Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos has finally managed to produce for his club. The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to expect their point guard to do the same.
John Tavares has been shut out five-for-five since the start of the first-round series between Toronto and the defending Stanley Cup champions.
The two clubs are tied 2-2 following the Lightning’s convincing 7-3 victory Sunday night at Amalie Arena.
Excluding the opening game of the first-round series against the Montreal Canadiens last year, in which he suffered a severe injury that caused him to miss all other matches, Tavares does not has scored just one goal in its last seven playoff outings.
Over the first four meetings against the Lightning, the 31-year-old veteran was limited to two assists — one on the power play and the other in a situation where the two clubs were playing four on four on Sunday, when the game was beyond the reach of the Maple Leafs.
“I haven’t been able to produce on offense like I would like to,” Tavares said after Sunday’s stinging loss. “I would like to create more. »
The Maple Leafs center did the job expected of him in the face-off circle — he won 10 of 11 face-offs on Sunday — and was active in the Lightning zone once the Maple Leafs settled there and got the puck moving.
But a problem that originated during the regular season has continued since the start of the playoffs. Tavares finished the regular season sixth among the Maple Leafs with 39 even-strength points (15 goals, 24 assists) in 2021-22.
And as Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner were held 5-5 in Games 3 and 4, the Maple Leafs captain’s inability to impose his will was amplified.
“We believe in our team”
“He works, he tries,” Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said. “This series is difficult. »
It certainly is. But it’s also been a lackluster streak from game to game.
The two clubs alternately won and the side that broke the 0-0 tie eventually managed to build a cushion of at least three goals en route to victory.
The Maple Leafs, who will host Game 5 on Tuesday, have successfully handled moments of adversity this season. However, the Queen City team continues to drag a recent history of playoff failures, having not reached the second round of the playoffs since 2004.
“We just believe in our team,” Keefe replied when asked why he’s hopeful the Maple Leafs will bounce back.
“We believe in our team all playoffs, all season. We played well against [Tampa Bay]. We reacted last time after a loss. It’s that kind of series. We return home. We know we have to be better, and we will be. »