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Quick Shifts: Why Maple Leafs’ shocker could catapult to big things – Sportsnet.ca

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A quick mix of the things we gleaned from the week of hockey, serious and less so, and rolling four lines deep. Is it Sunday yet?

1. “Today is a new day,” Sheldon Keefe announced in those few hours between the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 3-0 implosion and their 0-3 explosion.

That, in a nutshell, is the beauty and agony of sport and this one in particular.

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Each game is a clean page.

Each ending packs potential for a The Usual Suspects-level twist.

When Auston Matthews was stuck quarantined on his Arizona compound, keeping company with the team’s goalie and a pool basketball set, the superstar thought about that.

“Since our first year, it’s no secret — three years, kind of the same result,” Matthews said. “You’d love to get to that point again and change up the narrative, and we’ve been working our way to get to that point.”

They’re at that point now, boy.

Big home game. A shame the crowd will be too scattered for the Maple Leafs to hear.

Watch Sunday’s series-deciding Game 5 between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets on Sportsnet and SN NOW. Coverage gets underway at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT.

“The difference is going to be the team that wants it more,” Columbus Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno said Saturday.

Agreed.

Game 4 felt like it could be the franchise’s defibrillator moment.

“We were getting CPR for a little bit there, and we found our way back,” Keefe said post-game.

The coach was talking about the last 73 minutes, but he could’ve been talking about the last, what, 16 years? Twenty-seven years? Fifty-three years?

“To develop mental toughness, you need to go through experiences. Do you fall in fetal position or do you handle it head on? Do you succeed? Do you fail?” John Tortorella said.

The coach was talking about his own team, but he could’ve been talking about the 2019 Blues, the 2018 Capitals, or even his immediate opponent.

“It’s not from coaching; it’s from players experiencing certain situations. The mental part of the game, to me, far outweighs the Xs and Os of the game right now. We do try to coach it quite a bit, a lot more than Xs and Os. But then it falls on the players how they handle it.”

How the Maple Leafs and Blue Jackets turn the page in this newfangled qualification round’s only Game 5 will reveal much.

Blank canvas. Buckets of paint. What can you come up with?

“Pretty crazy 24 hours,” Keefe said. “What we’ve been through as coaches and players and staff and I’m sure fans, media, everything all the way around, it’s been a very interesting and unprecedented 24 hours.

“We’re really, really excited to play on Sunday.”

As sports fans, we’re excited to watch.

2. Curious if Canadiens fans are truly overjoyed they upset Pittsburgh or if they’d rather a 12.5 per cent shot at Alexis Lafreniere Monday might.

In the strangest of years, Pittsburgh — which finished with the NHL’s seventh-best points percentage (.623) and one win behind a bye team (Philadelphia) — now holds one-in-eight odds of landing a franchise forward.

The worst team in Monday’s lottery, Minnesota (.558) finished 21st. From both a competitive and image standpoint, the Wild is most in need of Lafreniere.

The Rangers’ left-wing depth would instantly become incredible if they won.

Nashville might finally generate elite-level scoring from someone who doesn’t also play defence.

Winnipeg — the original Team E — might be the most justifiable winner.

And if Edmonton or Toronto wins, Twitter might just explode into a zillion pixels.

3. It was hard not to swallow the lump in my throat watching Henrik Lundqvist go out the way he did, two playoff losses and a seat on the bench to see his incumbent, Igor Shesterkin, lose one more.

Longtime teammate Chris Kreider spoke with emotion after Game 3’s loss.

“He wants to win more than anyone,” Kreider said. “He battled his ass off like he always does.

“He deserved better from us.”

4. If you’re not following the Carolina Hurricanes on social media, you’re doing it wrong.

I feel like running through a wall for Rod Brind’Amour after his post-game speeches, and I’m not even on the team.

The Hurricanes fans saw the club off to the airport when they flew to Toronto, and the team has surprised their players with videos recorded by their loved ones. Wholesome stuff.

The Canes repaid their supporters with a decisive sweep of the Rangers. I wouldn’t want to face these guys next round.

“It’s obviously a crazy time, but we’re just really grateful to be able to do this and try to bring some happiness and joy to our fans,” Brind’Amour says. “They deserve some smiles, so hopefully we’re bringing that.”

Being the first team to clear the qualification round, Carolina has bought itself precious extra time to heal. The hope is to get Brett Pesce and Dougie Hamilton back in uniform.

Brind’Amour was asked if he’d watch some of the other series while he waits.

“Well, there’s not much else to do, so…” he replied.

“This is going to be tricky. I’ll be quite honest. We could have a week off. That’s probably the worst thing you could have when there’s not really anything to do. We’re gonna have to get creative and find things to keep the guys mentally sharp. The downtime is what kills you in this kind of setting.”

5. Players and coaches have been asked if they’d like the 24-team playoff format to stick, and the vast majority are in favour of the traditional 16-team bracket.

Yes, this has been a highly entertaining week.

But! Not only does allowing 75 per cent of the league to qualify for the post-season devalue the 82-game regular season, a five-round playoff results in more injuries and could weaken the calibre of hockey at the tail end. Sixteen wins is already a war of attrition.

Further, allowing weak teams to enjoy a hot week means running the risk of trying to promote the sport for two months without Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin after worthy seasons.

One prominent voice in favour of keeping the 24-team format is Islanders coach Barry Trotz, arguing that best serves the parity in the league.

Vegas coach Peter DeBoer prefers a Sweet 16 but could see a silver lining if the NHL widened its doors.

“If 24 teams made the playoffs every year,” DeBoer says, “a lot more coaches would keep their jobs.”

6. Matt Dumba continues to raise a fist. Ryan Reaves, Robin Lehner, Tyler Seguin and Jason Dickinson took a knee.

If one NHL team was to do it as whole, my money was on the Maple Leafs due to their player-driven initiative to wear BLACK LIVES MATTER T-shirts on the first day of camp and their tight organizational ties to the Toronto Raptors, doing the movement proud in Orlando.

Several Leafs, including alternate captain Morgan Rielly, have been effusive in their praise for Dumba’s courage and say they, too, believe change is imperative.

Yes, the Leafs players “definitely” discussed kneeling for anthems, Rielly says, but he believes action against systemic racism can take many forms.

Reading between the lines: some Leafs wanted to kneel. Others didn’t. They decided to act as one unit. So, they stand.

“It’s important that you try to respect that. You want to respect people’s opinion on things,” Rielly said. “In terms of what we’re going to do moving forward, we have to continue to talk about that as a team and as a group. We’re only going to move forward with certain things if we have everyone on board, and I think that’s important.”

When Sportsnet posted Dumba’s anti-racism speech on YouTube, significantly more viewers gave it a thumbs-down than a thumbs-up.

NASCAR walked with Bubba Wallace. Hockey isn’t there yet.

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7. Several players are saying that the questionable August ice at Scotiabank Arena has actually improved as the triple-headers have gone on. Much better than those early exhibition contests.

A dip in humidity no doubt helps. So has keeping the building temperature cold enough that reporters are wearing parkas and camera guys can be spotted in toques. I stayed for all three games once and began losing feeling in my typing fingers.

“The ice has gotten better the longer we’ve been here,” says Tampa’s Alex Killorn. “When there’s so many games being played in the same day — we know playing in Tampa the ice does get bad just because of the weather outside — you do have to keep things simple.

“You have to realize that sometimes when a puck’s coming your way you do have to be ready for it to bounce, because that could [result in] a chance against. You’re cognizant of it, but in playoff hockey you’re always trying to make smart plays on the ice.”

8. My little brother Jake is full of interesting thoughts and ideas. He started a blog that has nothing to do with sports, but this week he wrote something that fits:

During the return-to-play exhibition games, they weren’t funneling the canned EA Sports fan noise live into Scotiabank Arena; they added it in the studio for the TV audience only.

Since the games started counting, they switched it up. Now, that same hum of phony cheers and gasps is played loud enough for the players to hear.

I’m spoiled, of course, but I liked it better au naturel.

9. Despite the fake fan noise, one could clearly hear John Tortorella scream, “Are you [bleeping] kidding me?” from Section 307, Row 24 when Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno was called for this tripping penalty on Morgan Rielly:

Of course, the man-advantage helped complete the crazy comeback, resulted in Auston Matthews’ game-winning power-play strike.

Foligno never watched the replay and won’t complain. At least publicly.

“You just never want to be in that position to put your team in a bad spot. That’s on me,” Foligno said Saturday. “I’m not going to worry about what’s gone on in the past. I can’t change any of that. Take ownership of it, and you move past it.”

Perfect attitude less than 12 hours after an epic collapse.

“Our group’s resilient. If you’ve watched us at all this year, you’ve seen the things we’ve gone through. This isn’t going to faze us,” Foligno asserted. “It was an upbeat group at breakfast today, and we know we have a great opportunity in front of us.”

10. It’s only round robin and all that, but the Presidents’ Trophy champs — suddenly a No. 3 or 4 seed — are having issues exiting their own zone.

When most coaches don’t have interest in delving into their tactical details at this time of year, Boston Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy is happy to give a thoughtful, detailed response as to what he’s looking for in a breakout.

“That usually starts with creating some time and space for yourself. Second part of it is support. Who’s nearby? How long a pass is it? You have to thread the needle, or do you have good options? When there’s a breakdown with puck movement, the first thing you look at is, did the player just fail to execute, right? That one is pretty easy to analyze,” Cassidy said Friday.

“Other times it’s, OK, what happened? Why didn’t we make a play? Why did it take so long to develop? Where are the other four guys on the ice? Everybody should be an option. Obviously, option A and B are probably the ones you’re looking to first, but the other guys should be looking to their spots to get available.”

Interesting to me is that Cassidy believes the officials are calling more hold-ups than in most playoffs. To defend a strong forecheck, back-checkers will skate opponents out of forecheck angles, pushing the boundaries of an interference call. More whistles favours the team chasing the puck into the O-zone.

“They’re calling that tighter, so the puck carrier is a little more on his own [trying to break out],” Cassidy explained. “It’s not just us. I’m watching, seeing that a lot in games. Heavy forechecks are a little more successful right now.”

The solution?

“Ask our forwards to work a little harder. Or, maybe just punt it out. Try not to force anything, keep it a little safer,” Cassidy said. “It’s not as pretty to watch, but sometimes it can be as effective if you chase the puck down in the neutral zone.”

11. Shout out to Kevin Bieksa, whose analysis on Hockey Night in Canada has been a fantastic addition. Bordering on Tony Romo-esque.

Huge benefit having a guy who was so fresh from the league and has behind-the-doors knowledge that fans crave.

12. A little something for those wondering why it was worth all that effort to bring hockey back in the midst of a global pandemic…

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Cult of Hockey Player Grades: Strong 4-1 Edmonton Oilers win over L.A in possible 1st round preview – Edmonton Journal

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The Edmonton Oilers won a big divisional battle on Thursday, a 4-1 victory over the Kings creating a 5-point spread between Edmonton and L.A. in the Pacific. Vegas slides into 3rd place but is 4 back of the Oil.

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Edmonton won both ends of the specialty teams battle (PP ½, PK 2/2) and the goaltending showdown (Skinner over Talbot).

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L.A. had 33 shots on net…but they are volume shooters. Overall, a sound defensive performance by the home club.

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Here is the tale of the tape…

Edmonton Oilers Player Grades

STUART SKINNER. 8. Steady 1st from Skinner but without a lot of serious work. But he had to be very sharp early in the 2nd as the Kings pressed with 7 unanswered shots, making solid saves off Moore (2-on-1) and Lewis. Stuffed Kempe a few shifts later. With the game still 1-0 Skinner stoned Kempe and then Kopitar in tight. Those were tide-turning saves as just shifts later his mates scored the 2-0. Precious little chance on the 3-1, it was a bang-bang play after a turnover. Big glove save off a Roy point shot. Then helped close it out late in the 3rd with big stops on Dubois and a 1-timer off Kempe’s stick. Stopped 32 of 33. Named the game’s 2nd Star. Looked to be in playoff form.

CONNOR McDAVID. 9. Hit the 120-point mark for the 3rd consecutive season with the 1-0 in the first, knocking down a Mattias Ekholm point shot then back-handing it home for a 4v4 goal. Levelled a hard check on Lizotte late in the 1st frame. No call from the Zebras when he was dropped while cutting hard across the slot. Wins the faceoff after a bad icing by L.A. and ends up with the secondary assist on the 2-0. Earned the primary assist on Bouchard’s 3-0 goal with a pass from behind the goal line. A rare turnover in his zone with possession and the net empty at the other end but eventually cleared the zone on that series. Fought relentlessly through the Kings withering trap. Ended up +3. Named 1st Star.

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RYAN NUGENT-HOPKINS. 6. Fine defensive performance. An excellent clear on the 1st Period PK. Blocked shot and then a steal and clear on the same 3rd Period PK. Hard battle and clear of his own zone in the 3rd. Superb back-check forced an L.A. off-side.

ZACH HYMAN. 6. Good backhand chance from a 3-way passing play with Bouchard and McDavid. Could not convert a sneaky inside pass from Ekholm late in the 1st. Called for a 3rd Period Interference infraction. But then drew a slashing call leading to the 3-0. 5 shots.

DARNELL NURSE. 7. A tower of strength. High Dangers 6-2 5v5 on Darnell Nurse’s stingy watch. Delivered 7 hits to lead the squad. His elite-level speed was a definite edge over a team like the Kings with average boots by comparison. Both sides of this 1st pairing (tonight) were excellent.

CODY CECI. 7. His best effort in a long time. Ceci got a shot on net off a lovely Draisaitl pass in the 1st. The two teamed up in a similar fashion early in the 2nd. Showed particularly good patience deep in his own end and the net empty, found a lane, and drained a 193-foot shot right up the gut for the 4-1. High Dangers 5v5 5-2.

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LEON DRAISAITL. 8. Smart stick to end an L.A. sortie early in the 1st. Erased a pending Oilers PP with the tiniest slash on an L.A. player but it was ‘right’ in front of the referee. Just missed potting a bounce off the back boards on a shot-pass by Bouchard. Thumped Roy with hard hit mid-way through the 1st. A terrific pass to Ceci for a chance. Found Ceci again in the 2nd for a point-bank chance. Dangerous shot through a screen. A hard, power move behind the net leads to a pass throw at Henrique in front for the 2-0. Won the faceoff on the 3-0 and ultimately earned the secondary assist. Hard backcheck on Kempe. A spectacular backhand pass set up Henrique in the high slot. Had a rough night in the faceoff circle until it really mattered. Then, won 3 D-zine faceoffs with the Kings net empty, earning a primary assist on the 4-1 with his 3rd win. 3 assists, +3. 3rd Star.

ADAAM HENRIQUE. 7. “Go to the net, kids”. Henrique was rewarded for doing just that, on the ice with sparse seconds remaining in the 2nd after a bad Kings icing. A Draisaitl pass deflected off Henrique’s shoulder right at the top of the crease and in, sending dejected L.A. to the room with a 2-0 deficit after 2. Could not drain a hi-light reel pass from Draisaitl in front. 6 hits.

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WARREN FOEGELE. 5. Hard 2nd Period hit on Doughty. Worked hard on the fore check, responsible without the puck. Just did not have a lot of numbers to illustrate a good effort.

MATTIAS EKHOLM. 5. Earned the primary assist on the 1-0 with a point shot that McDavid converted. A fine pass up the middle for Hyman late in the 1st. A glaring giveaway behind his own goal line, leading to the 3-1. A rare night on the bad end of High Dangers 5v5 (4-6).

EVAN BOUCHARD. 8. He was excellent. Secondary assist on the 1-0. Sifted a hard pass off the back wall which Draisaitl nearly swept home for the 2-0. Excellent stick check of Kempe in front. A sweet pass up the middle to spring McDavid and Hyman on a break. Played a 2nd Period 2-on-1 expertly. Part of the sequence on the 2-0. Hammered home the 3-0, a one-timer high glove off a McDavid feed. It was his first since a goal versus L.A. back on February 26th. Involved in the 3-1 against but I had no problem with Bouchard’s decision to pinch in the neutral zone.

RYAN McLEOD. 5. Fine pass by Ryan McLeod led to a break between Kane and Perry. But his best work was without the puck. Very responsible. Sawed off in 5v5 CF. His speed in between Kane and Perry seems to work well.

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EVANDER KANE. 6. Set the tone for the game by thumping Drew Doughty with a heavy check in the first, whistled for a questionable trip on the play. Delivered another heavy hit on Englund when he returned. Crisp pass across to perry on a good chance on a 2-on-1. Kane finished up with 6 hits and a string North-South game.

COREY PERRY. 5. Career NHL game number 1,300. Good feed to McLeod in the 2nd who must missed. Tried to deke Talbot 5-hole on a 2-on-1 with Kane. 3rd Period blocked shot.

BRETT KULAK. 5. The far superior member of the Oilers 3rd pairing tonight. Bailed out his D-partner on a bad pinch as Kulak swept the puck away from the gaping Edmonton net. Sawed off on High Dangers 5v5.

VINCENT DESHARNAIS. 3. Struggled. Drew a 2nd Period slash. 2nd Period turnover with a soft pass behind his own net, a harbinger of bad things to come. Yet another giveaway led to point-blank shots by Kempe and Kopitar. Ill-timed pinch led directly to a Grade A chance against.

DEREK RYAN. 5. This line decidedly lost the shot-shares battle but all 3 were so solid defensively they still receiving passing grades. Good anticipation for an interception high in his own zone in the 2nd.

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MATTIAS JANMARK. 5. Hard play along the wall to earn a zone clear on the PK in the 1st. Clever deflection on a 3rd Period shorthanded chance. 4 hits. Coach trusted him out on the ice late to protect the lead.

CONNOR BROWN. 5. Nice zone clear on a 1st Period PK. Set up Janmark for a dangerous chance shorthanded.

Edmonton’s record now sits at 44-23-4, 92 points. They remain 2nd in the Pacific, opening up a 5-point gap between them and L.A., 4 points up on Vegas. And the Oilers have 2 games on hand on the Golden Knights, 1 on the Kings.

Prior to the game, Official Kyle Rehman was recognized for his 1,000th NHL game. We do not pull punches here when it comes to officiating. We also recognize meaningful accomplishments.

Find me on Threads @kleavins, on Instagram at LeavinsOnHockey, Mastodon at KurtLeavins@mstdn.social, and X @KurtLeavins.

Recently, at The Cult…

McCURDY: Are the Edmonton Oilers better or worse since the trading deadline?

STAPLES: Oilers show their grit in 4-3 win over Winnipeg Jets

LEAVINS: Oilers loss to Leafs begs important questions.

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Allen on trade to Devils from Habs: 'Sometimes you've got to be a little bit selfish' – Yahoo Canada Sports

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Jake Allen loved being a member of the Montreal Canadiens.

The hockey-mad market, the crackling Bell Centre on a Saturday night, the Original Six franchise’s iconic logo.

The 33-year-old goaltender is also realistic.

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With the Canadiens still in full rebuild mode — and two young netminders in Sam Montembeault and Cayden Primeau ready for more playing time — Allen could see the writing on the wall.

Desperate for help in their own crease, the New Jersey Devils asked Montreal about the veteran’s availability. But the team, general manager Tom Fitzgerald told reporters earlier this month, was initially on Allen’s no-trade list.

There wasn’t anything the Fredericton product disliked about the organization or city. The Devils simply appeared to have their crease set for years to come.

But when the club that finished with 112 points and made the second round of the playoffs in 2022-23 was badly hampered by poor play from Vitek Vanecek, Nico Daws and Akira Schmid — each netminder owned save percentages below .900 — the Devils circled back.

And Allen had changed his tune.

“Loved my time as a Hab,” he said of pulling on Montreal’s red, white and blue threads. “I always will cherish that. Put on probably the most special jersey in hockey, in my books. But you realize in your career, it doesn’t last forever.

“You’ve got to make decisions sometimes.”

Allen, who is signed through next season, eventually agreed to a deal that sent him to New Jersey ahead of the NHL’s March 8 trade deadline for a conditional third-round pick at the 2025 draft.

Apart from playing meaningful hockey on a team trying to claw its way back into the Eastern Conference playoff race, the swap gave him more runway to get his family settled in a new city instead of waiting to see what this summer’s crowded goalie market might bring.

“Sometimes you’ve got to be a little bit selfish,” said Allen, a Stanley Cup champion with the St. Louis Blues in 2019. “Look yourself in the mirror and wonder what’s best for you and your family.”

He’s been really good for his new team.

Allen was lights out in Tuesday’s first period against the Toronto Maple Leafs, making an eye-popping 25 saves in what would turn into New Jersey’s 6-3 victory.

So far he’s 4-2-0 with a .925 save percentage and a 2.51 goals against average in six starts for the Devils, who sit five points back of the East’s second wild-card spot.

“A real pro,” said interim head coach Travis Green.

Allen is a combined 10-14-3 in 2023-24 with a .900 save percentage and a 3.39 GAA. Across his 11 seasons with St. Louis, Montreal and now New Jersey, he’s 193-164-41 with a .908 save percentage and 2.75 GAA.

“Makes the saves we need to get some momentum back,” Devils captain Nico Hischier said. “If you have a solid goalie in the net, that makes your work easier.”

Allen is also 11-12 with a .924 and a 2.06 GAA all-time in the playoffs — a good sign for his new club should New Jersey manage to make the cut.

For now, though, he’s just enjoying being back in a post-season race.

“I thought this was a good opportunity to come in the rest of this year, play some games,” Allen said.

“It’s been a good start.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 28, 2024.

___

Follow @JClipperton_CP on X.

Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press

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Matthews game-time decision for Maple Leafs against Capitals with illness – NHL.com

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TORONTOAuston Matthews will be a game-time decision for the Toronto Maple Leafs against the Washington Capitals at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; SN1, MNMT) because of an illness.

“It’s going to be on how he feels throughout the day,” Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said.

The forward did not participate in Toronto’s morning skate. Max Domi took his place as the center on a line between Tyler Bertuzzi and Mitch Marner, a right wing recovering from a high-ankle sprain sustained March 7 and will be out the next two games.

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Matthews leads the NHL with 59 goals, one from becoming the ninth player in NHL history with at least two 60-goal seasons. He scored 60 in 73 games in 2021-22, when he won the Rocket Richard Trophy, Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award. He had one goal and nine shots in 23:44 of a 6-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday, which extended his point streak to five games (four goals, seven assists).

He missed one game this season with illness, a 7-0 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Dec. 16.

“Of course, it’s an adjustment when your best player is out of the lineup,” Domi said, “when anybody is out of the lineup, but I think we’ve done a great job all year of guys stepping up when they have to, and we just have to continue to do that.”

Toronto defenseman Morgan Rielly will miss his second straight game with an upper-body injury.

“He just remains day to day,” Keefe said. “We’re hopeful he’s going to bounce back here. The one thing that is good is once he gets through this day or two here, it’s not going to be a lingering situation. It’s not going to be an injury that’s ongoing. Once he’s past it, he’s past it so we just need to give him some time.”

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