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Time of India
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Golden Knights eliminated, five factors behind their early exit
The Vegas Golden Knights (Credit: Getty Image) The Golden Knights entered the playoffs with momentum, a Pacific Division title, and standout individual seasons. Expectations were high. Yet after a five-game loss to Edmonton, they're left with questions, not answers. Despite solid numbers in the regular season; most goals in franchise history, a top-five offense; Vegas couldn't carry the same impact into the postseason. In the final two games, they failed to score. For a team that averaged over three goals a night, that silence spoke volumes. Key players failed to rise when stakes climbed. Jack Eichel ended the series without a goal. Tomas Hertl and Pavel Dorofeyev didn't score or assist. The attack became predictable, and Edmonton's defense absorbed it with ease. The power play faded, the urgency dropped, and the finishing touch disappeared. Stars stalled as depth faded fast NHL Mic Drop: Oilers vs. Golden Knights Game 5 | Stanley Cup Playoffs Vegas needed more from its bottom six forwards, but those contributions never came. Meanwhile, Edmonton found timely goals from names beyond McDavid and Draisaitl. In tight series, depth matters. For Vegas, too many regulars vanished from the score sheet. Multiple players who shined during the season; Barbashev, Howden, Kolesar; were ineffective. The supporting cast that once added balance now added little. The Oilers exploited that. They rolled four lines and kept pressure constant. Vegas couldn't match the intensity or adjust. The top line looked isolated, and the secondary lines didn't generate enough danger. Defensive edge and crease control vanished The Vegas Golden Knights (Credit: Getty Image) Much of Vegas' 2023 Cup run leaned on heavy, physical defending. That edge was absent this time. The Golden Knights allowed too many goals from high-danger areas. Edmonton, by contrast, won key net-front battles and finished close-range chances. Goaltender Adin Hill wasn't perfect, but the breakdowns in front of him were often glaring. Defensive gaps and second-chance rebounds hurt. At the same time, Vegas rarely forced Edmonton's goalie into difficult saves. The commitment to crash the crease simply wasn't consistent enough. Winning playoff hockey comes down to detail and grit in front of both nets. Vegas lacked both when it mattered most. Wasted leads, missed chances on home ice Vegas grabbed early leads in Games 1 and 2 but couldn't hold them. Opportunities to control the series slipped away. In Game 4, they had three first-period power plays but didn't score. At home, they went winless; something that rarely happened all year. These were not isolated lapses but a pattern. Vegas struggled to finish games, extend leads, and respond when pressed. The Oilers capitalized on those gaps and never looked back. The next step requires hard questions Vegas has the pieces of a contender. But this postseason showed cracks. Whether it's a change in offensive mindset, lineup balance, or defensive toughness, adjustments are needed. Read more: Beyond the blue line, how Evan Bouchard's personal life shapes his rise in the NHL The team can't rely on past success. Winning now takes more than numbers and skill. It takes urgency, execution, and fight; qualities that disappeared just when they were needed most. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
Toronto Sun
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Toronto Sun
Let's keep the Maple Leafs' series lead in perspective after OT loss
Get the latest from Terry Koshan straight to your inbox Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll (60) stops a shot on goal during overtime in Game 3 of a second-round NHL hockey playoff series against the Florida Panthers, Friday, May 9, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. Photo by Marta Lavandier / AP Photo Taking a 3-0 lead in the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs against the Ottawa Senators was one thing. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Expecting to take a similar stranglehold against the defending Cup champion Florida Panthers was asking for too much. The Maple Leafs couldn't get the decisive goal in overtime on Friday night at Amerant Bank Arena and lost 5-4 when Brad Marchand — who else could it have been — scored at 15:27. Once the Leafs start physically recovering on Saturday, they are bound to keep in mind that they lead the best-of-seven series 2-1 heading into Game 4 on Sunday night in Sunrise. Our takeaways from Friday night: THE BIG PICTURE A 3-0 lead against Florida, which also played in the 2023 Cup final when it lost to Vegas, would have been dreamy for Leafs Nation. By no means, though, are the Leafs in a nightmare situation because they lost Game 3. Let's keep some perspective here. The players certainly are. 'We're happy to be up in the series,' defenceman Morgan Rielly told media in Sunrise after the game. 'Tonight isn't the result we wanted, but there are good things going on. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'We're in a good position. So it's important that we keep focus, have a good day (Saturday), and get ready to play (on Sunday).' Said John Tavares, who scored his first two goals of the series: 'We know we can be better. We have to be. It's a great chance for us to regroup and get back at it on Sunday.' What Tavares acknowledged, knowing the team can be better, was important. Though the Leafs shouldn't have any negative thoughts about being up 2-1, they probably don't have much interest in heading home for Game 5 on Wednesday tied 2-2. There should be confidence for the Leafs in scoring another four goals on Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. He stood tall in overtime, especially with saves on William Nylander and Matthew Knies, but his save percentage in the series now stands at .840. Bobrovsky certainly is not providing the kind of goaltending that leave the Leafs muttering to themselves in frustration. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. On three of their four goals, the Leafs were buzzing in front of Bobrovsky. They're getting to the inside in the offensive zone. That has to continue on Sunday. Three of the Panthers' goals came off deflections or redirections. Those weren't the fault of goalie Joseph Woll. THE STARS After everything he did as the Leafs won the first two games of the series — scoring three goals and recording an assist — Nylander didn't have a good night in Game 3. Go after Nylander if you want for his lack of effort before Marchand scored in overtime, but keep in mind that Nylander was at the end of a shift that had stretched to one minute 42 seconds when the puck went off Rielly and over Woll for the winner. Nylander had 32 shifts on Friday night, averaging 44 seconds. His OT shift was the equivalent of an eternity for a hockey player. What was a little more troublesome, and we know that Nylander can turn it around and be a controlling factor in Game 4, is that he didn't have a shot on goal until Bobrovsky stopped him on a semi-breakaway in OT. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. When Nylander was on the ice at five-on-five, the Panthers had 15 shots on goal. None of the other Leafs forwards were on the ice for that many shots against at five-on-five. The hope has to be that Game 3 was a one-off for Nylander, because the Leafs need him to be a lot better if they're going to give themselves their best shot at winning Game 4. Captain Auston Matthews had two assists in the game, but he has not scored a goal in the series and has just two in nine playoffs games. Yes, the series has been tight, yet Matthews should be finding an extra gear offensively. Perhaps the injury that popped up earlier in the season is taking a bite out of him now. Even if it is, Matthews would be loath to acknowledge as much. At any rate, Matthews is doing a lot of other things well, making a difference in areas that don't garner as much attention. Mitch Marner had two assists. Generally, we're fine with what Matthews, Nylander and Marner have done in the series. It's only going to get more difficult, though, and each has to find a way to make a bit more of an offensive difference. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The best way to describe what happened in the second period was that in the Craig Berube era, definitely in the playoffs, it was an aberration. Allowing three goals in a span of just under 11 minutes isn't a habit for the Leafs, let alone two in 64 seconds, especially when those three goals resulted in a lead change in Florida's favour. 'We weren't direct in the second, turned too many pucks over, allowed them to come back at us and play their game and got hemmed in too much,' Berube said. In a game that was determined by bounces, the Leafs recovered in the third, with Rielly scoring the only goal of the period to send the game to extra time. The Panthers won in the end, but they didn't beat a Leafs team that was lucky just to get to overtime. It required determination on the part of the home team. What did Berube take from the Leafs' push in the third? 'We got back playing our game, and we're pressuring and putting pressure on them, and getting pucks in behind him and going to work,' Berube said. 'We have to continue to do that. And then in overtime, we had our opportunities. 'It's a bounce. That's what happens in overtime a lot.' tkoshan@ X: @koshtorontosun Toronto & GTA Sunshine Girls Columnists Sunshine Girls Toronto Maple Leafs
Edmonton Journal
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
Let's keep the Maple Leafs' series lead in perspective after OT loss
Article content Once the Leafs start physically recovering on Saturday, they are bound to keep in mind that they lead the best-of-seven series 2-1 heading into Game 4 on Sunday night in Sunrise. Our takeaways from Friday night: THE BIG PICTURE A 3-0 lead against Florida, which also played in the 2023 Cup final when it lost to Vegas, would have been dreamy for Leafs Nation. By no means, though, are the Leafs in a nightmare situation because they lost Game 3. Let's keep some perspective here. The players certainly are. 'We're happy to be up in the series,' defenceman Morgan Rielly told media in Sunrise after the game. 'Tonight isn't the result we wanted, but there are good things going on. 'We're in a good position. So it's important that we keep focus, have a good day (Saturday), and get ready to play (on Sunday).' Said John Tavares, who scored his first two goals of the series: 'We know we can be better. We have to be. It's a great chance for us to regroup and get back at it on Sunday.'
Winnipeg Free Press
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Maple Leafs turn attention to Panthers after bouncing Senators in Battle of Ontario
OTTAWA – Auston Matthews and his teammates overcame a plucky opponent to silence their doubters. The Maple Leafs now face a tougher — and nastier test — in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Toronto advanced in the post-season for just the second time in the NHL's salary cap era Thursday with a 4-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators to claim the Battle of Ontario in six games. The defending champs are waiting on deck. The Leafs, who led their provincial rival 3-0 in the series before consecutive losses that once again had a scarred fan base on edge and pundits sharpening knives, will face the Florida Panthers for a spot in the Eastern Conference final. 'It's going to be another hard series,' Matthews said at Canadian Tire Centre moments after shaking hands with the Senators. 'We've definitely got to reset, do our homework, rest up, and go in there with confidence. 'And go in there with some pushback.' That's among the many challenges against the Panthers — a battle-tested group that lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2023 Cup final before hoisting hockey's Holy Grail following a seven-game victory over the Edmonton Oilers last June. Led by captain Aleksander Barkov and winger Matthew Tkachuk up front, Florida disposed of the Tampa Bay Lightning in a physical five games earlier this week. Steamrolled by the Panthers in the second round two years ago, the Leafs have added more grit and determination to the roster. They will need every ounce of it. 'They have a lot of good pieces,' said Toronto head coach Craig Berube, who wanted to enjoy the victory over Ottawa before shifting focus. 'They're hard to play against.' Tkachuk and fellow forward Sam Bennett make a habit of wreaking havoc on opposing goaltenders, while Florida also added winger Brad Marchand — a Toronto nemesis from playoffs past — from the Boston Bruins ahead of the trade deadline. 'This stage of the season, every game, every series, it's going to be hard,' Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz said. 'Everyone wants the same goal, wants a Stanley Cup.' The 31-year-old climbed that mountain just over 10 months ago with the Panthers as the backup to Sergei Bobrovsky. The understudy will now go toe-to-toe with his mentor. 'I'm extremely proud of the way that our team handled business,' Stolarz said of Toronto's victory over Ottawa. The Leafs also have defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and forward Steven Lorentz from Florida's title-winning squad. The Panthers will be without defenceman Aaron Ekblad when the series opens after he was suspended two games for a forearm to the head of Lightning forward Brandon Hagel in a first-round matchup packed with massive hits — both within and outside the rules. That should give the Leafs, who improved to 2-13 in potential series-clinching games since 2018 with their victory Thursday in the nation's capital, an indication of the level required against a team that will no doubt do all it can to get into Stolarz's kitchen. 'It's going to be like that against any team,' he said in trying to downplay what's to come. 'I've watched a lot of the playoff games.' Toronto fans, meanwhile, had watched their team lose two in a row to the Senators to ratchet up the tension around a club that has plenty of playoff demons, including a blown 3-1 series lead in 2021 against the Montreal Canadiens before falling in seven. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Inside the locker room, however, things remained calm. 'It's in one ear, out the other,' Matthews said of the noise around his team when Ottawa forced the provincial showdown to Game 6. 'It's all about the guys in the room … continuing to do what we can for one another. 'Just continue to push.' The Leafs will need plenty of that with what's soon to come. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 2, 2025.
Global News
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Global News
Maple Leafs turn attention to Panthers
OTTAWA – Auston Matthews and his teammates overcame a plucky opponent to silence their doubters. The Maple Leafs now face a tougher — and nastier test — in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Toronto advanced in the post-season for just the second time in the NHL's salary cap era Thursday with a 4-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators to claim the Battle of Ontario in six games. The defending champs are waiting on deck. The Leafs, who led their provincial rival 3-0 in the series before consecutive losses that once again had a scarred fan base on edge and pundits sharpening knives, will face the Florida Panthers for a spot in the Eastern Conference final. 'It's going to be another hard series,' Matthews said at Canadian Tire Centre moments after shaking hands with the Senators. 'We've definitely got to reset, do our homework, rest up, and go in there with confidence. Story continues below advertisement 'And go in there with some pushback.' That's among the many challenges against the Panthers — a battle-tested group that lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2023 Cup final before hoisting hockey's Holy Grail following a seven-game victory over the Edmonton Oilers last June. Led by captain Aleksander Barkov and winger Matthew Tkachuk up front, Florida disposed of the Tampa Bay Lightning in a physical five games earlier this week. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Steamrolled by the Panthers in the second round two years ago, the Leafs have added more grit and determination to the roster. They will need every ounce of it. 'They have a lot of good pieces,' said Toronto head coach Craig Berube, who wanted to enjoy the victory over Ottawa before shifting focus. 'They're hard to play against.' Story continues below advertisement Tkachuk and fellow forward Sam Bennett make a habit of wreaking havoc on opposing goaltenders, while Florida also added winger Brad Marchand — a Toronto nemesis from playoffs past — from the Boston Bruins ahead of the trade deadline. 'This stage of the season, every game, every series, it's going to be hard,' Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz said. 'Everyone wants the same goal, wants a Stanley Cup.' The 31-year-old climbed that mountain just over 10 months ago with the Panthers as the backup to Sergei Bobrovsky. The understudy will now go toe-to-toe with his mentor. 'I'm extremely proud of the way that our team handled business,' Stolarz said of Toronto's victory over Ottawa. The Leafs also have defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and forward Steven Lorentz from Florida's title-winning squad. The Panthers will be without defenceman Aaron Ekblad when the series opens after he was suspended two games for a forearm to the head of Lightning forward Brandon Hagel in a first-round matchup packed with massive hits — both within and outside the rules. That should give the Leafs, who improved to 2-13 in potential series-clinching games since 2018 with their victory Thursday in the nation's capital, an indication of the level required against a team that will no doubt do all it can to get into Stolarz's kitchen. Story continues below advertisement 'It's going to be like that against any team,' he said in trying to downplay what's to come. 'I've watched a lot of the playoff games.' Toronto fans, meanwhile, had watched their team lose two in a row to the Senators to ratchet up the tension around a club that has plenty of playoff demons, including a blown 3-1 series lead in 2021 against the Montreal Canadiens before falling in seven. Inside the locker room, however, things remained calm. 'It's in one ear, out the other,' Matthews said of the noise around his team when Ottawa forced the provincial showdown to Game 6. 'It's all about the guys in the room … continuing to do what we can for one another. 'Just continue to push.' The Leafs will need plenty of that with what's soon to come. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 2, 2025.
