'It’s the most exciting hockey you’re going to play in your career, the most fun you’ll have as a pro athlete.' Leafs, Lightning catch playoff fever morning of Game 1 Via sunhornby
For Schenn, who rejoined the Leafs via the trade deadline in March, it’s his first playoff appearance for the club, 11 years after he departed.There was little drama in these teams matching up or the Game 1 lineups, as both were destined for a rematch of last year’s seven-game set, won by Tampa, from around the February all-star break.
Much of the Lightning’s roster that won two Stanley Cups in ’20 and ‘21 and lost to Colorado in last year’s final has gradually changed, with Ondrej Palat, Yanni Gourde and Ryan McDonough exiting. But the Bolts retain core stars Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, Braden Point, Alex Killorn and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy and added new talent.
“You go into a series on a high, good vibes, but you don’t know exactly what’s going to happen,” said Lightning coach Jon Cooper. “We have a great group here and a special opportunity,” Leaf captain John Tavares said. “You see the highlights last night and you get excited.”
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