RICK VAIVE: Maple Leafs chose path of most resistance in Game 5

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The Toronto Sun welcomes former Toronto captain and three-time 50-goal winger Rick Vaive to our 2024 Maple Leafs playoff coverage. Rick will break down each game in the Toronto-Boston series, today reviewing Game 5. 

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It can go two ways in a do-or-die as the Leafs found themselves in Game 5, a loud road rink without their best player. 

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Either you focus on helping the guy on either side of you — or you’re going home. 

That’s what I liked about the Leafs on Tuesday in Boston, how they were coming back as a unit, especially the forwards. If you’ve watched them in the regular season and the early part of this series, when their defence gets the puck one or two guys are hanging around up ice looking for a stretch pass. 

This game was far different, way more disciplined and structured than the first four. The forwards were helping the defence and Boston didn’t have the excellent chances they’d been getting. Just as vital, the Bruins only had one power play. 

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I give a lot of credit to what Max Domi did at centre. Going 12-2 on faceoffs when you haven’t played there in a while is tough in a game of this importance. There’s a way to win them as John Tavares has shown everyone over the years and though you don’t think of Max in that role, he has kind of a squat build like his father and maybe that helps him get lower to the ice. 

Faceoffs are a team effort with your wingers and defence, too, so to go 62% as they did in a road game without having last line change is a great sign. 

Matthew Knies scored a nice goal to win it, but that said, they’re not sitting Auston Matthews, the best scorer on the planet, if there’s any way Auston is ready for Game 6. 

I’d discussed this with Mike Wilson on our podcast before the game, that the guy who really had to come up the biggest Tuesday was Joseph Woll. I said he couldn’t allow more than two goals and he went one better than me. 

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That’s not to say Jeremy Swayman was bad for Boston, making more than 30 saves. But what a spot to put a young guy in, as it was in last season’s playoffs for Woll against Florida. There is something very calm and cool in his demeanour and positioning. He didn’t get upset at the one Bruin goal by Trent Frederic,a bad bounce originating with someone on his own team.   

Woll might remind Leaf fans of Ken Wregget, our goalie in the 1980s, who had the same tall frame and that easy-going nature about him. One thing I can tell you about Ken — he sure didn’t play piano or read a lot of big books like Woll does. But I hear that’s what seems to relax Joseph and help him prepare for a game. More power to him! 

-Vaive was captain of the Leafs for four years in the early 1980s, played 16 NHL and WHA seasons, is author of Catch 22, My Battles in Hockey and Life, and can be heard on the Squid and The Ultimate Leafs Fan podcast with Mike Wilson and special guests. 

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