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Will Toronto weather the storm or wither in Game 4?; Leafs vs. Bruins

April 17, 2019, 6:06 PM ET [1043 Comments]
Mike Augello
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The Toronto Maple Leafs have an opportunity to push the Boston Bruins to the brink of elimination with a victory in their best-of-seven series, but it is expected that Boston will step up their effort as they did in Game 2 in hopes of stealing back home-ice advantage in Game 4 at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday.

“We’re three games into the playoffs so we’re just figuring (our team) out. We’re hoping to go on a long journey (and) it starts with a ton of intensity and doing things right here tonight.” Leafs head coach Mike Babcock said after on Wednesday. “We won Game One, we weren’t ready for Game Two. So we’re hoping that we continue to take steps as a group that way so that you’re ready. Once you’re a veteran-laden team, you just know how to do it. We’ve got to find a way to learn how to do it.”

The game has to be considered critical for Toronto, as a victory would give them a firm grasp on the series heading back to Boston, while a Bruins win would even it at 2-2 and would likely put the Leafs on a path towards a Game 7 at TD Garden next week.

The Leafs will not alter their lineup from Game 3 and it is expected that Babcock will take advantage of the last change to get the matchups he prefers, especially getting John Tavares, Mitch Marner and Zach Hyman against the Bruins top unit of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak.



Boston are expected to make a couple lineup changes, as Marcus Johansson returns from illness and defenseman John Moore from injury. Johansson skated on the Bruins second line with Jake DeBrusk and David Krejci, while Moore will partner with Matt Grzelcyk on the bottom pairing.

Head coach Bruce Cassidy indicated that he will keep his top line intact in spite of them being shutout on Monday, but that he will keep his options open in case they struggle to break through in Game 4.

The eventual winner of the series will play the Columbus Blue Jackets, who shocked the hockey world with a four-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, but that is not something that surprised the Leafs head coach.

“I think we talk about it every year. First, there’s 31, then there’s 16, suddenly, a couple days later, there’s 14, soon there’s going to be eight. The parity in our league – we talk about it all the time, I don’t know if you guys believe us – the parity is unbelievable.” Babcock said.

"I think I had 124 points in Detroit and fifty-I-don’t-know-how-many wins (in 2006) and we lost to Edmonton. When I was in Anaheim, we swept Detroit – I don’t know how many points they had that year. It’s hockey, it’s hard. I think lots of times during the year you think, ‘This team is going to win because of their record.’ That’s not how it is. There’s a game here today, that’s the one I’m here to talk about.”

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