Path to four straight wins starts with Leafs' core four forwards

TSN SportsCentre Reporter Mark Masters reports on the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs and Florida Panthers practised at FLA Live Arena on Tuesday ahead of Game 4 on Wednesday night. 

Toronto's core four forwards are looking to set the tone as the Leafs try to stay alive by winning four straight games. 

"Obviously, as leaders, we want to step up and be there for the team and ... lead by example," said centre Auston Matthews.

"We're the leaders and we want to be the ones to step our foot forward," said winger Mitch Marner. "We all know we got a lot better ... and especially us."

Matthews, Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander have yet to score during the series against the Florida Panthers. It's a big reason why the Leafs face elimination in Game 4 on Wednesday night. 

"Those guys carried us offensively through the Tampa series and came through at clutch times," stressed coach Sheldon Keefe. "They scored big goals at big moments. We are here playing largely on the backs of how they came through for us in those moments. They will come through for us again, but our team needs to take care of this situation right now. Everybody has to play their role, give us everything that they have, win one game and bring this thing back to Toronto. Give us more time for all of these other things to come together. We have to win one game."

The Leafs top players faced plenty of criticism following Sunday's 3-2 overtime loss. They didn't just fail to score, but also spent much of the game in their own end.  

"Don't focus on outside noise," said Marner. "Don't focus on anything on social media, like I've been preaching all year long, and don't listen to what you guys are saying." 

"Just go out there and play hockey," Matthews advised. "That's what we've been doing our whole life. We can't really focus too much on the outside noise, what you guys are saying, what everybody's saying. I mean, it doesn't really matter. All we can focus on is how we approach this game and the mental side of it and coming in with a purpose and focusing on just one game."

After celebrating the franchise's first playoff series win in 19 years, the Leafs are now in danger of being swept out of the second round.  

"I think it will be fun tomorrow," Nylander said with a smile. 

Why is a do-or-die situation fun? 

"Because I think that's when you got to play your best." 

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Matthew Tkachuk was asked about Toronto's top players not producing in the series.  

"Well, I haven't scored either so I don't know what the big deal is," the Panthers winger said. "It's not about personal stats." 

Easy to say when your team leads 3-0. And Tkachuk does have four assists, which matches the combined total that Matthews, Marner, Nylander and Tavares have put up in the three games. 

While the Leafs stars were being grilled about their dry spell during a shorter than usual media availability, the mood was light in Florida's room. 

"There's no sense in feeling pressure for us," Tkachuk said. "Eighth seed, limped in, like, been fighting our way through the whole year. It's just about having fun. Why play if you can't enjoy it? There's no pressure on us."

During the tensest moments in Game 3, the Panthers were a relaxed group. 

"We have a very serious team where guys really want to do well but, I mean, tie game late in the third and we're enjoying it on the bench, laughing and smiling," Tkachuk revealed. "Looking around at the moment that we're in and really, really enjoying it. We're having so much fun. Even before overtime, laughing around with the guys. I don't know. It's very fun. It's a very fun environment."

The Panthers have won three straight overtime games during the playoffs, including Game 5 and Game 7 in Boston when they faced elimination. 

"We're very confident and we're not too scared to lose," said defenceman Gustav Forsling. "You got to have that mindset. It's easier said than done sometimes, but you try to not focus on thinking about losing. You just try and be a hero out there."

It helps when Tkachuk is on your side. 

"It rubs off to the whole group," said Forsling. "He's got that mentality. That killer mentality. Never take a loss and just keep going no matter what."

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Keefe changed up his forward lines. He is keeping Matthews and Marner together on the top line, but Calle Jarnkrok joined them at practice. Michael Bunting moved down to the third line with Ryan O'Reilly and Noel Acciari. Tavares and Nylander remained together on the second line with Alex Kerfoot, who started Game 3 on the third line, moving up to that unit. 

The Leafs are looking to find some more chemistry in Game 4. 

"We went through some video and just staying connected through all three zones," Matthews said of the adjustment needed. "Continue to try and get access to the front of the net. Realize that it's not always going to be the pretty play that's going to be putting the puck in the net, but continue to put guys there and crash and get second-chance opportunities."

Marner was tightlipped when asked how the Leafs can get their offence going. 

"We'll leave that in the locker room and try to just put it to the ice tomorrow and do what we do," he said. 

The Leafs have been held to two goals in each of the last five games. 

"We got to get back to just trying to take over the game," Nylander said. 

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The Leafs are making a big change on defence. T.J. Brodie and Jake McCabe, who have faced top lines in the playoffs, are being split up. Brodie skated with Justin Holl at practice while McCabe, who is a team-worst minus-8, moved down to the third pair with Timothy Liljegren, who was a healthy scratch on Sunday. 

"We are looking to change the group up a little bit and try to get Brodie on the left side to see if it can help us," said Keefe. "Also, he and McCabe hasn't gone the way we'd like it to through both series, frankly. We are trying to change the chemistry of the group a bit there. Brodie-Holl have played together a lot throughout the season at different times. They have done a really good job."

Morgan Rielly and Luke Schenn, who have been solid throughout the playoffs, remain together. Mark Giordano, who played less than eight minutes in Game 3, will be the seventh defenceman. 

"With Giordano's presence there as well, it gives us a lot of options to try different things," said Keefe. "We think the timing is right to change it up."

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Ilya Samsonov did not take part in practice and will miss Game 4 with an upper-body injury.

Joseph Woll will make his first career Stanley Cup playoff start on Wednesday. He has never played a postseason game in the American Hockey League. 

"I think the biggest thing right now is belief," the 24-year-old told reporters. "I certainly believe we have the group of people to do this. And I have a lot of belief in myself as well. I hope if I get a chance to help this team that I can help instill belief."

Woll stopped 18 of 21 shots in a relief appearance on Sunday. It was his ninth game of the season and 13th NHL game overall. 

"Woller's been really solid for us when he's had to step in," Matthews said. "I've known him since our junior days and he's just made so much progress as a goalie and I think mentally as well. And just a really great guy. He works hard and comes to the rink every day with a smile on his face and loves to get in there and compete. We have all the confidence in the world, whoever's going to be getting the start, that they're going to do a job for us and obviously we got to do a job for them as well." 

Keefe said he did not consider starting Matt Murray, who has won two Stanley Cups, but hasn't played since suffering a concussion on April 2. 

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A reporter mentioned that Forsling and Aaron Ekblad have done a good job shutting down Toronto's top players. 

"I am not answering this question," Paul Maurice said with a smile. "I can tell right before I am not answering this question." 

Since Game 3 ended, Maurice has been asked multiple times about the key to keeping the Leafs stars in check. He's credited goalie Sergei Bobrovsky while also acknowledging his team has benefited from some posts. 

On Tuesday, Maurice was asked about his top guys stepping up and, like Keefe, decided to highlight the need for quality depth. 

"What I like is that I can truly sit up here and give you a whole bunch of different names," Maurice said. "That [Anton] Lundell line has been really good."

Maurice put Eetu Luostarinen with Lundell and Sam Reinhart during the series against Boston. 

"In a very short period of time, what it has done for our hockey team is let us not worry about the match," Maurice said. "I am not hiding that line. I would run them against [Patrice] Bergeron or [Charlie] Coyle or [David] Krejci or [Pavel] Zacha in the middle. Toronto is going to put out three pretty dominant lines. If Lundell is on the ice, I am good with that match. That is a name we don't talk about much. I understand that, too. He is a young kid [21] that had to learn the game over the course of the year. He is a much better player now than he was two or three months ago."

Lundell has a goal and two assists in the series. Reinhart got the overtime winner in Game 3. 

"We aren't as deep as the teams that we have played, but we have some really nice stories of guys whose names don't get out there as much and who have been really important to us," Maurice concluded.

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Lines at Tuesday's Leafs practice: 

Jarnkrok - Matthews - Marner 
Kerfoot - Tavares - Nylander 
Bunting - O’Reilly - Acciari 
Aston-Reese - Kampf - Lafferty 
Simmonds 

Rielly - Schenn 
Brodie - Holl
McCabe - Liljegren 
Giordano - Gustafsson 
Timmins

Woll 
Murray 

Power-play units at Tuesday's Leafs practice: 

QB: Rielly
Flanks: Matthews, Marner 
Middle: O'Reilly 
Net front: Tavares 

QB: Giordano / Gustafsson 
Flanks: Nylander, Jarnkrok 
Middle: Kerfoot 
Net front: Bunting