Toronto seeks 1st 4-game sweep of best-of-7 series since 2001, can oust Ottawa
© André Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images
By Mike Zeisberger
NHL.com Staff Writer
OTTAWA -- The Toronto Maple Leafs will attempt to complete their first four-game sweep of a best-of-7 Stanley Cup Playoff series in 24 years with a victory against the Ottawa Senators in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference First Round at Canadian Tire Centre on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; CBC, TVAS, SN, TBS, truTV, MAX).
The last time the Maple Leafs were able to accomplish the feat was in 2001, when they swept the Senators in the first round. They will try to replicate that feat after winning the first three games in this series, the past two in overtime.
Finishing off the series, however, is another story for Toronto, which is 2-13 in potential series-winning games since 2004.
“I don’t think there’s a different approach,” Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube said after the team’s morning skate when asked about the possibility of being able to eliminate the Senators. “Each individual needs to concentrate on every shift. [Ottawa] is going to push hard like they have every game.
“It’s no different for me tonight. We just have to focus on compete and puck battles like we have every game.”
The Senators are 8-16 (.333) in potential elimination games and 4-6 (.400) when playing at home, as they are Saturday. Ottawa is 2-3 all-time in Game 4s when facing a 3-0 series deficit.
For Senators coach Travis Green, the key is for his players to stay the course, even when facing the end of their season with a loss.
“Everyone has their own thought process, especially when you’re facing elimination,” Green said Saturday. “We try to give our team things to grasp onto and hang their hat on.
“But it comes down to what you’ve always done that really counts, so we’re not about to change our routine a whole lot.”
Here is a breakdown of Game 4:
Maple Leafs: Max Pacioretty is in line to play his second consecutive game after being out with an undisclosed injury since Feb. 8. The 36-year-old forward had a shot on goal and registered seven hits, tying with forward Bobby McMann for the team high, in 12:24 of ice time in a 3-2 overtime victory in Game 3 on Thursday. Berube said he was encouraged by what he saw from the veteran, who once again will be on the third line with McMann and Max Domi. Defenseman Morgan Rielly said one of the aspects the team would like to improve on is puck clearances out of the defensive zone, citing a need for quicker and more efficient puck movement.
Senators: Green was coy when asked about any potential lineup changes, saying to wait until the pregame skate to see if anything was tweaked. Perhaps Ottawa's biggest area of concern is their struggling penalty kill; the Maple Leafs have scored five times on nine opportunities in the series, yet another reminder the Senators need to stay out of the penalty box.
Number to know: 6:53. The total amount of time Ottawa has led through the first three games of this series.
What to look for: When Berube was coaching the St. Louis Blues to their Stanley Cup run in 2019, one of his fortes was to start his fourth line in postseason games in an attempt to have them set a physical tone. In Game 3 he did exactly that, sending out the Steven Lorentz—Scott Laughton-Calle Jarnkrok unit to start. Don’t be surprised if he does it again.
Round 1 | Full Coverage
🔹Ottawa Senators vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
🔹Florida Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
🔹Montreal Canadiens vs. Washington Capitals
🔹New Jersey Devils vs. Carolina Hurricanes
🔹St. Louis Blues vs. Winnipeg Jets
🔹Colorado Avalanche vs. Dallas Stars
🔹Minnesota Wild vs. Vegas Golden Knights
🔹Edmonton Oilers vs. Los Angeles Kings
What they’re saying:
“A couple, that’s for sure. You know, a lot of people support me, which I really appreciate and means a lot to me. So it’s fun to see that old teammates, old coaches, old friends, they still keep track of how you’re doing. So it’s fun.” -- Maple Leafs defenseman Simon Benoit when asked how many people reached out to him after he scored the overtime winner in Game 3.
“We’re just focusing on our game. We didn't play well enough last game so we want to respond. That’s our goal tonight. Work on the small details that are the difference between wins and losses.” -- Senators forward Tim Stutzle
Maple Leafs projected lineup
Matthew Knies -- Auston Matthews -- Mitch Marner
Pontus Holmberg -- John Tavares -- William Nylander
Calle Jarnkrok -- Scott Laughton -- Steven Lorentz
Max Pacioretty -- Max Domi -- Bobby McMann
Morgan Rielly -- Brandon Carlo
Jake McCabe -- Chris Tanev
Simon Benoit -- Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Anthony Stolarz
Joseph Woll
Scratched: Dakota Mermis, Philippe Myers, David Kampf, Artur Akhtyamov, Nicholas Robertson
Injured: Jani Hakanpaa (lower body)
Senators projected lineup
Brady Tkachuk -- Tim Stutzle -- Claude Giroux
Fabian Zetterlund -- Dylan Cozens -- Drake Batherson
Ridly Greig -- Shane Pinto -- Michael Amadio
David Perron -- Adam Gaudette -- Nick Cousins
Jake Sanderson -- Artem Zub
Thomas Chabot -- Nick Jensen
Tyler Kleven -- Nikolas Matinpalo
Linus Ullmark
Anton Forsberg
Scratched: Dennis Gilbert, Travis Hamonic, Matthew Highmore
Injured: Hayden Hodgson (lower body)
Status report
The Maple Leafs will dress the same lineup they used in a 3-2 overtime win in Game 3 on Thursday. … Robertson, a forward, will be a healthy scratch for the second straight game. ... The Senators held an optional morning skate. … Ottawa likely will dress the same lineup it used Thursday.
