The Toronto Maple Leafs jumped ahead to an early 3-0 series lead and had the Ottawa Senators on the ropes. It looked like for the first time in nearly a decade that the Leafs were going to exorcise their playoff demons in one fell swoop.
Fast forward a week and the Leafs have blown back to back opportunities to close out a series as the scene shifts back to Ottawa for a very nervy Game 6.
By now the media has taken full advantage of the core members’ failure to step up in elimination games. Since 2018, they are 1-13 in series deciding games and their power play has gone 0 for their last 30.
Defenseman Morgan Rielly has been apart of the ride since Day 1 but understands that the media has a job to do and that the players have to execute if they want the outside noise to quiet down.
The 12-year veteran had an up-and-down season this year but turned things around after the trade deadline with the acquisition of Brandon Carlo helping immensely.
For his part, Rielly is 2nd on the team in goals behind John Tavares and Matthew Knies and has as many goals as Auston Matthews and William Nylander combined. However, a team full team effort is needed tonight if the Maple Leafs look to close things with the Florida Panthers waiting.
The Leafs are very aware of the outside noise, as has been the case over the last 8 years, but they’ve done almost nothing to keep them at bay Tonight, they certainly have a great opportunity to settle the score but it will start and end with the core players, which includes Rielly.
The veteran defenseman is saying all the right things but now it’s time to go out on the ice and prove it.
