What?s also impressed some of the NHL coaches from other teams and former players I?ve talked to about Tampa?s play during this series is they?ve used a very tight gap on the Leafs, forcing them out of their system and to make poor decisions with the puck again and again.
The Leafs typically don?t like to chip the puck out of the zone and give up possession, which makes sense. But they?re struggling to make clean plays because of the aggressiveness of the Lightning forecheck, which is disrupting what Toronto?s defence is able to do, which in turn disrupts the whole team?s ability to rush up the ice. That level of aggressiveness is something the Leafs? defence hasn?t seen a ton of this season, as it?s a really hard way to play over the course of 82 games.
Toronto?s back end, other than Rielly, isn?t exactly the fleetest group, either, which is one reason we?re likely seeing Lightning coach Jon Cooper target them in this way. But I think it also caught up with Tampa late in Game 4, as the older Lightning didn?t seem to have the legs to fend off the high-octane push from Toronto?s best players.
