Toronto Maple Leafs: 3 takeaways from dominant Game 2 win

Keefe makes proper adjustments in Game 2

There didn’t seem to be a lot of panic after their loss in Game 1 and right from the start you got the sense that the Leafs were going to do whatever they could to open things up.

It really started by using the stretch pass more which allowed for more room to get the players to break out. They also had quicker puck movement and weren’t holding onto the puck too much which forced the Blue Jackets to chase more.

Sheldon Keefe also made sure to use his fourth line more and they had a noticeable impact with Kyle Clifford making his presence felt.  The Leafs also wore out the Blue Jackets at 5-on-5 which made it tough for them to get things going offensively.

Also by utilizing the last change, Keefe found a way to get more favourable matchups which made life difficult for Columbus. This was evident when Pierre-Luc Dubois were having a shouting match on the bench. 

If the Leafs can continue to create mismatches and frustrate the Blue Jackets then they should be rewarded like they were in Game 2.