Leafs’ kids are alright
No, Mike Babcock, you were not mistaken.
When you surmised following the Maple Leafs’ victory against the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday night that Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander were leading the club in scoring — “three kids,” as you said — you were right.
Really, it’s the natural progression from a year ago, when Matthews had a team- high 69 points and won the Calder Trophy, while Nylander and Marner weren’t far behind, supplying 61 points apiece.
What was crucial for the Leafs in the victory in Detroit, and will be going forward in Toronto’s final 21 games of the regular season starting on Tuesday night when the Florida Panthers visit the Air Canada Centre, is the ability of the youngsters to produce when there’s little space. They’re going to have to continue to work for each inch of ice as the final stretch to the playoffs begins.
“It’s not like they are leading our team because we’ve got Patty ( Marleau) and ( Ron) Hainsey and guys like that,” Babcock said, “but they have huge growth potential and they are intelligent people and they have a chance to get better.
“The more tight games and big games we’re in, the better they’re going to get.”
Encouraging for the Leafs in Detroit were a number of factors that stemmed from the play of the trio of young stars. Overall, the club didn’t get sidetracked when a goal by Zach Hyman was waived off when the mask of Wings goalie Petr Mrazek came off. Matthews, snakebitten in recent games, stuck with it and scored the winner; Marner’s goal earlier was a result not only of skill but also of patience, and had goalie Curtis McElhinney marvelling afterward.
“It’s tough ( for opposing goalies),” McElhinney said. “Those guys, they make plays out of nothing sometimes. A lot of guys would just shoot the puck in those situations when they get in those areas. For them to hold on to it for an extra second, it’s impressive.”
Each of the three brings a stoicism that can’t be taught, and Nylander is playing more engaged hockey than he has previously. Those factors will be critical for the Leafs not only through the remainder of the regular season, but into the playoffs.
MAC IN FINE FORM
The Leafs know they can’t ask for more out of McElhinney, who has put together a record of 7- 4- 0 and a sparkling .932 save percentage, playing mostly in the second half of back- to- back sets.
McElhinney’s fine overall performance not only has been a boon for the Leafs, it has allowed the organization to let Garret Sparks and Calvin Pickard prosper with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies.
McElhinney acknowledged he glances at the schedule every so often to see when the next backtoback set is coming. The Leafs have three remaining, with dates in Tampa Bay and Florida next Monday and Tuesday, respectively, next up.
“It has been fairly predictable, the year and a bit I have been here,” McElhinney said. “I certainly do a little bit of planning, but there are instances when you are thrown into the fire. Who knows ( how it will work) here down the stretch. We’ll see.”
Said Matthews: “He has been huge for us. Freddie ( Andersen) takes most of the games, but on those back to backs, big Mac has been big for us. He has held us in some games, made some big stops.”
PANTHERS PROWLING
As much as the Panthers appear to be out of the wild- card race in the Eastern Conference — they are six points behind the New York Islanders for the second wild card, with three teams between them — coach Bob Boughner insisted during a conference call on Monday that confidence has not ebbed in the dressing room.
That has been evident for the most part, as the Panthers had won seven of eight games before they were beaten 7- 2 by the Jets in Winnipeg on Sunday.
“There’s a lot of belief in our room,” Boughner said. “We don’t sit there and post the standings every day and talk about ‘ We need to win this game to catch this team.’ There is none of that happening right now.”
A key for the Panthers, Boughner thinks, is the club’s schedule after they play the Leafs. Of the team’s following 12 games, 11 are at home ( including a visit by the Leafs on Feb. 27), and the lone road game is across the state of Florida against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“Keeping in the race, keeping it tight and getting to ( the favourable schedule in) March is what we’re all talking about,” Boughner said. “We’re setting ourselves up for a nice home stand.”
LOOSE LEAFS
Andersen, slated to start in the Leafs net on Tuesday, has allowed just one power- play goal in nine career games versus Florida. Andersen is 5- 3- 1 against the Panthers with a .923 save percentage and a 2.30 goals- against average.