Spezza turns back clock to lift Leafs
VETERAN CENTRE NOTCHES HAT TRICK IN WIN OVER CANUCKS
To have beaten every team in the division this early in the schedule, the Toronto Maple Leafs needed help from every corner, young and old.
Which was evident again Thursday night at Scotiabank Arena in overcoming the Vancouver Canucks 7-3 to complete their Northern checklist and stay atop the all-canadian landscape. At 37, Jason Spezza became one of the oldest Leafs to bag a hat trick, while three of their four lines scored. At the top of the chain, Mitch Marner set up Auston Matthews twice and added one himself.
The Leafs had a couple of early hiccups defensively, but outshot the Canucks by a 2-1 margin, got by with five blueliners after an early-game leg injury to Travis Dermott and stayed out of the penalty box. Also notable, it was Toronto’s first victory by more than two goals in moving to a record of 8-2-1 after the first of three at home against the Canucks.
Spezza had a three-goal game for the first time since April 9, 2016, when he was a Dallas Star, though there was no one to throw a single hat on this night. His first goal a hard drive, the third a nifty rush past defenceman Alexander Edler.
The top line has been driving the bus with the 20-somethings Matthews and Marner fronting the attack — Matthews now has goals in six straight games. Marner had a see-saw shift in the second period, playing keepaway as he drove the Vancouver net and dropped the puck to Matthews at the last moment for his second of the game. It had to be the quietest home goal in Scotiabank Arena history, with no crowd to see it go in or react, players on both sides unsure what occurred, except Matthews standing by himself celebrating, the ref knocked down and unable to signal ‘goal’ and thus no fog horn for a few seconds.
The line stayed out, but a Marner giveaway led to Bo Horvat’s goal before Spezza struck again.
The Leafs scored first on a sharp breakout, Marner to Jake Muzzin to Matthews, who got behind Jordie Benn on the defenceman’s wrong side before flicking in his sixth in as many games on a delayed penalty. Toronto’s No, 1 power play did get two chances later in the period, burying the first one. With Zach Hyman providing the screen, Spezza’s blast found a hole on Thatcher Demko.
Toronto also let its guard down after the first Matthews goal, outhustled en masse behind Frederik Andersen with Tanner Pearson jamming it in from the side.
The Leafs had lost Dermott early in the period, with Tyler Motte’s hit leaving him in pain after Motte had decked Alex Kerfoot.
The Leafs returned after four days off from taking seven of a possible eight points on an Alberta road trip. Vancouver (6-8) was doing well until it got to Montreal and lost twice to slip below .500.
Keefe stuck to the changes he made this week at practice, promoting Wayne Simmonds with John Tavares and William Nylander on the second line and bringing Nic Petan all the way up from the Marlies AHL practice group, past the taxi squad and reserves, to the fourth line with Travis Boyd and Spezza. Boyd also came back after being rested Saturday, despite two points in two games.
Up to puck drop Thursday, the Keefe platoon system of praising fringe forwards after productive games. then sitting them in hopes the replacements would be that much more motivated, seemed to be paying off.
“It is working to a degree, it’s giving more opportunities for more players,” Keefe said before Game 1. “We’re keeping everybody honest, pushing to be their best.
“You look at (Nic) Petan a few days ago, with the Marlies and now he’s here. We think that’s healthy for our depth (Petan and Boyd getting in on a Spezza goal, one of two points for Boyd). It’s more reasons for our stay ready squad to continue to work and be prepared. We have an opportunity now because we have flexibility and we’re going through some injuries. We can look at different people.”
But at some point, Keefe says he knows the juggling act will have to end. There are forwards Joe Thornton and Nick Robertson to consider as they find their way back from injuries later this month, as well as goalie Jack Campbell. With their eventual return will come the difficulties of staying under the salary cap, which challenged general manager Kyle Dubas in the first week of play.
“There will come a time where we have to settle on the people we think are our absolute best lineup,” Keefe said. “We don’t think we’re quite there yet.”
The game ended with Simmonds and Benn duking it out after the latter objected to a hit on Quinn Hughes.