Buds facing stiff competition
When the Maple Leafs calculated which Eastern teams who’d missed the playoffs posed the biggest threat this year, the Tampa Bay Lightning had to top the list.
Indeed, with its offence back in gear, six snipers now in double figures and a goal differential of 51 to make Mike Babcock green with envy, they’re legit Stanley Cup threats again after an unforeseen hiatus last spring. The Leafs meet the Eastern leaders for the first time on Tuesday, two days after being out-hustled, out-muscled and out-scored by the Western front-runners in Las Vegas. It was a game where their shaky defence was “exposed” to use coach Babcock’s phrase.
“We talked about that before (Sunday), these two teams have set the standard,” defenceman Morgan Rielly said. “They’re playing great hockey, two-way hockey. (Vegas) is a perfect example of a deep team with speed, size and skill — and Tampa is very similar.”
“(The Lightning) have a lot of firepower, it will be a good test,” added Toronto’s top scorer Auston Matthews.
Had this game been staged a couple off weeks ago, it might have favoured the Leafs, being at home, remarkably lucky with injuries and able to win most games without the concussed Matthews. But those numbers gradually turned, then they lost defenceman Nikita Zaitsev (suspected broken foot), centre Nazem Kadri (possible concussion) and spent the latter part of December on a road grind. The 6-3 loss in Vegas was their seventh in the 10 games they played away from the ACC in the month. And don’t look now, but the Boston Bruins’ recent run brought them even with Toronto at 48 points.
Normally reluctant to fall back on mentioning the schedule, Babcock couldn’t bringing it up.
“We’ve gone through a tough stretch, 14-4 in road games to home games, and came through that pretty good actually, so we just have to have to get re-grouped and get playing.”
The balance tips back to Bay Street starting Tuesday, with a cycle of a day off and a home game repeating through next Wednesday. Then comes a welcome five-day break after which Babcock projected that Zaitsev will return. Kadri should be back during the home stand.
“As good as (Vegas) is, Tampa is probably a touch above,” Babcock said. “We’re going to have to be ready.”
Goalie Frederik Andersen was one of the few Leafs to be on his game Sunday in Vegas, as all three defensive pairs had issues on the Knights first three goals. Now, Andersen and the mates must get ready for swooping attacks by Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, Brayden Point, Tyler Johnson, Vladimir Namestnikov and rookies Yanni Gourde and Mikhail Sergachev.
“These are two of the top teams and a good way of measuring ourselves,” Andersen said. “It’s going to be a quick turnaround to play Tampa on Tuesday.”
Rielly was looking forward to a less hectic January, only four road games and no more back-to-backs until just before the all-star break at the end of the month.
“When you’re travelling as much as we have, it can take a toll. There are a lot of areas we can improve on. We go over those in our meetings. Now it’s kind of crunch time and we have to start being better in a number of areas.”
Welcome to 2018.