Justin Holl can be an example for his Leafs teammates with his effort

Justin Holl provides an example of what it takes to reach the seventh game of an NHL playoff series: hard work and thick skin.

Holl is not among the Maple Leafs’ superstar core — nor is he among their top defencemen — but he has weathered the ups and downs in his play, and of his place in the lineup, with his effort. He works harder when his game is not where it should be.

“He’s put the necessary work in when we needed that,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said Friday, the day before Game 7 of the Leafs-Tampa Bay Lightning series at Scotiabank Arena.

“He’s had his time (in and out of the lineup) in the regular season, and he’s put in the extra work and tried to make himself prepared for his next opportunity, and this series has been no different. Since he’s come in (after sitting out the first two games), he’s done a good job for us.”

The 30-year-old Holl has been with the Leafs for parts of five seasons, the last three more regularly, though his spot on the blue line has always seemed tenuous. He has been replaced, in rough stretches, by the likes of Timothy Liljegren and Rasmus Sandin. But he appeared in 69 games this season, a career high, and posted career bests with three goals and 20 assists.

He is the type of player who attracts little attention when he is playing well, but he couldn’t avoid it when a media member asked Keefe about opening Game 4 with his “worst defenceman” on the ice. Keefe had a different view, and has played Holl over Liljegren in four straight games. Holl is bigger, older and might have a shorter memory.

“Playoffs are always an emotional time,” he said. “What it comes down to is, after every game, a full reset. (With) the momentum and emotional swings between teams every night, you just got to be prepared for it and come out and give your best every night.”

It seems Holl, who is expected to be part of the Leafs’ Game 7 lineup, will always be under a microscope. He is a fall guy for many fans when the Leafs struggle, but he has the respect of analytics lovers. Holl is a key member of the penalty kill and has the lowest expected-goals-against value among Leafs defencemen. But while sound positionally around his net, he sometimes hangs onto the puck too long and can get caught out of position because of it.

For now, Holl is paired with Mark Giordano, who has helped every defensive partner he has played with since joining the Leafs at the trade deadline. But Holl isn’t concerned about himself; his focus is on the team heading into Game 7.

“I just like our group, I think we have a great team,” Holl said. “We’ve shown a lot of compete over this series and I think we can get it done.”

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