We have to fight back physically, gonna need Komarov and Kadri to step up and play on the edge a bit.
I'm gonna assume Kadri might end up in the box a few times, so we will need some great PKing as well.
Gardiner,Nylander are my picks for our skaters to be the driving forces behind this series. I don't think Matthews will have a good series scoring wise, Caps are going to focus shutting him down. Nylander should have more space. What version of Gardiner we get will also matter. He's also one of our best puck carriers when he's on IMO, getting that zone entry will be crucial
Also, who is Ovechkin going to attempt to disintegrate with a hit to set the tone early? Kadri? This is going to be one of the most exciting series in a long time for hockey as long as the Leafs don't just roll over.