Bottom six create second wind
Third, fourth lines have been first rate of late for the Maple Leafs
Six players set the stage for the Maple Leafs’ 4-2 win over Columbus on Tuesday night, but only one of them got much attention for it.
Tyler Ennis, the fourth-line winger, was greeted by cameras and notepads in the aftermath of the come-from-behind win at Scotiabank Arena. The spotlight was well deserved: He fired a nifty goal and had one of his best nights as a Leaf.
Linemates Frederik Gauthier and Josh Leivo also provided a spark with their offensive zone pressure, especially in the second period when the Leafs were searching for a boost after a stagnant first.
The third line — Par Lindholm, Andreas Johnsson and Connor Brown — also did thankless but vital work. In the end, those bottom six forwards were the reason why the Leafs were able to turn it around.
“It was a four-line win tonight,” said winger Mitch Marner, who combined with linemates John Tavares and Zach Hyman for three of the Leafs’ four goals.
In the first period, the Nazem Kadri line had struggled to contain Columbus’ top unit of Pierre-Luc Dubois between Cam Atkinson and Artemi Panarin. Atkinson and Dubois both scored and the Blue Jackets controlled just a tick under 60 per cent of the offensive zone possession. Columbus outshot Toronto 14-6.
Then Leafs coach Mike Babcock sent out Lindholm, Johnsson and Brown against the Dubois line and something worked. That line began to take charge and the Leafs rebounded with 59 per cent of the possession in the second period — turning the tide before the top line started to find the net.
Babcock gave the Lindholm line the opening faceoff to start the second and third periods. The Gauthier line followed, and for a stretch in the second period the two units put together a series of shifts that took the steam out of the Blue Jackets.
“Yeah, no question. We struggled in the first period. I think (Ennis, Gauthier and Leivo had a) few good shifts in a row … Hell of a play by Tyler to create some space, used his edges and just really silky with the play he made to put it in. It definitely got us going, and they were huge for us.”
Lindholm also won 10 of 15 faceoffs, prompting Babcock to agree that the line “did a real good job for us.”
The Gauthier unit was the only one with no offensive zone starts and finished with a collective 43 per cent of the offensive zone possession. Keep in mind, much of their work came against the Blue Jackets’ best players and started in the defensive or neutral zone.
“I think we’ve been playing well,” Ennis said. “I think we’ve been trying to keep it simple, be good in our own end, get it in their end and go to work. Freddie and Josh, they’re really talented guys. They’re making plays and getting confidence, and I think we’ve been getting better every night.”