The MapleLeafs lost Game 1 not because they played poorly, but because they played right into the BlueJacketsNHL's strengths, writes jtbourne. But there's one small adjustment Toronto can make that would unlock their offence in Game 2. ⬇
A lot of my analysis from Sunday night centred on the theme of the Leafs needing to “get inside.” Because Columbus is structured, they’re content to keep their opponents out on the yellow paint, where coaches like to say “If they get shots from there that go in, we’ll change the goalie, not the system.” They don’t let much through that inside ice, thanks to diligent switching, hard work and good communication.
Maybe he can’t get all the way up in the play there, but even pressing the middle draws defenders toward you and away from others. Mid-lane drives have their own gravity. In the third clip, on the O-zone possession, the Leafs run a stand F/D scissor play, which is really everything Columbus is OK with.But hey – that Columbus forward has no stick. If you go right at him and through to the inside, some decisions have to get made defensively .
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