Maple Leafs up 2-0 and we haven’t seen their fully best hockey yet

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They don’t ask how, they ask how many.

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You’ve heard the cliche time and time again in professional sports.

It applied to the Maple Leafs on Tuesday night at Scotiabank Arena.

Thanks to a Max Domi overtime goal in Game 2 against the Ottawa Senators, the Leafs won 3-2 to take a 2-0 lead in the Battle of Ontario.

The best-of-seven series shifts to Ottawa for Games 3 and 4 on Thursday and Saturday, respectively, and we can say with confidence that the Leafs have not played their best hockey yet in the series.

Our takeaways from the victory, which marks the first time since 2002 that the Leafs have had a 2-0 lead in a series:

SECOND THAT

It wasn’t a full 60 minutes of breathtaking play by the Leafs on Tuesday.

Solid first period in taking a 2-0 lead on goals by Morgan Rielly and John Tavares.

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No assertiveness in the second period.

A clampdown in the third period, holding the Senators to no shots on goal until Adam Gaudette scored on a deflection at 14:47 to tie the game 2-2.

“In the second, we stopped skating and watched a little bit and stopped making plays,” coach Craig Berube said. “It is frustrating. But at the same time, as a coach, we ask our players to be composed. I have to be composed, too, talk to them about things, try to motivate them a little bit on the bench and get them going again, get them skating again.

“It was a funny period because there were a lot of different matchups and whistles and we had a couple penalties. We definitely have to play better in the second period.”

The second-period swoon didn’t ruffle goalie Anthony Stolarz. Sens captain Brady Tkachuk scored the only goal in the second, coming on a late power play. Ottawa outshot Toronto 13-3 in the middle period.

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“That’s playoff hockey, the ebbs and flows,” Stolarz said. “You have to weather the storm and try not to give them too much. It’s on me as well to make a big save here or there.

“They were kind of just throwing junk at the net, and I’m trying my best to control it. I thought we did a great job of boxing out their forwards, and those guys have allowed me to see the initial shot.”

The issue for the Leafs, possibly, is that Ottawa’s dominance in the second could be a source of confidence for the Sens in Game 3. After all, the Sens weren’t run out of the rink on Tuesday. Conversely, though, there are zero consolation victories in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Sens can feel good about certain areas of their game. Fact is, they’re down 2-0 and have just five games left to win four and advance. One game at a time, sure, but it’s going to be an uphill battle.

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And what if the Leafs get around to playing properly from start to finish?

“You would love to control the whole game and be on the hunt,” Tavares said. “We were on the other side of special teams today. We had to kill a little bit more. That gets them some looks on net.

“Spending more time in the offensive zone breaks our rhythm. We have to do a better job in finding our way through that and gaining the momentum back. There’s always things you got to clean up and do better, and that’s definitely part of it.

“It was nice to find a way with a lot of good stuff, but there are a lot of things that have to get better, especially as we head out on the road.”

MAX-ING OUT

Domi didn’t say what was going through his mind in the moments after he beat a screened Linus Ullmark at 3:09 overtime.

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It was a terrific play from start to finish, as defenceman Simon Benoit, not exactly Mr. Offensive, picked the puck up in the defensive zone, carried it down the ice and dropped to Domi. The latter made fools of Dylan Cozens and Drake Batherson as he cut through the offensive zone before scoring.

“Heck of a play by Benny,” Domi said. “He made that whole thing happen. Got a little lucky when it squeaked through. You get inside the hash marks like that, middle of the ice and just got to shoot it. Ullmark is heck of a goalie, but we’ll take it.

“Big win. We needed that one, and got to give Ottawa all the credit in the world. They played a heck of a hockey game. Boys stuck with it, made some plays that we had to make at the right time. On to the next one now.”

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Domi’s teammates couldn’t have been happier for him. The goal had huge implications in the series, of course, but it also must have been rewarding for Domi, who often spends time after practice working on extra details.

“Unreal,” Tavares said. “Great for him, great for our team. It’s a credit to his drive to continue to sharpen up, find different ways to be a little better, a little sharper, execute, just one or two more plays.

“It’s funny how that can make the difference sometimes. And it goes to show in overtime, he gets the puck on his stick, he’s really calm and poised on the entry before he got the decent shot off.

“Makes a play in traffic, and a really nice release, great timing, hell of a goal.”

Domi scored eight goals in 74 games during the regular season. None were as big (obviously). And we’d bet none looked as good in the highlight packages either.

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ROUNDING INTO FORM

Rielly has stepped up his game in the playoffs in previous years, and with a goal in each of the first two games, it would appear he is doing so again.

For Berube, though, the rise in Rielly’s overall game started to take root a while ago.

Rielly is at his best when he allows his offensive instincts to come out. He’s doing that now.

“I don’t think it’s different in the playoffs than the last 20 games, I would say, where he is up in the play more,” Berube said. “Playing with (Brandon) Carlo, I think he feels very comfortable with his partner. They have good chemistry together, and I think that he’s freed up a little bit to do his thing offensively.”

Rielly’s goal was the 13th of his career in the Stanley Cup playoffs, tying Ian Turnbull for most in Leafs franchise history. If you’re wondering, Borje Salming had 12.

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In Game 2, not only did Rielly score, he made an impact in the defensive zone.

He played 21 minutes 12 seconds at five on five, and when he was on the ice, the Leafs outshot the Senators 12-3.

“I think the expectation is that we’re all going to up our level across the board (in the playoffs), and that’s all,” Rielly said. “I don’t think anyone’s trying to reinvent the wheel.

“We’re all out there, competing our hardest, trying to play a team game, trying to get to our game as quick as we can, and take it from there. I don’t think anyone is doing anything different, other than just more commitment, more competitiveness.

“And I think we need more of that moving forward.”

Having their longest-serving current player help lead the way in that regard certainly won’t hurt.

tkoshan@postmedia.com

X: @koshtorontosun

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