WASHINGTON — Every person at the Verizon Center was madly ringing a cowbell Saturday night, but for the Maple Leafs it was like surviving the running of the bulls.
With the Capitals taking no prisoners after nearly losing the series opener to underdog Toronto, they came into Game 2 intending to bring out the heavy equipment, being physical and forechecking the smaller Leafs into the ice.
The loss of steady veteran defenceman Roman Polak in the second period with season-ending ankle injury put more heat on the young Leafs, who had to rely all that more on blueliners Martin Marincin, Connor Carrick and Morgan Rielly, all in their first NHL playoffs with six other Toronto forwards.