John Matisz

Poor Felix Sandstrom.The Philadelphia Flyers goalie thought he had Thursday off but was called into action against the Maple Leafs after Samuel Ersson allowed three goals on 12 shots in the first period. Sandstrom survived the second, plus the opening minutes of the third, before his life flashed before his eyes.With both Flyers defensemen somehow on one side of the ice, Auston Matthews, the NHL's greatest goal-scorer, accepted a neutral-zone pass: Broadcast screenshot / ESPNMatthews entered the Flyers zone on the breakaway, deked, and fired a snap shot from the high slot for goal No. 55. What a haunting sequence for a backup goalie.Despite scoring only four goals in his past 10 games, Matthews is certain to pass his career high of 60 and is on pace to finish with 70 goals - technically 69.66 - in 81 games (he missed one tilt in mid-December).The 26-year-old seems to have his third Rocket Richard Trophy locked up. Former teammate Zach Hyman and division rival Sam Reinhart are tied for second with 46 goals while Nathan MacKinnon (42) and David Pastrnak (41) are the only others in the 40s.Matthews doesn't have a lot of padding in his goal tally, either. He's yet to score an empty-net goal and 40 of his 55 goals have come at even strength. But he creates goals at a far higher rate than expected: Sportlogiq credited him with only 37.1 individual expected goals ahead of the 6-2 win over Philly. Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesAs in years past, Matthews ranks high in many key offensive categories tracked by Sportlogiq. Before Thursday's game, Matthews on a per-game basis ranked first in the league in slot shots (2.76), sixth in inner-slot shots (1.40), first in scoring chances generated off the cycle (2.19), first in chances off the forecheck (0.63), and eighth in chances off the rush (1.14).It's possible Matthews doesn't dress for all 17 remaining games, given Toronto's comfortably in a playoff spot and needs No. 34 at his best for the postseason. If he does play all 17, the competition isn't particularly overwhelming: Toronto has three games left against New Jersey; two each versus Carolina, Washington, Florida, and Tampa Bay; and one against Philly, Edmonton, Buffalo, Montreal, Pittsburgh, and Detroit.Matthews has twice this season recorded back-to-back hat tricks; six goals in two games at any point over the final month would go a long way toward reaching 70. Teemu Selanne and Alexander Mogilny - who both scored 76 in 1992-93 - were the last NHLers to reach the mark.More insight on hockey analyticsMy in-depth feature on the NHL's decade of data published Thursday involved interviews with around 20 people. Even though the story stretched to 4,000 words, plenty of interesting insights ended up being edited out.Here are a few nuggets:Nugget 1: Expand the time horizon to 15-20 years and you truly get a sense of how much the NHL's changed with respect to access to cutting-edge technology and statistics. Brant Berglund, the Bruins' video coach from 2002-10, recalls popping tapes into a VHS player to scout future opponents. Berglund, now the NHL's senior director of coaching and GM technology, is amazed to see job postings for roles commonly associated with tech start-ups. In 2024, teams have so much data to collect, organize, and analyze that some front offices are hiring database architects and software engineers. What a stark contrast. Ethan Miller / Getty ImagesNugget 2: The league's working on the next iteration of NHL Edge, the long-awaited advanced stats hub launched earlier this season. Fans can expect to have access to puck possession, passing, defensive, and special-teams data. The visualizations and sorting filters at NHL Edge will also improve over time. "Part of what we want to do here is present information and allow people to draw their own conclusions from it," said Russell Levine, the group VP of statistics and information. "I think you're going to see much deeper insights as that data set grows and grows more complex."Nugget 3: OK, this may be surprising: the rise of advanced stats hasn't impacted contract negotiations in any significant way. Games played, time on ice, role, goals, and assists remain the standard talking points, according to one NHLPA agent. Why? Well, only stats on NHL can be used in arbitration cases. Negotiations are about the big picture and basic stats often tell a concise story. Teams also have more manpower and access to better data than agencies, so by bringing up advanced stats, the player's side risks "opening Pandora's box" because teams can present more sophisticated data. The agent also stressed that negotiations in the first few days of free agency largely revolve around supply and demand. If a team's desperate, it'll overpay. If a player's desperate, he'll settle for less money or shorter term.Kings of right-handed D-men Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesOn July 1, 2018, the Kings signed Drew Doughty to an eight-year contract extension. The deal slotted Doughty, then 28, on the right side of Los Angeles' top pair for the foreseeable future, and he remains there today.Around this time, Matt Roy was beginning to show signs of future top-four potential. He also shoots right. If all went according to plan, the Kings would theoretically have enough talent on the right side to take a conservative approach to right-handed defensemen over the next handful of years.What they've done instead is acquire righties with NHL potential and then figure out later on what to do with such rare assets. For instance, after the Doughty extension, the Kings signed undrafted free agent Sean Walker and added prospect Sean Durzi in a trade with Toronto. Gary A. Vasquez / Getty ImagesThe Kings then selected seven righties over the next five drafts - not an absurdly high rate but high nonetheless. The kicker is they hit on four of them: Jordan Spence, Brock Faber, Helge Grans, and Brandt Clarke.Spence and Clarke are future pillars of L.A.'s blue line; Faber and a first-rounder were traded to Minnesota for Kevin Fiala; Grans and Walker left in a three-team, eight-piece swap; and Durzi was sent to Arizona for a second-rounder.You can certainly quibble with the results of those trades. No major wins.But the takeaway is that the Kings have continued to covet a hot commodity across the league, which is a clever way of approaching the draft and develop process. It also makes me wonder what's in store for Otto Salin and Matthew Mania, righties with NHL potential drafted by L.A. in 2022 and 2023.Parting shotsNasty Nate: The Hart Trophy race will be a treat to watch down the stretch. Matthews, MacKinnon, Connor McDavid, Nikita Kucherov, and Connor Hellebuyck all have strong cases with four weeks left. Here's one stat that isn't necessarily relevant to the MVP discussion but highlights the absurdity of some of these performances: MacKinnon has at least one point in every Avalanche home game. In 32 games at Ball Arena, he's racked up 71 points (26 goals, 45 assists), which is more than all but 18 NHLers' season-long total.MacKinnon's streak is tied with Guy Lafleur (1978-79, Montreal) for third-longest in league history. Wayne Gretzky - obviously - sits first and second on the list. Gretzky snagged a point in all 40 Kings home games in 1988-89. The modern 82-game season gives MacKinnon one extra date, so he'll become the new record holder if he goes wire to wire. Nathan MacKinnon's hatty literally just broke Ball Arena... the hats were coming in too hot and took down some wires 🤯 pic.twitter/WheLNB6rqL— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) January 25, 2024 Bo and UPL show: While their chances of making the playoffs remain slim (7.8% according to MoneyPuck), the Sabres' recent spurt should be encouraging to fans. Bowen Byram, acquired from Colorado ahead of the trade deadline, has been terrific alongside Rasmus Dahlin on the top pair. The 22-year-old Byram plays an up-tempo, assertive style suited for Buffalo's system. The club's outscored opponents 6-2 in his 70 five-on-five minutes.Meanwhile, goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen continues to flourish. His .915 save percentage through 42 games ranks in the top 10, and he leads all NHL netminders with a 77% quality start rate, posting a positive goals saved above expected value in 30 of 39 starts. Luukkonen, 25, and Devon Levi, 22, were battling for the starter's job to begin the season, but there's no doubt who the No. 1 guy is now. Upie earned his fifth shutout AND the sabre tonight! ⚔️#LetsGoBuffalo pic.twitter/cwmw235klp— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) March 15, 2024 RempeMania: The NHL's in the entertainment business, fighting is part of the on-ice product, and dropping the mitts is Matt Rempe's ticket to the NHL. So there should be no mystery why the 6-7, 241-pound Rangers rookie winger's amassed 54 penalty minutes (and a four-game suspension) in 56 minutes of ice time. He's incentivized to fight and is fully committed to the bit.Hopefully, Rempe is being educated on what this role could do to his long-term health. Brain trauma is no joke. He needs family, friends, the Rangers, and his representatives at KO Sports to be the adults in the room (Rempe is just 21, after all) and lay out the risks and rewards of how he's playing. The kid can contribute offensively in a net-front role, so picking his spots to fight (as in the video below) is a good start. MacDermid wanted to go but Rempe did not oblige 👀 pic.twitter/CZCeKQkhTV— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) March 11, 2024 Takes, Thoughts, and Trends is theScore's biweekly hockey grab bag.John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore).

Poor Felix Sandstrom. The Philadelphia Flyers goalie thought he had Thursday off but was called into action against the Maple Leafs after

It was 2006 and the legend of Brent Burns and his assortment of hobbies had infiltrated the Minnesota Wild front office. General manager Doug Risebrough, who drafted Burns 20th overall in 2003, had to see what all the fuss was about."Come on over," Burns, then in his early 20s, told his boss.Risebrough found out early on a tour of Burns' house that, yes, his young defenseman did in fact have an area sectioned off for snakes. Burns knew "everything" about the limbless reptiles and hired a local snake expert to care for them."This whole thing was the most organized zoo you've ever seen," Risebrough recently recalled with a laugh.Risebrough's interest was piqued again when the tour led to three high-end bicycles. Burns explained how one was built for speed, another for climbing hills, and the third for paved roads. The GM's eyes widened further when he spotted multiple electric guitars upstairs - seriously?!!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;rWhat made Burns remarkable then - and still to this day - is that his off-ice interests don't fully define him. He's far from a sideshow, winning the Norris Trophy in 2017 and finishing in the top three in voting two other times. Now a member of the Stanley Cup-contending Carolina Hurricanes, Burns hit 1,400 games played this past weekend. The 39-year-old ranks sixth among NHL defensemen in career shots on goal, 10th in goals scored, 14th in points, and 15th in games played.Throughout the season, theScore tried to speak with Burns about his accomplished career, his personality, and his many interests, which fascinate teammates and fans alike."Do you understand why people think you're interesting?""No. No. I think, no. No, I don't," Burns said with a sheepish laugh. Josh Lavallee / NHL / Getty ImagesThis reflection came at the end of a three-minute walk and talk from the visitor's locker room at Toronto's Scotiabank Arena to the Hurricanes' team bus. His answers were short, and it's an understatement to say he's reluctant to talk about himself.That's not true about those who know him, though. We asked almost 20 people who've been around Burns throughout his hockey journey to explain and describe what makes him unique. As Alex Stalock, a former San Jose Sharks teammate, put it, "I'll always have endless things to say about him."(Note: Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.) 'He's always playing so aggressive'Burns has long been viewed as a rover because of his playing style. He helped revolutionize shots from the point, favoring half-slap shots, snap shots, and wrist shots over full-windup slap shots before his peers did. Burns' 64.5 mph average shot speed this season is in the 90th percentile across the league.Jaccob Slavin, Hurricanes teammate: Pretty much every shot comes off his stick hard.Doug Wilson, former Sharks GM: His snapshot from the point is as powerful as most slap shots.Micheal Haley, Sharks: In hockey, we say, "Put it in your pocket." His pocket, apparently, is huge. Whether his arms are extended, whether the puck is closer to his feet, he has the ability to get it off so quickly and with such power.Brenden Dillon, Sharks: We'd always joke in San Jose that he didn't have a safety on his hockey stick. That thing was shooting no matter where the puck was on his stick. John Russell / NHL / Getty Images David E. Klutho / Sports Illustrated / Getty ImagesStalock: Leaving the rink, there were some days when your collarbone was sore because he wasn't holding back when he shot. When he scored, everybody in the rink knew. He'd come up to me after practice and, in classic Burnzie fashion, he'd be like, "You know you're not playing dodgeball, right? You know you're trying to stop the puck?"Risebrough: Back then, it was slap shots, half-slap shots. Nobody was wristing the puck from the blue line. Nobody. Only Burnzie. It was because of the velocity and the quickness. And now, how many guys take a slap shot from the point? Nobody does anymore. They're all wristers.Sebastian Aho, Hurricanes: He has a very powerful shot for a guy with a short release. From the same position, he can do a shot-pass where he's looking for your stick. Sometimes, you read him and deflect or tip the puck. Sometimes it's luck, where you're in the right place at the right time. It's good to be aware when he's out there, because you know it's coming.Paul Martin, Sharks: He's the best I've seen as far as getting pucks through to the net.Todd Reirden, Houston Aeros (AHL): If the puck is coming from low to high in the offensive zone, he has the ability to one-time pucks or change shot lanes to wrist pucks through.Stalock: He can pick the puck up off the wall and shoot it in one motion. Him and (former Sharks teammate Joe) Pavelski had such a unique chemistry, with him finding his stick in the slot.Jari Byrski, longtime offseason skills coach: I built these custom boards so that when you pass off of them, the puck is coming to you in different locations. Almost from the beginning, we didn't practice the perfect pass or shot. Then he worked on quickly adjusting the body and releasing the puck.Matt Irwin, Sharks: It's a rare combination of skills that he has. Some people might have the size but not the skating, or the skating but not the size, or not the hands and the shot to go with all that. He's got the whole package.Risebrough: You can really get the wrong impression of Brent in some ways. He plays this enthusiastic game. He does unusual things because of his athletic ability and can recover because of his skating ability. He looks a little bit undisciplined, so to speak. But he's not that way at all. He's super focused on whatever he is doing.Several interviewees noted how Burns' offensive exploits overshadow his strong defensive work.Kurtis Foster, Wild: One thing as a defenseman that's tough to do is play super aggressive. A lot of guys are worried about getting beat all the time. I watched Burnzie play the other night. In Year 20, he doesn't hold back.Dillon: If he's going to pinch, he's all-in. If he gaps up on a forward, he's all-in. If he's going to the corner to get into a physical battle, he's all-in. Combine that with being 6-foot-5, 230 pounds. His long stick. As a defenseman, you appreciate how hard it is to play against a big guy like that. Grant Halverson / Getty ImagesReirden: He's like Chris Pronger in terms of how (Pronger) used his stick and the range and ability he had to cover large amounts of space on the ice.Nick Schultz, Wild: For those guys who play so many minutes, your positioning is so important. I think a lot of that came from having Jacques Lemaire as a coach earlier in his career. Being a recent expansion team, we had to play well defensively. Stick positioning was big - where you were on the rink and taking away passing lanes.Martin: By the end of my time in San Jose, he was a shutdown D-man. He gets attention for being an offensive defenseman. Maybe he doesn't get the recognition as a solid, shutdown defender.Wilson: He took great pride in competing and trying to stop the other team's top players. I don't think he gets enough credit for that.Martin: Sometimes he will run outside the dots or make a risky defensive play you don't expect. But more often than not, he ends the play early by causing a turnover.Foster: Everything has a thought and a reason why he's doing it. He won't necessarily crush guys, but he's always playing so aggressive that guys don't have time to make a play.Haley: As a coach now in junior, I reference aspects he brings. A lot of times with the D, I'll say: If you guys turn on a Carolina game, you can hear Burnzie calling with his little Tarzan scream when he wants the puck.Slavin: He talks a lot off the ice - and doesn't stop talking when he's on the ice. He's always trying to help me out.Martin: Heck, I think the whole rink could hear him call for the puck. He's always hooting and hollering.Slavin: Sometimes he's talking, and sometimes he's yipping like a coyote. It depends on what mood he's in.Martin: Sometimes I had to be like, "Hey, quit yelling! I know you're over there."'He could have played either position'A multipositional, late-blooming skater out of the Toronto area, Burns spent his NHL draft season as a member of the Brampton Battalion. He began the 2002-03 Ontario Hockey League season far down the lineup.Stan Butler, Battalion coach: My thought process was simple: It's hard to find good right wingers. Big kid, good hands, can skate well. Why not right wing?Adam Henrich, Battalion: His story's actually amazing. He was on the fourth line. Our team was pretty good, and then we had a lot of injuries going into the playoffs. He jumped onto the first or second line. When you talk about making the most of an opportunity, that's what this kid did.Butler: People thought he might go in the second or third round.Risebrough: The debate I had with the chief scout was why we should pick him high. He said, "Athletic. Tall. I don't know if he's going to get heavier, but he has great skating ability." There was a brief mention about him formerly playing defense, in the context of, if there's something you don't like about him as a forward, it's probably teachable.Burns meets Wild management at the 2003 draft. Doug Pensinger / Getty ImagesButler: Then, as the biggest surprise of all, he makes the NHL as an 18-year-old right winger.Foster: What gave him the ability to stick as such a young guy and play both roles was his skating power. He was a big man who could really move, and he had this confidence with the puck. He wasn't afraid to make a mistake.Risebrough: He was playing forward for us and he was doing alright. We were happy with him. Big, strong guy going up and down the wings. We were near the end of the season and our team wasn't going to make the playoffs. We had an injury on defense. You'd normally call somebody up, but our minor-league team was right in the playoff hunt. I'm thinking, "Am I going to take the best defenseman off their team before a critical game?"Risebrough discussed the issue with Lemaire. "Well, don't call anybody up, I'll just put Burnzie on defense," Lemaire told the GM - and that, right there, was the catalyst for a permanent role.Risebrough: Jacques didn't even know about the history of Brent's time on defense. He just assessed the player and figured he should put Burnzie on defense. And he was great. At the end of the year, Jacques said, "We should think about keeping this guy on defense. He'll develop more because of the minutes he's going to play." It's history now.Though Burns has been a D-man for the majority of his NHL career, he occasionally subbed in at forward over his 11-year run with the Sharks and rarely, if ever, looked out of place.Wilson: The only reason we moved him up is he had an injury at the time. He had trouble pivoting and had to get his groin and hip area fixed. He wanted to keep playing. He didn't want to let the team down. But he could have played either position. There are very few guys who could do it to the level he does.Schultz: He's just a versatile player. He can skate. He can be physical. He can handle pucks. He has a little bit of everything.Byrski: I always saw him as a defenseman because of his mobility, size, agility, demeanor, personality, passion.Scott Hannan, Sharks: You look at how he plays on the blue line and the aggressiveness he portrays. He pinches a lot. He's in people's faces. That allowed him to play forward with the same type of mentality.Foster: He made stuff happen that left you speechless on the bench. I remember there was a game where he had a shootout goal. He did a move like Pavel Datsyuk. We were all blown away. Len Redkoles / NHL / Getty ImagesFew players switch from forward to defense as young pros. Even fewer dominate for decades at that new position. In his late 30s, Burns continues to log serious minutes (21:46 per night). He's played in 830 consecutive games, tying him with Andrew Cogliano for seventh on the all-time ironman leaderboard.Haley: When I think of ironmen like Burnzie and Keith Yandle and Patty Marleau - guys I played with - it's their conditioning. Burnzie likes to try different stuff. He's not always conventional. He likes to do a lot of grappling. He's always stretching. He's doing Pilates. He's always taking care of his body.Tomas Hertl, Sharks: I can say the same thing about Jumbo (Joe Thornton), Marleau, Pavs. They do massages. They work out every day. They try to eat healthy. You need some luck to avoid big injuries. All of these guys did everything to be in great shape and play in the league for a long time.Stalock: At his house in San Jose, he had a facility in his backyard that had a sauna, cold tub, therapy room, gym.Devan Dubnyk, Sharks: He's very methodical in his routine.Stalock: People see him at 7 p.m. every night. He's the finished product then. They probably think he must be blessed with talent, which he is. But every day he's shooting a couple hundred extra pucks, scooting around, and getting better at whatever he wants to get better at on the ice.Butler: He's right up there with another defenseman I coached a long time ago in Prince George of the Western League: Zdeno Chara, who's running marathons now. Both of those guys, I don't want to say they're "freaks of nature," but you know what I mean.Wilson: Elite-level fitness. Nobody trains harder than him. And then his toughness and fortitude. He was like Jumbo and Marleau: He didn't want to miss games. Their love for the game is they didn't want to let their teammates down.Schultz: Anybody who's played understands how much of a grind it is to play an 82-game season. In San Jose, they had good teams and played deep into the playoffs a lot of years. That's a lot of miles on the body.Haley: It's not like he's playing on the outside. He's a D-man who's bumping and grinding. He plays with his body, blocking shots.Hertl: The best leadership he shows is his work ethic.Aho: He's an older guy who's gone through a lot in his career, and yet he's still one of the first guys out there for practice.Dillon: It's insane. This is a guy who plays 25-plus minutes a night. He plays against the other team's top line. D-zone. O-zone. A physical guy. He's really checking all the boxes. For him to stay as healthy as he's been, that's a tribute to how he takes care of himself.Burns sports a Chewbacca mask at the 2016 All-Star Skills Competition Dave Sandford / NHL / Getty Images'So childish in a good way'Not many NHLers would pose naked alongside a teammate for a magazine photoshoot. Or cheerfully refer to themselves as a "goofy donkey." Or, in a crazy turn, find themselves fighting off a biting cheetah during a special behind-the-scenes zoo experience on a day off on the road. But that's Burnzie, a character known to amuse and befuddle teammates and coaches.Dubnyk: Our first day, we were in Scottsdale, Arizona, for training camp. Everyone's showing up at different times. Burnzie had driven there. He's set up in the parking lot. He's got a Traeger grill in the back of his truck. He's sitting on a lawn chair smoking meat. That was Day 1 of camp. He'd ride his bike to the rink. A lot of quirky stuff.Foster: He's got a magnetism about him. Guys gravitate toward him. He really can be a guy in a dressing room (who) everybody respects and wants to be around.Hannan: He's messing around with you all the time. He's such a character in the room.Dillon: I sat beside him for six years. In the morning, he'd talk about the politics from the night before or the basketball game or the football game or the hockey highlights. We had so many things that we were able to chat about.Stalock: He didn't change his personality at the rink or away from the rink. Brent Burns is Brent Burns 365 days a year.Wilson: He was just real. Every day, I'd walk into the building and I'd hear Burnzie and Jumbo. The energy, it was almost childlike.Stalock: Their voices carried, and it just put a smile on your face. You can go through bag skates, you can get yelled at by coaches, but if you have a tight group that likes to have fun, you can get through those trying times. And, of course, when you're winning, it makes everything so much better.Schultz: He's probably one of the most interesting guys you'll ever talk to or come across.Slavin: But he's also one of the nicest. He truly cares about all of the guys. He wants what's best for everybody.Stalock: What I found from him that I try to impress on young guys is to be yourself. Don't try to be anything that you're not. That's one thing Brent has such a good feel for. He is who he is. What you see is what you get. There's 23 different personalities in a locker room, so to go into a room and feel like you can be yourself and act like a kid at times but also be a professional, to me, as a young pro, it was very refreshing to see.Burns is restless and insatiably curious. He reads, surfs, cycles, camps, and noodles on the guitar. Other passions include knives, pirates, reptiles, tattoos, wine, pizza, and the military. Friends struggle to keep track of his hobbies.Stalock: Oh, God. There's 100.Dillon: I lived at his house for four months while his wife was renovating my condo. I got to see in-depth the everyday life of the Burns family. Karate. Cold tubbing and (a) sauna in his backyard. Pool days. Video games. There wasn't an activity that we didn't cover together.Schultz: One summer, he traveled around in his six-wheel camper and was riding his bike out of the back. He's open to anything.Burns plays golf at an NHL event in 2015 Jeff Vinnick / NHL / Getty ImagesDillon: You'd tell him, "Hey, we're going to golf as a team tomorrow." He's like, "Ah, I haven't golfed in over a year." He'd come out and have the best clubs, the best outfit, a hilarious get-up, and he'd shoot really well.Byrski: When he commits his interest in something, there's no halfway through it. He'll get down to the core.Dillon: It was similar with martial arts. How much can a guy who plays hockey for a living really know about it? But we'd be joking around on the trampoline with the kids, and then he'd have me in a headlock in the backyard on the grass with our shirts off.Haley: Our soccer warmups were intense. I was a fighter, but most of my bruises came from soccer balls to the head. You couldn't do anything with Burnzie that doesn't turn into a competitive game.Slavin: He loves to learn. He loves to have fun. He loves to grow as a person.Wilson: He's fascinated by things. He's accomplished a lot of different things in his life that you wouldn't say would be typical of a hockey guy.Dubnyk: I'd sit on the stationary bike with him after the game and ask him questions about the ranch he has in Texas. He's got zebras and wildebeests.Irwin: He seems to have an unbelievable setup with exotic animals. Things you wouldn't think you would have as a pet, so to speak. I'm not quite sure if "pet" is the right term.Dillon: Most people on their off day watch TV shows. He's looking up what new animal he wants to get for his ranch.Hannan: You'd talk to him about what he has to do to feed and breed them to help the livestock maintain stability. It's amazing, the depth at which he goes into it.Wilson: We got him a special gift (two antelopes) for his 1,000th game. It was the first time we bought an animal for a player to celebrate 1,000 games.Foster: He had a little Komodo dragon (at his Minnesota home) at one point. He was feeding it different animals. It made going to visit suspenseful and interesting.Henrich: Guys in the OHL would go to movies. Burnzie would go home and read "Harry Potter." Now he's into snakes. He beat his own drum, which I respected.Foster: You know what's funny? All the pictures and videos I see of him now, he always has an Army backpack. I don't know what he's got in it.Burns arrives at a Hurricanes game this season. Josh Lavallee / NHL / Getty Images Stalock: I'm sure he has all of his rehab tools in his bag. He never let us take a peek in there.Irwin: It was a mystery, always. When I was in San Jose, it was a big, green camo backpack. I know he had a coffee machine. A foam roller.Seth Jarvis, Hurricanes: No matter the road trip - like, if you go to New York for one day - he has six luggage bags. He's got his coffee machine. He's got his blender.Stalock: We sat close to each other on the plane. The seat next to him was for his luggage. We'd be flying somewhere close - to L.A. or something - and he'd walk up with the fruit tray from the back. Guys would be playing cards, and all of a sudden, you'd hear the grind: Aaaaaaarrrrrrrrrr. You look over and Burnzie's blending a smoothie in his seat. It's like, "You have to be kidding me! What do you have in that bag?"Jarvis: He's got bags I can probably fit in. I don't even want to know what's in there. Yeah, he's a character.Haley: A giant, hairy kid. His outlook on life is so childish in a good way. I think that's played a huge part in his longevity and why he's so good at his age. He loves to play the game of hockey and games in general.Risebrough: He gets personal satisfaction in the process of doing things, not just the end result. Some people who are detail-oriented can drive you crazy because they're so intense and they want everything in a perfect way. Burnzie's not like that. There's a detail element, but he's doing it with a spirit of improvement and enjoyment.Irwin: He's interested in so many things outside of hockey. It makes him a unique individual you want to be around. You want to hear the stories. You want to have an ear to the ground on what makes Burnzie tick.Burns' hairiness is iconic. Fans can spot his bushy beard from the nosebleeds. His eccentric look, intensified by a wide gap in his teeth, is symbolic of his goofiness and rugged playing style.Hannan: When you look at that, you're like, "That's a hockey player."Risebrough: He looks like an unkempt bed.Foster: Everybody knows who he is because of the beard and the teeth.Dubnyk: That's him in a nutshell. Missing teeth and the big beard, it fits his personality. He's always smiling and making jokes.Hannan: He's such a big personality and guy. The beard became a persona. Almost like a superhero.Dubnyk: It's really weird to see a picture of him early on in Minnesota with no facial hair. Claus Andersen / Getty Images Brandon Magnus / NHL / Getty ImagesDillon: After we went to the Cup Final in 2016, he'd been growing that beard for two months in the playoff run. Maybe Mrs. Burns was a big fan. He kept it as a lifestyle beard.Dubnyk: I don't know if he'll ever get rid of it. His kids would probably cry if he shaved it off. They'd think he's a different person.Foster: He looks scary with the big beard, but he's the farthest thing from it.Hannan: He's a guy who takes the day as it comes. He has a lot of energy and zest for life. That was contagious with the Sharks.Butler: When I watch him now, he's the same person he was when he was 17, minus a few tattoos and a lot less hair on his head.Stalock: He's got the hair that changes every year. With Brent, something that hasn't changed in 20 years is his love of not only the game, but also his teammates. Every teammate from Minnesota to San Jose to Carolina would say how incredible a person he is. It extends to his family, too.Foster: He's a family man who cares about other people. My older boys are 12 and 10. They love the NHL. When they have friends over, it's one thing they show them right away: "Look who sent us a Christmas card!" They're like, "Oh, my God. Why does Brent Burns send you a Christmas card?" It shows how good he and his wife, Susan, are. We were lucky to call them friends for a long time. Brandon Magnus / NHL / Getty ImagesSchultz: Most kids, you're a byproduct of your parents. Burnzie's mom and dad are wonderful people. I remember his dad coming into the Xcel Energy Center during practice. His dad was running stairs with a black leather Minnesota Wild bomber jacket on. Absolutely leaking.Slavin: His dad came to the rink as he was settling in here in Raleigh. His dad's sitting there riding the bike in the workout room. He's got his headphones on and he's air-drumming the heck out of that bike. I guess he's a drummer? So he was just at home. He was having a concert there by himself.Dillon: He loves his family so much. The time he puts in at home with his two daughters and son, I feel like he's there as much as he possibly can be.Henrich: You look at a video of his 10-year-old son's team in Carolina. He went on the ice, wore his full equipment from the NHL, and was doing the drills with them. I started laughing because most guys wouldn't do that.Slavin: Two summers ago, his boy Jagger was with us, and we're out there during one of the captain's skates. We're working on tipping pucks. Jagger gets in front of the net, and I'm thinking Burnzie will just float them into him. No, he ripped them as hard as he would have if Jordan Staal was standing in front of the net.Haley: He only has one speed, and it's "go."Slavin: Jagger got in front of one shot in the wrong way, and it hit him right in the private parts. You're thinking, "Oh, man, here come the tears." But Jagger just popped back up and was like, "Gimme more!" That's exactly how Burnzie would react, too. He plays through everything. He just grinds.'Lots of hockey left in him'Burns, the NHL's third-oldest defenseman, is the only active skater who debuted before the 2004-05 lockout. A championship still eludes him. Deep postseason runs with the 2016 Sharks (reached Cup Final), 2019 Sharks (lost in West final), and 2023 Hurricanes (swept in East final) didn't deliver the ultimate prize.Wilson: When we acquired him, I said, "Brent, there's a couple of goals we have for you. One is to win a Stanley Cup and one is to win a Norris Trophy." He's won the Norris Trophy. I wanted to see Jumbo and Patty and Burnzie win because of everything they've done for the game.Martin: 100%. He'd be at the top of the list. Pavelski is another one. As far as guys who I played with and enjoy watching, Brent definitely has earned the right to raise the Cup.Risebrough: A lot of good players don't get that moment. A lot of them are in the Hall of Fame. Ray Bourque played how many years, and then finally got the Stanley Cup. You hope it happens. But it can't overshadow what you've accomplished throughout your career.Brian Babineau / NHL / Getty Images Josh Lavallee / NHL / Getty ImagesReirden: He's going to be remembered as one of the most physically gifted defensemen to play in this era. He's opened the eyes of the NHL in terms of creating offense from the blue line. You see that in the up-and-coming defensemen who are high-end offensively, whether we're talking about Cale Makar or Quinn Hughes. One person who started that transition was Brent Burns.Hannan: I think it's going to be harder to reproduce his longevity moving forward. The game's gotten faster and quicker. You get to a certain age and it's hard to keep playing in the league, let alone contribute at a high level. Obviously, he's a physical specimen.Wilson: He's got lots of hockey left in him.Dubnyk: He's still one of the best defensemen in the league. There's no reason he won't continue to play.Henrich: I did the same training as him in junior. Burnzie would stay on the ice for five hours to do drills he was taught. If you love hockey and stick with it and don't let your position in the lineup or external things bother you, Burnzie's a good indication that anyone can have an opportunity to make it.Stalock: There are people who shape you and steer you in the right direction as a young pro, as far as what's acceptable and how to have a long career, and Brent's one of those players.Martin: I enjoyed my time with Brent. I was fortunate to play with Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer, Kris Letang, Brian Rafalski - a lot of really good defensemen. That's probably why I got to play for as long as I did. (Laughs) He's up there with some of the best to ever lace 'em up.Hannan: I like to tell the story of the last game of my career. It enveloped everything. We had a lot of camaraderie. In the last game I played in the NHL, we were going back behind the net. I was yelling at him, "Time! Time! Time!" He thought I said, "Man on!" He turned, ripped the puck out of the zone, and accidentally hit me in the face.Stalock: There were so many Burnzie stories where you're just like, "What the hell are you doing?" There's story after story with that guy.Hannan: I had a goal in that (last) game from Burnzie passing me the puck back door for a tip-in. After the game, he and his wife called me on FaceTime. There were always jokes about the size of my head. He was like, "I can't believe I missed that thing." I'm like, "Burnzie, you cracked my orbital bone in three spots!" His wife starts punching him in the arm and calling him an idiot. He starts laughing.Haley: He's a 6-foot-5 sasquatch, but he's like a child.Hannan: That's the type of guy he is: He wanted to call me right afterward and see how I was doing because I was at the hospital. We still had that goofiness. That was my last year in the league. I got a chance to play with Burnzie and that brought a lot of joy to the game for me.John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer.Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.

'I swear I'm on the team': The inner game of being a backup NHL goalie

What Leafs must do in Game 3 to gain series lead over Bruins

The journey to a 1-1 series with the Bruins wasn't pretty, but the Maple Leafs are surely pleased to split a playoff-opening road trip to Boston.

The old saying "NHL coaches are hired to get fired" is definitely ringing true at the moment, with 15 of 32 teams having made a coaching change since the end of the 2022-23 regular season. (Mike Babcock getting hired and fired by the Blue Jackets in the same offseason brings the total count to 16.)There are currently five vacancies across the league. The Kings, led by interim head coach Jim Hiller, are the lone team of the bunch still in action. If they go on any kind of playoff run, Hiller will probably become the full-time guy in L.A.The other four vacancies are more interesting. Let's play matchmaker. Christian Petersen / Getty ImagesSharks: David Quinn was fired this week after just two seasons. The move was unexpected since the club's 47 points matched its talentless lineup. What did general manager Mike Grier expect? At any rate, the Sharks are at least 3-4 years away from icing a respectable squad. Winning the upcoming draft lottery would jumpstart the rebuild in a meaningful way.The hottest name on the coaching market is David Carle of the University of Denver. Carle would be an ideal fit. However, the young father said for now he loves the job security in college. A nice Plan B: Don Granato. The recently fired Sabres coach excelled in a player-development atmosphere in Buffalo. He's optimistic, communicates well with young players, and his system is fun. Granato and Grier both worked for the 2017-18 Blackhawks.Devils: The 2023-24 season was a frustrating campaign of injuries and underachievement for New Jersey. Lindy Ruff took the fall in March, but he's already been hired by the Sabres. Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald has said he wants his next coach to be a strong communicator and collaborator who will also hold players accountable.The Devils have superstar talent and a relatively clean cap sheet, so Fitzgerald will have no shortage of qualified candidates lining up for a shot at the job. Travis Green - who went from associate coach to interim head coach after Ruff's firing - is in contention and might be the best fit. Green's proven to be a sharp defensive mind, which is another trait Fitzgerald should be looking for. Familiarity rules in the NHL, and Fitzgerald and Green were teammates three different times as players. Andrea Cardin / Getty ImagesSenators: D.J. Smith was fired in December and the Jacques Martin experiment was only a short-term fix. What now for a franchise that finally has stability at the ownership and manager levels? The answer could be a veteran coach who can whip a not-so-young-anymore core into shape defensively while simultaneously ridding the locker room of a losing culture.Craig Berube, Dean Evason, and Todd McLellan are all in the running for the gig in Ottawa, according to reports. Berube's name jumps off the page. The 2019 Stanley Cup champion appears to strike a healthy balance between being a no-nonsense coach and an open-minded one. He helped develop Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou into more well-rounded players. Most importantly, Berube cares deeply about "playing the right way" as a full unit. Sold.Blues: St. Louis narrowly missed the playoffs and is in retooling mode. This next coaching hire could be the front office's last. Coming up on his 14th anniversary, Doug Armstrong is the league's longest-tenured GM.That last part is critical. While removing the interim tag from coach Drew Bannister would be justifiable and may very well happen, it feels like Armstrong will go big-game hunting. He likely doesn't want to leave his future in the hands of a rookie like Bannister. With that in mind, Jay Woodcroft, Evason, and McLellan are probably on Armstrong's radar. McLellan's extensive experience (he's 24th all-time in NHL games coached) and attention to detail give him the upper hand.Canes bend but don't breakThe Hurricanes and Panthers have practically moved on to the second round already. A team up 3-0 in an NHL playoff series advances 98% of the time.One difference between the Eastern Conference rivals: while the Panthers have looked sharp through three games, the Hurricanes have looked just OK. Josh Lavallee / Getty ImagesFive-on-five shot attempts, shots on goal, and expected goals in the Canes-Islanders series read 205-125, 73-63, and 7.2-5.6 in favor of Carolina. Goalie Frederik Andersen has been excellent, making 71 saves on 77 shots, including a few for the highlight reel. However, we have yet to see the Canes at full bore.The rest of the NHL should be frightened by this idea.Here's why: The two things that have haunted Carolina in past playoff runs - a lack of timely scoring and a lack of timely saves - haven't been the problem so far. The mediocre execution of coach Rod Brind'Amour's game plan has been the issue. Yet, if any group can flip a switch and immediately return to playing the smothering hockey its coach demands, it's veteran-driven Carolina. Mike Stobe / Getty ImagesThe Canes' man-on-man defensive coverage and forecheck-heavy attack can be very effective when executed at a high level. A quick glance at Carolina's immense regular-season success during Brind'Amour's six-year tenure is proof, not to mention trips to the conference final in 2019 and 2023. The missing component in the playoffs has been an outlier performance, which can save the team during a relative lull (like Andersen is doing right now) or elevate it during a relative high (like they hope Jake Guentzel does later on).The Canes have added layers to the roster over the past year, bringing in blue-liner Dmitry Orlov and forwards Guentzel and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The emergence of sophomore forward Seth Jarvis has been massive, too. It's not ideal that top-four defenseman Brett Pesce is currently sidelined and worker bee Jesper Fast is out for the playoffs, but Carolina has enough depth to patch holes.As the Islanders series has shown, the Canes have it in them to bend but not break. That elusive trip to the Cup Final has never looked likelier.Predators not just cute story Derek Cain / Getty ImagesNo matter how the postseason unfolds in Nashville, the start of the Barry Trotz-Andrew Brunette era should be viewed as nothing but an epic success.Many outside of Tennessee probably consider the Predators a cute, fun story, or a team that has simply exceeded low pre-season expectations. I had a similar reaction when Nashville began piling up the wins in early December.I changed my mind after monitoring them closely in the second half of the regular season. It turns out the Predators' year-over-year improvement goes beyond a seven-point uptick in the standings. Nashville has gotten itself fully together under new general manager Trotz and new head coach Brunette.!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;rTo sum up the table above, the 2023-24 Preds leveled up significantly in the goals-scored category while maintaining a strong goals-against rate. They generated far more high-quality scoring chances compared to last season and dramatically decreased quality chances against. Relative to the rest of the NHL, they spent way more time in the offensive zone than the defensive zone.In other words, Nashville's process improved dramatically.And the attack is built for playoff hockey. The Preds finished tied for third in scoring chances generated off rebounds and tied for fifth in chances off the cycle during the regular season. The only other clubs in the top five of both categories? The Panthers and Oilers, two very popular Cup picks.All of this hints at a team on the rise - even though the roster's clearly under construction (remember, Trotz bought out Matt Duchene and retained half of Ryan Johansen's salary in a trade last offseason). Star goalie Juuse Saros had only a decent regular season by his lofty standards. Imagine what the future could look like if Nashville's eighth-ranked prospect pool develops well.This coming offseason should be fascinating.Saros, an elite goalie over the past handful of seasons, is an unrestricted free agent in 2025, and goalie-of-the-future Yaroslav Askarov (11th overall in 2020) is ready for NHL duty. Trotz has a long-term decision to make on goaltending.Nashville owns one first-round draft pick and three seconds this year, as well as two firsts and a second in 2025. Trotz has ammo to pull off a draft-weekend trade or two or he can continue to stockpile promising youngsters.Parting shotsOh, baby!: Bob Cole's voice was the soundtrack for several generations of hockey fans. He's the sport's GOAT play-by-play announcer in Canada, a fiery man with what seems like a 100% approval rating. No one will ever replicate his iconic cadence and grandfatherly tone. ("Everything! Is! Happening!" is a personal favorite.) He had an uncanny feel for historic moments, often letting the crowd's roar play a starring role in the narration. It's truly amazing that Cole - who died Wednesday at age 90 - worked for Hockey Night in Canada for 50 years. Doing anything at a passable level for five decades is hugely impressive, and he did it on his industry's biggest stage. Rest in peace, Bob. "JOE SAKIC....SCORES!" RIP Bob Cole. pic.twitter/JFFk8OIzjy— Michael Remis (@mremis) April 25, 2024 Twilight Crosby: 2024-25 will be the final year of Sidney Crosby's 12-year, $104.4-million deal, which means he's eligible to sign an extension with the Penguins on July 1. There's no reason to believe Crosby's leaving Pittsburgh, according to The Athletic's Rob Rossi. Given how excellent he was this season, we can reasonably assume Crosby, if healthy, will remain productive for at least two more seasons. The tricky part for the Pens is surrounding the soon-to-be 37-year-old with enough talent for a deep playoff run. It's a nearly impossible task for general manager Kyle Dubas. The roster is old and flawed, salary-cap space is scarce, and the prospect pool is shallow. That said, Dubas must keep his foot on the gas. He has to find creative ways to improve his team right now. Rebuilding shouldn't even be a thought until No. 87 retires. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have played every game the past two years and the Penguins missed the playoffs in both seasons. A testament to some awful roster management around them.— Adam Gretz (@AGretz) April 17, 2024 Utah TBDs: The Arizona Coyotes have officially moved to Utah, and if Wednesday's welcome party is any indication, the Salt Lake City-based club will have no issue filling the Delta Center. Owner Ryan Smith has said the franchise will be called "Utah" (not "Salt Lake"), with the nickname to be determined through a fan vote. The ownership group reportedly submitted a bunch of trademark applications. Among them: Utah Hockey Club, Utah Blizzard, Utah Venom, Utah Fury, Utah Yetis, Utah Outlaws, Utah Mammoth, and Utah Ice. I'm partial to Utah Yetis for its strong branding and mascot possibilities. Seattle's recent success with another mythical creature - the Kraken - offers an easy-to-follow template. Seriously, look at the potential: What will @RyanQualtrics new @nhl team be called? Blizzard, Venom, Fury, Yetis, Outlaws, & Golden Eagles. Blizzard is similar to Avalanche, Fury is meh, Golden Eagles is nostalgic, but Outlaws & especially Yetis have never been done! The mascots would be cool! #utah #nhl #yetis pic.twitter/0xReJq2Mdr— Christopher M. Hazel (@hazel_nut49) April 23, 2024 Takes, Thoughts, and Trends is theScore's biweekly hockey grab bag.John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore).

The old saying "NHL coaches are hired to get fired" is definitely ringing true at the moment, with 15 of 32 teams having made a coaching change

The series is 3-1 for Boston and the sky is falling in Toronto.The Maple Leafs winning three straight games against the Bruins after Saturday night's dramatic and dreadful Game 4 showing on home ice? Yeah, seems highly unlikely. Yet, nothing's set in stone in the NHL playoffs.For instance, the Bruins failed to close out their first-round series the past two postseasons, losing in seven games to Carolina in 2021-22 and Florida last season despite holding leads of 3-2 and 3-1, respectively.Here's each team's path to victory in Game 5, which goes Tuesday in Boston.Leafs' perspective Mark Blinch / Getty ImagesThe Leafs weren't just a good offensive team in the regular season. They were elite, placing first in five-on-five goal-scoring and seventh in power-play efficiency.Through four games against Boston, Toronto's down 7-6 at five-on-five while producing a mere one goal in a league-high 25 power-play minutes. Forget about winning the series. In order to earn a second win, the Leafs need to throw absolutely everything they have at the Bruins on Tuesday. The attack needs to open up: pace, purpose, and to the hell with it, lots of risk too.It all begins with cleaning up the transition game. (Toronto's zone exits were particularly bad in Game 1 and its zone entries were particularly bad in Game 4.) Once inside Boston's zone, the Leafs must start accomplishing two things simultaneously: good puck movement and good player movement. Boston's defenders have rarely appeared gassed during a shift. Toronto's too static.So many of the Leafs' scoring chances - both at even strength and on the power play - have looked dangerous at first, but in reality, haven't been terribly difficult to stop. They've been jamming the puck into the goalie's pads instead of prioritizing full-release shots from the slot. The Bruins are certainly playing a role in this, but the Leafs are capable of maneuvering the zone better. Rich Graessle / Getty ImagesHead coach Sheldon Keefe should dress his most offensive lineup in Game 5.Let's assume for a second that Auston Matthews is over his illness and available but Bobby McMann remains out. Firstly, Keefe should sub in Noah Gregor for Ryan Reaves to create a speedier fourth line (Reaves is due for a scratch anyway after another defensive-zone blunder in Game 4), and secondly, reinsert Timothy Liljegren for Joel Edmundson to add mobility to the blue line.There are downsides to these changes, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Keefe should also juggle his forward lines to spread out the skill. Aside from taking some dumb penalties, Domi's had a strong series. Perhaps he can cook against weaker competition in the third-line center spot. Line 1: Tyler Bertuzzi, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner Line 2: Matthew Knies, John Tavares, William Nylander Line 3: Nick Robertson, Max Domi, Calle Jarnkrok Line 4: Pontus Holmberg, David Kampf, Noah Gregor Again, there are downsides. (The Domi line is vulnerable defensively.) But Keefe, who seems destined to be fired if the Leafs can't pull off a comeback, has to try something when the status quo clearly isn't working.This rationale should apply to goaltending as well. Ilya Samsonov has played fine, well even, in this series. However, Joseph Woll, who relieved Samsonov after 40 minutes of Game 4, isn't a downgrade. Give him the net and see if it throws off the Bruins' attack. Woll is mentally strong and can handle the spotlight.Lastly, stop with the unnecessary penalties. It's been an issue all series.Bruins' perspective Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesBrad Marchand, 35 and coming off arguably his worst regular season in eight years, has been the series MVP. The Leafs killer has done it all for Boston. Three goals, including two game-winners Five assists, including four primary helpers Zero penalties taken, two penalties drawn Four takeaways, four blocked shots Meanwhile, the Bruins, for the most part, have kept a 69-goal scorer in Matthews in check thanks to stellar netminding from Jeremy Swayman (87 saves on 91 total shots) and phenomenal positioning and stick work by Hampus Lindholm and Brandon Carlo. Boston's losing Matthews' five-on-five shifts by only one goal (3-2) - an impressive stat this deep in the series.It's tempting to suggest the Bruins, who've scored the opening goal in three of four games, should simply continue to do what they've been doing. Their opponents appear to be imploding, after all. However, it hasn't been a perfect series for Boston and teams rally back from 3-1 deficits fairly often. Boston Globe / Getty ImagesMuch has been made about Toronto's lack of discipline - and rightfully so. Well, Boston's been assessed the same number of penalties (18), including three for having too many men on the ice. That's unacceptable bench management, especially since the Leafs' power play is bound to snap out of its funk sometime soon.Bottom line: You can't give a club with that much firepower (insert joke about Mitch Marner here) chance after chance to win the special teams battle.Another thing: While superstar winger David Pastrnak has by no means played poorly (two goals, two assists, dangerous for stretches), he also hasn't put forth a signature performance. You'd think it would be him, not Marchand, putting on a show. If Boston was down 3-1, this would be a major storyline.In general, Boston can't take its foot off the gas.Coach Jim Montgomery shouldn't go back to Game 2 starter Linus Ullmark; ride Swayman again, he's been awesome and he'll be rested. The Bruins can't assume the series is locked up because the Leafs appear mentally fragile; stay hungry and capitalize on a desperate opponent's inevitable mistakes.John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore).

Matthew Knies scored 2:26 into overtime on Tuesday to keep the Toronto Maple Leafs' season alive. The Boston Bruins lead the first-round playoff series 3-2. Here are six battles that'll determine the outcome of Game 6 on Thursday in Toronto.Power play vs. power playOne team has spent 32:40 on the power play and scored a grand total of one goal. The other's been on the man advantage for 21:40 and scored six times.There's the series. Otherwise, the Bruins and Leafs have played to a near draw; the cumulative score at even strength is 9-8 Boston. Mark Blinch / Getty ImagesToronto's power play, which finished seventh in the NHL in efficiency during the regular season, has recorded a playoff-high 64 shot attempts over 17 opportunities. Its lone goal: a John Tavares turnaround slap shot in Game 2.Auston Matthews missed Game 4's third period and the entirety of Game 5 due to illness and/or injury. His uncertain status looms large in general, and especially with regards to the power play and its potency.The Leafs rolled out a top unit of Tavares, Morgan Rielly, William Nylander, Mitch Marner, and Max Domi in Boston on Tuesday. Nylander's an excellent shooting option. After that, things get dicey. If Matthews remains unavailable, coach Sheldon Keefe should take Domi out for Nick Robertson and his rocket of a shot. Domi's earned the PP1 spot, but his skill set is redundant on a Marner-led unit. The Leafs need a legitimate triggerman besides Nylander.McCabe-Benoit vs. Pastrnak lineMatthews dominated Game 2, setting up the first two Toronto goals before scoring the decider in a 3-2 victory. We're still waiting for Matthews' counterpart, David Pastrnak, to author a signature performance of his own.Pastrnak scored 47 goals in the regular season - good for seventh in the NHL and 18 more than any other Bruin. He collected 63 assists - tied for 10th in the league and 43 clear of his teammates. He racked up 382 shots on goal - second and 175 clear.In other words, Boston's offense flows through the Czech winger. Pastrnak's contributed two five-on-five goals, one five-on-five assist, and one five-on-six assist in five playoff games - not terrible but also not good enough. Worse, he's only been credited with six high-danger shot attempts all series.Pastrnak's line with center Pavel Zacha and Jake DeBrusk or Danton Heinen has almost exclusively faced the Tavares line and the Jake McCabe-Simon Benoit pairing. Keefe owns last change in Game 6 and should chase that matchup again; McCabe was particularly disruptive and controlling in Tuesday's win.Uptempo game vs. grinding game Mark Blinch / Getty ImagesGame 5 was different. The action was free-flowing and the teams traded scoring chances. It was a brand of hockey that accentuated Toronto's strengths.The Leafs' first four games, on the other hand, were marred by poor puck movement, which led to lackluster zone exits and entries, which produced a virtually nonexistent rush game. Coupled with limited time in the offensive zone, that put a ceiling on Toronto's ability to wreak havoc.While all of those components vastly improved in Game 5, Boston's forecheck took a back seat. Will the Bruins surge again or did the Leafs unlock something? It was no coincidence that the improvements came alongside a better showing from Nylander, who made his series debut in Game 4 and thrives on the rush. Keep an eye on him.Bruins vs. first periodThis battle is connected to the one above: The Bruins got manhandled in Game 5's first period. They generated just seven shot attempts (two on goal) to Toronto's 31 (11 on goal) and were lucky to escape with a 1-1 score.That said, Boston's up in the series because the team has otherwise taken charge.Coach Jim Montgomery tinkered too much with a good thing when he scratched forward Johnny Beecher and defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk in Game 5. Replacements Justin Brazeau and Matt Grzelcyk weren't the answer, so a reversal is in order. Beecher's been extremely effective on the fourth line.Marchand vs. Domi Claus Andersen / Getty ImagesWith 118 saves on 124 shots, Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman has been the series MVP. Joseph Woll's four periods in the Leafs' net have been stellar too.What's more interesting than the goalie duel, though, is how Brad Marchand and Domi close out the best-of-seven set. Both are built to thrive in the playoffs and have enjoyed strong series, yet both left something to be desired in Game 5.Marchand came into Tuesday with three goals (including two game-winners), five assists (including four primary helpers), and zero penalty minutes. He left with the same point total, two minors for roughing, and limited footage to add to the highlight reel. It was arguably the captain's worst game of the series.Domi, meanwhile, went 10-for-10 in the faceoff circle in the first period, with one of his wins leading to the opening goal. He was dangerous most of the night; however, he botched a pair of two-on-one breaks. Anyone watching could tell he was thinking about passing the puck, and then he did - both times. The irony is that Domi actually has a decent shot. Use it!Both teams vs. external pressureThe fan base in Toronto is sick of this core losing in the playoffs. Game 5 helped turn the dial down on the noise, but it won't go away - nor should it. There's immense pressure on the Leafs to force a Game 7 on Saturday.Boston coughed up a 3-1 lead to the Florida Panthers in last year's first round after setting a record for most points in a regular season. This is a different season and different opponent. Still, there's no denying the elephant in the room.Which team can dig in, focus on the task at hand, and ultimately execute?On the individual level, while Marner has somewhat redeemed himself as the series has progressed, the $11-million man remains public enemy No. 1 locally. Any goodwill created in Game 5 will vanish if the should-be difference-maker fails to produce in Game 6.John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore).