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The Toronto Maple Leafs face a task that most people who follow them believe they cannot complete, which is to come back in their best-of-seven series with the Boston Bruins after falling behind 3-1 and winning three games in a row. The first step will be winning Game 5 at TD Garden on Tuesday, where they got their only victory of the series on a late Auston Matthews goal and a solid second and third period by goalie Ilya Samsonov.
If the Leafs are to extend the series, it is likely that both players will not be in the lineup. Matthews traveled with the club to Boston after missing the third period of Game 4 and practice on Monday with an illness. The Rocket Richard winner took to the ice in Boston for the morning skate briefly and head coach Sheldon Keefe indicated that his availability will be up to the club’s medical staff.
Samsonov was pulled after two periods after allowing three goals on 17 shots in favor of Joseph Woll. While you cannot say that he is primarily responsible for the three losses, the Leafs need a goalie to make a big save at the right time and Samsonov has not done that. Woll will go in Game 5 and is a risk worth taking after playing well in the playoffs last season and until his high ankle sprain in December.
Connor Dewar is expected to be reinserted for Game 5 if Matthews does not play and based on the usage at the morning skate, it looks like Mark Giordano will be going on the bottom pairing in place of TJ Brodie.
Lost in all of the Leafs playoff mess was the early exit of the Toronto Marlies from the Calder Cup Playoffs. The Marlies played in the preliminary round against the Belleville Senators, and after evening the series with a 4-3 overtime victory on Friday, Toronto lost by the same score in the deciding Game 3 on an overtime goal by the Sens Garrett Pilon.
It was a disappointing season for the Marlies under John Gruden, finishing 34-26-12 and fading at the end of the season to the point that they fell from a guaranteed first-round berth to the play-in, but there was some progress made in the development of future Leafs like Dennis Hildeby and Topi Niemela.
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
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