Author: mook557hotmailcom

TORONTO 4, COLUMBUS 3 (OT): What the Leafs said.

SHELDON KEEFE

Q. (Chris Johnston, Sportsnet): I’m just wondering what will you remember most about that comeback? 

SHELDON KEEFE: Just the resilience of our team and how it just put new life in our group. It was pretty remarkable to be a part of it.

Q. (Terry Koshan, Toronto Sun): For Sunday now, how do you get to a point where you don’t have to play like that in the last five minutes and maybe have some of that push much earlier in the game than in the final stages of the third? 

SHELDON KEEFE: I think we played a good game today. Obviously, we don’t that we got behind early. It’s a much more difficult team to play against when you’re behind than when you’re even or ahead, of course. They’ve clearly established that as part of their identity. It was a tough road for us today, but our guys played really hard. It wasn’t perfect, but our guys played really hard and it was nice to see them get rewarded.

Q. (Josh Clipperton, The Canadian Press): This core has taken its fair share of criticism. What did they show tonight?  

SHELDON KEEFE: Again, just resilience, just that they weren’t going to quit. Once we got one and got a little bit of life, they kept pushing. It was really nice and fitting the way that the goal was scored, the winning goal, Mitch to JT to Auston. But this was a group effort today. There was a lot of contributions. Look at the play of our fourth line today. They were outstanding. Jason Spezza just did not our season to end today and he played with that level of urgency. You see the fight, that’s just playoff hockey. That’s a guy who’s just not wanting to go down literally without a fight. It was great. It would have been so disappointing, of course, for it to end the way it was looking like it was going to. This is a funny game, a funny, funny game. I think there’s been times in this series where we haven’t been rewarded, perhaps, when we should have. A little bit of good fortune today as a result of some of our resilience. I thought we were pretty good in overtime and made good on our power play.

Q. (Luke Fox, Sportsnet): Can you describe what the mood was like in the dressing room during the second intermission and what the message to the guys was at that point? 

SHELDON KEEFE: The second intermission was actually pretty good. The first intermission, I think, was one that we kind of had to perk the guys up a little bit and get them going. First intermission I think just the way the period went, we didn’t get a whole lot and we were down, of course. The second intermission was actually really positive and felt good about the group. I don’t know that that necessarily materialized into anything productive on the ice necessarily and a credit to Columbus for how they played defensively. As I said, it’s crazy the way that it worked out. We’ve got new life here now. We were getting CPR there for a little bit and then we found our way back. Here we go. 

Q. (Mark Masters, TSN): Sheldon, how would you describe what it was like with four minutes left in regulation. Could you sense the push coming? Did you and the coaching staff have to do anything to prod it out? What was your view of that moment? 

SHELDON KEEFE: Columbus was doing a terrific job of really clogging things up in the neutral zone so we didn’t have a lot of life going. As coaches it’s our job to get the right people on the ice. Obviously, we had to pull the goaltender a lot earlier than you would normally want to. We just thought coming out of the TV timeout and the fact that we needed three goals and our best guys were fresh, it just made sense. We found a way to get one in. Suddenly you get the second one and now you’re in a game. It’s pretty remarkable, it’s been a pretty crazy 24 hours, obviously, from what we’ve been through here. What we’ve been through as coaches and players and staff and I’m sure fans, media, everything all the way around. It’s been a very interesting and unprecedented 24 hours. It’s on us to regroup and recover here and be ready to go for Sunday. 

Q. (Kevin McGran, Toronto Star): What’s going through your mind the way the game unfolds through the third period with them going up 3-0? What are you thinking in those moments? You’ve tried every line combination you could think of, it looked like. What are you thinking in those moments? 

SHELDON KEEFE: Once they got the third goal, obviously it’s pretty grim. You’re obviously in very tough. I was thinking about some of the great efforts that we’ve had here over the last number of days that I felt maybe we’re not going to be rewarded for it. I felt bad about that because I think we have had some individuals that have been really, really great through all of this. Then it turns, you get a bounce and it comes and all of a sudden you are rewarded for that and we’ve got new life as I’ve said. We’re really, really excited to play on Sunday. 

AUSTON MATTHEWS & JASON SPEZZA

Q. (Kristen Shilton, TSN): What’s the moment like for you when you see that goal go in after coming back from a 3-0 deficit? 

AUSTON MATTHEWS: I don’t really know what to really feel in the moment, to be honest. I think your mind just kind of goes blank and I think it’s a credit to every single guy on our team for just sticking with it, battling back and just not quitting down 3-0 with a couple minutes left. I think that’s a testament to each guy in this locker room and I think everybody should be extremely proud of each other. 

Q. (Terry Koshan, Toronto Sun): Jason, you’ve been around this game a hell of a long time. Do you remember anything like that last four minutes? Anything comparable that you’ve been through? 

JASON SPEZZA: No I’ve never been a part of anything like that. With the firepower we have with these guys, the way they can put the puck in the net, we’re never out of it and there’s a great sense of belief in our group and we stuck with it the whole way and got some big goals by some big players. 

Q. (Josh Clipperton, The Canadian Press): This core has taken a lot of criticism the last few years. What did you guys show tonight? 

AUSTON MATTHEWS: I think just resilience. I think you’re going to go through ups and downs here and I think we’ve definitely been through our share of ups and downs. I think that’s just kind of par for the course here. I think you just try to stick with it, focus on what we can control and focus on what we have in the locker and stick together and play as a team. 

Q. (Luke Fox, Sportsnet): Jason, you don’t have very many fights in your career. What were your emotions coming into this game and what made you drop the gloves tonight? 

JASON SPEZZA: Just trying to spark the guys. I think just trying to show some desperation and have some push back. Sometimes without the crowd you don’t have that so just trying to create some emotion and play the role that I’m in and just try to get everyone going. You’re just trying to do what you can do at this time of year.

ZACH HYMAN

Q. (Josh Clipperton, The Canadian Press): That moment on the tying goal, I think everybody in the building probably thought Auston was going to shoot it. Can you just take us through it? 

ZACH HYMAN: Yeah, I rolled up the wall, I saw Auston in the middle and then it hit him. I thought he was going to shoot it too and then he came back to me and got it off my skate and just tried to throw it to the net. JT had a great screen and it went in. It was crazy. 

Q. (Justin Cuthbert, Yahoo Sports): I’m curious what the mindset was for you and I guess you can only speak for yourself, but the entire team when it was so late and you guys were down 3-0. Were the negative thoughts, the thoughts about what happens next with you guys and bubble life and so on and so forth, did any of that creep in and how were you able to keep everything in check when it was down to the last few minutes there? 

ZACH HYMAN: I think it’s natural that those thoughts start to creep in when they score the third goal but you just put your foot on the gas, keep going, it’s not over until the time runs out. Once you get that first one you’re only down two and then we got the second one pretty quick after that. The belief starts to grow. It grows, it grows and then you give yourself a chance. You keep putting pucks on the net and then we tied it up with 20 seconds there. Then Matts got the OT winner and we’ve got life. I think it’s an exhilarating win. We’ve got to temper our emotions and get back at it for game five. 

MAPLE LEAFS 4, BLUE JACKETS 3 (OT): Game 4, postgame notes.

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (2-2) vs.

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS (2-2)

FRIDAY, AUGUST 7, 2020

 123OTFINAL
TORONTO00314
COLUMBUS11103

GAME SUMMARY         |           EVENT SUMMARY        |           FACEOFF SUMMARY


ON THE SCORESHEET

  • Auston Matthews registered the primary assist on Tavares’ third period goal and later had the primary assist on Hyman’s third period goal before scoring the overtime-winning goal on the power play at 13:10 of the extra frame. His three points in tonight’s game are a single-game high in the playoffs. The goal is his third career game-winner in the playoffs and first overtime winner in the playoffs. Matthews has assists (4) and points (2-4-6) in three consecutive games to lead the Maple Leafs in playoff scoring. He has 19 points (12 goals, 7 assists) in 24 career playoff games.
  • William Nylander put the Maple Leafs on the board at 16:03 of the third period and later had the secondary assist on Zach Hyman’s third period goal. Nylander has goals (2) in two consecutive games and points (2-2-4) in three consecutive games. He has 15 points (5 goals, 10 assists) in 24 career playoff games.
  • John Tavares scored Toronto’s second goal of the game at 16:54 of the third period and later registered the primary assist on Matthews’ overtime goal. Tonight’s game is his eighth career multi-point performance in the playoffs. Tavares has two goals and one assist in four games this series. He has 29 points (15 goals, 14 assists) in 35 career postseason games.
  • Zach Hyman scored the third Maple Leafs goal of the night at 19:37 of the third period. Hyman’s goal is his first of the postseason. He has two points (1-1-2) in four games this postseason. He has 11 points (3-8-11) in 24 career playoff games.
  • Mitch Marner had the secondary assist on Tavares’ third period goal and later had the secondary assist on Matthews’ overtime goal. Marner has assists (3) in two consecutive games. Tonight’s game is his sixth multi-point performance in the playoffs. He has 19 points (5 goals, 14 assists) in 24 career playoff games.
  • Frederik Andersen stopped 36 shots to earn the victory.

SHOTS ON GOAL (5-on-5 in brackets)

 1st2nd3rdOTTOTAL
TORONTO15 (12)16 (11)8 (4)14 (13)53 (40)
COLUMBUS13 (13)13 (6)6 (5)7 (7)39 (31

SHOT ATTEMPTS (5-on-5 in brackets)

 1st2nd3rdOTTOTAL
TORONTO21 (18)27 (21)15 (9)20 (19)83 (67)
COLUMBUS21 (21)17 (9)15 (9)21 (21)74 (60)

OF NOTE…

  • The Maple Leafs went 3-for-3 on the penalty kill and 1-for-4 on the power play tonight.
  • Per NHL Stats, The Maple Leafs are the third team in NHL history to win a postseason game after overcoming a three-goal deficit in the final four minutes of regulation. Toronto joins Edmonton in Game 3 of the 1997 Conference Quarter-Final and Anaheim in Game 5 of the 2017 second round.
  • Toronto recorded 53 shots on goal tonight, which is the fifth highest shot total by the Maple Leafs in franchise playoff history.
  • Martin Marincin was the lone Maple Leaf to not start a 5-on-5 shift in the offensive zone.
  • Morgan Rielly was on the ice for a team-high 36 Toronto shot attempts-for at 5-on-5. He finished the game with a 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 61.0 percent (36 for, 23 against). 
  • John Tavares won 64 percent (7 won, 4 lost) of his faceoffs against Columbus centre Boone Jenner. 

MAPLE LEAFS LEADERS

Shots10 (Matthews)
Shot Attempts12 (Marner)
Faceoff Wins12 (Tavares)
Faceoff Win Percentage75% (Nylander – 6 won, 2 lost)
Hits3 (Spezza, Tavares)
Blocked Shots3 (Dermott, Matthews)
Takeaways1 (Six players tied)
TOI33:51 (Rielly)
Power Play TOI4:42 (Matthews, Tavares)
Shorthanded TOI3:54 (Marincin)
Shifts35 (Rielly)
5-on-5 Shot Attempt Percentage76.0% (Clifford – 19 for, 6 against)
  

UPCOMING GAMES:

  • Sunday, August 9, TBD, Columbus at Toronto (TBD)

Stats reflect official NHL stats at the time of distribution. Please consult official NHL game sheets (links above) to confirm no statistical changes were made.

MAPLE LEAFS-BLUE JACKETS GAME 4: Pregame Notes

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (1-2) vs.

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS (2-1)

AUGUST 7, 2020 ▪ 8:00 PM EST

SCOTIABANK ARENA (TORONTO, ON) ▪
TV: SPORTSNET ▪ RADIO: TSN 1050

MAPLE LEAFS HISTORY versus COLUMBUS


ALL-TIME RECORD: 14-11-1-4
ALL-TIME at HOME: 6-6-1-3

ALL-TIME PLAYOFF SERIES RECORD: 0-0

ALL-TIME PLAYOFF RECORD: 1-2
2019-20: 1-0-1

THE SERIES SO FAR

GAME THREE – AUGUST 6, 2020: Columbus 4 vs. Toronto 3

GAME SUMMARY        |           EVENT SUMMARY       |           FACEOFF SUMMARY

Toronto Goals: Ceci, Nylander, Robertson

Columbus Goals: Dubois (3), Jones

TOR PP: 1/2; CBJ PP: 0/3

Shots: 43-36 Columbus; Hits: 27-19 Columbus; Faceoff %: 51% Toronto

GAME TWO – AUGUST 4, 2020: Toronto 3 vs. Columbus 0

GAME SUMMARY        |           EVENT SUMMARY       |           FACEOFF SUMMARY

Toronto Goals: Matthews, Tavares, Rielly

Columbus Goals: N/A

TOR PP: 0/5; CBJ PP: 0/4

Shots: 39-20 Toronto; Hits: 28-18 Columbus; Faceoff %: 53% Columbus

GAME ONE – AUGUST 2, 2020: Columbus 2 vs. Toronto 0

GAME SUMMARY        |           EVENT SUMMARY       |           FACEOFF SUMMARY

Toronto Goals: N/A

Columbus Goals: Atkinson, Wennberg

TOR PP: 0/1; CBJ PP: 0/2

Shots: 35-28 Columbus; Hits: 37-26 Columbus; Faceoff %: 58% Toronto

MAPLE LEAFS SERIES LEADERS

CATEGORYLEADERCATEGORYLEADER
GOALS1 (Six players tied)BLOCKED SHOTS9 (Holl)
ASSISTS3 (Kerfoot)TAKEAWAYS6 (Matthews)
POINTS3 (Kerfoot, Matthews)HITS8 (Hyman)
SHOTS13 (Tavares)TOI PER GAME26:29 (Rielly)
FACEOFF WIN%63.6% (Tavares)PP TOI PER GAME3:46 (Matthews)
5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPT %66.6% (Marincin)SH TOI PER GAME3:19 (Holl)

MAPLE LEAFS CAREER LEADERS versus COLUMBUS

GAMES: John Tavares (27), Jason Spezza (22), Kyle Clifford (20), Morgan Rielly (20)
POINTS: John Tavares (33), Mitch Marner (12), Jason Spezza (12)

GOALS: John Tavares (14), Mitch Marner (5), Jason Spezza (4)

ASSISTS: John Tavares (19), Morgan Rielly (9), Tyson Barrie (9)

PENALTY MINUTES: Kyle Clifford (23), John Tavares (16), Jake Muzzin (14)

BLUE JACKETS CAREER LEADERS versus TORONTO

GAMES: Nick Foligno (46), Brandon Dubinsky (32), Gustav Nyquist (27)

POINTS: Brandon Dubinsky (23), Nick Foligno (22), Gustav Nyquist (20)

GOALS: Gustav Nyquist (11), Nick Foligno (10), Brandon Dubinsky (7)

ASSISTS: Brandon Dubinsky (16), Nick Foligno (12), Seth Jones (9), Gustav Nyquist (9)

PENALTY MINUTES: Nick Foligno (38), Brandon Dubinsky (26), Nathan Gerbe (16)

MAPLE LEAFS ACTIVE PLAYOFF LEADERS

GAMES: Jason Spezza (83), Jake Muzzin (59), Kyle Clifford (58)

POINTS: Jason Spezza (70), John Tavares (28), Jake Muzzin (22)
GOALS: Jason Spezza (25), John Tavares (14), Auston Matthews (11)

ASSISTS: Jason Spezza (45), Jake Muzzin (15), John Tavares (14)
PENALTY MINUTES: Kyle Clifford (62), Jason Spezza (30), Jake Muzzin (22)

2019-20 SEASON SERIES

October 4, 2019: Toronto 4 vs. Columbus 1

GAME SUMMARY         |           EVENT SUMMARY        |           FACEOFF SUMMARY

Toronto Goals: Marner (2), Ceci, Matthews

Columbus Goals: Atkinson

October 21, 2019: Columbus 4 vs. Toronto 3 OT

GAME SUMMARY         |           EVENT SUMMARY        |           FACEOFF SUMMARY

Toronto Goals: Kapanen, Matthews, Nylander

Boston Goals: Nash, Dubois, Wennberg, Nyquist

MAPLE LEAFS SNAPSHOTS

Postseason Appearances– The 2020 postseason marks the Maple Leafs’ 69th appearance in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Series History– The Maple Leafs have played a total of 114 series in their previous 68 playoff appearances, winning 58 of them.
Playoff Record– Toronto has a record of 263-287-4 in 554 franchise playoff games.
Best of Five– The Toronto franchise (Arenas, St. Pats, Maple Leafs) has played in 15 best-of-five series in its history and have a 7-8 record in that span
Toronto vs. Columbus– This is the first time the Maple Leafs and Blue Jackets have met in a postseason series.
Postseason Experience– Frederik Andersen, Kasperi Kapanen, Zach Hyman, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and Morgan Rielly have appeared in all 23 postseason games contested by the Maple Leafs since the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs, per NHL Stats.
In the Atlantic– Toronto finished third in the Atlantic Division and 13th in the NHL standings with a record of 36-25-9 (.569 points percentage).
Team Discipline– The Maple Leafs took the sixth-fewest penalties in the NHL (219) and averaged the third-fewest penalty minutes per game (6.7). 
Faceoffs– The Maple Leafs finished third among NHL teams in faceoff win percentage (52.5%) and tied for second among NHL teams in offensive zone faceoff win percentage (54.0%).
Goals by Strength– The Maple Leafs were third in the NHL in goals scored at 5-on-5 (159).
Power Play– The Maple Leafs have the third fewest power play opportunities (195) among NHL teams that have scored at least 40 power play goals (45).
Penalty Kill– Toronto was shorthanded 193 times this season, which was the eighth-fewest times shorthanded in the NHL.
Scoring First– Toronto had a .774 win percentage when scoring first, which tied for the third highest in the NHL.

MAPLE LEAFS NOTABLES

Frederik Andersen– Stopped 39 of the 43 shots he faced in game three of the series. – Since joining the Maple Leafs in 2016-17, Andersen is 9-12 in 22 Stanley Cup Playoffs appearances. He is tied for eighth among Maple Leafs goalies in all-time playoff wins.
Tyson Barrie– Averaging 20:37 in ice time and 15.43 shot attempts per 60 minutes of ice time through three games in the series.- Has appeared in 24 career playoff games and recorded 14 points (one goal, 13 assists).
Jack Campbell– Could make his Stanley Cup playoff debut this postseason.- Had a 3-2-1 record with a .915 save percentage and a 2.63 goals-against average after being acquired by the Maple Leafs.- Has made two career appearances against the Blue Jackets and is 1-0-1 with a 1.99 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage.
Cody Ceci– Scored a shorthanded goal on August 6 vs. Columbus to become the first Maple Leaf defenceman to score a shorthanded goal in the playoffs since Jim McKenny on April 9, 1972 vs. Boston- Has skated in 28 career playoff games, recording a goal and three assists.
Kyle Clifford– Has appeared in 58 career playoff games and is a two-time Stanley Cup Champion (2012, 2014) with the Los Angeles Kings.
Travis Dermott– Played a playoff career-high 24:58 in ice time on August 6 vs. Columbus.- Has two goals and three assists in 17 career playoff games.
Justin Holl– Leads the Maple Leafs in shorthanded ice time per game (3:19) in the series thus far. – Made his Stanley Cup playoff debut on August 2 vs. Columbus. 
Zach Hyman– Ranks second among Toronto forwards in even-strength time on ice per game (18:20).- Has appeared in 23 career playoff games and recorded 10 points (3-7-10).
  
Kasperi Kapanen– Had his first multi-assist playoff game on August 6 vs. Columbus.- Has drawn a team-high three penalties through two games of the series.- Has appeared in 22 career playoff games and recorded five points (4-1-5).
Alex Kerfoot– Had his first career multi-point and multi-assist playoff game on August 6 vs. Columbus.- Leads Maple Leaf forwards in blocked shots with six through three games.- Has appeared in 22 career playoff games and recorded seven points (2-5-7).
Mitch Marner– Registered his first point of the postseason with an assist in game three of the series.- Has a 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 61.6 percent through three games, which leads Toronto forwards.- Has appeared in 23 career playoff games and recorded 18 career points (5-13-18).
Auston Matthews– Ranks third among NHL forwards in ice time per game (23:22) through two games of the series.- Has skated in 23 career playoff games and recorded 11 goals and five assists.- Per NHL Stats, Matthews’ 11 career playoff goals (20 GP) are tied for the second-most among Maple Leafs before age 23. He trails Ted Kennedy (20 G in 38 GP) and is tied with Wendel Clark (11 G in 23 GP).
William Nylander– Registered his first goal of the postseason on August 6 vs. Columbus.- Averaging 21:06 per game in ice time through three games.- Has recorded four goals goals and nine assists in 23 career playoff games.
Jason Spezza– Leads the Maple Leafs in career playoff games (83), goals (25), assists (45) and points (70).
John Tavares– Ranks second among NHL skaters in faceoff wins (42) through three games.- Leads the Maple Leafs in shots on goal (13) through two games. – Has skated in 33 career playoff games and recorded 28 points (14 goals, 14 assists).
  

INJURY REPORT

Andreas Johnsson (Knee)On injured reserve.
Jake MuzzinLeft Toronto’s game on August 4 and has been ruled out for the remainder of the series.

MAPLE LEAFS – BLUE JACKETS FINAL 2019-20 TEAM STATS

 TORONTOCOLUMBUS
GOALS FOR (Rank):237 (2nd)180 (t-28th)
GOALS AGAINST (Rank):     222 (25th)183 (t-3rd)
POWER PLAY [%] (Rank):45/195 [23.8%] (6th)31/189 [16.4%] (27th)
PENALTY KILL [%] (Rank):150/193 [77.7%] (21st)138/169 [81.7%] (12th)
SHOTS (Rank):2302 (4th)2272 (6th)
5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPTS FOR (Rank):3466 (3rd)3133 (14th)
5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPT % (Rank):52.0% (6th)49.2% (19th)
FACEOFF % (Rank):52.5% (3rd)48.5% (26th)

MAPLE LEAFS 2019-20 LEADERS

CATEGORYLEADER
GOALS47 (Matthews)
ASSISTS51 (Marner)
POINTS80 (Matthews)
POWER PLAY POINTS25 (Matthews)
SHORTHANDED POINTS2 (Engvall, Kapanen)
PIMs43 (Holl)
SHOTS290 (Matthews)
FACEOFF WIN%55.3% (Tavares)
5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPT %54.6% (Nylander)
BLOCKED SHOTS110 (Muzzin)
TAKEAWAYS78 (Matthews)
HITS109 (Muzzin)
TOI PER GAME24:12 (Rielly)
PP TOI PER GAME3:13 (Marner)
SH TOI PER GAME2:50 (Ceci)

Without LeBron James, Lakers fizzle against Rockets — Daily News

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — There might come a time when Rockets-Lakers is a playoff series, pitting some of the NBA’s most vibrant stars and two extremely divergent basketball philosophies at odds. Thursday’s game between those teams offered very little insight into what that matchup might look like. Without LeBron James or any discernible sense…

Without LeBron James, Lakers fizzle against Rockets — Daily News

COLUMBUS 4, TORONTO 3 (OT): What the Leafs said.

SHELDON KEEFE

Q. (Chris Johnston, Sportsnet): I’m wondering where you felt that game got away from you guys once you built the lead? 

SHELDON KEEFE: I feel like the game got away from us right from the start. I didn’t like our game in the first period, I didn’t like our game at 1-0, I didn’t like our game at 2-0 and 3-0. We just got what we deserved today. I thought we reverted back to a lot of really bad habits. We didn’t have any real purpose or plan to our game today, we were just making it up as we go along. We get what we deserve. 

Q. (Josh Clipperton, The Canadian Press): How do you explain that after such a great performance in game two? 

SHELDON KEEFE: Tough to explain. That’s part of the deal. It’s why it’s a playoff series and every day is a new day, just like it was after game one, just like it was after game two and just like it is here. We’ve got to put this behind us and get ready to come back tomorrow. 

Q. (Mark Masters, TSN): What are you going to learn about your group over the next 24 hours? What’s it going to take to bounce back from this? 

SHELDON KEEFE: We’re going to learn a great deal, but I think we’ve already learned this. We’ve been through adventures like this with this team before. We’ve always come back with a great performance. Tomorrow will be no different. 

Q. (Justin Cuthbert, Yahoo Sports): Some increased responsibility for Travis Dermott tonight, wondering how you thought he fared in that role? 

SHELDON KEEFE: I thought that as a team we didn’t help our defence as a group and as a group our defence didn’t help themselves. 

Q. (Jonas Siegel, The Athletic): What message will you leave to the group heading into game four on Friday night? 

SHELDON KEEFE: I’ve already talked to the team here today and really just reiterate the things we were talking about the entire game that we weren’t playing with any real plan or purpose and it caught up with us. It’s over now. We’ve got to regroup here, this is what playoff hockey is all about. The emotions, the swings of momentum, it’s the best part of playoffs here, so a chance to regroup and come back at it tomorrow and be a better version of ourselves than we were today is an exciting part for me. We’ll get to work on that. 

MORGAN RIELLY & JOHN TAVARES

Q. (Chris Johnston, Sportsnet): I’m just wondering where you think that game started to get away from you guys when you were up 3-0? 

JOHN TAVARES: When they got that goal it just seemed to give them some life and we just didn’t do a lot of the things we did consistently previously in game two, especially wearing them out in their zone. Obviously, they got some life and some jump and started creating some transition opportunities, putting a lot of pucks towards the net. Obviously, when you get a 3-0 lead we have to find a way to close that one out. It is what it is, we have to push forward now and understand what’s in front of us and regroup and have a big one tomorrow. 

Q. (Josh Clipperton, The Canadian Press): Having to come back in less than 21 hours, John, how do you guys bounce back? Is it almost a good thing to have not a lot of time to think about this? 

JOHN TAVARES: It is what it is. Whatever the circumstances are, obviously we understand what’s facing us. We’ve got to regroup and understand the way we’ve got to play and how desperate we’ve got to be. A lot of belief in our group and obviously it’s tomorrow. We’ve got to do the best we can. Recover, fuel up and give everything we’ve got tomorrow. 

Q. (Mark Masters, TSN): Morgan, how do you feel the team handled the absence of Jake Muzzin tonight? 

MORGAN RIELLY: I thought we did a decent job. Obviously, he’s a big part of our team and like I talked about in previous days you can’t really replace him, you can have guys take on more responsibility. I thought we had guys that did that. I thought the penalty kill was pretty good. Obviously, we miss him still but I think it’s important that tomorrow we have guys rise to the occasion more and then game five as well. 

MITCH MARNER & NICK ROBERTSON

Q. (Josh Clipperton, The Canadian Press): You guys were up 3-0 midway through the second period, how do you explain what happened next? 

MITCH MARNER: I think we had that great penalty kill. I think guys really showed urgency to get in lanes and block shots, a couple of bounces here and there. It went to one of their guys to hit one of their guys back door. I think from that moment on we’ve just got to keep cool, keep going. To start the third, we had a power play there for a minute and a bit, we didn’t generate anything, we gave them all the credit there. That’s something we’ve got to change, we’ve got to get way better at. 

Q. (Kevin McGran, Toronto Star): Nick, not the result you wanted tonight but you scored tonight, a pretty good goal, a lot of people are very happy for you. How did it feel to score your first NHL goal and do you know what you’re going to do with the puck? 

NICK ROBERTSON: [Kasperi Kapanen] made a nice play, turned up at the end of his shift and I just tried to get a shot off. Luckily it went in. Obviously, I was excited, but I’ve got to put that excitement away and we’ve got to finish the period there. Didn’t get the result we wanted so hopefully we can be excited afer tomorrow’s game. 

Q. (Chris Johnston, Sportsnet): Given how quickly it is until game four, what sort of things are you saying to each other? What’s the message to move past this? 

MITCH MARNER: Just erase it. We’re a team that’s been bouncing back all year from things that didn’t go our way. We’ve always showed up the next game and played our hearts out. We’ve got to refocus, get ready. It’s quick turnaround. We know that they’re going to want to finish this out. We’ve got to make sure we’re playing smart, playing above. We got away from that tonight and let them get too many odd-man rushes, too flowy for them. It’s something we’ve got to clean up. 

Q. (Mark Masters, TSN): Mitch, obviously the quick turnaround from a gut-wrenching loss. How do you describe the mental toughness of the team? You guys have been through a lot in the last few years’ playoffs, the scars you’ve picked up. How would you describe the mental toughness of the group? 

MITCH MARNER: Like I just said, we’ve shown our resilience when we’ve had tough losses or haven’t played the way we’ve wanted to. Again tonight, we really let those guys have their way on rushes. Too many 3-on-2s, 4-on-2s, Freddie came up big for us many times. I think our forwards and D, we’ve got to talk more and cover each other better and stay above. That’s what that team does. They kill you on your turnovers, we gave them too many tonight and they didn’t miss on their opportunities when they had them.

BLUE JACKETS 4, MAPLE LEAFS 3 (OT): Postgame notes

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (1-2) vs.

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS (2-1)

THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2020

 123OTFINAL
TORONTO12003
COLUMBUS01214

GAME SUMMARY         |           EVENT SUMMARY        |           FACEOFF SUMMARY

  • Cody Ceci opened the scoring for the Maple Leafs with a shorthanded goal at 18:52 of the first period. Ceci’s goal is his first career playoff goal and first point of the 2020 postseason. He had a goal and seven assists in 56 games this season. He has four points (1-3-4) in 28 career playoff games. Ceci’s first period goal is his first NHL goal to come while shorthanded in regular season or postseason play. He is the first Maple Leaf defenceman to score a shorthanded goal in the playoffs since Jim McKenny on April 9, 1972 vs. Boston.
  • William Nylander scored the second Toronto goal of the night at 7:08 of the second period on the power play. Nylander’s goal is his first goal of the playoffs. He has points (1-1-2) in two consecutive games. In 23 career playoff games, he has recorded 13 points (3-10-13).
  • Nick Robertson scored the third Maple Leafs goal of the game at 8:48 of the second period. Robertson’s goal is his first in NHL competition. At 18 years, 330 days old, he is the third Maple Leaf in franchise history to score a playoff goal before the age of 19, joining Jack Hamilton and Ted Kennedy, per NHL Stats. He is the first NHLer to score a playoff goal before turning 19 since Sam Bennett with Calgary in 2015. He led the Ontario Hockey League and Canadian Hockey League in goal-scoring with this season with 55 goals in 46 games.
  • Alex Kerfoot registered the primary assist on Ceci’s first period goal and later added the secondary assist on Robertson’s second period goal. Kerfoot has assists (0-3-3) in two consecutive games. Tonight’s game is his first career multi-point and multi-assist playoff game. He has eight points (2-6-8) in 22 career postseason games.
  • Kasperi Kapanen collected the secondary assist on Ceci’s first period goal and later had the primary assist on Robertson’s second period goal. Kapanen’s first period assist was his first point of the 2020 playoffs. Tonight’s game is his third career multi-point and first career multi-assist playoff game. He had 13 goals and 23 assists in 69 games during the 2019-20 regular season. He has seven points (four goals, three assists) in 23 career playoff games.
  • Mitch Marner recorded the primary assist on Nylander’s second period goal. Marner’s assist is his first point of the 2020 postseason. He had 16 goals and 51 assists in 59 games during the 2019-20 season. In 23 career playoff games, he has recorded 17 points (5-12-17).
  • Auston Matthews picked up the secondary assist on Nylander’s second period goal. Matthews has points (1-2-3) in two consecutive games. He has 16 points (11-5-16) in 23 career playoff games.
  • Frederik Andersen stopped 40 shots in the loss.

SHOTS ON GOAL (5-on-5 in brackets)

 1st2nd3rdOTTOTAL
TORONTO9 (7)8 (7)10 (10)9 (9)36 (33)
COLUMBUS6 (6)10 (8)14 (14)14 (14)44 (42)

SHOT ATTEMPTS (5-on-5 in brackets)

 1st2nd3rdOTTOTAL
TORONTO28 (26)15 (12)17 (17)18 (18)78 (73)
COLUMBUS20 (19)23 (16)21 (21)18 (18)82 (74)

OF NOTE…

  • The Maple Leafs went 3-for-3 on the penalty kill and 1-for-2 on the power play tonight.
  • The Maple Leafs are 58-57-1 all-time in playoff overtimes.
  • Justin Holl was on the ice for a team-high 30 Toronto shot attempts-for at 5-on-5. He finished the game with a 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 47.6 percent (30 for, 33 against). 
  • Martin Marincin played in his first game of the series.
  • John Tavares won 83 percent (10 won, 2 lost) of his defensive zone faceoffs and was 11-for-16 (69%) in the faceoff circle against Columbus centre Pierre-Luc Dubois. 

MAPLE LEAFS LEADERS

Shots4 (Hyman, Nylander, Rielly)
Shot Attempts7 (Mikheyev)
Faceoff Wins16 (Tavares)
Faceoff Win Percentage100% (Spezza – 2 won, 0 lost)
Hits4 (Hyman, Marincin)
Blocked Shots5 (Holl)
Takeaways2 (Matthews, Tavares)
TOI32:26 (Rielly)
Power Play TOI2:10 (Nylander)
Shorthanded TOI3:17 (Marincin)
Shifts36 (Rielly)
5-on-5 Shot Attempt Percentage73.3% (Spezza – 11 for, 4 against)
  

UPCOMING GAMES:

  • Friday, August 7, 8 p.m., Toronto at Columbus (Sportsnet, NBCSN, TVA)
  • Sunday, August 9, TBD, Columbus at Toronto (TBD)*
    *If Necessary

Stats reflect official NHL stats at the time of distribution. Please consult official NHL game sheets (links above) to confirm no statistical changes were made.

F

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Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks officially will enter the NBA Playoffs as the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed. And while the Bucks certainly will have a plethora of teams — Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers — gunning for them, Antetokounmpo believes only one team could get in their…

Giannis Antetokounmpo Notes Bucks’ Biggest Threat In Eastern Conference — NESN.com

TRAIKOS: Blue Jackets’ Dubois a one-man wrecking ball versus Leafs — Toronto Sun

It was during Game 2 against the Toronto Maple Leafs when cameras caught Columbus Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella ignoring social distancing rules as he got in the face of Pierre-Luc Dubois and screamed at him for what seemed like an eternity. Read More

TRAIKOS: Blue Jackets’ Dubois a one-man wrecking ball versus Leafs — Toronto Sun

Raptors’ Gasol: ‘It doesn’t take a genius to know we have a lot of pieces’ — Toronto Sun

Friday’s game between Toronto Boston seemed like it would be a bit more meaningful when the NBA first announced its bubble restart schedule. Read More

Raptors’ Gasol: ‘It doesn’t take a genius to know we have a lot of pieces’ — Toronto Sun

The Raptors’ Title Defense starts on… Defense — The Playgrounder

https://video.wordpress.com/embed/Ds40Els6?preloadContent=metadata&hd=1

By Andrew Lawlor After charming the hearts of NBA fans everywhere (except in the Bay Area) with their championship run, the Toronto Raptors lost Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green in the offseason. They were expected to take a step back. So far, they haven’t: after winning their first two games since the restart, the Raptors […]

The Raptors’ Title Defense starts on… Defense — The Playgrounder

Sixers: Ben Simmons’ injury obviously hurts the Sixers—but his timetable determines everything — Full Scale Philly

Yesterday, Sixers fans saw Ben Simmons leave the win over the Wizards early in the fourth quarter with a limp in his left leg. While early indications were encouraging, today’s MRI revealed a dislocated knee cap. Ben Simmons suffered a subluxation of the left knee cap, Sixers say. He’s considering treatment options and currently out. […]

Sixers: Ben Simmons’ injury obviously hurts the Sixers—but his timetable determines everything — Full Scale Philly

LeBron James says Lakers have off-court issues, out vs. Rockets (groin) — ProBasketballTalk | NBC Sports

The Lakers’ offense has stumbled so far in the bubble.

LeBron James says Lakers have off-court issues, out vs. Rockets (groin) — ProBasketballTalk | NBC Sports

The Lakers’ offense has stumbled so far in the bubble.

Joe Vardon of The Athletic:

LeBron gave a weird answer about this. He agreed that he and the Lakers were looking for a rhythm on offense. And then he said: “It’s just some things that you can’t control that’s here, that I really don’t want to talk about, that’s off the floor.”

Mike Trudell of the Lakers:

LeBron James (sore right groin) is out tonight against Houston. Alex Caruso (left neck muscle spasms) is questionable.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) August 6, 2020

Four Lakers are listed as probable tonight: Anthony Davis (sprained right ankle); Markieff Morris (left hip contusion); Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (right ribs contusion); Dwight Howard (sore right knee).

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) August 6, 2020

Was LeBron referring to his groin injury? I wouldn’t call that an off-court issue, but maybe he would.

LeBron knows how to work the media. This subtle comment will draw attention and sets up LeBron to look better if he leads the Lakers through this mysterious issue.

Without more context, it’s easy for imaginations to wander – especially about a team with Dwight Howard, Dion Waiters and J.R. Smith. The Lakers could be facing a major hurdle. Or a minor nuisance. Who knows? But the unknown is scary.

It’ll be difficult to detect the Lakers’ progress during remaining seeding games. The Lakers have already clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, and without a home-court advantage in the NBA Finals, there’s no reason to chase the NBA’s best overall record. That’s why LeBron missing tonight’s game against the Rockets could be mostly precautionary.Tags: Dion Waiters, Dwight Howard, J.R. SmithLeave a comment