Leafs embrace Matthews' colourful Game 7 rallying cry

SPORTSCENTRE Reporter

Follow| Archive

The Maple Leafs held a media availability on Friday before flying back to Toronto. 

When it comes to Toronto's previous playoff failures, Auston Matthews says "the past is in the past" and the superstar centre had a colourful way of describing the required mindset for Saturday's Game 7 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

"It's about this next game and going out there with a purpose and with details and just competing for 60 minutes or whatever it takes," Matthews said moments after Thursday's overtime loss. "We just gotta put our balls on the line and go for it."

It's a message that's being embraced by the team. 

"That's the perfect way to describe Game 7s," said coach Sheldon Keefe. "I mean, it requires an all-in effort."

"We got to have that mentality," agreed veteran defenceman Mark Giordano. "We got to believe in ourselves. We're good enough. We get out there and play our game, we're good enough to beat anybody. You just have to have that confidence in our game and that's what he meant by that."

The Leafs started tentatively in Game 5 against the Columbus Blue Jackets and got bounced from the bubble in 2020. Again, Toronto looked nervous to start Game 7 against Montreal last year and did not score until trailing 3-0 late in the third period.  

"We certainly aren't uncomfortable as we go into this game," promised Keefe. "We are ready for it."

The Leafs are drawing confidence from how they battled back from a 2-0 hole for the second straight game on Thursday. 

"We just kept competing," noted captain John Tavares. "We just kept our composure and we just kept playing. We had looks. A couple hit off his knob, you know, so close. You just got to keep going. You got to keep fighting and