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GDT: 4/27/23 - 7:00PM EDT - #3 Tampa Bay @ #2 Toronto [ECQF GAME 5]

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DFC said:
It's like 97% goaltending. When we can match their goaltending, which hasnt been great, we win. We have been by far the better team this series.
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Which is pretty shocking. Nobody would be surprised if told beforehand Toronto would be 3-2 up, but everyone would've thought it was because Toronto had the deeper roster and we were having trouble matching it.

That hasn't been the case. If we had the Vasi of any of the past three playoffs, we would've clinched the series tonight. We've been the better team in every game except Game 2. We're going to need to be the better team six times out of seven if we're going to hope to win this series at this point...but there's no point crying over spilled milk. It's happened, it's over, we're still alive and Vasi finally had a game where he looked somewhat like himself. Keep pushing forward and hope it continues from here. Toronto and all their inability to win clinching games has now had a chance to rear its head again tonight. Hopefully this ends up planting itself squarely inside their heads moving forward from here.
 
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Series arguably should be over in maybe any way you look at it. At least we live another day. If we didn't know what had happened but saw the score to this point we probably wouldn't be shocked. One game at a time!
 
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DrMartinVanNostrand said:
Which is pretty shocking. Nobody would be surprised if told beforehand Toronto would be 3-2 up, but everyone would've thought it was because Toronto had the deeper roster and we were having trouble matching it.

That hasn't been the case. If we had the Vasi of any of the past three playoffs, we would've clinched the series tonight. We've been the better team in every game except Game 2. We're going to need to be the better team six times out of seven if we're going to hope to win this series at this point...but there's no point crying over spilled milk. It's happened, it's over, we're still alive and Vasi finally had a game where he looked somewhat like himself. Keep pushing forward and hope it continues from here. Toronto and all their inability to win clinching games has now had a chance to rear its head again tonight. Hopefully this ends up planting itself squarely inside their heads moving forward from here.
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And I will die on this hill: we were the better team in Game 2 UNTIL Vasy gave up 3 goals on 5 shots. After that defense wasnt an option, because we were down by 3, and it became a circus. But we controlled the opening chunk of that game very similarly to tonight's.
 
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I thought we were less dominant than we were at home, yet we win the game. One thing that concerned me all game long was a lot of our players looked much slower tonight. Sergachev played like someone removed his brain. Hedman played a decent game but he was moving at half speed all night - he did not look well. The whole top line was slow. And that's after two full days off.

Thank all that is good in the universe that Vasy resembled his normal playoff self tonight. How did everyone feel after that decisive blocker save on superboy Marner? The rest of the team also really limited the quality chances which was no small factor in why we won tonight.

You've got to love how Samsonov's unorthodox flopping while stoppable pucks sail past are making Leaf fans feel tonight. John Cooper - how the hell do you take Eyssimont out for Jeannot now? I don't care if he doesn't score again - cause Jeannot won't either - Eyssimont brings speed, forechecking, puck pressure. Jeannot's lucky if he ever gets to the play before it moves on down the ice and leaves him behind.

It's a small thing but if the Leafs lose this series, all the fans have to look at is how their two players defended Killorn on his empty net goal. I don't care that the game is already over, that was heartless.
 
You can bump Essymont up after this game, the top line just isn't working, we're getting dominated by theirs and ours has scored 1 goal in the last 4 games.

Point is 6th in team scoring, Stamkos is 8th, something needs to change. Hagel should play on the top line because his forechecking opens up Point and Kucherov which is something Stamkos can't do. And because he sucks in the defensive zone so why's he on the shut down line. Essymont has the same type of forechecking as Hagel so fit like a glove on that 2nd line while being much more aware defensively.

Stamkos? Just bury this guy and hope he randomly gets on the scoreboard.

4th line has been excellent keeping possession in the other end, a lot of people eating crow about them.

Hagel-Point-Kucherov
Essymont-Cirelli-Killorn
Stamkos-Paul-Colton
Maroon-Bellemare-Perry
 
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Sucks knowing we should've wrapped this series up tonight, maybe they still will. Glad Vasy had a decent game and didn't head into the offseason playing as he was. If he can play well again in game 6 and we get another win not a Leafs fan in the world is going to believe they're winning game 7.
 
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Jesus christ, I'm a nervous wreck after watching that last three minutes. I was 100% sure the Leafs were going to tie it up but at least this time we were able to hang on.

What a difference a good goaltending performance can make. The old Vasy was back for tonight. Now the seed of doubt has been planted on the Leafs' minds. If we come out hard in Game 6 and maybe pot a couple goals, the dam might just break.

Oh and Eyssimont looked great. That third line really came alive after he replaced the younger Maroon. Hopefully we'll re-sign him. Shouldn't cost too much.
 
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