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Maple Leafs could make major changes for Game 4

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The Toronto Maple Leafs snatched victory from the jaws of defeat on Saturday night in Game 3 of their Round 1 Stanley Cup Playoffs series against the rival Tampa Bay Lightning, overcoming a 3-2 deficit to tie the score late in regulation and later celebrate in overtime thanks to veteran defenseman Morgan Rielly’s goal. 

It’s a critical Game 4 for both teams tonight, as the Leafs can seize a 3-1 stranglehold heading back home for Game 5 on Thursday night. But you can bet that the Lightning have absolutely no intention of having that potential scenario become reality. They’ve advanced to the Stanley Cup Final three years straight, winning two titles, and definitely will not go down without a fight.

In the meantime, the Leafs could be icing a different lineup tonight. According to head coach Sheldon Keefe, there will be many game time decisions among his players, though he declined to specify exactly who.

What’s more, forwards Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner could once again be split up as they were for a brief time in Game 3:

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Jon Cooper drops popular song title when describing Tampa’s mindset

NHL.com

The Tampa Bay Lightning have been in this situation before, and they’ve found ways to overcome it. 

Right now, they trail their Round 1 Stanley Cup Playoffs series against the rival Toronto Maple Leafs two games to one after losing a heartbreaking overtime affair in Game 3 Saturday night that was highlighted by a wild brawl in the 3rd period coupled with Ryan O’Reilly’s game-tying goal with just over a minute left in regulation. 

But instead of getting down on themselves for blowing an opportunity to gain the upper hand in the series, the Lightning instead are going about their business with the usual swagger that’s helped them advance to the Stanley Cup Final three years in a row. 

According to head coach Jon Cooper, his team will be out for revenge in tonight’s Game 4 with a particular mindset taken from the popular song.

“There was more anger than, like, depression,” Cooper said of his team’s mindset after the loss. “There was no, like, ‘I can’t believe we lost that.’ They have a little eye of the tiger going in them now.”

The Lightning controlled the play for most of Saturday night, but still came up short on the scoreboard. Cooper explained that the Bolts simply need to maintain their compete level while also being “a little bit better”. 

“I thought we played hard, we competed hard,” Cooper said. “When you do that, usually good things happen. We were skating. We’re being pretty physical. We were on top of things. It’s hard. Toronto’s got a good team. So you have to take advantage of the chances when you get them. 

“But, at the end, it just wasn’t quite enough. But our compete was really high in the game. So we have to make sure we do that again, because as you saw it wasn’t quite good enough. So we have to be a little bit better.”

Game 4 begins tonight at 7:30 PM from Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay, Florida. 

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Jets lose top forward Mark Scheifele to injury

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If the Winnipeg Jets are to even up their Round 1 Stanley Cup Playoffs series with the Vegas Golden Knights at two games apiece, they may have to do so without a crucial part of their offensive attack.

Forward Mark Scheifele, who crashed into the boards on an early breakaway attempt, has departed tonight’s game with what appears to be an arm injury and has not returned. He attempted a shot during his team’s power play, and then immediately sprinted towards the bench and went right down the tunnel to the team dressing room: 

And it wouldn’t be long before the worst would be confirmed by the Jets, as they released the update that Scheifele will not be returning to tonight’s game: 

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Toronto’s Matthew Knies makes unreal defensive play

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These are the kinds of plays that go a long way in winning a postseason series, and it was a rookie who isn’t even legally allowed to drink in the United States that made it happen.

Toronto Maple Leafs rookie forward Matthew Knies, who is in the lineup due to the suspension of Michael Bunting, absolutely robbed the Tampa Bay Lightning of what would have been a sure goal by Anthony Cirelli by stopping the rolling puck from fully crossing the goal line at the last possible moment: 

The spectacular defensive effort prevented the Lightning from taking a two goal lead. An absolutely incredible heads up play by the young man who was playing collegiate hockey at Amalie Arena with the Minnesota Golden Gophers just two weeks ago. 

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Brawl between Bruins and Panthers fans caught on video!

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As it usually always does during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the animosity is rising on the ice. We’ve seen plenty of heated moments so far in Round 1, notably in the Tampa Bay Lightning-Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins-Florida Panthers series. 

Sunday afternoon at FLA Live Arena got absolutely crazy in the third period, with multiple on-ice confrontations, even involving goaltender Linus Ullmark and notorious pest Matthew Tkachuk.

But as it sometimes happens at professional sporting events, the animosity on the playing field between the two teams spills over into the crowd. A fan in attendance caught an altercation in the stands with what appeared to be a rather boisterous Bruins fan going at it with a group of Panthers fans: 

Another closer angle of the fight: 

This fan fight was certainly a bit more tame than some of the all-out brawls that we’ve seen at various sporting events over the years, but nonetheless, there certainly were more than a few people in trouble! 

The Bruins would win the game in dominating fashion, scoring six times in the 6-2 victory and giving themselves a commanding 3-1 lead over the Panthers heading back to Boston for Game 5 on Wednesday.

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Lightning get an extreme scare in Game 4

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have been anything but fully healthy for their Round 1 Stanley Cup Playoffs series against the rival Toronto Maple Leafs, having lost defenseman Erik Cernak after a dirty elbow from Toronto’s Michael Bunting, while also having been without cornerstone defenseman Victor Hedman for Game 2. 

And while they were fortunate to avoid a devastating injury to sniper Brayden Point in Game 3, they may have just suffered another devastating setback. Defenseman Mikhail Sergachev took a snapshot from Ryan O’Reilly right on the outside of his knee, and he literally had to crawl back to the bench in extreme pain and immediately went to the dressing room. 

However, if you can believe it, he’s already returned to action. 

Sergachev is one of Tampa’s most valuable players, having played in 37 minutes in the overtime loss in Game 3. Thankfully, he appears to be no worse for wear in what could have truly been a serious injury. 

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Jack Hughes stares down Rangers fans after highlight goal

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It seemed as though the New York Rangers had everything perfectly in control in their opening round Stanley Cup Playoffs series against their bitter rival New Jersey Devils, having taken both games over the Devils at Prudential Center in convincing fashion heading back to the friendly confines of Madison Square Garden in Manhattan for Games 3 and 4. 

But the Devils would flip the script on the Rangers in Game 3 thanks to an overtime game-winner from defenseman Dougie Hamilton along with 35 saves from goaltender Akira Schmid, who replaced Vitek Vancecek between the pipes. 

And they’re off to a fast start tonight in Game 4 thanks to a filthy breakaway goal from star forward Jack Hughes just minutes after the opening face-off. And after deking goaltender Igor Shesterkin and slipping the puck across the goal line, he made sure Rangers fans felt it: 

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Sheldon Keefe praises team spirit after epic comeback

Maple Leafs Hot Stove

It seemed as though the Tampa Bay Lightning had the Toronto Maple Leafs dead to rites last night, enjoying a 4-1 lead midway through the third period and on the verge of tying the series up at two games apiece. However, in a game that the Leafs would historically wilt away in, they came through with other plans.

Two goals from Auston Matthews and another from Morgan Rielly tied the score late in the third period, setting the stage for Alex Kerfoot to assume the role of hero with a deflection of a Mark Giordano shot in overtime. The Leafs absolutely stunned the Lightning, and are now one win away from advancing in the postseason for the first time since 2004.

“The message in the third period: Don’t go away,” head coach Sheldon Keefe explained. “Stay with it. You are not necessarily at that point are thinking you are going to come back in the game. You just want to stay there and give yourself a chance to come back in the game versus just going away and moving onto the next one.”

“I just pushed the guys to stay with it, have a positive period, seek to win the period, and once you do that, you start chipping away and you have a chance. Credit to the group — the spirit of the group — for carrying us through to come back in this fashion. It is outstanding to witness and be a part of.”

It really does feel as though this time around will be different fo the Leafs, who have been accustomed to finding ways to lose key playoff games. The addition of 2019 Conn Smythe Trophy winner Ryan O’Reilly has already come through in major ways for the Leafs in these playoffs, as he scored the game-tying goal in Game 3 while also assisting on the subsequent overtime winner.

“Whether it is the guys who have been through it or the guys who have come in to add to the group, collectively, it feels different,” Keefe said. “I think that is why you end up on the right side of these things. Certainly, it feels different. Things tend to go your way when that is the case.”

“But let’s not get carried away. We have a tough task ahead to finish this series off.”

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Paul Bissonnette swears on live TV, viewers want him off the air

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There’s no doubt that former NHL player-turned-analyst Paul Bissonnette is a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and that was on full display during tonight’s broadcast. In fact, there are some saying that he’s taken things too far not only with his open cheering for the Leafs, but for dropping some profanity along with it. 

You think he’s fired up? 

Plenty of reaction was soon offered on social media, and not all of it was positive. In fact, there were more than a few people who called for Bissonnette to be removed from the air for being so open in his Leafs fandom.

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Major announcement forthcoming from Calgary

Daily Hive

It wasn’t long ago that an agreement between the Calgary Flames and the city of Calgary to build a new $634 million arena to replace the aging Scotiabank Saddledome was terminated. For now, the Flames remain in only the second building they’ve ever played in (formerly played at the Stampede Corral from 1980-1983), but it’s beyond obvious that the venue is extremely out of date and is even literally starting to crumble. 

Next season will be Calgary’s 40th year playing in the Saddledome, which is the second oldest venue in the National Hockey League behind New York’s Madison Square Garden (which recently underwent a $1 billion renovation). NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman even got stuck in an elevator during last year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, causing him to quip, “You need a new arena.”

Minutes ago, news was released that an “important announcement” is going to be made later this afternoon with regard to a future events center in the city: 

It absolutely is way past time for the aging Saddledome to be put out to pasture in favor of an updated venue with every possible amenity that Calgary’s bitter Alberta rival in the Edmonton Oilers recently opened in 2016.