Tag: Game 5

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Jon Cooper annoys Leafs with post Game 5 statement

Press conference, via Twitter

Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper addressed the media after his team’s 4-2 win over Toronto in Game 5 of their first round series late on Thursday, and once again, he found the right words to get Maple Leafs and their fans going…

While Cooper explained how his players learned from their collapses against Toronto in Games 3 and 4, he added something that the Maple Leafs want nothing to do with : come back to Canada for an ultimate Game 7

“Let’s be honest. This game is so damn fun. You have two teams going at it. There are so many storylines. There are stars here.

Seriously, wouldn’t you guys have pissed off if this ended tonight? Let’s all be back here for Game 7.”

The Leafs, who have failed to advance in the post-season since 2004 and were eliminated by the Lightning in seven games last year. Toronto is now 0-10 since 2018 with a chance to eliminate an opponent.

Before Game 7 mentioned by Cooper who would love to return to Toronto for it, there will be a Game 6 on Saturday in Tampa where the Bolts need to stay alive.

We will see then if the Maple Leafs can improve that record or if Cooper was right about having some more fun in Toronto for Game 7.

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Verdict on Michael Bunting’s return in limbo per head coach Keefe

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Toronto Maple Leafs forward Michael Bunting is eligible to return from his three-game suspension on Thursday and fans still don’t know if he will be slotted back into the lineup for pivotal Game 5 against the Tampa Bay Lightning after his three-game suspension is served.

“It’s not as easy or as simple a decision as it may have been earlier in the series,” said Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe about slotting Bunting back in on Tuesday.

“We will take our time and sort through it. We have a group of guys who have played real hard.”

The call will be made by Keefe, who knows Bunting professionally better than anyone else. He has coached him for two years both in Toronto and during their junior days with the OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. But based on the head coach’s comments, Bunting may remain out of the lineup until an issue comes up with the current group that has won three consecutive games against the Lightning and could reach the second round of the postseason for the first time since 2004 on Thursday.

I am not debating whether or not Bunting is a good hockey player : he is an affordable 20-goal guy who brings a lot of physicality to the Maple Leafs, an element that was missed in the three games Bunting was banned. But as Mike Stephens of The Hockey News puts it: “it would have almost been preferable from Toronto’s point of view for their winger to have earned a four-game sentence and spared them from the situation they are currently in.”

Because Keefe made it clear : rookie Matthew Knies isn’t going anywhere. And so if Bunting returns, who comes out?
The Maple Leafs return for practice today ahead of Thursday’s Game 5 at Scotiabank Arena and the lineup projection will certainly give us the answer on whether or not Bunting draws back in…

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Bunting odd man out at practice, huge promotion for Knies!

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All eyes were on the Toronto Maple Leafs’ practice on Wednesday morning as fans wonder if forward Michael Bunting will be inserted back into the lineup is eligible to return from his three-game suspension on Thursday.

It didn’t long to notice that Bunting was the odd man odd during practice, despite wearing the regular white jersey. On top of that, rookie Matthew Knies, who we knew was not coming out of the lineup for Game 5, got a huge promotion.

The game is tomorrow and so head coach Sheldon Keefe still has time to make a decision on Bunting.

The stats are undeniable in Games 2, 3 and 4 for the Maple Leafs in their first round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. They average 5.33 goals without him in the series. And in Bunting’s absence, the Maple Leafs shown some rare composure, which has benefited them and could finally lead them to Round 2 of the postseason.

After practice, Keefe confirmed that Bunting could not be back for Game 5, but told fans not to worry about the rest of the postseason. 

“He will get back in. It’s just not going to be tomorrow.”

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More uncertainty added to Patrice Bergeron’s situation ahead of Game 5

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Fans still have to wait. Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron did participate in an optional morning skate on Wednesday, but he is still considered a game-time decision for Game 5 in the first round series against the Florida Panthers.

Bergeron has yet to play in the Bruins’ opening series, which they currently lead 3-1. Boston could move on to the second round tonight with a victory over Florida. He missed Game 1 with an illness, and an unspecified upper-body injury kept him out of Games 2, 3 and 4. 

If Bergeron gets the green light for Game 5 after pregame warmups, insider Fluto Shinzawa expects Trent Frederic to be the odd man out for the contest.

As for Bruins forward David Krejci, he skated on his own on Wednesday, but is still listed as out for Game 5. Krejci has an assist in two games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs so far.

Stay tuned to see if Bergeron finally gets into the lineup in this series.

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