Well, that’s a lot to unpack.
Any way you slice it, the Leafs grabbed a 1-0 series lead in Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Jay Rosehill and I were on location at GRETA BAR YYZ for the Tuesday edition of Leafs Morning Take. Naturally, we kicked of the show by talking Sam Bennett. Rosey thinks he did nothing wrong, I vehemently disagreed. Honestly, it was a show-long debate. You give a player like Sam Bennett an inch, he’s going to take a mile. How does Max Domi get a cross-checking penalty in the first period for doing NOTHING and Bennett skates away scot-free? Make it make sense!
After we got exhausted talking about that, we did talk about the actual hockey game itself. All in all, that was a picture-perfect start for Craig Berube’s bunch. Yes, things got a tad hairy, but at the end of the day, they found a way to win the game. Unfortunately, all the conversation is about the Bennett/Stolarz situation and not the fact that Toronto was able to give Florida a dose of its own medicine in Game 1. William Nylander led the way with two goals and an assist. Additionally, the Leafs got two more goals from their blue line and are now up to seven in seven playoff games. Meantime, we thought Joseph Woll was shaky in relief, but in the long, it’s hard to blame him for that. We’ll see what happens moving forward – because the Leafs haven’t ruled Stolarz out for Game 2 – but they will need Woll to play better. That goes without saying. On top of that, Bobby McMann had a solid outing, so did Max Pacioretty. Bottom line: The Leafs are finding different ways to win. Meantime, as expected, discipline was a big story —clearly. Toronto’s power play looked awful going 0-for-5 and will need substantial adjustments moving forward. At the end of the day, they won the game, and that’s the most important aspect to draw.
Meantime, for the CRISPI HOT TAKE OF THE DAY, presented by the Ninja Crispi 4-in-1 Portable Glass Air Fryer, Producer Vick brought the heat yet again stating that he thinks Joseph Woll will lead the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Stanley Cup Final. Hot damn.
Be sure to join us on the Wednesday edition of Leafs Morning Take for a full preview of Game 2 as the Leafs look to grab a 2-0 series lead. Also, Ray Ferraro will drop by the show once again.
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