Ottawa resting their entire core tonight is a pure playoff trap for the Maple Leafs
Photo credit: Marc DesRosiers-IMAGN Images
With Ottawa taking it easy in Game 82 in the final Battle of Ontario, it's looking like an easy win for the Maple Leafs but they can't get too prideful on Wednesday.
It's the final game of the NHL season for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators on Wednesday as the two teams clash in the nation's capital. While the Sens are looking at a playoff run, the Maple Leafs are just trying to make sure they get the best chance to keep their draft pick.
That's going to be easier said than done as it seems like Travis Green has decided to give the bulk of his core a well-deserved rest; which is bad news for the Maple Leafs.
The clear trap of playing a weak Ottawa roster right before the playoffs
Ahead of practice on Wednesday, Green told reporters that he would be sitting some of his top players including Brady Tkachuk and Thomas Chabot:
Senators sitting Tkachuk, Sanderson, Chabot, Stutzle, and Amadio vs. Maple Leafs in Game 82.
For the Maple Leafs, that sounds like a recipe for disaster if they want to ensure themselves a loss and give themselves the best possible finish they can this year. Unfortunately they couldn't get help from New York or Calgary, and it's going to be up to their own hands to get it done.
With how they are going to play for pride and always seem to put in a strong effort against their provincial rivals, it could spell bad news for their draft chances plus it could lead to a strong performance from a player who isn't exactly in the fold like Max Domi; you don't need that type of help now. You needed it 50 games ago.
How the Maple Leafs can still finish in the bottom-six even with a win
Even if the Maple Leafs somehow pull out a victory tonight, that would put them at 80 points. The Kraken are at 79 points with two games left to play, so as long as they make it to OT for both games, that pushes them ahead of Toronto regardless of a win.
But Toronto has to make sure they lose to not risk anything, though how they are going to go about it remains to be seen.
Right now, Calle Jarnkrok is not going to be in because he's hurt and it's likely for the better. But it can't stop there, the team needs to rest guys like Matthew Knies, John Tavares, William Nylander, Jake McCabe, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson; there's no reason to play them now.
They are going to have to hope that whatever pride the team is playing for focuses on the bigger picture. While we don't need Troy Stecher to score on his own net again, it wouldn't necessarily hurt.
Though with Ottawa resting their stars, Toronto may see it as easy pickings but in actuality it's quite the low-hanging fruit.
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