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SPORTSCENTRE Reporter

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 The Leafs and Capitals skated at the Air Canada Centre ahead of Game 6. 

- "How many left?" Mike Babcock asked reporters as he stepped to the podium for a news conference on Sunday morning. "Of us?" one puzzled reporter responded. "No, how many teams left?" There are ten teams left in the NHL playoffs after three series ended on Saturday. A reporter shouted out the correct answer. "There you go," Babcock said with a smile, "and then there was ten." The Maple Leafs coach has used the other playoff games as a motivational tool for his players throughout Toronto's battle against the Presidents' Trophy winners. Now, with four of the top seven teams from the regular season ousted, Babcock wants his group to believe they can be the next giant killer. Facing elimination is more fun than stressful, the coach insists. "If you're not loving this today or enjoying it, you shouldn't be in hockey," he said. 

 

As he walked out of the Verizon Centre after losing an overtime heartbreaker in Game 5, Babcock told arena staff he would see them in a couple days for Game 7. On Saturday, he didn't back down from those comments saying that in his heart and in his mind he knows his team will win Game 6. His players share that swagger. "We got to believe that way," said Nazem Kadri. "We believe the same way. We don't need much convincing. We understand that this is going to be our best game ... I think Washington's a beautiful city so I wouldn't mind going back." Babcock's bravado also made its way to the Capitals room. "You never think about the negative and that's something that we have in this room as well," said defenceman Kevin Shattenkirk. "We're ready to go home and say, 'Hello,' to the Verizon guys on Monday as well and get ready for series two."

 

- In order to extend the series, the Leafs probably need more from rookie sensation Mitch Marner, who has seen his ice time dip the last two games. "I haven't been playing the way I'm used to playing," Marner admitted, "throwing away the puck and not making plays with it. The coaching staff has (told) me to just have fun with the puck, play your game, don't change anything up and that's what I got to get back to." Despite his struggles, Marner has still produced four points in the series, which is tied for the team lead. And yet he's still not feeling like himself on the ice. "Kind of need to have more patience with the puck," he said. "I think I'm just trying to rush things and thinking too much right now. I just need to go out there and have fun and just relax a little bit." Babcock expects a big bounce-back performance from the 19-year-old, who was the Memorial Cup MVP one year ago. "No one loves hockey more than Mitch Marner and no one's more competitive than Mitch," the coach said on Saturday. "He'll be great (in Game 6). The other thing about Mitch is he's a big moment guy and he'll find it."

 

- Alexander Ovechkin insists he's feeling no ill effects from the big Kadri hit in Game 5. With Babcock owning last-change advantage on Sunday, he'll likely see more of Kadri and wingers Leo Komarov and Connor Brown. What does Ovechkin think of the match-up so far? "It's nice," the Capitals captain said. "We like to play against those guys. I don't know about them, but we feel comfortable to go and play all night long." So, they're not annoying? "They are, but it's the playoffs. I'm pretty sure we (are annoying) for them as well. As soon as we step on the ice they have to jump and play against us and I don't think it's fun." In the aftermath of Game 5 some Leafs players said they felt Ovechkin lost focus following the Kadri hit. They suggested that the Russian seemed to be more interested in physical play than scoring. Washington's coach certainly does not share that view. "I didn't think he looked too unfocused," Barry Trotz said. "He looked pretty driven and that's the greatness of Alex. You poke the bear, he's pretty driven. And I thought he was pretty focused and that's why I kept using him, because he had that look in his eye. They can say what they want, but he's on his game right now and he's going to be a force."

 

- The Capitals once again faced a series of questions about their history of playoff failures. Washington is 5-15 in potential close-out games during the Ovechkin era. "It's a big media thing," Trotz insisted. "This group doesn't really care what's happened in the past. They care about what's happening now." Trotz also pointed out that his group played well in clinching last year's first-round series in Philadelphia in Game 6. 

 

Washington is more concerned with a fearless Leafs team rather than the ghosts of past playoff letdowns. "When your back's against the wall you become very, very resilient and I'm expecting a very, very resilient Leafs team," Trotz said. "They've proved it all year. They've proved it in this series so we have to be very, very good tonight." Ovechkin echoed that sentiment. "They're young, but they're tough," the winger said. "They never stop so it's a challenge. It's going to be an interesting game."

 

- The Leafs have made improving their power play a key point of emphasis after generating just four shots on four opportunities on Friday night. Marner credits the Capitals penalty kill tactics. "They keep kind of switching it around on us and I think it's kind of messing with our mind a little bit," Marner revealed, "but we went over it a couple times and know what we have to do." Toronto's power play ranked second (23.8%) in the NHL in the regular season, but is seventh in the playoffs (17.6%). "We got to get the puck in the zone and get our speed back and threatening that we're going to go in with it rather than pass it around and dumping it in," Marner explained. 

 

- Lines at Leafs morning skate:

Hyman-Matthews-Nylander

Komarov-Kadri-Brown

van Riemsdyk-Bozak-Marner

Martin-Boyle-Kapanen

Fehr, Leivo 

 

Gardiner-Zaitsev

Hunwick-Rielly

Marincin-Carrick 

Smith-Marchenko

 

Andersen 

McElhinney

 

- Power play units at Leafs morning skate: 

Rielly

Marner-Kadri-Bozak

van Riemsdyk

 

Gardiner

Matthews-Komarov-Nylander 

Brown