Ryan Reaves reveals the mindset in the Leafs' locker room for Game 2
Photo credit: Maple Leafs on Twitter/X
Tonight, the Maple Leafs and Bruins will lock horns for Game 2 of their first round playoff series. After a 5-1 loss in Game 1, Ryan Reaves said the message is simple in the Leafs' locker room. Don't get caught up in the past.
Reaves and the Leafs got spanked by the Boston Bruins on Saturday night. There's just no sugar-coating it. The Bruins had all of the answers and the Leafs couldn't capitalize on their scoring chances or keep the puck out of their net. It was just about the worst case scenario for the team.
Reaves and his linemates, Connor Dewar and David Kampf, were the only line to sneak one past Jeremy Swayman in Game 1, with the other 3 lines failing to produce in a very important game. On Sunday, Reaves revealed what the mindset in the Leafs' locker room is ahead of Game 2 tonight.
"Almost the�hakuna matata�kind of motto. You can't be worried about what happened in the past. You just got to look forward.
We've done it all year. We've had stretches where we couldn't win a couple games, we bounced back and strung a lot together. We've had games where we got absolutely waxed and came back the next day really strong. So, I'm not worried about the bounce back. It's going to be there tomorrow. We've just got to put it on the ice."
We've done it all year. We've had stretches where we couldn't win a couple games, we bounced back and strung a lot together. We've had games where we got absolutely waxed and came back the next day really strong. So, I'm not worried about the bounce back. It's going to be there tomorrow. We've just got to put it on the ice."
The outlook here from the Leafs, even after being blown out by the Bruins in Game 1, seems very positive. Of course, that could change in a hurry if they lose Game 2. Surprisingly, the 4th line has actually played well for the Leafs, so if they do drop Game 2, it likely isn't going to be because of Reavo's line.
The Dewar-Kampf-Reaves line generated six shots on goal for the Leafs in Game 1, continuously pushing the play in the right direction and doing what they could to keep their team in the game, with David Kampf scoring the only goal for the Leafs, with Reaves and Dewar drawing the assists. All 3 players finished an even 0+/- in the contest, with two of the Bruins' goals coming on the power play and three at even strength.
If Reaves is right about the Leafs bouncing back strong tonight and winning Game 2, it would put them in a great position in the series, heading back to Toronto with the series tied at one, officially stealing home ice advantage from the Bruins. A loss, however, would put the Leafs in a very precarious position, down 0-2 in the first round to a very good team, needing to win 4 of the next 5 games to move on.
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 22 | 273 ANSWERS Ryan Reaves reveals the mindset in the Leafs' locker room for Game 2 Will Ryan Reaves remain in the lineup if the Leafs also lose Game 2? | ||
| Yes, his line has actually played well | 195 | 71.4 % |
| No, they need more scoring in the lineup | 48 | 17.6 % |
| That's a tough call to make | 30 | 11 % |
| List of polls | ||
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