Leaf notes: Can Scotiabank Arena get fired up like TD Garden?

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Max Domi is heir to a long line of Maple Leafs who’ve rubbed Boston fans the wrong way.

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From Red Horner taking on Beantown legend Eddie Shore, to Eddie Shack fighting all comers on Boston (Eddie was later a Bruin), Pat Quinn knocking Bobby Orr cold with a stiff shoulder, to Tiger Williams, Max’s father Tie and most recently Nazem Kadri, there have been many Buds unwelcome on Causeway Street.

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The Bruins winning six straight playoff series has given the old and new Garden fans’ a sense of entitlement that they own the Leafs and want that clear to anyone wearing blue and white, player or travelling fan, who venture inside. So the mob didn’t like it when Max scored in Game 2 and got into their faces at the glass as an exclamation point. A woman in the first row responded, giving Max the middle finger on national television.

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“That’s what it’s all about,” said Domi when media questioned him about it later. “Got to give credit to this building. It’s a really good atmosphere. We had some fun out there and a big win. We’re excited to go home tied 1-1.”

Playoff hockey does raise the energy level in often sleepy Scotiabank Arena, which is good news for a Leafs team that stumbles through some home games. The Leafs have more losses at SBA than on the road. Toronto’s meek playoff exit, the last of four Bay Street losses in five games in spring of 2023, must be reversed this week, with at least a split to keep the series from ending early in a Boston tea party.

MARCHAND GETS BERT’S GOAT

Tyler Bertuzzi had some private skirmishes with Bruins captain Brad Marchand.

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The mischievous Marchand lured Bertuzzi into a late slashing call in Game 2 that made protecting the one-goal lead precarious, but the Leafs survived. The two players, teammates on Boston last year in the playoffs, jawed at the end of the game after Marchand did some more play-acting in a scrum.

“That’s between me and Brad,” Bertuzzi said with a wry grin of their convo. “It’s playoff hockey, it’s going to keep going.

“Not a good penalty by me and the guys bailed me out. We tried not to let our emotions get the best of us.”

Fourth line war horses Ryan Reaves of the Leafs and Boston’s Patrick Maroon played some head games in warm-up, leaning into the other team’s zone and at least one animated exchange after a whistle in the Boston crease, but the off-ice acquaintances didn’t go overboard.

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A HITCH WITH MITCH

Monday’s win took a little heat off of right winger Mitch Marner, who has gone pointless in both games. For some shifts, head coach Sheldon Keefe re-united him with Matthews. John Tavares, who became Marner’s new pivot when Keefe strung Matthews, Domi and Bertuzzi together, had a goal Monday. Matthew Knies has looked engaged, but getting Marner untracked remains a challenge.

“I have no issues with that line, they’re doing a good job,” Keefe insisted Tuesday morning to travelling reporters. “I just watched a bunch of forechecks this morning (on video) and those guys are really competing and creating a lot of pressure up ice. It allows them to spend less time in our end.

“Mitch didn’t get on the sheet but there were a few plays he made at different times to advance the puck and get us out of trouble. That’s important because the way the line matchups are rolling right now, those guys are taking on a lot of tough responsibility against David Pastrnak and have done a really good job of it.

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“We made one mistake on the faceoff last night (a perfect Pavel Zacha back hand pass to Pasta that eluded Marner and resulted in a goal), but aside from that, through two games, I like what we’ve got from that line.

“Each line is not going to roll every single night offensively. But their time will come in this series.”

LOOSE LEAFS

The undisclosed injury Bruin defenceman Andrew Peeke suffered in Game 2 will keep him out week-to-week coach Jim Montgomery said Tuesday. Parker Wotherspoon, who played 41 games this year for the B’s this year will likely play ahead of recent call-up Mason Lohrei on Wednesday … While all the speculation has been whether Willliam Nylander gets back for the Leafs on Wednesday (Keefe had no update for the travel day), at least he’s on the ice, while winger Bobby McMann (lower body) is not … We’re with Boston coach Jim Montgomery using Linus Ullmark in Game 2 ahead of Leaf killer Jeremy Swayman to keep their successful rotation and agree the loss can’t be pinned on the Swede. But maybe the Bruins could’ve made the most of Swayman’s season-long mastery of Toronto, then gone to Ullmark in Game 3 … Ilya Samsonov, with his first career playoff win over Boston after the B’s vexed him in Washington, makes his 12th playoff start for the Leafs on Wednesday, one behind Terry Sawchuk and Frank McCool in the Leafs top 15 goalies… Leafs became the first road team to win a game this year before Vegas beat Dallas later Monday … The Marlies, who start a best-of –three AHL playoff series Wednesday in Belleville, signed Swedish-born NCAA defenceman Jacob Bengtsson, to a one-year AHL contract next season. The 24-year-old was at Boston College.

Lhornby@postmedia.com
X: @sunhornby

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