Leafs back on top
Goal and an assist as leafs regain series lead
Auston Matthews had been more noticeable for his stylish newsboy cap so far in playoffs.
But he put himself back on the front page in Game 3 with his first points of the series against the Boston Bruins, heralding the return of the Toronto Maple Leafs power play to prominence in a series they now lead 2-1.
With a goal of his own and an assist on Andreas Johnsson’s winner and another 30-plus saves from Frederik Andersen, the Leafs prevailed 3-2, putting the Nazem Kadri episode in Boston behind them. They lead a best-of-seven in the middle stage for the first time since 2017 against Washington.
Matthews, who had one goal against Boston last year, one of the many reasons the young Leafs died in the first round, showed up when he had to at home after the Bruins ran the Leafs out of TD Garden in Game 2. The teams stuck to high-intensity hockey instead of ill-conceived vendettas and the Leafs put their speed demons to good use. Particularly in the back-and-forth final period, which stretched Toronto’s record to 38-0-1 when leading after 40 minutes this season.
After a scoreless first period, the goal jar was twisted open. Trevor Moore, who led the Leafs’ revamped fourth line with several energy shifts, was sniffing around the net and knocked in a rebound at 2:38, his first NHL playoff marker.
Less than a minute later, however, after John Tavares just missed on a rebound, Morgan
Rielly was pushed off the puck on the end boards and coverage broke down for David Krejci to tie it.
Close calls and tense moments followed, including some scrambles in front of both goalies with Tuukka Rask needing time to settle an upper-body issue after teammate Charlie Mcavoy shoved Tavares into him.
Then came two power play goals after the Leafs burned through five chances in seven periods without one and had just four in last year’s series, three by the departed James van Riemsdyk. On a new-look unit necessitated by the Kadri suspension — he will miss the rest of the series after cross-checking the Bruins’ Jake Debrusk on the head in Game 2 — Johnsson found Matthews alone to lift the playoff piano off his back.
It was Matthews again with a long stick against the equally lanky Brandon Carlo to poke a puck Tavares’s way behind the net. Johnsson, with a fine individual game himself in dash and defence, made a nifty backhand move upstairs and the Leafs were up two.
That didn’t hold up, either, after Jake Muzzin was called for holding shortly after. Matt Grzelcyk and the Bruins’ second unit struck, the defenceman putting a puck wide on purpose for fellow New Englander Charlie Coyle’s second goal in as many games.
The Leafs had the start they wanted in front of a sold-out Scotiabank Arena, the loudest introduction cheers saved for Andersen. The Dane did his part with 15 first-period saves, while his penalty killers shone with Ron Hainsey in the box, keeping the puck out of danger.
Carlo did ring one off the outside of the post from the blue-line and Andersen had to be alert on a few gaffes by his defence. He kept his paddle low on a sublime save on David Pastrnak going five-hole, then had a huge diving third-period stop on Krejci.
Itching to see the Leafs hit someone — anyone — off the hop, the crowd got its wish when the fourth line, led by Moore and now with tiny Tyler Ennis, went deep in Boston territory to get some shots in and Zach Hyman stepped into Pastrnak hard enough to bowl him over.
Before the game, head coach Mike Babcock was not getting carried away with the luxury of having last line change at home.
“Outchanging the other team and running their bench is easiest when you’re ahead,” he said. “When you’re chasing the game and not playing good, the other coach gets to do whatever he wants at home or on the road.”
Kadri’s absence put the spotlight on William Nylander to hold the fort at centre between Patrick Marleau and Connor Brown. Nylander and Marleau traded faceoff duties, but the top two lines and the fourth did the heavy lifting.
“You just adjust,” said Hyman. “We’ve had guys out at times all year long. We have depth, we’ll adjust. (Kadri) is obviously an important player for us, but it’s all hands on deck.”
Game 4 is Wednesday at Scotiabank Arena, the Leafs building a case to go back to Boston at the end of the week for an elimination match.