Young Maple Leafs beat expectations – just not their own

“They’re young, but they’re strong”. But they eventually stabilized and generated the best chances in an opening period where few existed.

As for the Capitals - it’s the Penguins again, because of course it’s the Penguins again. The Capitals are averaging 3.2 goals per game and are scoring on 23.1 percent of their power play opportunities.

Babcock said he wasn’t even certain that Mitch Marner, one of three Leaf rookies to surpass 60 points, would make the team at training camp. Matthews has a 55% possession rating over the first five games of the season.

“When you look at where we’ve come from – last year to this year – I think there’s a lot to take pride in”, Rielly said before Game 6.

We know this much is clear now: The Leafs are well on the way to being a team that competes in the playoffs for years to come. Schmidt had two assists going in, and he was leading the team with a plus-four.

Team efforts are how you win in the postseason, and that’s precisely what the Capitals did to win four games against a fast, talented, relentless Leafs team.

As the Penguins wait to find out who will be their Eastern Conference semifinals opponent, the team is focused more on bettering themselves and continuing to get healthy, rather than intensely scouting the Capitals and Maple Leafs. “He’s fine and we expect him to be ready to go”. “That’s what we want to get to”. We’ve worked hard for it. However, I am going to stick with the Capitals even on the road.

Asked Tuesday how long he still plans on serving as the general manager of the Maple Leafs, Lou Lamoriello quipped: “As far as the future, I have got enough problems just getting up in the morning”.

It was the fifth time in in the series that the Leafs and Caps required overtime to determine a victor.

“Thats where our game is in a really good place, the maturity of young players at such a young age. “Don’t guess, just react”. Six of the seven defensemen recorded at least point, with the exclusion being Karl Alzner, who got benched after Game 2.

“They love to play the game”.

“He’s such an important player for us”.

TORONTO-In the two children’s books he’s authored, Toronto Maple Leafs forward Zach Hyman has always wanted to share a lesson. It was the sixth goal of his playoff career and second this year.

Bring on the Pittsburgh Penguins.

“We’ve had great growth from our team, unbelievable action since the start of the year”, said Babcock following the game. “At the same time, we know Pittsburgh is coming to town and it’s going to be insane”.

Washington carries a 3-2 series lead into a later game Sunday at Toronto in the only first-round matchup still ongoing. Slim margins defined this series, the closest of the first round: Coming into Game 6, the goal tally was 16-15 in favor of Washington, with four of the five games decided in overtime (which, in the National Hockey League playoffs, makes for the most anxiety-inducing TV-viewing experience in sports).

The Penguins get the victor of the Capitals-Maple Leafs series, which is tied 2-2 going into tonight’s Game 5 on Washington’s ice.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have given the Washington Capitals all that they can handle in their first round series, taking the President’s Trophy victor to overtime four times in the first five games, but the 2-1 overtime loss in Game 5 on Friday illustrated flaw with the young Leafs that in a close series could prove to be fatal.