MAPLE LEAFS SNAPSHOTS: Jack Campbell posts shutout as teammates sharp in Game 1 win
As he watched his Maple Leafs teammates play a textbook playoff sport on Monday night time, Jack Campbell needed to be smiling underneath his masks.
OK, we all know Campbell most likely would have been anyway, contemplating the upbeat outlook he has each time he skates into his crease.
However the Leafs goaltender couldn’t have requested for far more out of his teammates in Sport 1 of the primary spherical of the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs towards the Tampa Bay Lightning at Scotiabank Enviornment.
The hungrier, faster Leafs had been on each puck and gained each battle, particularly these on particular groups. The consequence was that Campbell wanted to make simply 23 saves for his second profession shutout within the Cup playoffs.
A save on a Brayden Level one-timer from the slot within the second interval was amongst Campbell’s standouts in Toronto’s 5-0 win.
Campbell did what the Leafs figured he would — picked up from his strong play in April after getting back from a rib harm.
That’s one sport and one hell of a victory for Campbell and the Leafs. Now, to hold an analogous effort into Sport 2 on Wednesday.
GAME ON
Tampa’s Jan Rutta was bloodied by Morgan Rielly throughout a line brawl halfway by way of the third interval, giving credence to teach Sheldon Keefe’s assertion that the sequence could be “borderline violent” … The Leafs’ transition within the first interval resulted in a bundle of excellent scoring probabilities, however it was a degree shot by way of visitors by Jake Muzzin that eluded goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy for a 1-0 lead at 18:19. Ondrej Kase, again after he suffered a concussion on March 19 towards Nashville, arrange Muzzin for the shot … On his first shift, Auston Matthews merely needed to step on the ice to entice a roar from the group. Inside seconds, chants of “MVP! MVP!” rose all through the constructing … William Nylander was flying within the first and had three of eight Leafs pictures on aim, together with a breakaway within the ultimate minute … The Leafs scored three objectives within the second interval, and with a 4-0 lead, one couldn’t have anticipated extra going into the intermission … An influence-play aim by Matthews got here simply 11 seconds after Tampa took a second penalty to offer Toronto a 5-on-3. Keefe referred to as a timeout to get the highest unit organized and Matthews’ one-timer, off a move from Mitch Marner, labored to a T, because it often does … David Kampf left Victor Hedman grabbing at air when he burst previous and scored shorthanded on a breakaway at 9:27 of the second. Marner bought an help on the aim and took a success behind the Leafs web to get the puck out … You’re a member of the opposition and completely satisfied to taking part in at house in Toronto within the playoffs? Watch out what you want for. Lightning captain Steven Stamkos, clearly pumped within the morning about skating in his yard towards the Leafs, was jeered after fanning on an open web with the Leafs up 3-0 … Marner had Vasilevskiy guessing in all places however proper when he scored the fourth Toronto aim at 16:39 following a high quality heads-up move from Morgan Rielly … Marner was a power. Whether or not he was making refined performs with the puck, or not-so-subtle, Marner performed with a dominating vogue … Vasilevskiy misplayed the puck behind the web, giving Matthews an open search for the fifth Leafs aim. Whoops.
NOT SMART, CLIFFY
You must determine Keefe was disillusioned with Kyle Clifford’s dumb penalty at 6:59 of the primary — a five-minute main for boarding and a sport misconduct.
For no obvious motive, Clifford lined up Lightning ahead Ross Colton alongside the facet boards and crushed him from behind, resulting in a penalty evaluation and a fast finish to Clifford’s night time.
Maybe it’s one thing within the No. 43 — you don’t should be reminded of Nazem Kadri’s post-season shenanigans and suspensions — that brings out some stupidity in whoever is sporting it.
Some excellent penalty killing on the a part of the Leafs bought them by way of the most important. The Lightning bought next-to-nothing on the facility play, and the Leafs had a number of two-on-ones.
Clifford bought within the lineup for his physicality, and consequently, Jason Spezza was scratched. However that form of penalty isn’t one thing Keefe can danger once more.
“I’ve talked to them loads over the past variety of weeks about what it’s we’d like from them and what the expectations are,” Keefe mentioned within the morning about his determination to make use of each Clifford and Wayne Simmonds on the fourth line. “A part of what they create is the physicality and the presence, and the veteran expertise and the poise that they’ve.”
Clifford ought to know higher. And much more damning — the Leafs actually didn’t miss him for the remainder of the sport.
LOOSE LEAFS
Keefe acknowledged that informing 38-year-old Spezza that he could be scratched was troublesome. “It’s not straightforward,” Keefe mentioned. “You’ve bought a veteran man that wishes to win as dangerous or greater than anyone and he has given loads. He’s going to think about (the sequence in some unspecified time in the future), for positive.” … Tampa coach Jon Cooper nailed it throughout his morning availability. “This two-week interval of the primary spherical, I don’t know if it will get any higher in any sport,” Cooper mentioned. We couldn’t agree extra.
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