Leafs plan to get more physical with Tkachuk line

The Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers held optional skates at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday. 

Paul Maurice thinks the hype surrounding the Matthew Tkachuk line is a bit much. 

"They just play and then everybody's got two arms and two legs, so I don't think this is the greatest line in the history of hockey. I think we're in Toronto," the Panthers head coach said. "They had three points."

Tkachuk had three assists while Sam Bennett had a goal and an assist while Nick Cousins opened the scoring with a goal of his own in Florida's 4-2 Game 1 win on Tuesday.

It was only the latest big night for Tkachuk's unit. Boston Bruins coach Jim Montgomery cited that line as being the key factor in Florida's shocking seven-game upset in the first round. 

The Leafs have spent much of the time since Tuesday night looking at how they can slow down that trio. 

"At times we got a little too passive, so being more aggressive, more assertive with that line," said centre Ryan O'Reilly. "We got to initiate contact quicker. If we do that, no matter who you're playing against, it makes life difficult on them, so definitely a big focus for us."

"They're rolling," said defenceman Jake McCabe. "They get everything at the net. They're strong in front of the net. You got to pick up sticks and box out as best you can."  

Tkachuk and Bennett are beasts down low.  

"If we can anticipate what they're wanting to do behind the net and kind of be physical to break up that play, I think that will help us out," said Noel Acciari, who leads the playoffs with 49 hits. 

"Trying to end plays earlier," said defenceman Morgan Rielly of the focus. "Obviously, they like playing in behind the net, playing down low in the zone so it's important we're jumping pucks and we're quick to end plays."

The best defence, as always, is a good offence. 

"We just got to possess the puck," stressed Acciari. "We got to be a little better on the forecheck. We gotta want the puck." 

If the Leafs have the puck more the conversation can change quickly. Maybe the Auston Matthews line can steal the spotlight with a two-day break coming before Game 3. 

"The high end they have here is as good as any high end in the NHL," Maurice said. "If those guys are on, they are better than anybody. Like, they have those nights, right." 

"Most of it is kind of effort based," Matthews said of the Leafs adjustments. "Just urgency and those 50-50 battles were a big thing for us, so just resetting and coming out with the mindset that we got to be harder to play against." 

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Game 1 wasn't about one line. The Leafs, in general, weren't quite as locked in as usual. 

"We made mistakes the other night that we didn't make in the Tampa series and that's why we're still playing today is we didn't make those mistakes very often in the Tampa series," said coach Sheldon Keefe. "That's where we've gotten better. We're a much smarter team in terms of how we play, much more experienced, much more diligent that way ... We thought we beat ourselves in a lot of ways the other night, not to take away anything from Florida because they certainly played a great hockey game and made it tough on us, but there's some mistakes there."

On the game-winning goal late in the second period, McCabe got caught up ice and partner T.J. Brodie let 42-goal man Carter Verhaeghe get behind him for a breakaway. 

"I just can't join the rush there," McCabe said. 

McCabe, who is getting his first taste of playoff hockey after 504 regular-season games, has been on the ice for seven even-strength goals in seven games. 

"Up and down a little bit," he said of his play. "I'd like to be better. My best hockey is yet to come."

What does his best hockey look like? 

"Keeping pucks out of my net when I'm out there and having a good first pass and being strong against their best guys." 

McCabe and Brodie are entrusted with the tough matchups. 

"Their issues would be similar to our team in a lot of ways when things have not gone well, which is just not spending enough time on offence," said Keefe. "That would really be it. That's impacting them. They're defending too much which is wearing them down. Not on the offensive side nearly enough so they can't get any positive momentum, can't get going that way and it impacts their numbers and all those kinds of things pretty dramatically because the offence just hasn't been there. Defensively, they actually haven't given up much … it's offence that is lacking and that's an issue for our whole team."

McCabe has yet to produce a point in the playoffs. 

The Leafs have scored just two goals in each of their past three games. 

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In a rare move, O'Reilly skipped Wednesday's optional practice. 

"Thought it was good to get a break," the 32-year-old rink rat said. "It was a hard game last one and just kind of needed rest."

O'Reilly, who has seen his playing time decline in each of the last four games, was back on the ice for Thursday's optional skate. 

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The Leafs will make one lineup change for Game 2 with Sam Lafferty replacing Zach Aston-Reese on the fourth line. 

"He's got a lot of pace to his game," said Keefe. "We think that can help. That's really it, to be honest. We're looking to keep him involved. We first sat him and Aston-Reese together when we went 11 and seven [in Game 6 against Tampa Bay], but didn't intend to keep him out for the two games but that's just the way that it worked out ... The speed factor is one thing, getting [Alex] Kerfoot back on the left side is one thing. It's just kind of looking at those different factors."

The Panthers will not make any lineup changes, Maurice confirmed.

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This is uncharted territory for many Leafs, who have never advanced in the playoffs before. 

"Every team is different," O'Reilly said of the adjustment between series. "Every situation is different and, as a group, we were kind of feeling that one out a bit [on Tuesday] trying to see what it was going to be like, and it came around to bite us. It's different. You have to try and dictate right away and get back in it."

Keefe noted that the pace of Tuesday's game was quicker than the Lightning series, which was more of a grind game. 

"They have a lot of skill that executes at a high rate of speed," Keefe said of the Panthers. "When you make a mistake, the recovery time is not really there. They are making the play. They attack the net with a lot of urgency. Those are the kinds of things that happen a step quicker than it was in the previous series. It caught us. I think our guys will adjust to that."

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The Leafs are in the second round for the first time since 2004. The Panthers made the second round last season for the first time since 1996. 

"The pressure is far more extreme here," Maurice said. "There's danger in all extremes. Larry Murphy couldn't play in the league except for the three Stanley Cups he won after he left."

"The pressure isn't really there for us," said Panthers forward Sam Reinhart. "We're just showing up and playing."

Maurice is quick to point out there are some perks to playing in Toronto.  

"There's also, I think, a totally equal trade off in the scrutiny forces players to be more focused here," he noted. "You're not getting away with a tough night in Toronto." 

The Leafs got blown out in Game 1 of their series against the Lightning and hit back with a blowout win of their own in Game 2. 

"Last series in Game 2, we had a good response and that was our Maple Leafs hockey, and we want have that same mentality going into tonight’s game," said Acciari. 

"The advantage is Toronto right now, right," Maurice said. "They got a little more fire. Our job is to go out and re-establish our game."