“Another kinda ugly win.”
That’s how Auston Matthews described the Toronto Maple Leaf’s 5-4 unfastened victory over the porous New York Islanders Friday.
And yet, there were significant details worth plucking from a mistake-heavy contest that held zero significance in the standings and was more memorable for its individual performances and benchmarks.
The Leafs fell behind on the scoreboard three separate times and still found a way to build on their wins record and leap to 101 points on the season.
“I’ve had a lot of 100-point years over the years, and I think it’s a real indication of a good hockey club. It’s hard to get 100 points,” head coach Mike Babcock told reporters post-game.
“I’m excited for our guys that have worked hard to get good enough that they can do that. We’ve got four more opportunities to get better and get ready.”
While you’re fine-tuning your skills for hockey that actually matters, you might as while break droughts, add to your personal bests, and sharpen your goal-challenging process.
“Probably not a fun game for the coaches,” Matthews admitted, “but probably a bit more fun for the players.”
Here are 7 things we learned from the goal-fest in Brooklyn:
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Look out: Matthews is great going on greater
Matthews has appeared in five games since returning from his separated shoulder. He’s registered a point in every single one.
Friday, arguably, may have been his most complete performance yet. A game-high 20 shot attempts were taken by the Leafs when their No. 1 centre was on the ice.
Matthews set up one goal with the kind of backhanded saucer pass that makes you scrunch up your face like you waited too long to take out the compost.
And with the game on the line, he finished off a nice pass from wingman William Nylander for the game-winner.
“He’s been going at 100 per cent, so it’s nice to see him come out and dominate every game,” Nylander told reporters.
Babcock noted that being forced to play consecutively against two of the league’s elite offences should help fine-tune for Matthews’ conditioning for the post-season.
“He’s not as good as he’s been, and he’s going to be better. I thought tonight was another step,” Babcock said. “It takes you a while to get your game back. He’s going to get a real test tomorrow, which is real positive for him. Back-to-back games, a good grind, good for his conditioning. He’ll just keep getting better.”
Get up, Freddy!
Babcock explained this week that he only wanted to use his challenges in “real” situations. The coach made a poor goaltender interference challenge Monday when he thought Frederik Andersen was interfered during a Sabres’ goal.
“I thought it was a bad challenge,” Babcock said. “Didn’t like doing that. I only like to challenge if it’s real.”
Two nights later, when the Panthers scored Wednesday on a rush that appeared offside, Babcock kept the flag in his pocket. The Leafs won that night, so his unused challenge didn’t warrant or receive much criticism.
The coach issued another goaltender interference challenge Friday night when Andersen got bumped slightly by Jordan Eberle, went down but had plenty of time to gather himself and get up and find position to make a stop on Anthony Beauvillier’s opening goal.
“Get up, Freddy!” Leafs fans should’ve shouted at their televisions. Instead, Andersen wasted time, the puck flew past and Babcock challenged. The goal was rightly upheld, and the coach has now gone 0-for-3 this week on challenge usage.
For the chorus calling for Andersen to rest up before Game 1 of the playoffs, Babcock delivered good news.
“I think Freddy might get one extra night off,” the coach said, “but he needs rhythm. He’s shown any time he’s had long breaks he hasn’t been as good.”
There’s only four meaningless games left. Curtis McElhinney starts Saturday versus Winnipeg and — this is a guess — Thursday in New Jersey.
That gives Andersen two more attempts to break the Leafs’ single-season win record. He’s now tied at 37 with Ed Belfour (2002-03) and Andrew Raycroft (2006-07). With likely starts against Buffalo and Montreal, the record is his to lose.
Marner does his best Frank the Tank impression
We’re going streaking!
Mitchell Marner set up Nazem Kadri’s deflected 31st goal in the first period by faking a shot and switching slap-pass to the slot, making the Islanders’ 30th-ranked penalty killers pay just six seconds into the man-advantage.
“Nazem is very good at redirecting, I put it in a perfect spot,” Marner told reporters. “I’m kind of just trying to place it in for them to try and tip it in.”
The following frame, the super sophomore tipped home a Jake Gardiner point blast home for a goal of his own.
That strike was significant because Marner had committed a tripping penalty 200 feet from the Leafs’ net a few minutes earlier, and New York had regained its lead thanks to a Brock Nelson snipe on the delayed call. Marner knew that one was on him, so he gave a fierce fist-pump when he avenged his own mistake.
No. 16’s two-point night gives him 16 points (five goals, 11 helpers) during a career-best, 11-game point streak he’ll look to keep rolling in less than 24 hours. Marner leads all Leafs with 69 points.
Welcome to the Healthy Scratch Club, Tomas Plekanec
“Guys who haven’t played as much lately will get an opportunity,” Babcock vowed pre-game.
Connor Carrick drew in for Roman Polak and Dominic Moore subbed in for Plekanec (one point in 13 games with his new team) as the fourth-line centre.
Expect both the regulars back Saturday.
Moore skated a game-low 5:31 and, perhaps too eager to show aggression on the forecheck, took an offensive-zone penalty that led to Johnny Boychuk’s go-ahead power-play goal toward end of first period.
With the Leafs surrendering goals on two of the three Isles’ power plays, Babcock noted that the PK looked weaker without Polak and Plekanec in the lineup.
“Plek is an important part of our team here,” Babcock told reporters. “He gives us real good balance with that fourth line. I didn’t play that fourth line near as much as I normally would. We’ll get him back in there tomorrow and go from there.”
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Zaitsev snaps goal drought…
…so who cares if it was by accident?
In a season hampered with injuries compounded with bouts of low confidence, top-four defenceman Nikita Zaitsev’s offensive upside has been missing in action.
The second-year defender scored his first goal since November (30 games played), when a pass intended for Nylander cutting to the net instead clipped off Mathew Barzal’s stick.
With a scant two assists and a whole bunch of zeros in his stat lines the past four months, he’ll take it. Drought quenched.
You ready to cash that giant cheque?
The two NHL forwards who will be paid the most money on July 1 each took this loosey-goosey matchup as an opportunity to pad their resumes.
James van Riemsdyk scored his team-high 36th of the season. His 10th goal of this March gives him double digits in goals within a single month for the first time in his career.
When Tavares banged in a power-play marker in the third period to knot the game at four, the franchise centre reached the 80-point benchmark for the third time in his career.
Komarov is sharpening his blades
One to watch Saturday versus the Jets is fourth-line kamikaze Leo Komarov. Uncle Leo is expected to see his first game action since suffering a knee injury on March 15 in Buffalo.
Impressive Marlies call-up Andreas Johnsson is likely the odd man out, but the smile-easy Swede’s spirits are far from dampened.
“I feel like I have proven I belong here, but it’s a business too, so it’s tough competition,” Johansson said earlier this week. “I am happy I got the chance to show myself.”
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