Screening Sergei Bobrovsky is one thing.
Sticking an elbow or a forearm in the face of the Florida Panthers goaltender is another.
Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies was told by the referees to tone it down a bit during Game 2 when he deliberately got his right elbow and arm up in front of Bobrovsky while the Leafs were on a power play.
“I just try to use my size and take his eyes as much as possible to get good chances,” Knies told media in Florida on Friday morning, hours before Game 3 in the best-of-seven series.
“I can’t use my hands as much, I was told by the refs. I have to position myself pretty good.”
National Hockey League players aren’t allowed to wave their sticks or arms while screening goalies. It’s the Sean Avery rule, which came into effect after Avery, then with the New York Rangers, used the method to try to distract New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur during the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs.
One difference is that Knies wasn’t facing Bobrovsky like Avery did with Brodeur some 17 years ago.
A minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct could have been the result for Knies.
As it is, goalies have a hard time finding the puck when the 6-foot-3, 227-pound Knies parks himself at the edge of the crease.
“He has made his living there this year and he is doing a great job of it,” Leafs coach Craig Berube. “We have to continue to do that with Bob in net. We have to get to the paint on this guy.”
CAPTAINS MATERIAL
One of the more intriguing subplots through the first two games involved the matchup between the lines of the clubs’ captains — the Leafs’ Auston Matthews and the Panthers’ Aleksander Barkov.
When Matthews and Barkov were on the ice at five-on-five, the Leafs had three goals for and none against. Shots on goal were 9-7 Florida. At the faceoff dot, the two squared off 23 times. Matthews won 12, Barkov 11.
The battle between Matthews, Knies and Mitch Marner, and Barkov, Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Reinhart brought respect from both sides.
“It’s about details,” Matthews said. “They’re a hard line to play against. All three guys are good players, smart players, they are heavy.
“Details, little battles, 50-50 pucks, stuff like that, faceoffs, all the little things that go into the success, I think we have been doing a pretty good job of that and have to continue doing that.”
Barkov was hoping to erase the goals-for zero from the ledger.
“They scored some goals on us and we haven’t been able to score five on five against them,” Barkov said. “We have to be little better in every part of our game.”
Going into Friday night, Matthews was second in the playoffs in faceoff-winning percentage at 58.6%. Barkov was seventh at 56.8%.
“Barkov is really good in the circle, so it’s always a challenge going up against him,” Matthews said. “Winning faceoffs, starting with the puck, being able to possess it a little bit, you try to do all the little things to help you be successful as a team.”
Neither Matthews nor Barkov had a point in Game 1. In Game 2, Barkov scored a power-play goal and Matthews recorded one assist.
TALKING SHOP
Cameras have caught Leafs centre Scott Laughton and Panthers winger Brad Marchand jawing at each other during the series.
It’s a continuation of the on-ice interactions between the two that began when Laughton was with the Philadelphia Flyers and Marchand was a member of the Boston Bruins.
“We’ve gone at it quite a bit throughout my career, so it’s nice,” Laughton said. “For myself, it gets you into the game a little bit and it’s good.
“I probably talked a little bit too much when I was younger and then reined it in. You have different little things with guys, it’s just a bit of chatter. It’s situational. I think it depends on who it is, but you have the lines sometimes ready to go going into the game.”
The two, Laughton said, have not crossed paths off the ice.
Barkov didn’t enjoy going up against Marchand before they became teammates at the trade deadline in March.
“Those guys, when you play against them, you hate them for the reasons they get under your skin, and they try to do everything they can to do that,” Barkov said. “At the same time, they’re unbelievable players. Now that he is on our side, I don’t want to say it’s relief, but it’s really fun to watch him work so hard. He does everything he can to be the best version of himself every single day and he has done a really good job here.”
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