Leafs, Maurice agree that it's only a matter of time before Matthews scores
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The Maple Leafs held a media availability at their hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on Saturday. The Panthers held an optional practice at the Baptist Health Iceplex.
Leafs centre Auston Matthews is still looking for his first goal of the second round.
"I'm not too worried about him," said linemate Matthew Knies. "I think he's doing the right things. He's getting looks."
On the first shift of Friday's game, Matthews deflected a shot off the crossbar, which Knies then deposited into an empty net. Matthews also assisted on a goal by defenceman Morgan Rielly in the third period. He has three assists in the three games so far against Florida.
"He's getting chances, so it's bound to fall for him," Knies added.
Entering Saturday's slate of games, Matthews ranked second in playoff shots (32). He's also leading the league in shots that missed the net (20).
"Obviously, he's a great scorer," said coach Craig Berube. "We all know that. I'm not too worried about it. I mean, it is what it is. Like, yeah, he needs to hit the net. He's trying to hit the net. He's not trying to miss the net. He's trying to hit the net. So, you know, I'm not going to elaborate on that too much."
Matthews scored twice in the first round series against the Ottawa, including a power-play goal in the clinching game.
Even though the goals haven't fallen for him as frequently as usual, Matthews continues to make a positive impact. Entering Saturday, he was third in blocked shots among all forwards in the playoffs. He made a diving clearance during a penalty kill late in Game 3. Matthews is also winning 57 per cent of his faceoffs.
"He's playing all over the ice extremely well," said winger Max Pacioretty. "And, as a teammate, that's what you notice, first and foremost. So, it'll come ... For us in that room, it's not about looking at the stat sheet and the goal column. It's what you do all over the ice and doing the little things to help the team win. And eventually all those numbers seem to sort itself out."
The Leafs are outscoring the Panthers 6-3 with Matthews on the ice so far in the series (5-2 in 5-on-5 play).
The Panthers certainly don't think they've done anything special to contain the three-time Rocket Richard Trophy winner.
"He’s always creating whether or not he’s on the scoreboard," said defenceman Aaron Ekblad. "We see that and it’s a tough job for sure."
"He’s got the puck on his stick, I’m not feeling very good about it behind the bench," said coach Paul Maurice. "It doesn’t go, I feel a lot better about it. It’s the opposite emotions with Sam Reinhart. He cracked that bar last night on the power play. They’re playing the same game. It’s inevitable for both players. They’re both going to score."
Reinhart, who led the Panthers with 39 goals in the regular season, scored his first goal of the series in Game 3.
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The Matthews line is outscoring Florida's top line 4-1 in the series, which is no small feat considering Aleksander Barkov and Reinhart were both nominated for the Selke Trophy this season.
Matthews, Knies and Mitch Marner started the game so well on Friday that Maurice felt compelled to switch the matchup and have the line of Anton Lundell, Brad Marchand and Eetu Luostarinen soak up shifts against Matthews.
The move did seem to slow Toronto's momentum, although Maurice downplayed the significance of the matchup change. So did his counterpart.
"Does it have an effect on the game? Yeah, it can," Berube said. "But I was okay the way the matchups were yesterday. I mean, it is what it is. You try to do your best on the road to get what you want, but I didn't feel that had a huge impact."
Rielly's tying goal in the third came after Knies won a puck battle with Marchand, but Toronto's youngest player didn't feel his line reacted as well as they could have to the switch.
"They're pretty defensively sound," Knies said. "Three hard workers who do the simple things, make it hard on you, make it difficult. They did a good job. We've got to prepare for that better as well. We'll change some things up and hopefully we can kind of change the result."
The change by Maurice seemed to jumpstart the Barkov line, which ended up seeing a lot of Toronto's second line.
"They think the game so well," said centre John Tavares, who saw a lot of Barkov down the stretch. "I think two of them are up for the Selke, no? They think the game extremely well. They have great instincts. Great sticks. They knock pucks down. They tip pucks. They just make it difficult to make plays. That’s the challenge of playing in the playoffs, playing against top players, top teams, and find your way through that."
Barkov and Reinhart each scored in Game 3.
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Anthony Stolarz is "progressing in the right direction" according to Berube, but the Leafs goalie still has not skated since getting hurt in Game 1.
Stolarz was injured after taking a Sam Bennett forearm to the head on Monday. He remained in the game for a few minutes before vomiting at the bench and departing for the hospital.
Joseph Woll has allowed 11 goals on 84 shots (.869 save percentage) in two and a half games since taking over in net.
The Panthers scored five goals on Woll during their overtime win on Friday. How did he feel about his game?
"Good," he said. "I did the same thing I always do and just came out on the wrong side."
"He was really good," said Berube. "I mean, I don’t love the fourth goal, but other than that, I thought he was solid."
The fourth goal was a Tomas Nosek shot from distance off the rush, which deflected slightly off Jonah Gadjovich.
Rookie Dennis Hildeby dressed as the backup goalie in Game 3. Two-time Stanley Cup champion Matt Murray, who backed up Woll in Game 2, did not dress on Friday due to illness.
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While Stolarz has been praised for his puck-handling prowess, it's not a skill that has come as easily for Woll, who is doing his best to help the Leafs defence deal with Florida's forecheck. The Panthers are doing a good job of keeping the puck high when they dump it in.
"It's difficult," acknowledged Berube. "A lot of those rims are up. They're not on the ice, and that's designed. If they can get a good lick on it, they're going to put it on a glass. It's a pretty tough for him to come out and play those. He did get to a lot of them. They're coming hard. We know that. He's going to have to move it quick, make a decision quick and move it. That's the bottom line."
An understandably disappointed Woll brushed aside questions about puck handling after the game.
"Getting it to our defencemen and players," he said when asked about the key for him.
A Woll misplay early in the third period nearly led to a goal, but Lundell fired his shot wide.
Even when Woll is able to get to the puck, the Panthers are doing a good job of taking away his options.
"Everyone’s staying tight together and we’re using our speed," said Panthers winger A.J. Greer. "Being quick on the forecheck is one thing, but [it's about] being positionally sound and staying tight together so when they do move the puck we’re a step away from that guy receiving the puck and being on top of them."
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The Leafs squandered leads of 2-0 and 3-1 before rallying from 4-3 down to force overtime on Friday. But Brad Marchand scored in the extra frame to get the Panthers back in the series.
Berube's message to his players as they look to regroup ahead of Sunday's game?
"We knew it was going to be a long series," he said. "We were always prepared for a long series, and we have an opportunity to go into Game 4 tomorrow and get a split, and that's what we've got to focus on."
Temperatures in south Florida hit 30 degrees on Saturday and this environment makes it a little easier to turn the page.
"Recharge the batteries out in the sun," Pacioretty, 36, said with a smile. "I definitely feel a difference. Maybe that comes with the older age, but I definitely feel a difference when you go out in the sun, maybe hop in the ocean. Yeah, I definitely see a benefit in that."
The Leafs did not go to the rink on Saturday.
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The day off may benefit Chris Tanev more than anyone. Per NaturalStatTrick.com, the Leafs defenceman has taken the most hits (71) in the playoffs.
"He's really good at absorbing the check and making those plays," said defenceman Simon Benoit. "He's been doing it for such a long time, and he's just impressive how he does it. He blocks shots. He puts his body on the line."
Where does Tanev rank in terms of his toughest teammates all-time?
"He's up there," Benoit said with a smile. "He's got to be up there, like, top one."
Tanev is tied for third in blocked shots (25) in the playoffs entering Saturday's games.
"He's a stud back there," said Knies. "I think he's always watching. He's thinking ahead, making the play and getting the puck out of his own zone, and blocking shots. That's what it takes to win."
Tanev was crushed by forechecking Panthers winger Carter Verhaeghe in the first period on Friday, but was able to get the puck to his partner Jake McCabe, who broke the puck out. Moments later, Tavares scored.
"He’s as tough as they come," McCabe said. "He’s so steady. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to win. We’re lucky to have him."
But there are signs that Tanev is wearing down. He winced and stayed down for a moment after a big hit in Game 2. In Game 3, he left the game in the third period and missed a few shifts before returning. Berube insisted that absence was equipment related.
"He's an old school type of guy," Berube said. "He's a warrior. He's a competitive person. Like, he's right up there with, you know, all the ones that have been around, laying his body on the line every night, whether it's a block, taking a hit to make a play. I mean, you name it. He's going to lay it on the line."
Does the 35-year-old need to be more selective, though, in the spirit of self-preservation?
"I don't know," Berube said. "He's done this for a long time. So, you know, I'm not going to talk to him about changing."
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Evan Rodrigues spoke to the media for the first time since being assessed an embellishment penalty in Game 2. The Panthers winger was hammered into the boards from behind by Leafs centre Scott Laughton and needed to go to the dressing room for attention.
"I didn’t find out until after the game, to be honest," Rodrigues said. "I didn’t have a clue. I figured there was coincidental roughings. I couldn’t believe it. My brother texted me and I was shocked. You know, the game was over at that point and you move on and get ready for Game 3."
Laughton got a double minor for roughing while Nate Schmidt received a roughing call for jumping in to confront Laughton. The teams played 5-on-5 when the dust cleared.
Maurice said that he didn't get an explanation for the call on Rodrigues.
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Leafs lines in Game 3:
Knies - Matthews - Marner
Pacioretty - Tavares - Nylander
Lorentz - Laughton - Jarnkrok
McMann - Domi - Holmberg
McCabe - Tanev
Rielly - Carlo
Benoit - Ekman-Larsson
Woll starts
Hildeby
Panthers lines in Game 3:
Rodrigues - Barkov - Reinhart
Verhaeghe - Bennett - Tkachuk
Luostarinen - Lundell - Marchand
Greer - Nosek - Gadjovich
Forsling - Ekblad
Mikkola - Jones
Schmidt - Kulikov
Bobrovsky starts
Vanecek