One would be hard pressed to say the Leafs didn't show up for Game 1 of their first second round series in 19 years. Despite the style of hockey and the pace being wildly different than their series against Tampa, the Leafs played a strong, physical game against the Panthers, carrying the play for large portions. Correctable mistakes on defense and bad puck luck on offense were the major factors that held the Leafs back from taking home the win. Well, that and Sergei Bobrovsky seemingly returning to Vezina Trophy form.
Today's practice was labelled as an optional skate, but that didn't stop nearly all of the Leafs from showing up to work on their game ahead of tomorrow's rematch. It appears as though the players are not satisfied with resting on their laurels after that first round win.
The absences from the skate were few, and the most surprising among them was Ryan O'Reilly. Taped up fingers during games and a drop in face off performance have led many to suspect he's dealing with some sort of hand injury. Also absent was David Kampf, who took a huge hit in Game 1 from Sam Bennett. Bennett was called for elbowing on the play, but charging could have just as easily been the call. Other absences were Noel Acciari, Jake McCabe and Ilya Samsonov. Acciari and McCabe likely took the opportunity to visit the Leafs medical staff for treatment on their numerous bumps and bruises, while Samsonov rarely takes optional skates when he is the projected starter the next day.
It's refreshing to see so many players putting in extra work. Having so many out there after a game that was relatively well played shows a real commitment to winning. I'm confident that most of the players on the ice are nursing some sort of injury, but showed up anyway. Such is life when it comes to playoff hockey. Here's hoping that the hard work pays off with a statement win in Game 2 before the series shifts to the Sunshine state!
