Just a few weeks ago, the Toronto Maple Leafs seemed to find their greatest strength in what was once their biggest puzzle.
In the previous round, as the Leafs dominated early against the wild-card Ottawa Senators, their potent power play appeared to be the team`s most dominant feature. The five-forward group consisting of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, John Tavares, and Matthew Knies scored three goals against the Sens in Game 1, and astonishingly, achieved this in just 20 seconds.
By the conclusion of that six-game series, the power play unit had scored six times on 17 chances, ranking them third in the league for power-play efficiency in the first round. This marked a significant improvement from their weak 1-for-21 showing in the previous year`s playoffs.
However, the situation has changed. The Senators have been replaced by the reigning champion Florida Panthers, and Ottawa`s cautious penalty kill defense has given way to the Panthers` relentless pressure. Consequently, the Maple Leafs` power-play effectiveness has significantly diminished.
This issue was particularly evident in Sunday`s Game 4. While trailing 1-0 on the road and needing a win to put the Panthers on the verge of elimination, the Maple Leafs had three opportunities in the second period to deploy their all-forward power play unit and level the score.
Instead of generating quality scoring chances, the power play unit ended up having the opposite effect, shifting momentum towards Florida due to several short-handed scoring opportunities that required stellar saves from Joseph Woll.
Before the teams returned for the third period, veteran forward Blake Wheeler, who accumulated 255 power-play points over his 16-year NHL career, offered his opinion on the Maple Leafs` strategy during a Sportsnet intermission segment.
“I think I`m ready to see the Toronto power play unit shuffled slightly,” Wheeler commented. “The five forwards have certainly contributed in these playoffs, but they are conceding too much against Florida`s penalty kill. You`re starting to see it negatively affecting what Mitch Marner does effectively from the point. Also, we aren`t seeing Auston Matthews get his shot off as frequently as we`re accustomed to.”
“I`d truly like to see Morgan Rielly return to the top position,” he added. “Let`s create opportunities for Auston Matthews to use those one-timers we typically see. Mitch Marner`s primary role on the power play should be setting up plays, not consistently defending against Florida`s forwards.”
Undoubtedly, the unit has faced difficulties against the Panthers, who effectively neutralize power plays by aggressively pressuring the opponent, hounding the puck-carrier, and forcing uncharacteristic mistakes.
“You know, they are very effective at counter-attacking and capitalizing on your errors,” Marner stated on Tuesday from the Maple Leafs` practice facility locker room. “We just need to stick to our strategy and maintain patience. We`ve had scoring opportunities – we had them last game too, they just didn`t go in. But we are executing correctly. We must continue to work hard and position ourselves in advantageous areas.”
Tristan Blackwood