After a well-deserved break, the Maple Leafs are set to kick off Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
This is going to be a battle.
Carter Hutton filled in for Jay Rosehill on the Monday edition of Leafs Morning Take. As one might expect, we spent the entire show previewing the series and looking ahead to tonight’s Game 1. The Leafs are considered massive underdog, a role they should relish. No one expects them to win, and honestly, that’s a good thing. This team has proven repeatedly that they’re different, it’s time to go out there and prove it.
At any rate, brought to you by RVezy, we hit on some of the major talking points. Firstly, the crease battle will be intriguing as Anthony Stolarz takes on his former mates. Weirdly, Stolarz and his former battery mate Sergei Bobrovsky shared identical numbers in the opening round (2.21, 0.901). Indisputably, this will be a big thing to monitor as the series progresses. On top of that, we both view Matthew Knies as a huge factor. He plays a similar brand to Florida’s, and in the long run, he could really excel in a climate like this one. Additionally, it goes without saying but the Core Four need to elevate. Speaking of which, not only did Mitch Marner just welcome his first kid but today’s his birthday, too. Look for Marner to pop off in Game 1! Of course, special teams will be a big story as well. Toronto went 6-for-18 against Ottawa. Against a team like the Panthers, discipline will be the name of the game.
After that, thanks to GRETA BAR YYZ, 2009 Stanley Cup champion head coach Dan Bylsma dropped by the show. We talked series storylines —which included the crease, special teams, and what the Leaf need to do to find success against the Panthers. Bylsma actually picked the Leafs to win the series, which obviously was great to hear/see.
As mentioned, Jay Rosehill is in town this week for Game 1 and 2. Join us tomorrow morning at 11 AM ET from Greta Bar as we recap Game 1 and start to look ahead to Game 2 on Wednesday night.
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