Maple Leafs need points more than a history lesson
Two points, not a hundred years of franchise history, will be the number on the minds of the Maple Leafs come Tuesday.
Beat the Carolina Hurricanes, end a three-game losing streak, complete the calendar year of home games on the right note - and then toast the next century, which might even include a Stanley Cup by 2117.
With a couple of days’ rest after five games in seven nights, coming to grips with the protracted absence of Auston Matthews and now with defenceman Nikita Zaitsev shelved two weeks, the Leafs need to rebound once the pre-game pomp and ceremony are done.
“Time to get refreshed, both physically and mentally,” urged coach Mike Babcock Monday. “We’ve been in every game we’ve played the last three, but haven’t found a way to win. We’ve been ahead, behind, in all scenarios. We have to find a way to get points.”
This game cues up exactly 100 years since the Toronto “Arenas” played on the first day of the newly created four-team NHL. Under rules of the era that favoured shooters, it was a score-a-thon, eventually won 10-9 by the home side Montreal Wanderers. Regrettably, the Leafs and Hurricanes might struggle to reach 19 shots each on Tuesday.
“We know exactly what we’re getting,” Babcock said of opposite tactician Bill Peters. “It’s going to be tight, there’s going to be no room, one of those games that looks like there’s hardly any play. That’s the new NHL, not a lot of space. We’ll have to find a way to make plays.”
Toronto’s recent setbacks underline individual goal slumps by forwards, the absence of leading scorer Matthews with a week-long upper body injury, complicated by Zaitsev’s surprise departure with a lower body issue.
Matthews skated on his own for a second day on Monday, this stint far more encouraging, nearly a full hour monitored by two trainers. However, with no morning team skate on Tuesday owing to the special 2 p.m. start and a back-to-back game in Columbus on Wednesday, it’s doubtful he plays in either, which would make it six straight no-shows.
“He’s doing good, I don’t know when they’re letting him play, but he’s doing good,” Babcock said.
Babcock has tried to steer talk away from Matthews’ absence, reminding the club won its first five games without him during a mostly upper body issue. It’s getting close to deciding whether Matthews just skips Saturday’s game in New York, too, and rests until after Christmas, buying him three extra days during the NHL holiday break.
Babcock’s latest experiment to replace his leading scorer’s creativity involves William Nylander and Patrick Marleau on the same line, two players who’ve spent time filling in for Matthews in the middle. Nylander gets the call at centre against the Canes.
“We’ve played Willy there at home before when we’ve controlled the match-up,” Babcock said. “Patty’s a guy who can play down low and look after him if he needs to. (Zach) Hyman, (Connor) Brown and him are a really good line as well, so we always have that option.”
At least Babcock doesn’t have to worry about plugging more holes at centre, noting how far Nazem Kadri has come the past couple of years as a better player and role model.
“What parts are Naz coming of age, what part is Naz going through enough of a struggle to know it was time to dig in?,” wondered Babcock. “Sometimes as a coach you get way more buy-in when a guy is ready or when the player has arrived and the (winning) culture is already established. That’s what we’re trying to do here now.”