Maple Leafs have 'put ourselves in a good spot' for Game 6 at Lightning

TORONTO -- The Toronto Maple Leafs wasted their first chance to eliminate the Tampa Bay Lightning, but despite the loss in Game 5 on Thursday, coach Sheldon Keefe said the players' mindset is in the right place ahead of Game 6 at Amalie Arena in Tampa on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; TBS, CBC, SN, TVAS, BSSUN).

"We gathered for a meeting here today, and as a coach before you walk into the meeting, you are always getting a pretty good sense of where the group is at based on the volume or the chatter and the energy of the room when you walk in and today it was vibrant," Keefe said prior to the Maple Leafs traveling to Tampa on Friday. "So that's a really good sign in terms of our mindset."
After Morgan Rielly scored to put the Maple Leafs up 1-0 at 5:46 of the first period in Game 5, Anthony Cirelli tied it 1-1 26 seconds later. Michael Eyssimont, who played his first game since sustaining an upper-body injury during Game 1, gave the Lightning at 2-1 lead at 4:23 of the second period, a lead they never relinquished in a 4-2 win that cut Toronto's lead in the best-of-7 series to 3-2.
The Maple Leafs now find themselves in the same position as last season, when they led their first-round series against the Lightning 3-2 with Game 6 at Tampa. The Lightning won that game 4-3 in overtime, then won 2-1 in Game 7 in Toronto.
But Keefe said the Maple Leafs are devoting no attention to what happened last season. Instead, he reminded the players that they remain in a preferred position.
"Today is a mindset day, making sure we are in the right frame of mind, recognizing we still have a great opportunity here to win a series," Keefe said. "We've put ourselves in a good spot through the work we have done over the course of the series. I think the guys recognize that based on the mood here today. There's excitement to get back out on the road and get back to it."
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If the Lightning are to force a Game 7, they will have to win at home for the first time in the series after losses in overtime at Amalie Arena in Games 3 and 4.
In fact, Tampa Bay has lost four straight home playoff games, including Games 4 and 6 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final against the Colorado Avalanche.
"I'm not sure how much we really look into numbers or stats," Lightning defenseman Zach Bogosian said. "We know what we can do as a team, whether we're at home or on the road. You stick to our game plan, our structure and everything that comes along with being part of the Tampa Bay Lightning. We'll be fine."
The Maple Leafs are 0-11 in their past 11 chances to eliminate an opponent, dating to Game 7 of the 2013 Eastern Conference First Round against the Boston Bruins.
Toronto did not practice Friday, but Keefe said the coaching staff is considering a variety of changes to the lineup for Game 6, including the potential of going with 11 forwards and seven defensemen.
"We're looking at everything here today," Keefe said. "We've got a couple things happening with some of our players in terms of injuries and such that will play itself out throughout the day today and probably part of tomorrow."
That also could include reinserting forward Michael Bunting, who was scratched from Game 5 after serving a three-game suspension from the NHL Department of Player Safety for an illegal hit to the head of Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak in Game 1. Bunting had 49 points (23 goals, 26 assists) in 82 regular-season games.
"'Bunts' plays with a lot of passion and emotion," Maple Leafs captain John Tavares said. "His passion and emotion, his skillset with how he battles and competes, how well he uses his stick and his finishing ability around the net, fighting for space and earning pucks in battles is a real strength of his game. He's been a very good player for us the last couple of years and I know he'll be ready when called upon."
The Lightning have played an NHL-high 76 playoff games the past four years, including three straight trips to the Stanley Cup Final, with championships in 2020 and 2021. But any thought that the Lightning are complacent with their success or are wearing down due to their extra workload is grossly misplaced, Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said.
"This is everything. I can't imagine not being in the playoffs," Cooper said. "I remember 2017 when we didn't make it and it's just this empty feeling to play 82 games and then that's it. You know there's a deep hunger for the big prize, especially after you've won at once. You want to keep doing it again. I'd be lying if I said there wasn't stress involved. But this is what drives myself and our team. This is a lot of fun to go to battle with these guys."