much.
“We scored seven goals for him in the last two games. So, if he sits here and has 3.50 goals against the average for each set of two games, we will accept that. Did he make rescues? Of course he has. Would we? We have, “Cooper said.
“There is always a misnomer, which is the number of goals you score. This is the amount you prevent. And this is where we need to look. Scoring goals against these guys doesn’t bother me. “
Cooper’s 3.50 GAA calculation conveniently ignored Campbell’s 5-0 elimination in Game 1.
(A more witty reporter than me said, “On average, I only have two beers if you start counting after midnight.”)
Keefe dismisses Cooper’s comments as a way to show confidence in his club.
“I am sure that if I were him, I would say something like that. I think [Game 3] it was a great indication of how he was playing. He is confident. He believes in himself. “Even when he seems to have been defeated, he finds ways to keep the puck out.” “Jack’s fine right now.”
As good as Campbell feels, Game 4 must present his most difficult challenge.
Vasilevski and Bolts have an incredible 15-0 run after losing the playoffs.
“I believe we have the best goalkeeper in the world on our net,” said Cooper. “We gave them a phenomenal look. For example, open networks.
Contra Keefe: “I still feel like we haven’t played our best hockey.”
“Let’s get greedy here.” – Sheldon Keefe in Game 4
– Luke Fox (@lukefoxjukebox) May 8, 2022
Too generous?
Ilya Mikheev received a gift with an empty net at the end of match 3, when his teammate Pierre Engval selflessly handed him the puck from the attack.
“Maybe I’d like to reduce the field of error and just shoot it in the net, right?” But the fact that he didn’t bounce on Mickey’s wand or anything like that will be accepted, “Keefe smiled.
The coach was joking, not joking.
“You have to be selfless at this time of year. There are many little things that happen in the game that are selfless: blocking a hit, finding the defensive side of the puck, changing early. Small moments like this show that this team is united. “
Pierre Engwal is a great man
Ilya Mikheev scored his first goal in the playoffs
Engvall quietly had a phenomenal series. He not only has three assists in three games, but also leads Toronto in ice time 5 to 5, and the shots are 23-16 when on the ice, despite his only initial 14 percent shifts in the O-zone.
“He’s a great player,” said William Nylander.
Lightning focuses on discipline
Cooper believes Tampa Bay lost Game 3 on penalties. simple
They gave Maple Leafs five strong playoffs in the first two periods, and Toronto opened the scoring with an advantage over the men.
“Let’s be honest. I can’t spend 10 of the first 40 minutes in the penalty area,” Cooper said.
“There’s probably a little uncertainty about what players can and can’t do, which is unfortunate. But you have to fight it. But there are many of our games that we like. The leaves – pay tribute to them – took advantage of the situations we gave them, probably faster than normal.
“We gave up some juicy and they took advantage of the capital.”
Cooper notes that in the Penguins-Rangers triple overtime game (Game 1) no whistles have been issued since the second period.
How come this game doesn’t get a call in five and a half periods? Cooper wonders. “I do not know what’s going on.”
In the end, the coach says his players need to be smarter.
“We have a recipe. We have a plan. “We’ve been in situations like this before,” Cooper said. “We will go back.
“Don’t look in the rearview mirror. That’s not our style. “
One-off: Insane statistics. Game 3 with winning goals David Kampf has more goals scored (two) than there was an offensive zone (one) in the series …. Lightning allowed his players to stay home on Mother’s Day. No mandatory meetings or skating … Nikta Kucherov and Vassilevski missed training on Saturday to rest … Neither Maple Leafs nor Lightning will make changes in the lineup, according to the coaches.
Why did Corey Perry shoot a puck into the net of Maple Leafs at the end of the warm-up?
– I do not know what you mean.
– Luke Fox (@lukefoxjukebox) May 8, 2022
Maple Leafs projects Game 4 lines
Kerfoot – Matthews – Marner Nylander – Tavares – KaseMikheyev – Kämpf – EngvallBunting – Blackwell – Spezza
Rielly – LyubushkinMuzzin – BrodieGiordano – Holl
Campbell Kelgren
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