TORONTO 4
WASHINGTON 3 (OT)
(Toronto leads series 2-1)
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TORONTO 鈥� The Maple Leafs think they could just topple a giant in the first round.
They scored their second straight overtime victory on Monday night, downing the Washington Capitals 4-3 in front of an electric Air sa国际传媒 Centre crowd. Toronto now leads the best-of-seven series 2-1, suddenly with the upper hand on the best team in hockey and starting to believe in its upset potential.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 been the feeling the whole time,鈥� 23-year-old defenceman Morgan Rielly said. 鈥淪o that hasn鈥檛 changed.鈥�
Tyler Bozak scored the overtime winner after the Leafs dug out from deficits of 2-0 and 3-1, controlling large swaths of play against a team that piled up 55 wins and 118 points during the regular season. While the 31-year-old Bozak and a handful of veterans showed well, including Rielly, Leo Komarov and Nazem Kadri (two points), it was again the performance of youth that shone brightest.
The rookie trio of Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Zach Hyman proved almost unstoppable in Game 3 鈥� up over 70 per cent puck possession. Matthews broke his brief playoff dry spell with a goal, an assist and six shots (more than the first two games combined) while Nylander scored and managed nine shot attempts.
Hyman chased down the loose puck that led to Nylander鈥檚 first of the post-season 鈥� which brought the Leafs all the way back from 3-1 鈥� and then drew the penalty that led to Bozak鈥檚 game-winner.
鈥淎ll those guys have probably had a ton of pressure on them their whole lives,鈥� Bozak said. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e probably always been the best player and the best player on their teams and have always had the pressure to play well. They鈥檙e used to it so it doesn鈥檛 faze them and you can see that when they鈥檙e out there.鈥�
Leafs head coach Mike Babcock sensed his group gaining confidence after nearly swiping Game 1 at Verizon Center. He felt it inch a tick higher when Game 2 was had in double overtime behind the second of two goals from another rookie, Kasperi Kapanen.
鈥淎nd obviously now if you talk to our guys, our guys think they鈥檙e a good hockey team,鈥� Babcock said after the latest victory, Toronto鈥檚 first on home ice in the playoffs in nearly four years. 鈥淎nd they鈥檙e playing a good hockey team, but I think you gain respect for yourself and the process and you start believing that maybe you can do this.鈥�
The Leafs were doubted, in part, to beat the Caps because of their overwhelming inexperience 鈥� 10 players making their NHL playoff debuts in this series. But it鈥檚 not been an issue so far and even members of the opposition think the subject is overblown.
鈥淎t the end of the day it鈥檚 just hockey,鈥� Capitals defenceman Matt Niskanen said. 鈥淎ll the same things are happening, you just have a little less space, things get closed down a little quicker, the intensity鈥檚 higher, it鈥檚 a little bit more physical. [And it鈥檚] just because the stakes are higher. And you鈥檙e not in the grind of an 82-game marathon. You鈥檙e playing in a sprint for four wins. So everything is magnified, that鈥檚 all.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the same game.鈥�
Capitals head coach Barry Trotz mirrored those thoughts when asked if Washington was surprised by the Leafs鈥� push before Game 3. He said no and recalled a conversation with Babcock as Toronto was pushing for a post-season berth.
鈥淚 said:鈥楾here鈥檚 no question you鈥檙e going to be in [the playoffs],鈥� 鈥� Trotz recalled saying. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e too good of a hockey team.鈥�
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think they鈥檙e a naive group,鈥� Kadri said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think they鈥檙e dumb by any means. I think they gave us respect. They knew we weren鈥檛 going to lie down and let them intimidate us.鈥�
Kadri pushed back against any apparent intimidation Monday when he rocked Brooks Orpik twice on the same shift. Matthews would score nine seconds after the second one to cut a 2-0 deficit in half. The 19-year-old sped through the neutral zone, fired a shot that ricocheted off a smattering of bodies and then batted a rebound behind Braden Holtby.
He became the youngest Leaf to score in the post-season since Daniel Marois in 1988.
After Washington upped its lead back to two on a goal from Evgeny Kuznetsov, Toronto required a yeoman鈥檚 effort from its penalty kill. The group managed to withstand a full two-minute 5-on-3 advantage and then, for good measure, killed off another Caps advantage a few minutes later.
Nylander evened it up at three at the tail-end of that second period. The 20-year-old Swede and his linemates were just too much for the Capitals to handle, their speed and skill overwhelming a Kuznetsov-led second line.
Babcock insisted during the regular season that the trio, and the rest from a historic rookie class, were just good players 鈥� young or not. He鈥檚 been proven correct so far opposite a deep, talented Capitals squad with Stanley Cup aspirations.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot closer match than people let on. It鈥檚 not David and Goliath,鈥� said Trotz. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e a good hockey team. They wouldn鈥檛 be here if they weren鈥檛.鈥�
