The Leafs will host the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions in Saturday's Game 7 as they endeavour to finally flip a post-season script littered with infamous collapses and missed opportunities.
“That's the perfect way to describe Game 7s,” Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe said Friday of his best player's comments before the Leafs flew home. “It requires an all-in effort. You've got to put everything you have into the game.Mark Giordano smiled when asked about Matthews' blunt words.
The core of this Leafs group - Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and Morgan Rielly - has now had eight chances over the last five playoffs to beat an opponent in an elimination game.The Leafs could have altered the narrative in Game 7 last spring at home against the Montreal Canadiens - the rink was empty save for 550 health-care workers because of COVID-19 restrictions - but fell flat to put a dubious exclamation point on a blown 3-1 series lead.
Toronto has also fought back from 2-0 deficits over the last two games versus Tampa, winning Tuesday at Scotiabank Arena before coming up short in Thursday's overtime thriller. Acquired from the Seattle Kraken before the trade deadline, Giordano remembers the buzz of the last Game 7 in Toronto some 18 years ago when the Leafs topped the Ottawa Senators in the first round.
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