From kristen_shilton: Leafs look to shut down McDavid, Oilers in second meeting. MORE:
“A lot of attention gets put on our guys who produce a lot and at a high rate, and we certainly need those guys to produce,” said Keefe after the Leafs’ practice on Sunday. “But you also need balance; you need the other guys to contribute at different times. Even our fourth line.
“I think it’s been great,” Matthews said of the offence coming together. “I feel like all four lines are contributing and obviously depending on the night, one line is maybe contributing more than others, but when we’re balanced and everyone is involved, it’s pretty hard to contain.”Travis Dermottagainst the New York Islanders on Saturday. Knowing that offence can come from anywhere these days takes some of the pressure off the Leafs top point-getters, allowing them to play the game more freely.
Edmonton is tied for the third-fewest goals scored at even strength in the NHL since Dec. 1, while Toronto has scored the second-most goals at 5-on-5 in that stretch . But Edmonton does have the best power play in the NHL , accounting for nearly a third of the total goals they’ve produced this season.
Toronto was up to the task in Edmonton last month, holding McDavid and Draisaitl to a combined one assist. Keefe admitted he doesn’t remember all the details of how the Leafs excelled in that 4-1 victory – that’s what Sunday afternoon’s review session was for – but one detail in particular stuck out.
“The neutral zone is a key part of the game, especially with McDavid and Draisaitl and some of the other shooters that they have,” Tavares said. “So you don't want to give them anything easy. Have a good gap, don’t give them space to generate the speed they can and then obviously they can make plays at a very high speed and very quickly and create opportunities out of nothing, so being able to control the neutral zone [is key] and obviously, when we have the puck it best suits us.
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