QUICK WORK
Maple Leafs’ four-goal blitz in first comes in real handy
The Maple Leafs aren’t yet at the stage where they can score four in the first period and hit cruise control.
Yet they are seven games into the NHL schedule with just one loss, now adding back-to-back wins to their list of early-season feats. A surprising run of easy goals early Wednesday at the Air Canada Centre still required them to lock down a 6-3 empty-net goal win over the Detroit Red Wings. Toronto has matched the 2013-14 Leafs, who had a 6-1 start.
The game tested their mettle physically after a 2-0 win in Washington the night before and put goalie Curtis McElhinney in the spotlight, his first start of the year with Frederik Andersen on the end of the bench charting faceoffs. The acquisition of Calvin Pickard from Vegas has put a cloud over the 34-year-old McElhinney’s future as Pickard gets some time with the Marlies.
While McElhinney proved a compatible match for Andersen last season after arriving in January, they nonetheless won split games on consecutive nights just twice in 2016-17. McElhinney, made 29 saves, the beneficiary of four goals on Toronto’s first five shots, moving Toronto’s league-leading opening period goals to 14 so far.
Nazem Kadri’s fourth of the year opened the dam, going down the left side and perfectly placing it over Jimmy Howard’s blocker side. The next one was pure bad luck for Howard, a Morgan Rielly centring pass off Zach Hyman’s leg and in as the winger cut to the net.
McElhinney was sharp early, other than looking wooden when Henrik Zetterberg went towards the short side. Over-committing to a pass and/or shot, the goalie was out to lunch when Zetterberg swept around for an easy wraparound. Zetterberg improved to 28 points in 23 games versus Toronto.
McElhinney, who had a strong pre-season in limited action, redeemed himself with a stretch pad save on a frustrated Anthony Mantha and then it was Auston Matthews time. Coming down the side, the electric centre once more used his deceptive release through a defenceman’s legs, Trevor Daley in this case, and completely bamboozled Howard.
Not only is Matthews gifted with talent, but timing as well, as his two overtime goals to date demonstrate and it was a white-knuckle moment in the game with Detroit on the board and pressing hard when he made it 3-1. Hyman assisted on the goal and that was it for Howard on just four shots. But Petr Mrazek could not find Connor Brown’s spin-around shot through traffic and the newly promoted winger had his second goal in as many games.
Yet there was still room for improvement for the Leafs in that period, charged with 11 giveaways to one by the visitors, while taking the game’s first two penalties, including the ever-annoying too-many-men call.
Some breakdowns persisted in the second period, though it was hard work that netted Detroit a 2-on-1 rush during 4-on-4 play and a Tomas Tatar goal, getting his own rebound. The Wings, who’d won four of their first six starts, continued to lay the body on the Leafs and Justin Abdelkader was screening for Jonathan Ericsson 94 seconds after Tatar’s goal, when the latter’s high shot found a hole.
Initially ruled goalie interference, Abdelkader was exonerated upon a challenge, judged to be safely outside the blue paint.
Detroit also appealed James van Riemsdyk disrupting Mrazek on a Rielly powerplay goal that restored the Leafs’ two-goal lead, but lost that one. Nylander added an empty-netter, with a Matthews’ assist moving him to 10 points on the season.
It was a night of tributes at the ACC, first for departed Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie with the Leafs symbolically lowering the Bill Barilko banner of the defenceman honoured in the song 50 Mission Cap.
There was also a timeout ovation for Patrick Marleau’s 1,500th NHL game, with highlights of his career in San Jose. Both clubs gave the 38-year-old new Leafs winger a standing salute, along with the 19,158 fans.
The Leafs are off for a couple of days before their first game against the Ottawa Senators, who just got star defenceman Erik Karlsson back in the lineup, he of seven points in four games versus Toronto last season.