Maple Leafs’ five-forward power play dominating Senators
While the Maple Leafs’ power play has struggled in past playoffs and been a reason why the team has been eliminated early, so far in their Round 1 series against Ottawa, it’s been a big reason why Toronto has a 2-0 lead.
Thirty-eight seconds.
That is all the time the Toronto Maple Leafs have needed to score their four power play goals against the Ottawa Senators. It’s a good thing, too, because the Maple Leafs have not asserted their dominance otherwise through two games of the first round. Toronto’s 4-for-7 start (57.1 per cent) on the power play is a major reason why the team has its first 2-0 series lead since 2002.
The Maple Leafs have required no more than 18 seconds to convert on the power play in the series. They scored six goals within the first 20 seconds of a power play in the regular season.
Maple Leafs players and fans are painfully aware of the power-play issues that have led to the club’s demise in post-seasons past. There was the 1-for-21 performance against the Boston Bruins last year and the 4-for-28 output against the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2022. Over the first six years of the “Core Four” era, Toronto scored on 15.8 per cent of its playoff power plays — down from 24 per cent during the regular season.
Since mid-season, Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube has been relying on a five-forward unit featuring Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, John Tavares and Matthew Knies. That group scored 14 power-play goals following the 4 Nations Face-Off break — second most in the NHL through the end of the regular season.
Toronto’s top unit has dialed up the pressure in the playoffs, averaging 6.3 shot attempts per two minutes. That has led to more rebounds and second-chance opportunities. The Maple Leafs have generated five rebound scoring chances on the power play — three by Matthews and two by Knies.
One of Matthews’ rebound recoveries in Game 1 drew a penalty on Adam Gaudette, which set up Nylander’s 5-on-3 goal three seconds later. Another recovered rebound by Matthews led directly to Knies’ power-play goal later in the Maple Leafs’ series-opening win.
“We’re looking to attack right away, and that’s a good mentality,” Berube told reporters. “(In) playoffs, pucks to the net, pucks to the net — that’s what you’ve got to think about.”
The Senators have aided the Maple Leafs by struggling to clear the puck on the penalty kill, successfully dumping it out on 13 of their 21 attempts (61.9 per cent). Toronto allowed its shorthanded opponents to dump out the puck successfully 76.1 per cent of the time this season, which ranked 26th in the league. (The Maple Leafs have done a good job of disrupting the Senators’ clearing attempts, blocking four passes in the offensive zone.)
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Senators captain Brady Tkachuk told reporters after the team lost Game 2 in overtime Tuesday that “there’s not one ounce of panic (or) doubt in this locker room.” He has reason to feel that way; Ottawa has played well at 5-on-5, out-chancing Toronto 35-22. Scoring chances are 18-17 in the Maple Leafs’ favour at 5-on-5 when the score has been within one goal. (As Sportsnet’s Justin Bourne highlighted Wednesday, the Senators have not wilted after falling behind by multiple goals, either.)
But the Maple Leafs’ power play has put the team in control of the series. On Thursday, Toronto can claim its first 3-0 series lead since 2001, when it swept Ottawa out of the quarterfinal round.
The Senators are set to host their first playoff game since 2017, and the atmosphere inside Canadian Tire Centre is sure to be electric. A quick-strike power-play goal by the Maple Leafs, however, will zap the energy from the arena in a hurry.
“It’s (38) seconds that we’d like to have back,” Senators coach Travis Green told reporters. “We’d have four goals back. They scored three goals the first game within a few seconds of each penalty kill, so it’s hard to just sit there and say, ‘Hey, our penalty kill’s been a real problem.’ From the outside looking in, they’ve scored four power-play goals. (Tavares’ goal Tuesday was) a good example of them getting a bit of a bounce but them also going to the net and getting that bounce. They’ve deserved the goals.”
All stats via Sportlogiq
