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SPORTSCENTRE Reporter

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TSN Toronto Reporter Mark Masters reports on the Maple Leafs, who held a media availability on Friday before travelling to Montreal for Saturday’s Game 6 against the Canadiens.

Auston Matthews scored seemingly at will during the regular season – 41 goals in 52 games – running away with the Rocket Richard Trophy. But through five playoff games against the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto's top-line centre has just one goal. Zach Hyman also has just one goal while Mitch Marner is still looking for his first of the series. 

"We'd like to get Auston some cleaner looks at the net," acknowledged coach Sheldon Keefe. "A lot of the best looks have come [from] Mitch and Hyman and Auston hasn't been able to get as many clean looks. That is something for us to continue to look at both in what we can do with that line or if we are able to move some things around."

With John Tavares (knee, concussion) and Nick Foligno (lower body) sidelined, there's an increased onus on the top line to generate offence. The goals haven't flowed, but Keefe is quick to point out the trio of Hyman-Matthews-Marner is having a big impact on the series. 

"These guys haven't given up anything despite playing the most minutes," noted Keefe, "despite spending a lot of time against really good players and really good matchups and despite having to take faceoffs in their own end, which a lot of top lines don't necessarily do." 

The Leafs have outscored the Canadiens 3-0 when their top line is on the ice in five-on-five play. 

Matthews has fired 25 shots on Carey Price. 

"The other team's goaltender has a say in it as well and that's been a major factor," added Keefe. 

Matthews had an 18.5 shooting percentage in the regular season. 

"Price is a great goalie and he's been playing really well," said Hyman. "We have to make his life difficult. The goals that we scored [in Game 5], if you watch them all, they're all net-front stuff, guys in front, dirty plays, tips so that's how we got to beat him."

There were no signs of frustration when Matthews met with the media following Thursday's overtime loss. 

"We're hunting pucks good and trying to stay above them, forcing turnovers and trying to attack the net as much as possible," the 23-year-old said. "I think we just want to continue to do that. We're getting chances so just bear down and try to capitalize. We just want to continue to play the way we've been and give our team momentum."

The Matthews line helped spark Toronto's comeback from 3-0 down in Game 5 as Hyman scored Toronto's first goal off a scramble in front. Marner and Matthews picked up the assists. 

"We were moving it well," said Hyman. "We generated a bunch off of the cycle and then obviously on the rush. We're all over it. You know, we're just looking to break through here."

Hyman missed the last 11 games of the regular season due to a knee injury and seems to be getting more comfortable with each passing game. 

But Montreal's top line is also finding its way after Brendan Gallagher, Phillip Danault and Tomas Tatar all dealt with injuries down the stretch. Per NaturalStatTrick.com, shot attempts between the Leafs and Canadiens were equal in the nine minutes and 37 seconds that Matthews and Danault shared the ice in five-on-five play on Thursday. Plus, Danault won nine of 13 faceoffs against Matthews.  

"We did great," said Tatar. "We are put on for a lot of defensive-zone faceoffs, which Phil was tremendous [on] and me and Gally created a lot of battles out there, which makes it tougher. We didn't spend as much time in our zone too. Actually, we were able to produce some scoring chances so we have to [stick with] the same strategy tomorrow and make it as tough as possible for them."

As the series shifts back to the Bell Centre where Montreal coach Dominique Ducharme owns the last-change advantage, Matthews should see even more of that line.  

Toronto's depth players want to make sure they back up the big boys as the pressure builds. 

"Hockey's truly a team sport," said veteran forward Jason Spezza. "We have to help those guys. We can't be on for goals against. We have to give them opportunities to win games and they'll do the rest, because they're elite players ... I know everybody likes to see the gaudy offensive numbers to justify your play, but those guys have played very well for us all series."

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William Nylander leads the Leafs in goals (four) and points (seven) in the playoffs, but is only averaging 16 minutes and 20 seconds of ice time per game, which is actually down slightly from the regular season (16:36). It is also much less time than what the top line gets. Matthews, Marner and Hyman are all logging more than 22 minutes per game in the playoffs. 

"He doesn't play on that line so that's the first part of it," said Keefe in explaining the discrepancy. "That line gets a lot of difficult assignments and key faceoffs and [shifts] coming out of timeouts and stuff like that." 

Nylander did get double shifted at times in Game 5 as the Leafs tried to climb out of an early hole. 

"Willy has a tendency to keep the shifts a lot shorter than some other guys and, over the course of the game, that's going to create some discrepancy," Keefe noted.

Nylander averages 41 seconds per shift in the playoffs, which is 10 seconds behind what the top-line trio is averaging. Nylander had 27 shifts on Thursday while Matthews had 30. 

Keefe could look to find Nylander some more minutes via special teams. The Leafs have used two balanced power-play units for much of the series and Nylander is part of the second group.  

"It is just simply a matter of how the roles on the power play come together and who plays in which spots," Keefe said. "Those types of things are really what it has been about. Really, that’s it."

Nylander plays on the flank as part of the second group. He usually plays down low in the zone when he's on the top unit. 

During Toronto's lone power play on Thursday, the first unit featured Morgan Rielly up top, Matthews and Marner on the flanks, Hyman in front of the net and Joe Thornton in the bumper spot.

"We have liked having the two groups," Keefe said. "We are looking at different things there. The fact that we have lost John, who plays a primary role in the middle of the ice as a left-handed player, is something we think is really important on that power play. That is something that has led us to give Joe [a lefty] a little bit more time there."

The second unit featured Jake Muzzin, Nylander, Spezza, Alex Kerfoot and Wayne Simmonds. The Leafs scored their second goal shortly after the power play expired with that unit still on the ice. 

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Jack Campbell allowed four goals on 30 shots on Thursday night. It was the first time he allowed more than three goals in a game since April 10. 

"I just can't give up three in regulation," he said. "I've got to be better and I will be."

Campbell has been pretty hard on himself in the past, which is something he's worked on this season while adapting to a heavier workload. With that in mind, it was notable to hear him also take some blame for the overtime winner by Nick Suzuki, which came on a 2-on-0 rush. 

"I just got to make the save on that," Campbell said. "I was a little aggressive so I'll learn from it."

This series represents Campbell's Stanley Cup playoff debut and now the 29-year-old is facing his first dose of adversity. 

"He was playing at a really high level for us," said Keefe. "He's earned the opportunity and the trust that he will bounce back."

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What was missing early in Game 5? 

"They were desperate and they won every battle and we weren't ready for it," said Muzzin, who lifted the Stanley Cup with Los Angeles in 2014. "We have to be hungrier earlier."

The two Cup champions on Toronto’s roster are calling for more urgency. 

"We need to go into Montreal tomorrow and play Game 6 like it's our Game 7," said defenceman Zach Bogosian, who won a title with Tampa Bay last year. "It's got to be our best game."

The Lightning clinched the Eastern Conference Final and Stanley Cup Final in six games last year after having dropped Game 5. 

"I don't think we need to focus on Game 7 or changing any sort of mindset or anything like that," said Keefe. "We have to focus on playing our game and playing at our best. That is really it. When we have done that, we have been very good in this series. We have been in control of things. We didn't have a good game last night. Credit to Montreal. They have found another level. We dropped a level. That is not acceptable and we paid for it."

Toronto's defensive discipline wavered in Game 5 as a few costly turnovers led directly to Montreal goals. 

"They scored three unassisted goals last night," Keefe said. "Two were actually unassisted but, to me, the OT winner is an unassisted goal as well. That is three out of their four goals. That just speaks to the fact that we gifted them offence. That is something we can't afford to do in the playoffs."

And while much of the focus after a loss is on what can be improved, Spezza said there's lots that the Leafs can build on from the effort. 

"All year we've responded to things," the 37-year-old stressed. "I think last night was a great sign for our club. A lot of teams would've just gone away once we got down, knowing you got two more cracks to close the series out so it showed the fight in our group and the spirit in our group. That's something that's been really prevalent in our locker room this year is just the spirit we have and the drive and wanting to win games and stop losing streaks and fight right to the end of games. I think that's probably where we draw our confidence from is knowing we've responded well in the past."

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For the first time since the pandemic began in March 2020, fans will be allowed into an arena to watch an NHL hockey game in Canada. The Canadiens will have 2,500 supporters at the Bell Centre on Saturday. 

"The good news for us is we've played in front of people before so we should be comfortable with it," Spezza said with a laugh. "It's a great step towards what the future may hold here in terms of getting back to normal. It will add a little more to the excitement of the game, which we welcome as players." 

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Foligno skated again on Friday. 

"It was another positive day for him," said Keefe. "He remains day-to-day. We will have to make a decision on him tomorrow."

The Leafs have a morning skate scheduled at the Bell Centre on Saturday.