The Leafs were focused on playing whistle to whistle. There were few scrums in this game and few extra shenanigans in general. That plays to the Leafs’ advantage.
Home ice advantage and its significance is often debated, but so far we have seen notable differences in play, particularly the physicality. In Game 2, the Bruins came out and hit everything that moved. In Game 3, they came out and did not land a hit of significance. The Leafs came out and were the aggressor. They got in on the forecheck, had a few strong energy shifts — one in particular from the fourth line — and the crowd was going early.