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"It gets exposed in a big way": Analyst calls out gaps in Toronto Maple Leafs blue line after series-sweeping loss to Bruins
TSN hockey analyst Craig Button called out the defensive shortcomings of the Toronto Maple Leafs following their 4-1 loss to the Boston Bruins on Thursday.
The Bruins accomplished a similar result at TD Garden as they did in their last game against the Maple Leafs in Toronto on Monday.
With Thursday's win, Boston completed the series sweep over their original six rivals by winning all four games.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have had instances where their defense has been exposed, particularly against strong opponents.
In their latest loss to the Boston Bruins, the Leafs looked vulnerable on the backline, as Boston took advantage of the shortcomings in Toronto's blue line.
During a recent Sportscentre segment with Jay Onrait, Button expressed his concerns about the Toronto Maple Leafs' blue line following their series sweep loss to the Boston Bruins.
Button noted that the Leafs lacked depth and strong players on their defensive line, which could be a major issue going forward:
"You start to look at the areas and the Toronto Maple Leafs team where it's not strong enough, and it's the blue line, and I keep going back to the blue line, and people say you know you just keep beating a dead horse. They don't have enough horses on the blue line."
Button reckoned that the defense of the Leafs has some weaknesses that could be exploited.
While the team's offensive and goaltending performances have been strong, they must enhance their defense against top-tier teams:
"Yes, they have the offense, and the goaltending has been fine for the Maple Leafs. But that blue line, when you're playing against really good teams and it gets exposed, it gets exposed in a big way. If it's a hole against good teams, it's a bigger hole." - Button added
What's next for the Toronto Maple Leafs?
The Leafs entered Thursday's matchup with a 2-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday. They are 7-3-0 in their last 10 outings and face the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday.
With 80 points, the Leafs are third in the Atlantic Division, followed by the Boston Bruins (89 points) and division leaders, Florida Panthers (90 points).
The matchups between the Bruins and Leafs has been an intense and tightly contested battle. Given their standings, the two are likely to face off in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
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