Home is where wins are
Leafs turn Habs into Hab-nots while winning 12th straight game at Air Canada Centre
Speed, depth, puck control.
The Leafs had all of that and more in a 4-0 win over Montreal Saturday night, which featured a second period showing how dominant the Leafs can be when they are clicking.
Toronto had the injury-depleted Canadiens pinned in their own zone for what seemed like the whole second period, as they scored twice and had a goal called back after a successful review for goalie interference by the Canadiens.
Toronto won for a 12 straight time on home ice and the score was actually flattering to the visitors. Had it not been for some incredible goaltending from Mon- treal starter Charlie Lindgren, the score would have been in the blowout zone.
Tomas Plekanec, facing his old team for the first time since joining the Leafs at the trade deadline, had a strong game. He was surrounded by a massive media scrum in the morning, and wisely responded to every question about his old team by saying he was focusing on getting better with the Leafs.
Andreas Johnsson picked up his first goal as a Leaf, converting a pass from behind the net from Zach Hyman, and wore a 1,000-watt smile all the way back to the Leafs bench.
Kaspari Kapanen, among the swiftest Leafs skaters, showed just how fast he is with his sixth goal of the season. That was the first of the two second-period goals, and it was a display of pure speed.
The goal started with a heads-up pass up the boards from the Leafs zone by defenceman Travis Dermott. Kapanen took it off the boards in midstride — a lovely piece of work in itself — then turned on the jets.
Montreal defender Noah Juulsen was even with Kapanen, but only for two strides . Kapanen whipped past him on the outside, cut in alone from just inside the blue line, and lifted in a wrist shot to finish off a play that had the Air Canada Centre crowd buzzing.
Nazem Kadri, with his fourth goal in four games, had a powerplay goal late in the second to put Toronto up 3-0. William Nylander had a goal in the first period to snap a 13-game goalless streak.
Lindgren entered the game having allowed 16 goals in his previous three outings. But he was Montreal’s rock, and was at his best with a glove save on Tyler Bozak when the Leaf seemed to have an open net.
Toronto entered the second period with a 13-11 edge in shots, and exited it leading 39-20.
Curtis McElhinney, playing his second consecutive game with Frederik Andersen on the shelf, put on a wonderful piece of work of his own. He kicked out all 32 shots he faced to collect his third win in as many games and improve to 10-4-1.