Because the longest-serving Maple Leafs participant, Morgan Rielly has seen some issues.
He has been part of each lottery and championship-calibre groups, however one factor the defenceman has not skilled in his 10 NHL seasons is what it feels prefer to win a playoff collection. If the Maple Leafs are in a position to shut out the Tampa Bay Lightning and advance to the second spherical for the primary time in 19 years, Rielly’s efficiency could have had quite a bit to do with it.
“One of many issues that occurs when the playoffs start, the whole lot goes again to zero,” Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe instructed reporters Monday. “In case you perhaps aren’t pleased with how issues completed, then you definitely get a contemporary, clear slate to get proper again at it. Morgan, of all of our gamers, has been right here the longest and has an excellent appreciation for the way tough it’s to win presently of the 12 months and needs to win as unhealthy or greater than anyone. I believe you simply see that within the urgency and the extent that he performs at, and he’s discovered methods to contribute offensively, which is a giant a part of who he’s and what he does for us.”
Rielly’s fingerprints are all around the collection with six factors in 4 video games, together with the extra time winner in Recreation 3 and the game-tying objective late in Recreation 4. In Recreation 2, he turned the primary defenceman in 35 years to document 4 major assists in a playoff sport. (There was additionally his hit on Brayden Level that sparked a melee in Recreation 3.)
By his requirements, Rielly had a tough season on the scoresheet, recording 4 objectives and 41 factors in 65 video games (21 factors at 5-on-5). A few of that was out of his management; his on-ice capturing share at 5-on-5 dropped from 10.4 per cent in 2021-22 to eight.0 per cent. The Maple Leafs went from scoring 6.58 objectives above anticipated final season to three.72 objectives beneath anticipated this season with Rielly on the ice at 5-on-5.
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Rielly, who suffered a knee harm in November that saved him out for 15 video games, nonetheless pushed play up ice at a excessive price, averaging 20.9 possession-driving performs per 20 minutes at 5-on-5 — sixth most out of 287 defencemen who performed a minimum of 100 minutes in that state of affairs. (Possession-driving performs embody managed exits and entries, in addition to passes towards the attacking internet.)
However as a result of Rielly didn’t constantly flip these performs into factors, his errors on defence attracted extra consideration. In equity, Rielly was really a tad higher defensively this season (0.82 xGA per 20 at 5-on-5) than final season (0.88).
Now that Rielly is getting the bounces that eluded him in the course of the common season, his confidence seems to have skyrocketed. It’s evident in the best way he has been utilizing his highly effective stride to create scoring alternatives. (Toronto is capturing 14.5 per cent at 5-on-5 with Rielly on the ice within the collection.)
“He’s so misleading,” Maple Leafs ahead Ryan O’Reilly instructed reporters Monday. “As a ahead, even in follow, you exit towards him and see the best way he strikes, you assume you may have him, you assume you’re within the lane. He’s simply so easy with the puck.”
Rielly won’t ever be acknowledged for his defensive prowess, however that’s not what has made him beneficial to the Maple Leafs on this Spherical 1 collection and generally. There may be not one other defenceman on the roster who can have an effect on a sport so drastically with the puck on his stick.
All stats from Sportlogiq
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