breakfastmtn

Game 5 LET'S GOOOOOOOOO! Time to close it out!

It’s time for the Leafs to take advantage of home ice and end the series tonight. The crowd should provide a lift; hit and score early, and the building will be rocking. The Leafs have the best line in the series and a deep defense. At home, they should be able to control all the matchups and dictate the game. source

Projected Lineup:

Matthew Knies — Auston Matthews — Mitch Marner
Pontus Holmberg — John Tavares — William Nylander
Bobby McMann — Max Domi — Max Pacioretty
Steven Lorentz — Scott Laughton — Calle Jarnkrok

Morgan Rielly — Brandon Carlo
Jake McCabe — Chris Tanev
Simon Benoit — Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Anthony Stolarz
Joseph Woll

Scratched: Dakota Mermis, Philippe Myers, Nicholas Robertson, David Kampf, Ryan Reaves, Artur Akhtyamov

Injured: Jani Hakanpaa (lower body)

Status Report: Woll will dress as the backup after missing practice on Monday because of an illness.

Game 4 Let's GOOOOOOOOOOO!

The Toronto Maple Leafs have their opponent on the mat. They are staring down at a wounded animal. Time to sweep the leg or deliver some other violent final blow, lest they give the Ottawa Senators a hint of life.

Riding an eight-game win streak, they’ve already looked different. More controlled and composed. The transition from stretch run to divisional title to 3-0 Round 1 lead has been uncharacteristically smooth.

Now, it’s time to summon killer instinct. Do they have that finish him in them? source

Projected Lineup:

Knies — Matthews — Marner
Holmberg — Tavares — Nylander
McMann — Domi — Pacioretty
Lorentz — Laughton — Järnkrok

McCabe — Tanev
Rielly — Carlo
Benoit — Ekman-Larsson

Stolarz
Woll

Max Pacioretty will enter the lineup for the Toronto Maple Leafs, replacing Nick Robertson for Game 3 against the Ottawa Senators.

Pacioretty took reps with Max Domi and Bobby McMann during Thursday’s morning skate, while Robertson and David Kampf were among the extras. Robertson took an undisciplined penalty in Game 2 and Berube is looking for an emphasis on physicality with the Maple Leafs holding a commanding 2-0 series lead

The 36-year-old last played on February 8 against the Vancouver Canucks.

Projected Lineup:

Matthew Knies - Auston Matthews - Mitch Marner
Pontus Holmberg - John Tavares - William Nylander
Max Pacioretty - Max Domi - Bobby McMann
Steven Lorentz - Scott Laughton - Calle Jarnkrok

Jake McCabe - Chris Tanev
Morgan Rielly - Brandon Carlo
Simon Benoit - Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Anthony Stolarz (projected starter)
Joseph Woll

Game two LET'S GOOOOOOOOO!

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz is projected to start Tuesday’s Game 2 against the Ottawa Senators. Stolarz was granted a rest day Monday and did not attend practice, but participated in Tuesday’s optional morning skate.

Toronto is expected to run back the same lines from Game 1. Berube made an in-game adjustment, placing Pontus Holmberg with John Tavares and William Nylander, while Max Domi joined Bobby McMann and Nick Robertson, and it appears that the Maple Leafs will be sticking with these combinations entering Game 2. McMann-Domi-Robertson were Toronto’s second-most commonly-used unit during the regular season. source

Projected lineup:

Matthew Knies -- Auston Matthews -- Mitch Marner
Pontus Holmberg -- John Tavares -- William Nylander
Bobby McMann -- Max Domi -- Nicholas Robertson
Steven Lorentz -- Scott Laughton -- Calle Jarnkrok

Morgan Rielly -- Brandon Carlo
Jake McCabe -- Chris Tanev
Simon Benoit -- Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Anthony Stolarz
Joseph Woll

Scratched: Dakota Mermis, Philippe Myers, Max Pacioretty, David Kampf, Ryan Reaves, Artur Akhtyamov

Injured: Jani Hakanpaa (lower body)

Status report: The Senators lines reflected those used during their morning skate. ... The Maple Leafs will dress the same 18 skaters they used in their 6-2 win in Game 1. ... The Holmberg-Domi switch was foreshadowed after coach Craig Berube moved Holmberg up to the second line in place of Domi midway through Game 1.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are coming into the playoffs hot and healthy.

Shutdown defenceman Jake McCabe will suit up for the home team Sunday against the Ottawa Senators after 18 days of rest and recovery from an undisclosed upper-body injury suffered on April 2.

“Yeah, pumped. I’m ready to rock,” McCabe confirmed Saturday.

Less certain, but nevertheless encouraging, is the status of Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who participated in his first full team practice alongside partner Simon Benoit.

The Leafs want to see how Ekman-Larsson (upper body) responds from a hard skate before giving him the green light. source

Projected Lineup:

Knies - Matthews - Marner
Domi - Tavares - Nylander
McMann - Holmberg - Robertson
Lorentz - Laughton - Jarnkrok

McCabe - Tanev
Rielly - Carlo
Benoit - Ekman-Larsson

Stolarz
Woll

Update: Ekman-Larsson is in.

Nothing really on the line here for the team or individual stats but... did you want to see Philippe Myers(!) undress the entire Wings organization and score a highlight reel goal? Do you love it when defensive D-men score and the team mobs them like they won the scoring title? Get it here!

And that was the final game of the regular season. Bring on the Battle of Ontario!

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Ottawa Senators

Game 1: Senators at Maple Leafs, Sunday, April 20, 7 p.m. ET; ESPN2, Sportsnet, CBC
Game 2: Senators at Maple Leafs, Tuesday, April 22, 7:30 p.m. ET; ESPN2, Sportsnet, CBC
Game 3: Maple Leafs at Senators, Thursday, April 24, 7 p.m. ET; ESPN2, Sportsnet, CBC
Game 4: Maple Leafs at Senators, Saturday, April 26, 7 p.m. ET; TBS/Max, Sportsnet, CBC
*Game 5: Senators at Maple Leafs, Tuesday, April 29, TBD
*Game 6: Maple Leafs at Senators, Thursday, May 1, TBD
*Game 7: Senators at Maple Leafs, Saturday, May 3, TBD

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The Maple Leafs have won four straight and eight of their last nine games entering tonight. They are averaging 3.1 goals per game while allowing an average of 1.3 goals per game. They are locked into the playoffs and will face the Ottawa Senators. source

Projected Lineup:

Matthew Knies -- Auston Matthews -- Mitch Marner
Max Domi -- John Tavares -- William Nylander
Bobby McMann -- Pontus Holmberg -- Nicholas Robertson
Steven Lorentz -- Scott Laughton -- Calle Jarnkrok

Morgan Rielly -- Brandon Carlo
Simon Benoit -- Chris Tanev
Dakota Mermis -- Philippe Myers

Joseph Woll
Anthony Stolarz

Scratched: None

Injured: Jani Hakanpaa (lower body), Max Pacioretty (tightness), Jake McCabe (upper body), David Kampf (upper body), Oliver Ekman-Larsson (upper body)

Status report: The Red Wings did not hold a morning skate following a 5-2 win at the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday. ... Mrazek is likely to start and return after missing 11 games with an upper-body injury. ... The Maple Leafs will dress the same lineup they used in a 4-0 win at the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday. ... Defensemen McCabe and Ekman-Larsson each took part in Toronto's morning skate but will not play; McCabe will miss his seventh straight game and Ekman-Larsson his fourth, but coach Craig Berube said he is confident each will be ready for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Ottawa Senators.

Lots to see here! Marner's 100th point. Matthews 400th goal. Leafs clinch 1st in the Atlantic.