Leafs Dominate Game 3
from Luke Fox of Sportsnet,
When your most dangerous players get nullified at even-strength by one of the most effective shutdown trios in hockey, it’s up to the role players to elevate and make an impact.
Such was the case in Game 3 of this seesaw series rocking back and forth between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning, where the only safe bet from game to game or period to period is that the players decked out in blue and white will dominate.
With special teams again impacting (but not deciding) the outcome, a couple of unsung forwards on the visiting side, Colin Blackwell and David Kämpf, provided cherished 5-on-5 goals, pushing the Leafs to a 5-2 victory on enemy ice.
On the strength of coach Sheldon Keefe’s balanced bottom six, they swiped home-ice
On the strength of coach Sheldon Keefe’s balanced bottom-six — 83 per cent of whom were acquired via trade or free agency by GM Kyle Dubas — the Leafs dug in to swipe home-ice advantage back Friday as swiftly as they fumbled it away Wednesday.
“It just so happens at this time of year, you need some guys to step out of character a bit. Tonight, that was the case,” Keefe said. “You need guys to make plays, step up.”
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Highlights are below....
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