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There’s no disgrace in shedding to the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion.
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For the Maple Leafs, nonetheless, the ache that hit arduous late Saturday evening at Scotiabank Enviornment will linger for a very long time.
The Leafs didn’t take one shift without any consideration and left the whole lot on the ice, because the saying goes, however it was not sufficient to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in Recreation 7 in a 2-1 loss.
In the long run, the experiences gained by the Lightning in successful back-to-back Cups was higher than the first-round losses the Leafs have endured up to now 5 years. It’s six years in a row now that the Leafs haven’t superior to the second spherical.
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Whereas Tampa wanted goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy to make massive saves at instances, the Lightning didn’t flinch after happening 3-2 within the sequence, successful the ultimate two video games.
The Leafs had 17 photographs on Vasilevskiy within the third interval and didn’t rating on any of them. That received’t go away for some time, both.
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“It’s a sport of inches,” Auston Matthews mentioned. “It’s actually irritating, actually disappointing. Each man in there competed and gave it their all. Finally, they made yet another play than us.
“It’s the back-to-back Cup champions and it’s a staff that has been via lots. They’ve been via lots of heartbreak, they usually have climbed their option to the highest two years in a row. We’re proper there.”
GAME ON
This was Tampa coach Jon Cooper within the morning: “We’re not shocked how good they’re. They’ve been knocking on the door for therefore lengthy. I believe they’ve grown as a bunch, I believe their stars are stars. They’ve a extremely good staff sport and the coach does a hell of a job getting ready them. The Leafs have a hell of a staff.” … We don’t think about that sentiment would have modified a lot after the sport, and Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe had this statement: “We received lots of respect in that (handshake) line from their staff, which was good to see. It was a a lot totally different tone of respect on the opposite aspect from what we have now skilled beforehand. We’re incomes respect within the league, however we’re not within the respect sport. We’re within the successful sport and we have now to discover a method to try this.” … Already giving Leafs Nation nightmares, Nick Paul almost made it worse when he crashed into Jack Campbell 4 minutes into the third. Campbell received up favouring his left leg, however after some anxious moments, remained within the sport … The Leafs had six photographs on purpose as Ondrej Palat served a hooking minor, which got here at 6:19 of the third, however the No. 1 energy play within the common season couldn’t get the puck previous Vasilevskiy … John Tavares scored considered one of his prettier targets in current reminiscence at 8:32 of the second when he circled across the internet, and a jumble of gamers, to snap the puck previous Vasilevskiy. Nonetheless, slightly than the sport being tied 1-1, the purpose was not allowed as Justin Holl was referred to as for interference on Anthony Cirelli. As arduous because the sequence might need been for the Leafs to swallow, the decision on Holl couldn’t be averted. He threw a decide on Cirelli, and if not for that, Tavares may not have escaped the verify of Cirelli. “I haven’t actually seen it,” Tavares mentioned. “I noticed it rapidly on the bench. It’s arduous for me to remark. (Holl) informed me he’s simply making an attempt to take his personal area. A kind of that may most likely go both method.” … The Leafs not solely killed the penalty off, they didn’t let it impression their want. At 13:25, Morgan Rielly took a move from Matthews and ripped a shot previous Vasilevskiy to get the tie the Leafs thought that they had 5 minutes earlier … Paul scored his second of the sport at 16:32 of the second when he managed to get the higher of TJ Brodie on a one-on-one and beat Campbell to the far aspect. “That is the place heroes are made,” veteran Corey Perry mentioned of Recreation 7s basically. “It may not be the large man. It may be any individual that you just’ve by no means heard of doing one thing that takes us to the following stage.” We’ve heard of Paul, in fact, however as Perry mentioned, it was not the large man doing it for Tampa … Not like final 12 months, when the Leafs misplaced Recreation 7 in opposition to the Montreal Canadiens, and within the 2020 bubble when the Leafs misplaced a deciding Recreation 5 in opposition to the Columbus Blue Jackets, there was no trepidation on the a part of Toronto to start out the sport … The Leafs had been on level from the opening faceoff, taking cost on the primary a number of shifts. Pierre Engvall and Marner had early probabilities … Brayden Level was in clear ache as he hobbled on to the dressing room at 17:11 of the primary after he fell awkwardly into the aspect boards. Level was favouring his proper leg, and although it didn’t look good for the Tampa ahead, he returned for the second interval. Level was on the ice for one shift and slammed his stick on the ice in frustration as he made his method again to the bench. He didn’t play once more, however stayed on the bench for the rest of the sport … The Lightning received on the board at 18:24 of the primary interval when Paul scored on a Ross Colton rebound.
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