Inexperienced Senators exposed in Game 1 loss to Maple Leafs
In the first Battle of Ontario playoff game in 21 years, the inexperienced Ottawa Senators were exposed by a Toronto Maple Leafs squad that already has the post-season know-how.
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Experience does in fact matter.
In the first Battle of Ontario playoff game in 21 years, the inexperienced Ottawa Senators were exposed by a Toronto Maple Leafs squad that already has the post-season know-how.
The Senators weren’t necessarily second best, but they were where it mattered in a 6-2 loss in Game 1.
“The nerves were there early for all of us,” Drake Batherson said.
Ottawa’s mental lapses and leaky goaltending were all punished.
But make no mistake, the biggest issue was glaring, and the Senators know it. Giving the other team six power plays in a playoff game is a recipe for disaster.
“Clear as day what the issues (are),” said captain Brady Tkachuk. “We took too many penalties, they scored on it and that’s the game. So that’s on us.”
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The penalties highlighted one of the Senators’ most blatant weaknesses heading into the series: poor penalty killing. The Maple Leafs outright capitalized on Ottawa’s lack of self-control with three power-play goals. The Senators’ penalty kill was 19th in the league this season, with a diamond formation that has never looked really satisfactory, while the club’s expected goals rate on the penalty was eighth worst.
The Senators were already trailing 2-1 when the Maple Leafs scored their first man-advantage goal. That came from John Tavares, who was left all alone in front of the net by an overcommitted Artem Zub only nine seconds into the power play. It was the kind of goal the Senators have surrendered all season long on the penalty kill when their positionality is exposed.
Curiously, Matthew Highmore got the start ahead of Nick Cousins, seemingly for his shorthanded skills. Nevertheless, it didn’t change much. Cousins could enter the lineup for Game 2 but Green will need to find someone to replace Highmore on the penalty kill. Tim Stutzle and Dylan Cozens should be up next, as both have been efficient in their brief times this season playing shorthanded.
Nevertheless, there were some questionable calls that Toronto earned. Both Chris Tanev and Auston Matthews went down quite easily in the second period to draw penalties, and the Maple Leafs scored on both occasions. Both plays were examples of Toronto’s playoff savviness giving them an advantage that Ottawa hasn’t learned to use.
“We definitely have to stay out of the box,” Green said. “I thought there were a couple calls that they did a good job at selling.”
Not all the penalties against the Senators were questionable, however. Ridly Greig’s very ill-advised cross-check on John Tavares was a perfect example of a young player losing their cool in the heat of a playoff battle. Ottawa was punished on that one, too, as eventually it led to William Nylander’s goal three seconds into a five-on-three to give Toronto a commanding 4-1 lead.
Discipline is something the Senators will need to figure out fast before the series gets out of reach. Because when the game was played at five-on-five on Sunday, the Senators managed to tilt the ice in their favour.
That’s the case for optimism.
“We’ve got to play longer five-on-five and stay out of the box,” said Green. “But again I thought offensively we did some good things and we had some really good looks.”
The line of Stutzle, Tkachuk and Claude Giroux had an 18-3 advantage in shot attempts at five-on-five, while the Senators held Matthews’ line to just six attempts.
The problem was the Matthews’ line converted on what was virtually its only high-quality chance of the game, when the Leafs captain sprung Mitch Marner for a breakaway goal. Meanwhile, Ottawa’s second and third lines played well and chipped in each with a goal but the top line didn’t convert.
If Game 1 looks anything like the rest of the series at five-on-five, the Senators will be in a great spot to win. The problem is that the Maple Leafs didn’t particularly play well, and still won. In the end, Game 1 was a prime example of playoff experience winning out. How long will that discrepancy impact the series? We’re about to find out.
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Playoff Ullmark?
Much was said about Linus Ullmark’s playoff struggles heading into this series. Were they real or not?
On Sunday, those concerns felt very real, with the caveat that the Senators didn’t lose the game because of Ullmark.
Before Game 1, Ullmark’s career playoff save percentage was .887 in 10 games with the Boston Bruins. His numbers were worse against Toronto on Sunday.
Ullmark allowed two goals on his first three shots and six goals on 24 shots by the end of the night. Not good. The data proves Ullmark struggled, too. He allowed a negative-2.1 goals above expected, according to Moneypuck.com. However, when you look back at all six goals, it’s hard to pick apart any as awful. There was one breakaway, three grade A slot goals, a crazy deflection and rebound finish.
Ullmark summarized his play correctly when asked about it post-game.
“Alright”, he said, adding that he’ll try to be like a goldfish and forget the performance as quickly as possible. “There’s nothing you can do about it right now … the only thing that we can do now is to focus on the next one.”
His coach isn’t worried.
“I like our goalie a lot. He’s a great goalie,” Green said. “He’s won a Vezina. He’s pretty good.”
In the meantime, Anthony Stolarz was by far the better goaltender on Sunday, stopping a breakaway from Tkachuk and slot chance from Shane Pinto in the second period when the game was still 2-1 Toronto. The Senators will need those big, timely saves, and simply more saves in general, to have any chance of winning the series.
Rivalry already alive
Maple Leafs fans were fearless enough to chant “Brady Sucks!” throughout Game 1.
Tkachuk responded.
“I guess I expected that. Couldn’t care less,” he said. “I don’t really give a shit to be honest.”
Let’s see what Senators fans have in store for Game 3. The rivalry is just getting started.
