Category: Maple Leafs

COLUMBUS 3, TORONTO 0 GAME 5: What the Leafs said.

SHELDON KEEFE

Q. (Lance Hornby, Toronto Sun): Sheldon, the reasoning behind your lineup changes tonight and do you feel you got everything from your lineup over the course of this series? 

SHELDON KEEFE: I suspect you’re just asking about Johnsson coming in. That was an easy one for me simply because he felt ready and obviously with what’s stake here today, we wanted to have him a part of it. He’s an important player for us and he’s worked really hard to be ready to play. If he didn’t play today he likely would have played had we won and played game one of the next series so we figured we would use him today. In terms of what we got from our group, I think we had good performances from some people and we had a group of others that I didn’t think performed at their best. That’s pretty typical, it’s pretty rare you’d have everybody going. I thought we had enough out of the people that were important, obviously with the exception of the puck going over the line.

Q. (Chris Johnston, Sportsnet): Can you take us through your rationale or what you were you thinking as you kept Matthews, Marner and Tavares together a lot of the game and just balancing wanting to have it all on one line or balancing the lineup? Those kind of decisions?

SHELDON KEEFE: Well, we’ve found it difficult through this series to generate offence and get chances and I thought that our best opportunity to do so would be to have those guys playing together. Also that I liked Will in the middle when we made the change in game four and the fact that really, in games three and four in particular, our second line was getting outplayed pretty badly. All those things combined, I wanted to go with that today. Made the change to go back in the third period to it just to try see if we could tax their defence a little bit more and have some benefit there, but that didn’t seem to work either, so we went back to it.

Q. (Justin Cuthbert, Yahoo Sports): We’ve heard a lot from the players that they knew what to expect from Columbus in this series. After these losses and the reasons why, they’ve pointed out that they knew what Columbus was good at. Over the five game sample, I’m wondering what from Columbus did surprise you in this series? 

SHELDON KEEFE: I would say that probably, and it’s not necessarily in this series, as we really broke down the video in preparing for the series and then watching them in the exhibition game, for myself that was the first time seeing them live, I had never coached against them. The biggest surprise for me I guess would just be their skill level throughout their lineup. There’s a lot of focus on their defence, Jones and Werenski, but they’ve got a really high skill level at forward. Obviously, Dubois is the game breaker for them, but a real high skill level and it doesn’t necessarily show up on the scoresheet for them all the time, but they’re really good in possession. They hold onto the puck, they can make a play, they put it to good spots, they play with good intelligence. Their forwards are really, really good in those areas of the game. And then obviously just seeing first-hand the fact that Werenski and Jones are as good a D pair as there is in the NHL.

Q. (Kevin McGran, Toronto Star): I know this isn’t really your department, more Kyle’s, but how close an eye will you be keeping on the Draft Lottery Phase 2 tomorrow night where you guys have as good a chance as anybody to landing that pick and, with that, perhaps change your mood right now if you got a game-changer like that? 

SHELDON KEEFE: I’m obviously not focused on it one bit, but it’s the next thing on the calendar for us so I’ll be paying attention to it, but I’ll be thinking about this one for quite a while.

Q. (Mark Masters, TSN): Obviously it’s raw right now, but what do you think this young core can take from this experience in this series? What do you want them to learn from it? 

SHELDON KEEFE: Yeah, Mark, it is raw. I think that for any type of question like that I’m sure there’s going to be ample time for me to answer that and probably give you a better answer. A more in-depth and insightful one. Right now, obviously I’m focused on tonight’s game and the disappointment of not getting this done and the series. Happy to answer any questions on that but anything beyond I think we’ll hold that for the next time I see you guys.

Q. (Jonas Siegel, The Athletic): What do you want your group to take from a season like this? Lessons moving forward. 

SHELDON KEEFE: Same thing, Jonas. I’m sure there’s going to be ample time and I’ll answer every question everybody has. I know this whole experience has been difficult on everybody, but the media in particular with being able to get their questions answered and stuff. I’ll make sure that the next time we’re together I can answer all of those questions for where we go from here. Right now, obviously, my focus is on our disappointment of not being able to get this done and hats off to Columbus for the effort they put forth in this series. It’s a good team that doesn’t give you much, they stay absolutely fully committed into what they are as a group. 

If I reflect on the series for myself, I think there was lots of positives in the series, there was lots of things that we would like to have done better, lots of things I would have liked to have done better. We really challenged our team coming into this to be better defensively, give ourselves a chance and not beat ourselves. I think when I look at two of our three losses, here tonight and in game one, I think we did a really good job of that and playing a patient game, not beating ourselves, not giving up much. The different in games one and five, obviously are three what I would call somewhat lucky goals and we didn’t get quite the same level of luck around the net. Columbus defended extremely well and didn’t give us a great deal, but we had enough chances to score more goals than we did with the two shutouts that we had. A little more luck and it might have been a different result. I’m not sure where it’s going to finish up, but we ended up shooting at about two percent at 5-on-5. For a team like ours to score on two percent of its chances, I think everybody coming into the series would say it’s pretty unlikely. That’s the way that it went.

Q. (Vipal Monga, Wall Street Journal): What sort of a coaching challenge was the five-game format after such a long layoff? 

SHELDON KEEFE: I’m not sure the five-game format necessarily was the greatest challenge. Five or seven, obviously every game becomes more important and a little more urgency. Once you lose game one, you’re on alert that much quicker than you would be in a game during a seven game series. But I think the greatest challenge, of course, is just being off for so long and then coming together and having a two week training camp and then pretty much getting right into it. You can only focus on so many things in trying to get your game up to speed in so many areas. You’re not as prepared as you’d like to be over the course of an 82 game season. That said, I was grateful to have a chance to have a training camp with our team and I thought in the areas we wanted to get better in, in terms of our defence and our patience and our commitment away from the puck, we saw some really positive signs there. Obviously, not good enough. 

MORGAN RIELLY AND JOHN TAVARES 

Q. (Lance Hornby, Toronto Sun): For John, what happened to the offence tonight and in this series in general? 

JOHN TAVARES: We know we’re playing a good, structured defensive team. Obviously, two goalies that had really good seasons. We knew it would be a challenge and obviously we have to find a way to break through. We had some good chances, some unfortunate breaks on a couple of chances and they do a good job really clearing the front of the net on second and third opportunities. We weren’t able to find some of those seconds today. I thought we generated good looks at times they pushed back well and they’ve got some quick forwards that can counter. They block a ton of shots but it’s obviously on us to find a way to break through that and come up with the results that we need. 

Q. (Kevin McGran, Toronto Star): Morgan, can you sum up how disappointed you feel and is there any comparison to last year in Boston, that sort of thing? What’s going through your mind in these moments? 

MORGAN RIELLY: It’s hard to put it all into words. It might take some time to digest a little bit, but it’s definitely a bad feeling, bad taste. Comparing to a loss in Boston, this one is different, for sure, for obvious reasons. Whether that makes it worse or easier to deal with, I don’t know, but right now it certainly feels like it’s harder to live with. I can’t really put all my emotions into words, I don’t have the vocabulary to do that. 

Q. (Chris Johnston, Sportsnet): For John, I’m wondering on your chance in particular, the one that hit the post, how that developed in your eyes and what are you trying to do there? 

JOHN TAVARES: Morgan made a great play, Mitch did a good job breaking into the middle, causing some confusion and I just tried to get it off quick, seeing Korpisalo was really sold on Mo shooting at him. He made a great pass, I saw Seth Jones right in front and obviously he’s a big dude, he’s got big feet. I just tried to keep it along the ice, along the short side. My hand slipped just a tad, got it maybe a little bit more on the heel than I wanted to but, in saying that, obviously a great opportunity that I want to finish. Still got good wood on it and unfortunately maybe it was half an inch, quarter of an inch too much to the right and it didn’t hit the post and go in or even just sneak in the right side.

Q. (Mark Masters, TSN): Morgan, wanted to get your perspective on why it was so tough to generate offence against the Jackets in this series? 

MORGAN RIELLY: John just talked about it. Pretty much what he said. It’s the style they play, they’re very defensive and they’re great at it. Their goalies played well, their D did a good job of clogging up the middle. 

Q. (Jonas Siegel, The Athletic): Morgan, what do you think you can take from a season like this given how strange and long and unusual it was?

MORGAN RIELLY: I think it just prepares you for the future. Obviously, we experienced things that we hadn’t before and some good, some bad. Very unusual if you look at the playoff format. I think it’s just experience that we can take with us. Obviously it’s not the end result that we were looking for but I think that we all had an opportunity to learn a lot about ourselves during the break and be able to reflect. It’s just an experience we’re going to have to take with us and learn from. Hopefully in the future we can draw from it at some point.

Q. (Dan Rosen, NHL.com): John, I’m thinking about some of your opportunities. Chris asked you about the one that hit the post, but you had a few others point blank. You look back on those, does it even surprise you a little bit that one or two didn’t get in the back of the net considering those chances and how grade-A they were? 

JOHN TAVARES: Yeah, obviously I want to put them in. You do the best that you can. A couple of them, the one off the post, obviously, like I said, it’s less than an inch probably and it’s in. Just got to find a way to put that in. Had some good looks, goalie played well, but you’ve got to find a way to get through it and get the results you need. 

MITCH MARNER AND AUSTON MATTHEWS

Q. (Terry Koshan, Toronto Sun): Auston, can you sum up what you’re feeling right now with the disappointment of going home a lot earlier than you guys expected to?

AUSTON MATTHEWS: I don’t know what to really say to that question, honestly. It’s obviously very disappointing, lots of mixed emotions going through all our heads right now, but obviously very frustrating. 

Q. (Kevin McGran, Toronto Star): Mitch, I’m not saying this had anything to do with the outcome, but I’m really curious when you look back how did it feel really to play without any fans? Did it affect the intensity level at all or joy or anything along those lines? 

MITCH MARNER: No. Honestly, I didn’t think I really noticed it or our team noticed when we were playing. 

Q. (Mark Masters, TSN): Mitch, what made it so hard to generate offence 5-on-5 in the series against the Jackets? 

MITCH MARNER: We talked about it from day one, they were doing really well holding the middle. We knew when they get their leads they lock down the neutral zone. I thought we had some chances that just didn’t go in. 

Q. (Jonas Siegel, The Athletic): What do you think you can learn as a group from a season like this? 

AUSTON MATTHEWS: I don’t think anybody’s really played through a season quite like everybody went through with the pause and everything. I think there was a lot of ups and downs and obviously this is more of a frustrating way to end it. I thought at times in the season we showed a lot really good things, a lot of resilience from our group. Tonight obviously it’s a game of inches out there. Like Mitch said, we had some chances, puck didn’t go in the net and it’s a tough pill to swallow. It’s very disappointing.

Q. (Dan Rosen, NHL.com): Auston, admittedly I would understand if this is hard to think about at this time, but when you get into these games that are you win, you move on, you lose, you’re eliminated game sevens or game five in this case, is there any common theme that runs through your team of why it’s just that one little extra step is harder to overcome at this point? 

AUSTON MATTHEWS: I don’t really have an answer for that question, to be honest.

BLUE JACKETS 3, MAPLE LEAFS 0 GAME 5: Postgame notes.

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS (3-2) vs.

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (2-3)

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2020

 123OTFINAL
COLUMBUS102–3
TORONTO000–0

GAME SUMMARY         |           EVENT SUMMARY        |           FACEOFF SUMMARY


ON THE SCORESHEET

  • Frederik Andersen stopped 19 of the 21 shots he faced in the loss.

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

 1st2nd3rdOTTOTAL
COLUMBUS7 (6)8 (8)7 (6)–22 (20)
TORONTO6 (6)13 (11)14 (10)–33 (27)

SHOT ATTEMPTS (5-on-5 in brackets)

 1st2nd3rdOTTOTAL
COLUMBUS16 (14)18 (17)11 (9)–45 (40)
TORONTO14 (14)19 (17)24 (20)–57 (51)

OF NOTE…

  • The Maple Leafs went 2-for-2 on the penalty kill and 0-for-1 on the power play tonight.
  • Toronto’s line of Kyle Clifford, Pierre Engvall and Jason Spezza did not start a 5-on-5 shift in the offensive zone.
  • Auston Matthews was 3-for-5 (60%) on offensive zone faceoffs and 3-for-4 (75%) on defensive zone faceoffs.
  • Morgan Rielly was on the ice for a team-high 31 Toronto shot attempts-for at 5-on-5. He finished the game with a 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 62.0 percent (31 for, 19 against). 

MAPLE LEAFS LEADERS

Shots6 (Matthews)
Shot Attempt8 (Matthews, Tavares)
Faceoff Wins9 (Matthews)
Faceoff Win Percentage67% (Kerfoot – 4 won, 2 lost; Hyman – 2 won, 1 lost)
Hits4 (Matthews)
Blocked Shots4 (Rielly)
Takeaways2 (Marner)
TOI28:29 (Rielly)
Power Play TOI1:46 (Marner, Matthews)
Shorthanded TOI2:43 (Holl, Marincin)
Shifts31 (Holl)
5-on-5 Shot Attempt Percentage70.6% (Marner – 24 for, 10 against)
  

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.

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-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)

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

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

Maple Leafs-Blue Jackets Game 3: PREGAME NOTES

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (1-1) vs.

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS (1-1)

AUGUST 6, 2020 ▪ 8:00 PM EST

SCOTIABANK ARENA (TORONTO, ON) ▪
TV: SPORTSNET ▪ RADIO: SPORTSNET 590 THE FAN

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: 1-1
2019-20: 1-0-1

THE SERIES SO FAR

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 (Matthews, Rielly, Tavares)BLOCKED SHOTS5 (Muzzin)
ASSISTS1 (Five players tied)TAKEAWAYS4 (Matthews)
POINTS2 (Matthews)HITS6 (Kerfoot)
SHOTS10 (Matthews)TOI PER GAME23:31 (Rielly)
FACEOFF WIN%70.3% (Tavares)PP TOI PER GAME4:37 (Matthews)
5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPT %68.1% (Marner)SH TOI PER GAME3:47 (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 (82), Jake Muzzin (59), Kyle Clifford (57)

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 262-285-4 in 551 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 20 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 33 of the 34 shots he faced in game one. He has allowed one or fewer goals in 12 of his 49 playoff appearances.- 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 18:34 in ice time and 21.49 shot attempts per 60 minutes of ice time through two games in the series.- Has appeared in 23 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– Has recorded four blocked shots through two games of the series after recording 79 blocked shots in 56 games during the 2019-20 regular season.- Has skated in 27 career playoff games, recording three assists.
Kyle Clifford– Has appeared in 57 career playoff games and is a two-time Stanley Cup Champion (2012, 2014) with the Los Angeles Kings.
Justin Holl– Leads the Maple Leafs in shorthanded ice time per game (3:47) in the series thus far. – Made his Stanley Cup playoff debut on August 2 vs. Columbus. 
Zach Hyman– Registered his first point of the postseason with an assist in game two. Ranks fourth among Toronto skaters in even-strength time on ice per game (15:38).- Has appeared in 22 career playoff games and recorded nine points (3-7-10).
Kasperi Kapanen– 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– Leads the Maple Leafs in hits with six through two games.- Has appeared in 20 career playoff games and recorded five points (2-3-5).
Mitch Marner– Had a 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 68.1 percent (47 for, 22 against) which leads the Maple Leafs.- Has appeared in 22 career playoff games and recorded 17 career points (5-12-17).
Auston Matthews– Ranks third among NHL forwards in ice time per game (23:22) through two games of the series.- Had his fourth career multi-point playoff game on August 4 vs. Columbus (1-1-2). – Has skated in 22 career playoff games and recorded 11 goals and four 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 point of the postseason with an assist on August 4 vs. Columbus. Has started 65.2 percent of his 5-on-shifts in the offensive zone.- Has recorded three goals and eight assists in 20 career playoff games.
Jason Spezza– Leads the Maple Leafs in career playoff games (82), goals (25), assists (45) and points (70).
John Tavares– Recorded his first point of the playoffs with a goal on August 4 vs. Columbus. Leads the Maple Leafs in shots on goal (10) 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)

TORONTO 3, COLUMBUS 0: What the Leafs said:

SHELDON KEEFE

Q. (Chris Johnston, Sportsnet): I’m wondering if you could tell us if Jake was taken to hospital and if you have any update on his condition yet? 

SHELDON KEEFE: Yeah, he was taken to hospital. I’m told he’s responsive and all of that. Just awaiting his assessment. 

Q. (Josh Clipperton, The Canadian Press): Just wondering what the difference was today. You guys were able to generate a lot more. What was the difference from game one? 

SHELDON KEEFE: Every game is going to be slightly different, it’s going to have its own personality. Today I thought we forechecked really hard right from the start of the game and some loose pucks became available, gave us an extra opportunity to attack the net. That was a really good sign for us but our guys brought it to another level today from a competitive standpoint and that really helped us in all regards.

Q. (Terry Koshan, Toronto Sun): What was happening in the defensive zone that really negated the forecheck that Columbus had in game one? What were you guys doing a lot better today? 

SHELDON KEEFE: Well we were doing a better job up ice in their half of the ice. As a result, most of the time when it entered our half of the ice they were in line changes and not forechecking as a full unit. That makes it a lot easier for us. That’s obviously every team’s goal going into a game and today worked out for us there. 

Q. (Kevin McGran, Toronto Star): I guess if Jake Muzzin is going to hospital he’s out of the bubble and can’t come back even if he could. What will you have to do without him? What will losing him mean to this team?

SHELDON KEEFE: I’m not really certain on exactly what the protocol is for this situation. There are protocols in place for these types of situations and I’m not exactly certain what the details are. Our focus is and always will be just on his well-being and making sure he’s okay.

Q. (Mark Masters, TSN): Was there any frustration with the fact Korpisalo seemed locked in and you’re getting the chances and you couldn’t find the back of the net? How do you feel the group handled that?

SHELDON KEEFE: I think we handled it well. It was on my mind, of course, just making sure that we stayed with it. I just kept monitoring our bench and monitoring our players’ mannerisms and how they were coming back to the bench. You see guys talking to themselves and I think we were just focused, focused on what we had to do on the ice and staying with it. So that was really good to see. It was not unlike what happened in game one in terms of us just staying with it, but obviously we were generating more today so there was a little bit more happening in and around the net. The goalie was a big difference for them but I really liked how our guys just took a drink of water and got ready for the next shift and stayed with it and believed in what we were doing.

Q. (Ken Campbell, The Hockey News): Mitch [Marner] just said that on the Muzzin play when you guys asked the official what had happened, he said that he was crosschecked. If that’s the case, do you wonder why they don’t call that more in the NHL? It seems like the crosscheck goes so uncalled and that might have been a reason why something like this could have happened. 

SHELDON KEEFE: I think the refs are out there doing their best, doing their job and I’ve got to focus on doing my job, which is preparing our team and keeping us ready to go and that moment there was about keeping us focused. A lot of things happen in the game and it’s our job to just play through it. 

Q. (Sean Farrell, NHL.com): What has Fred [Andersen’s] play through the first two games meant to the team? 

SHELDON KEEFE: It means a great deal. Obviously, goaltender is very important. You’re seeing it on the other side as well with Columbus. He gives us belief in what we’re doing and if we crack, he’s going to be there for us. It’s two excellent games by him here now. Today when we did crack and they had a little bit of a look or a little bit of a push, he was there. He gives our guys even more life and energy.

AUSTON MATTHEWS AND JOHN TAVARES

Q. (Josh Clipperton, The Canadian Press): What’s it like, the feeling of being two minutes away from the win and then seeing a teammate go down like that and just the quietness of the building? 

JOHN TAVARES: No question, seeing one of your teammates go down, especially a guy like Muzz, you know the type of warrior he is. I think what he brings to our team is unmeasurable. Obviously, very tough. All signs are very positive being around him and nice to close it out for him, but certainly tough to see, especially how much we love that guy. 

Q. (Terry Koshan, Toronto Sun): Auston, could I get your thoughts on the goal that you scored and what you were feeling after Korpisalo had stopped the first 55 shots he saw in games one and two? 

AUSTON MATTHEWS: Yeah, obviously excitement. It’s postseason, everything is tight out there and goals are hard to come by. It was nice to get that one and kind of jump start a nice push. I thought we played pretty well in the first period and second period and I think we just tried to stick with it. [Hyman] made a great play and I just tried to deflect it towards the net and it just happened to go in.

Q. (Rosie DiManno, Toronto Star): Question for John, earlier on in the first and second period, there were times when you were shaking your head during the power play and casting eyes to the ceiling in disbelief. Can you just contrast that with the celebration on your goal? 

JOHN TAVARES: He made some great saves. I thought there was a couple that were deflected and were a little bit more fortunate on his side, but he’s obviously playing really well, he’s a really good goalie. You want to see those go in. I just tried to focus on the next shift, next opportunity. On the goal they really were aggressive and I think both D kind of jumped in and I was our last forward coming back and I kind of saw the play getting broken up so as I saw that, I just kind of anticipate that puck might be coming the other way so I was able to get a good bead on it and lucky enough to get that opportunity and nice to finish it off, especially after some of the chances I had. 

Q. (Chris Johnston, Sportsnet): Auston, I’m wondering what the biggest factor was for the team in being able to create so many good looks in this versus the first one?  

AUSTON MATTHEWS: I think both games, to be honest, we had some pretty good looks, probably more so tonight. I think just upping our compete level, getting to the net, dirty areas and trying to get on the inside where we can beat guys to the net. I thought we came out with a strong push to start the game and I think just the communication factor was there tonight for us and just full effort throughout the lineup. 

Q. (Mark Masters, TSN): John, what allowed you guys to do a better job generating chances off the rush considering how well Columbus usually does against that? 

JOHN TAVARES: I think we were just quicker tonight and that’s not just necessarily the way we’re moving our feet but I think just our execution and the way we moved the puck. I thought D did a great job of just handling their forecheck, which they do really well, and then I think as forwards we were just in sync reading off each other and doing good job of, when we had to, getting pucks in behind and getting on the inside and first on those races that allowed us to then set up the next couple of plays to break them down and create some opportunities, some more possessions. Obviously, it was a positive tonight for us, it’s something we have to continue, especially when you expect them to make some adjustments. I like the way we were just in sync and connected today.

Q. (Marty Klinkenberg, The Globe and Mail): In a game like this where you very much dominated but still it’s late in the second and it’s 0-0, does it start to get more tense as you’re playing? 

JOHN TAVARES: Certainly those thoughts can creep in, but I think as a team when we’re playing like that I think we have so much belief in each other. I think the type of team we have that eventually it’s going to pay off, we’re going to find a way to break through. Don’t get discouraged and stick with it, we’re playing, we’re doing the things we want to do, we’re creating opportunities. Just sticking with it and not getting discouraged, like I said, just kind of staying one shift at a time. A little cliche but you’re just kind of staying in the moment, waiting for the next opportunity. Great play by [Matthews] to break the ice for us. It was a big goal and something he always does for us. As a team we just kind of fed off one another and he led the way. 

FREDERIK ANDERSEN AND MITCH MARNER

Q (Kevin McGran, Toronto Star): Your thoughts on seeing Jake Muzzin go down. He’s been such a warrior for you guys and so close to the end of the game too. What’s going through your head when you’re seeing him lying there in injury and being taken off on a stretcher? 

FREDERIK ANDERSEN: Yeah it’s difficult. Seeing a guy like Jake that everyone cares about, he’s well loved in the locker room. Being as tough as he is it’s really hard to see him being told to lay down and not move. We’re really just thinking about him and making sure all the right steps are being taken and hopefully he recovers soon. 

MITCH MARNER: Yeah, just like Freddie said, he’s a big part of this team, penalty kill, even-strength against the best players against the other teams. He really does mean a lot to us. Being beside him there when he went down and stayed down, obviously it’s a little worrisome and to see the stretcher come out, a lot of things running through your mind. Like Freddie said we’re all on his side, we’re all praying for him and just want to make sure when he does come back he’s 100 percent. There are a lot bigger things than hockey.

Q (Josh Clipperton, Canadian Press): For Freddie, what are you thinking when you’re seeing the guy at the other stop shot after shot? I think it was the 55th or 56th shot that they finally found a way through. What’s your mindset when you see the other guy doing that? 

FREDERIK ANDERSEN: Just keep doing what I’m doing. What happens in their end is useless to think about. Just keep doing what I can do and be ready for when they do come. They’re putting a hell of a pressure on him and both games I think we’ve had the puck a lot and obviously been playing well, but I think we did a better job of getting in and getting second chances and having confidence in guys being able to score. 

Q. (Jonas Siegel, The Athletic): Mitch, you were right there with Jake. When did you realize something wasn’t right? 

MITCH MARNER: I just remember clearing the puck, I remember kind of turning over and seeing him on the ground. Kind of saw him get up on all fours. At this time I think the puck just exit, I was still kind of standing beside him and then I realized after drawing up to the blueline to try and stop them from entering, they dumped it in and hit the ref. At that point he was back down, full lying down. I just kind of skated over to him, I just asked him if he was okay. Obviously, he just kind of said, just give him a second and a couple of other things that doesn’t matter, it’ll stay between us. Like I said, we just want to make sure all the right things are happening to make sure he’s back to being 100 percent. He’s a big part of this team. Hopefully he recovers quickly. Like I said, there’s a lot bigger things than hockey, especially outside this world and his family is a major priority. You’ve got to make sure you’re able to still play with your kids. 

Q. (Mark Masters, TSN): What was it like reuniting with Auston and how did you feel your game grew in today’s game versus game one? 

MITCH MARNER: For myself I think I was just a lot more competitive with the puck, on the puck, a lot more dialed into my battles and being better consistently all over the ice. I think we worked the puck nicely around, we were using our speed, something we’re going to have to just keep doing and keep using our speed coming through the middle and supporting each other. The chemistry kind of just kicked right back with [Hyman] as well and we were making plays, we’ve just got to find ways to get around these guys trying to block our shots. 

Q. (Ken Campbell, The Hockey News): Mitch, I just wanted to ask you as a forward out there who’s in the thick of the battle, that hit on Jake Muzzin was a crosscheck from behind. It was a fairly innocuous one but still a crosscheck from behind that seems to go uncalled almost all the time in this league now. Do you think the League has to do more about crosschecking now? A couple of years ago it was the casual slash and now they’re cracking down on that. Do you think they need to crack down on the crosscheck? 

MITCH MARNER: It’s hard for me to say at this moment. I was beside [Muzzin] when the play happened and I was turning and shooting it while he was coming down so I haven’t seen the actual play yet. I think the player’s off two to three feet from the boards and a crosscheck does happen, usually it doesn’t matter how good you are on your feet, there’s a possible chance of you going head first into the boards. It’s always a scary incident. Like I said, I have not seen that play yet, reviewed or on my phone or anything like that, but we were asking the refs and their response was just he got pushed, he got crosschecked, he hit one other player and that’s how it all happened. I think usually when a player is two or three feet from the wall, that’s when the dangerous stuff happens and the injuries come in part. Like I said, I haven’t seen it, we’ll leave it to the League to discuss what they think is necessary. 

MAPLE LEAFS 3, BLUE JACKETS 0: Postgame notes

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS (1-1) vs.

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (1-1)

TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2020

 123OTFINAL
COLUMBUS000–0
TORONTO012–3

GAME SUMMARY         |           EVENT SUMMARY        |           FACEOFF SUMMARY

POSTGAME QUOTES:

  • Tonight’s postgame transcript will be updated as it becomes available HERE.
  • The final transcript will be posted to MapleLeafs.com/pressbox


ON THE SCORESHEET

  • Auston Matthews opened the scoring for the Maple Leafs at 16:00 of the second period and later had the primary assist on Morgan Rielly’s third period goal. Today’s game is his fourth career multi-point game in the playoffs. He recorded a career-high 47 goals in 70 games during the 2019-20 regular season to finish the year with 80 points (47 goals, 33 assists). In 22 career playoff games, Matthews has recorded 11 goals and four assists for 15 points. His 11 career playoff goals are tied for the second-most in franchise history by a skater before the age of 23 (Wendel Clark, 11 G in 23 GP).
  • John Tavares scored Toronto’s second goal of the night at 4:56 of the third period. Tavares’ goal is his first point of the 2020 postseason. In 63 games during the 2019-20 season, he recorded 26 goals and 34 assists. He has 14 goals and 14 assists in 33 career playoff games.
  • Morgan Rielly scored the third Maple Leafs goal of the game into an empty net at 19:17 of the third period. Rielly’s goal is his first point of the playoffs. He recorded 27 points (3-24-27) in 47 games during the regular season. In 22 career playoff games, Rielly has registered 16 points (3-13-16).
  • Zach Hyman registered the lone assist on Matthews’ second period goal. Hyman’s assist is his first point of the 2020 playoffs. In 51 regular season games, he recorded 37 points (21 goals, 16 assists). He has 10 points (3-7-10) in 22 career playoff games.
  • Travis Dermott recorded the primary assist on Tavares’ third period goal. Dermott’s assist is his first point of the playoffs. He has 12 points (4-8-12) in 56 games during the 2019-20 season. In 16 career playoff games, Dermott has registered two goals and three assists.
  • William Nylander collected the secondary assist on Tavares’ third period goal. Nylander’s assist is his first point of the postseason. He had 59 points (31 goals, 28 assists) in 68 games during the regular season. In 22 career playoff games, he has recorded three goals and nine assists for 12 points.
  • Alex Kerfoot had the secondary assist on Rielly’s empty net goal. Kerfoot’s assist is his first point of the playoffs. He had 28 points (9-19-28) in 65 games this season. In 20 career playoff games, he has recorded six points (2-4-6).
  • Frederik Andersen stopped all 20 shots he faced to earn the victory. The win is his third career postseason shutout and first with the Maple Leafs.

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

 1st2nd3rdOTTOTAL
COLUMBUS6 (3)6 (1)8 (6)–20 (10)
TORONTO15 (11)14 (8)10 (8)–39 (27)

SHOT ATTEMPTS (5-on-5 in brackets)

 1st2nd3rdOTTOTAL
COLUMBUS19 (12)12 (6)16 (11)–47 (29)
TORONTO25 (17)26 (16)20 (14)–71 (47)

OF NOTE…

  • The Maple Leafs went 4-for-4 on the penalty kill and 0-for-5 on the power play tonight.
  • Pierre Engvall made his Stanley Cup playoff debut.
  • Auston Matthews was on the ice for a team-high 24 Toronto shot attempts-for at 5-on-5. He finished the game with a 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 72.7 percent (24 for, 9 against). 
  • Jake Muzzin left tonight’s game due to injury.
  • John Tavares won 80 percent (4 won, 1 lost) of his defensive zone faceoffs. 

MAPLE LEAFS LEADERS

Shots8 (Tavares)
Shot Attempts12 (Marner)
Faceoff Wins11 (Tavares)
Faceoff Win Percentage67% (Hyman)
Hits3 (Kerfoot, Muzzin)
Blocked Shots3 (Muzzin)
Takeaways1 (Marner, Matthews, Muzzin)
TOI24:37 (Rielly)
Power Play TOI7:41 (Matthews)
Shorthanded TOI5:01 (Holl)
Shifts31 (Rielly)
5-on-5 Shot Attempt Percentage75.0% (Marner – 21 for, 7 against)
  

UPCOMING GAMES:

  • Thursday, August 6, 8 p.m., Toronto at Columbus (TBD)
  • Friday, August 7, TBD, Toronto at Columbus (TBD)
  • 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.

BLUE JACKETS-MAPLE LEAFS PREGAME NOTES

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS (1-0) vs.

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (0-1)

AUGUST 4, 2020 ▪ 4:00 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: 0-1
2019-20: 1-0-1

THE SERIES SO FAR

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
GOALSN/ABLOCKED SHOTS3 (Ceci, Kerfoot)
ASSISTSN/ATAKEAWAYS3 (Matthews)
POINTSN/AHITS4 (Kapanen)
SHOTS6 (Matthews)TOI PER GAME24:38 (Matthews)
FACEOFF WIN%79.0% (Tavares)PP TOI PER GAME1:32 (Five players tied)
5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPT %63.4% (Marner)SH TOI PER GAME2:33 (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 (81), Jake Muzzin (58), Kyle Clifford (56)

POINTS: Jason Spezza (70), John Tavares (27), Jake Muzzin (22)
GOALS: Jason Spezza (25), John Tavares (13), Auston Matthews (10)

ASSISTS: Jason Spezza (45), Jake Muzzin (15), John Tavares (14)
PENALTY MINUTES: Kyle Clifford (62), Jason Spezza (28), Jake Muzzin (20)

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 262-285-4 in 551 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 20 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 33 of the 34 shots he faced in game one. He has allowed one or fewer goals in 12 of his 49 playoff appearances.- Since joining the Maple Leafs in 2016-17, Andersen is 8-12 in 21 Stanley Cup Playoffs appearances. Only nine goaltenders have recorded more postseason wins in a Toronto uniform.
Tyson Barrie– Had four shots on goal and seven shot attempts in game one vs. Columbus in 19:13 of ice time.- Has appeared in 22 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– Tied for the Maple Leaf lead in blocked shots (3) in game one.- Has skated in 26 career playoff games, recording three assists.
Kyle Clifford– Has appeared in 56 career playoff games and is a two-time Stanley Cup Champion (2012, 2014) with the Los Angeles Kings.
Justin Holl– Played 21:41 in ice time in game one, leading all skaters in shorthanded ice time (2:33).- Made his Stanley Cup playoff debut on August 2 vs. Columbus. 
Zach Hyman– Played 21:21 in game one of the series, which is his highest ice time in a playoff game that ended in regulation.- Has appeared in 21 career playoff games and recorded nine points (3-6-9).
Kasperi Kapanen– Led the Maple Leafs in hits (4) in game one against Columbus.- Has appeared in 21 career playoff games and recorded five points (4-1-5).
  
Alex Kerfoot– Tied for the team lead with three blocked shots in game one.- Has appeared in 19 career playoff games and recorded five points (2-3-5).
Mitch Marner– Had a 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 63.4 percent (26 for, 11 against) which leads the Maple Leafs.- Has appeared in 21 career playoff games and recorded 17 career points (5-12-17).
Auston Matthews– Led the Maple Leafs in ice time (24:38) and shots on goal (6) in game one. Won 64.7 percent (11 won, 6 lost) of his faceoffs.- Has skated in 21 career playoff games and recorded 10 goals and three assists.- Per NHL Stats, Matthews’ 10 career playoff goals (20 GP) is the third-most among Maple Leafs before age 23. He trails Ted Kennedy (20 G in 38 GP) and Wendel Clark (11 G in 23 GP).
William Nylander– Played 21:51 in game one against the Blue Jackets.- Has recorded three goals and eight assists in 20 career playoff games.
Jason Spezza– Leads the Maple Leafs in career playoff games (81), goals (25), assists (45) and points (70).
John Tavares– Won 79 percent (15 won, 4 lost) of his faceoffs in game one, which is the highest percentage among playoff skaters who took over 10 draws.- Has skated in 32 career playoff games and recorded 27 points (13 goals, 14 assists).
  

INJURY REPORT

Andreas Johnsson (Knee)On injured reserve.

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)