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Going into game six, the
Leafs are a very different team from the team that had such a
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Game Five
ended on a rough note which could set the tone for Game
Six |
relatively
easy time with New Jersey during the regular season. Injuries have
decimated the team and the newest Leaf to fall to the injury bug was
Karpotsev, who was hospitalized with heart palpitations after a slash to
the chest from Lemieux. The Leafs are now missing Perreault, Antropov,
Clark, Berard, Karpotsev and Diduck while New Jersey, other than Krzysztof
Oliwa really has no significant injuries.
The
Leafs are down 3-2 in the series and this game could be the last of the
season if they don't bring their 'A' game. Game five was by far the best
game for the Leafs, but their defensive breakdowns cost them the game.
With Karpotsev out Chris McAllister could break into the lineup, which
would further weaken an already weak blueline.
Captain Mats
Sundin
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| Sundin
helped carry the Leafs past Ottawa | has been taking heat for not trying� and being too soft. People have accused him of
not showing up for the games and said the he should be stripped of his
captaincy. How soon fans forget that Sundin and the top line carried the Leafs
through the Ottawa series playing their best hockey. Fans are upset because Sundin
can not break through the same defense that stifled Pavel Bure and
held the league-leading goal scorer to a single goal. Of course, if
the Leafs want to win, Sundin and his linemates must break through that
stifling, boring defensive game the Devils play, however so do the other lines. Even
so, Sundin is confident that his team will play well in New
Jersey:
"We're going to be desperate and we play our best in
that position," said Sundin. "They're going to have to have a hell
of a hockey game to finish us off."
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Three
Leafs are tied as the leading point getters in this series: Tucker,
Berezin, and Korolev; each with only three points. If the Leafs plan on
staying in this year�s playoffs, that statistic must change
dramatically.
Curtis Joseph will once
again be the key to a Leafs victory. Curtis Joseph has kept Toronto in every game and has
faced
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| Cujo will
once again have to steal a win for the
Leafs |
a shower of shots as the Devils
have kept the Leafs pinned in their own zone. The Devils have a 170-101
advantage in shots through five games. After looking decidedly
average in the Leafs 4-3 loss in game five, Cujo needs to bounce back and
have a stellar game in order for the Leafs to take the series to the
Leafs' first game seven since 1995. Back then in their Western
Conference quarterfinal against Chicago the Leafs won Game Six in
overtime, but lost Game Seven 5-2.
Former Maple
Leaf Captain Doug Gilmour talks about the Stanley Cup
playoffs and the keys to success:
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"Anytime you get to the playoffs,
somehow you�ve got to get through the hot goaltending which you run
into every year. And if you can gel together at the right time, then
obviously you�re going to have
success."
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In order to win,
the Leafs need to play their best game and find a way to get some pucks
through Martin Brodeur. Otherwise, the Leafs' season could be
over.
By Lisa
Crompton |
