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The Wraparound: Leafs need to ‘just play harder’ in Game 3

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With the regular season approaching, the Maine Mariners hold an intense training camp and evaluate local players for their final roster.

The Wraparound is your daily look at the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs. We’ll break down each day’s matchups with the all-important television and live streaming information included.

As if a series against the Boston Bruins wasn’t difficult enough, the Toronto Maple Leafs will face an additional test now that they’ll likely be without Nazem Kadri in Game 3 of the best-of-seven series. (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN; Live stream)

Kadri will have an in-person hearing today for his cross-check to the head of Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk. Anytime the Department of Player Safety offers you an in-person hearing, you’re looking at a longer suspension. So without Kadri at his disposal, Leafs head coach Mike Babcock will likely move Patrick Marleau or William Nylander to center.

One of the keys to Toronto’s success is the production they get from their centers. Kadri found a way to accumulate two points in two games in this series, but Auston Matthews is still searching for his first point. The pressure has been on him already, but without Kadri he’ll need to take his game to another level as soon as Game 3.

In Game 1, he was on the ice for 15 shot attempts for and 19 against (CF% of 44.12). In Game 2, the 21-year-old was on the ice 19 shot attempts for and 27 against (41.3 percent). One area in which he improved from Game 1 to 2 was in the scoring chances department. In the first game, his team didn’t have a high-danger scoring chance with him on the ice and they gave up four. On Saturday night, Matthews was on the ice for five high-danger scoring chances for and three against. Improvement (all stats via Natural Stat Trick)

One thing the Leafs have going for them, is that they’re going back home, which means Babcock will have last change. Can he get Matthews easier matchups in the next two games of series?

And this isn’t just on Matthews’ shoulders. The Leafs need a better effort from top to bottom if they’re going to take a lead in this series after Game 3.

“We need to get into them instead of letting them get into us,” Babcock said, per the Toronto Sun. “Getting off to that start and establishing your game first and just playing harder.

“I thought they played harder than we did (in Game 2), I thought we played harder than them the (game) before. The series is now a best of five, it’s in our building, we need to establish our game first (in Game 3).”
[NBC 2019 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF HUB]

TODAY’S SCHEDULE

Game 3: Capitals at Hurricanes, 7 p.m. ET (Capitals lead 2-0): Hurricanes fans will get their first live taste of playoff hockey in a long time. If their team has any shot of coming back in this series, they’ll have to find a way to get the job done on home ice tonight. Falling behind 3-0 in a best-of-seven series against the defending Stanley Cup Champions is never a good idea, so they have to come out ready to go from the start. (CNBC, Live stream)

Game 3: Predators at Stars, 9:30 p.m. ET (series tied 1-1): The Stars found a way to win Game 1 on the road and they managed to force overtime in Game 2. You’d have to think that they’re fairly confident now that the series is heading back to Dallas tonight. The big question mark in this series is the Predators’ power play. Can they get it going before it’s too late? (NBCSN, Live stream)

Game 3: Flames at Avalanche, 10 p.m. ET (series tied 1-1): Even though the Avs failed to find the back of the net in Game 1, they’re still heading home all tied up in this best-of-seven series thanks to an OT goal by Nathan MacKinnon. Colorado isn’t as deep as Calgary, but they have enough high-end talent to make this interesting. (CNBC, Live stream)

NHL Live, hosted by Liam McHugh, Keith Jones and Keith Yandle, begins at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Paul Burmeister, Patrick Sharp and Anson Carter will anchor CNBC’s studio coverage throughout the Capitals-Hurricanes and Flames-Avalanche games.

Florida Panthers defenseman Keith Yandle will join NBC Sports’ Stanley Cup Playoffs coverage as a guest studio analyst today, April 15, and Tuesday, April 16. A 13-year NHL veteran, Yandle played parts of nine seasons with the Coyotes organization, including the first seven games of his NHL career during the 2006-07 season, when he skated alongside former Coyote and current NHL on NBC analyst Jeremy Roenick. Yandle was Florida’s representative at the 2019 NHL All-Star Game, and recently completed his third season as a member of the Panthers where he currently serves as an alternate captain.

TUESDAY’S SCHEDULE:
Game 4: Lightning at Blue Jackets, 7 p.m. ET (CNBC)
Game 4: Penguins at Islanders, 7:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Game 4: Jets at Blues, 9:30 p.m. ET (CNBC)
Game 4: Sharks at Golden Knights, 10:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)

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PHT’s 2019 Stanley Cup playoff previews
Capitals vs Hurricanes
Islanders vs. Penguins

Bruins vs. Maple Leafs
Lightning vs. Blue Jackets

Predators vs. Stars
Blues vs. Jets
Flames vs. Avalanche
Sharks vs. Golden Knights

Power Rankings: Why your team won’t win the Stanley Cup
Roundtable: Goaltending issues, challenging the Lightning
NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs: Round 1 schedule, TV info

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Joey Alfieri is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @joeyalfieri.