The Toronto Maple Leafs lost a tough overtime decision in Game 4 against the Ottawa Senators, 4-3, on Saturday night at the Canadian Tire Centre. Jake Sanderson was the hero for the Senators, scoring at the 17:42 mark of the extra frame to give the Sens life in the series.
Tim Stutzle (PPG), Shane Pinto (SHG), David Perron, and Sanderson scored for the Ottawa Senators. Meanwhile, John Tavares, Matthew Knies, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson had the goals for the Toronto Maple Leafs who still lead the series 3-1.
So, let’s take a closer look at the three least impressive Toronto Maple Leafs players from the 4-3 overtime loss in Game 4 against the Ottawa Senators.
3 least impressive Toronto Maple Leafs players from 4-3 overtime loss to Ottawa Senators in Game 4
#3 Pontus Holmberg
Pontus Holmberg had somewhat of a rough night for the Toronto Maple Leafs. While he ended the night a plus-1, he wasn’t a significant factor in Game 4. He started the game on the second line with William Nylander and John Tavares, but eventually found himself on the third line by the end of the night.
Holmberg played 15:51 in total, failing to match up physically against a Senators team that threw the body around all night long. Holmberg did not have a shot on goal, winning 50% of the draws he took.
#2 Bobby McMann
Bobby McMann hasn’t been quite the X-factor the Toronto Maple Leafs hoped he would be this postseason. While he hasn’t played poorly, he hasn’t generated many chances from the bottom six.
On Saturday night against the Senators, McMann started the game on the third line, but eventually found himself on the second line as Holmberg was bumped down. McMann, however, did not generate many chances, either.
He ended the night with two shots on goal in 17:46 of ice time. He played a fairly strong physical role but could not generate the type of offense the Leafs would have hoped from him.
#1 Max Domi
Max Domi, the hero in Game 2, did not have his best game of the season on Saturday night. He played 15:36 over 23 shifts as the third-line center. But he didn’t generate the scoring chances expected of him in the bottom six.
Domi, moreover, took a dumb penalty, hitting Shane Pinto with the butt of his stick during a face-off. The penalty proved costly as it led to the Senators’ first goal of the game. While Domi showed speed and physicality, it wasn’t enough to lift the Leafs to a series victory.
The Leafs and Senators will meet on Tuesday night in Toronto for Game 5, where the Leafs will hope to close out the series and move on.
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