Ice Hockey

Three Key Takeaways from Maple Leafs’ 4-2 Loss to the Lightning

April 28, 2023

Three Key Takeaways from Maple Leafs’ 4-2 Loss to the Lightning NHL Trade Talk.

The Toronto Maple Leafs suffered a 4-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 3 of the first round of the playoffs. While the defeat marked a setback of sorts for the Maple Leafs, is this now a downhill slide out of the playoffs for this Toronto team?

Probably not. That said, the demons remain. There are two more chances to exorcise them, so it isn’t time for Maple Leafs’ fans to panic – at least not yet.

In this post, I’ll look at three key takeaways from the game.

Takeaway One: Lightning Goalie Andrei Vasilevsky Made the Difference

There’s no question that Tampa Bay’s goaltender, Andrei Vasilevsky, was the difference maker in the game. Despite a weak performance in the series leading up to Game 5 last night, Vasilevsky played just like the “world’s best goalie.” He shut the door on the Maple Leafs and turned the game around for Tampa Bay after they went down 1-0.

There’s a difference between good and great players. And, Vasilevskiy is one of the greats. He’s hard to keep in the bottle for many games. It might be a tough task for the Maple Leafs to beat him, but they have and will try.

Although he hasn’t shown it – other than last night’s game – Vasilevsky has consistently been great during his career. He was, to repeat myself, the difference last night.

Takeaway Two: The Maple Leafs’ Demons Remain

The Maple Leafs scored the game’s first goal, but their demons had a different plan. They invaded the Maple Leafs’ players’ heads. And that was enough to erode their physical skills.

The Maple Leafs looked as if they lacked confidence. They struggled to find the mojo that had been skating beside them during the third period and overtime in Game 4.

For example, Mitch Marner has a breakaway but missed it. If the Maple Leafs do move on, winning the mental battles will be about as important as winning the physical ones. There remain a few more mental obstacles for Toronto to overcome if they hope to move on in the playoffs.

Takeaway Three: Look for Lineup Changes

The decision to sit Michael Bunting is now likely over. Changes might (and I expect them to be) made in Toronto’s lineup. I’m thinking that forward Sam Lafferty will sit with defenseman Justin Holl beside him.

Holl made a couple of tough mistakes tonight, and Lafferty is generating little on offense. Holl’s been on the ice for 70% of the goals scored against the Maple Leafs in this series.

All this angst aside, the Maple Leafs remain up in the series three games to two. The series is far from over for them. Still, given their history of successive losses, it’s hard not to feel discomfort.

Saturday – perhaps?

Three Key Takeaways from Maple Leafs’ 4-2 Loss to the Lightning NHL Trade Talk.