TORONTO — Ryan Reaves is doubling down on the mind games at work in a Maple Leafs–Bruins series that is destined to haunt half the people involved.
“Planted the f—–‘ seed,” declared the wily veteran after Toronto delivered its most complete effort of the series and snatched Game 5 in Boston. “Let’s go back home and water that b—.”
Boston is a frightening 0-5 in its past five opportunities to eliminate a playoff opponent.
Toronto is 0-6 in its past six home playoff games.
We’ll be looking around Scotiabank Arena for Bill Murray, Dan Akroyd, Ernie Hudson, and Harold Ramis Thursday night, because one of these teams will be busting some ghosts.
To a man, the Bruins are downplaying the lingering effects of blowing a 3-1 series lead to the eventual Stanley Cup finalist Florida Panthers in Round 1 last spring, but the sequence of wins/losses — and the fact that their opponent made a critical goalie switch — feels awfully familiar.
“Obviously right when we got down 3-1, that was a topic we brought up,” says Toronto’s Joel Edmundson. “Just gave us some momentum and gave us some positivity that we needed. Anything can happen.”
Bruins coach Jim Montgomery was ticked off that his group failed to bring the proper mindset or intensity early in Game 5. He held a lengthy meeting with his players Wednesday to go over tactical issues but also psychological ones.
“I’m still pissed off from last night to be honest,” he told reporters Wednesday. “I don’t understand and don’t accept our play. I’m going to be pissed off until the puck drops tomorrow night.”
Both sides have a losing record at home, so Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe sees no advantage to playing at SBA, where he is 5-14 in the post-season. The Leafs have been on the sad end of the handshake line five times at home over this core’s seven seasons.
“Quite honestly, it means nothing. We gotta play the exact same way wherever it is,” Keefe said. “We don’t have to impress anyone…. We have to win a hockey game.”
Funny: Both teams are now trying to play a strong road game from here on out, regardless what Google Maps says.
“We played two really good games there,” Montgomery said. “There’s a little bit of the mentality of we have to bring our own juice and we have to rely on each other. It’s kind of like a Band of Brothers mentality, which I think is something I think our team thrives on.”
Matthews out
If the Maple Leafs are to keep hope alive, they must do so without their MVP.
As was the case in Game 5, Matthews has been ruled unavailable for must-win Game 6 with due to some undisclosed ailment(s).
“I was there. It’s not fun having issues right now,” teammate William Nylander said. “Whenever he’s ready, he’s ready.”
Despite skating for about 30 minutes Wednesday and another 30-plus Thursday morning away from the main group — shooting and exerting himself more than he was able to Tuesday — the 69-goal man is decidedly less than healthy.
“He’s the best player in the world,” said Max Domi, excellent in his Game 5 promotion to 1C. “When he comes back, it’s gonna be a boost for our lineup.”
Adds Simon Benoit: “Other players gotta step up, right?”
The Leafs have played just two games without Matthews in 2023-24 and won them both.
Marchand finally rattled?
In Games 1 through 4, Brad Marchand averaged two points a night. He didn’t take a single penalty.
In Game 5, the captain was kept off the scoresheet, missed a half-empty net with a bobbling puck on his blade and committed two minor penalties.
He also got caught flopping when bumped into by linesman Andrew Smith, following a tussle with Toronto’s Pontus Holmberg.
“I don’t know how much of a wrestling match it was. I think the ref got it,” smiles Calle Järnkrok.
Is Marchand finally getting frustrated instead of doing the frustrating?
“Maybe. I don’t know,” Benoit said. “We’re just focusing on ourselves here.”
Montgomery has already turned the page, predicting big things from the veteran in Game 6: “I know he’s going to be great tonight.”
Bruins shake lineup, stick with hot goalie
For all the digital ink spilled on the uncertainty of Keefe’s future, we can’t envision Bruins GM Don Sweeney running it back with Montgomery should his group blow back-to-back 3-1 series leads in Round 1.
The bench boss was criticized for messing with a winning lineup in Game 5, sitting power play point man Kevin Shattenkirk and fourth-line goal-getter John Beecher in favour of Matt Grzelcyk and playoff newbie Justin Brazeau, respectively.
“I ended up making decisions that I was really confident was best for the Boston Bruins,” Montgomery defends. “When it doesn’t work out — I understand it comes with the territory — I’m going to be second-guessed, and third- and fourth-guessed. And rightfully so.”
Montgomery described Brazeau as “rusty” and criticized his wall work. Without Shattenkirk, Boston’s power play was kept off the board for the first time all series.
Forward Danton Heinen (day-to-day, undisclosed) is unavailable Thursday, and Grzelcyk heads back to the press box.
Shattenkirk and Beecher draw back in.
“Beecher and Shatty in particular always have responded when they get back into the lineup with a really good effort,” Montgomery said. “That gives you confidence to put them back in.”
As expected, Linus Ullmark stayed out to practise Thursday, leaving the series’ first star, Jeremy Swayman (3-0-1, .952), to rest up for his fourth consecutive start.
The rotation died last week.
Van Riemsdyk plays both sides
Boston’s James van Riemsdyk’s confidence is on the rise since being inserted mid-series and scoring a big goal the last time the action shifted north.
“It’s always special to play in this building. This rivalry, it’s always a lot of fun,” van Riemsdyk says.
“The first thing that comes to mind is Maple Leaf Square out there and how electric that gets. That just adds to the environment and the atmosphere, and I think it makes it fun as players whether no matter what team you’re on.”
JVR, who was named of the 100 Greatest Maple Leafs of All Time, took a moment to reflect on 2013, when he was decked in Blue and White.
Ghosts? You want ghosts?! Well, here’s a guy who knows ghosts…
He recalls Toronto “being down 3-1 and just not quitting and pushing it to seven” — which is overshadowed, of course, by what happened when the Leafs had a 4-1 third-period lead at TD Garden.
“That Game 7 will be one that will kinda haunt anyone on that team probably for the rest of their life,” van Riemsdyk says. “It was a tough lesson for us to learn.”
Knies’s new nickname
Bring up the nickname “Brick” — which is what Reaves called Matthew Knies in a giddy victorious dressing room, after the big kid supplied the winner Tuesday — and both players laugh. Other teammates smile devilishly and say it’s Knies’ story to tell.
“It’s not coming out. It’s not my nickname. They just call me Brick a few times here and there,” Knies says smiling and shaking his head. “It’s a new thing. It’s not gonna stick, I’ll tell you that much.”
Scoring playoff OT winners can put anyone in a happy mood, and Knies’ phone flooded with congratulatory messages after Game 5.
His hockey-obsessed dad, Miroslav, called the next morning.
“He was pretty in shock and just really happy and couldn’t believe that that was my first playoff overtime goal. Just really excited for me,” Knies says.
Going back to the Tampa series in 2023, the rookie has been on the ice for every Leafs playoff OT winner. There’s something to that, mentally.
“Yeah,” he agrees. “I try to treat it as the start of the game. I dunno, I don’t have too much nerves going into it.”
Maple Leafs projected Game 6 lines in Toronto:
Bertuzzi – Domi – Marner
Knies – Tavares – Nylander
Robertson – Holmberg – Järnkrok
Dewar – Kämpf – Reaves
Rielly – Lyubushkin
Benoit – McCabe
Edmundson – Liljegren
Woll starts
Samsonov
