"Might as well do it in the first round". "They're a smaller, skilled team compared to us". I thought we had a couple of opportunities there and we chose not to.
"It's not a good feeling, especially with the expectations being as high as they were", Rowe said.
Goal scoring droughts in the National Hockey League are common things, even for the very best players (this is a point I drive home every chance I can get - it is not uncommon for players like Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, Jonathan Toews, Tyler Seguin, John Tavares, or any other superstar to go eight, nine, or even more than 10 games in a row without scoring a goal).
They have made the turnaround even while playing the "kids". If you want to dip your toe into the water, you're going to find out it's boiling. "So it's not just year-to-year you get better".
In many ways, Toronto has been an underdog all season, and their first-round series will be no different.
"We believe in ourselves", he said.
Toronto leads the league in first period goals (85), but for the second time in a week they were scoreless after 20 minutes.
How the Caps can stop him: Washington's forwards, and most importantly their bottom six, need to put their body onto Gardiner and make it hard for the smart, mobile defenseman to execute plays easily. But dwelling on what might have been for Toronto stopped the second the final buzzer hit zero. I think they play. "We've got two years left before that happens".
Hollande, Trudeau Pay Tribute to Canada's WWI Casualties
Vimy was the most successful part of the Battle of Arras in April 1917, as the Canadians pushed up and captured the strategically-important ridge from the Germans.
"I think that the biggest thing that stands out is probably just how complete he is", Crosby said. That, combined with a potential Maple Leafs loss, would have set up an incredible set of games for Sunday.
"All in all, our team has got better each game and each segment and each month". The Sens' speed should give them an advantage over the Bruins' slow-footed blue-liners. On the other hand, he's about the only tough, main-adverse maniac the Leafs have in their lineup and that may or may not be important for the Playoffs.
After van Riemsdyk gave Toronto a two-goal lead almost seven minutes into the second frame, the Blue Jackets had a response ready to go.
Jake Guentzel reclaimed the lead for the Penguins nearly seven minutes into the third period with an unassisted goal that bounced off two Maple Leafs players on its way to the net. Toronto's top producers against Ottawa in the regular season were Auston Matthews (four goals, all in one game, and three assists), Nazim Kadri (three goals, two assists) and William Nylander (one goal, four assists). While they earned their to the playoffs with 95 points, broke a spate of team rookie records and had several veterans reach career offensive numbers, many of them, even the 2013 core that played in the Bruins series, are still very much accidental tourists in this tournament and need a veteran such as Boyle to guide them. Roman Polak also left in the second period after suffering what appeared to be a leg injury.
Oh, and also that there was no injury update on Krug, who was last seen using crutches and wearing a knee brace after last Thursday's game against the Senators.
After the game, Toronto coach Mike Babcock said that ideally Andersen would start the regular-season finale against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Rielly admitted there were times it was no fun reporting for work.
Both teams still have something to play for at the Air Canada Centre, however. With Pittsburgh's defensive deficiencies, I expect the Blue Jackets to outlast the Pens for some revenge and advance to the second round. That Nordiques' team made the playoffs, but lost in a best-of-5 preliminary round series to the Flyers. Dustin Brown scored with 55 seconds to go to tie the game with the Chicago Blackhawks.
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