The numbers only begin to tell the story: The Leafs' penalty kill, which finished the regular season at 81.4 per cent (11th in the NHL), has struggled in their last six games.



In the Game 1 loss to the Bruins, the Leafs surrendered three goals while playing shorthanded six times. They are now 14-for-23 on the penalty kill dating back to March 29, or 60.9 per cent. During that stretch, the nine goals against they've surrendered ranks 31st in the NHL, while their PK percentage sits 28th (ahead of only the Blue Jackets, the Rangers and the Islanders).



During that same period, their now-opponent has turned its penalty kill into a near-perfect machine, one that has killed an astonishing 21-of-22 penalties (95.5 per cent) in its last eight games after another clean three-for-three night in the series debut.



That special teams imbalance, paired with Toronto's recent lack of discipline (3.8 times shorthanded per game since March 29, versus 2.8 for the Bruins),...