Toronto Sun guest columnists Wendel Clark and Doug Gilmour, both former Leaf captains, break down Boston’s 5-2 victory in Game 3 and offer their own Three Keys To Victory for the Leafs in Game 4.

Wendel Clark’s Game 3 Analysis

First off, the atmosphere was outstanding at the Air Canada Centre, both inside and outside. It was great. It was people emotionally celebrating the Leafs’ first home playoff game in nine years.

On the ice, I actually didn’t think we played that poorly. The reality is that it wasn’t so much how we played as a whole, it was more a handful of mistakes that backfired. Turnovers led to Jaromir Jagr setting up Rich Peverley for a goal and Dan Paille’s shorthanded marker. It was that kind of night.

Randy Carlyle just has to deliver the same message he did after Game 1: It’s only one loss, guys, let’s move forward.

Clark’s Three Keys To Game 4 Success

1. Use the energy from the crowd

You’ve been through it in Game 3, you’ve felt the electricity inside the Air Canada Centre and the entire city. You’ve gone through the jitters. Now feed off it. Physical guys can get pumped up by the adrenaline of the fans and take the body while avoiding undisciplined penalties. Skilled players can get that extra jump in their step. You’ve been through it once. Take advantage of it.

2. Reim time

You know the Bruins will come out hard. They want to go back to Boston with an opportunity to close out the series at home. It’s up to James Reimer to make the key stops, especially early on, to give his team a chance. Keep in mind that those turnovers by his teammates in Game 3 didn’t help his cause in that loss.

3. Play with confidence

Step out on the ice feeling like you own the joint. Tell yourself that this is my rink. This is our rink. No one comes in here at playoff time and wins two consecutive games in our place. That’s the type of confidence you need to have.

Doug Gilmour’s Game 3 Analysis

Obviously, it was the little mistakes — breakdowns, turnovers — that cost the Leafs. That’s what happens during the playoffs. The small things get magnified — and, unfortunately, can end up in your net.

Another thing that is magnified is momentum.

After Jake Gardiner scored to narrow the Boston lead to 2-1, Milan Lucic made a great play right after that to suck the energy out of the building and put the Bruins up 3-1. Any time you score a goal, the next shift or two are so important. You can’t let the other team snatch the momentum back like the Bruins did.

Gilmour’s Three Keys To Game 4 Success

1. Get off to a good start

Set the tempo from the opening faceoff. Get pucks in deep from the get-go and force the Bruins back on their heels. Be physical. Dictate what zone the game will be played in. You showed in Game 2 that the Bruins are not invincible.

2. Have a short memory

Remember when the Bruins seemed to control every aspect of the game in their Game 1 victory? Everyone was talking about the Leafs’ lack of experience, their inability to be competitive against Boston, all that stuff. Instead of buying into that, the Leafs came out and were full measure for a Game 2 win that tied up the series. Yes, Randy Carlyle made some key lineup changes. At the same time, the team put Game 1 behind itself. It needs to do the same when it comes to Game 3.

3. Stick together

You’ve come this far by being a cohesive unit. It doesn’t matter which individual players made the mistakes in Game 3. You accept responsibility as a team. Stick together and come out as a unified team in Game 4, putting the pressure on Boston right from the start.