Matthews impresses with his defensive effort
LEAFS SUPERSTAR SCORES AND BACKCHECKS AS WELL
As much as Auston Matthews looked like his old self on offence — the one who scored 60 goals last season — Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe was just as impressed with the defensive play of the club’s top player on Saturday night.
Not long after sending a laser over the shoulder of Vancouver Canucks goalie Spencer Martin early in the second period, Matthews’ work on the back check denied the visitors a scoring chance.
Both plays helped the Leafs to a 3-2 victory at Scotiabank Arena.
“He has not had a lot of opportunities like that on the power play with really clean looks like that,” Keefe said. “Auston is 1-on-1 with (Martin) and beats him with a clean shot.
“It was a big moment. But an even bigger moment in the game for me, Auston was probably half a zone behind and the effort he put in to catch up, strip (the Canucks) of the puck, made a couple of really strong defensive plays after that . ... that pace and work he put in there changed the energy of the game and in the building. The fans got into it from there. That is leadership.”
The goal was Matthews’ seventh of the season.
“I just want to continue to get those looks,” Matthews said. “That one feels good. Want to continue to capitalize on those.”
GAME ON
The Leafs parked an ugly first period, during which they fell behind 2-0, with a better effort in the second, scoring three goals by the midway point . ... Defenceman Jordie Benn’s first goal as a Leaf, coming in his first game with Toronto, couldn’t have been more unexpected. Not only was it the 26th goal by Benn in his 596th NHL game, it came after Benn jumped up and put a puck off the end boards into the net. Benn has six career game winners. “It does not happen too often, so I don’t really know what to do,” Benn said of his celebration. “Thank God Matty (Matthews) came and I was, ‘All right, here’s a hug.’” ... Mitch Marner ran his point streak to nine games with an assist on Matthews’ goal . ... Vancouver’s Brock Boeser hit the crossbar early in the third before the Leafs took control . ... Keefe said TJ Brodie is day to day but did not indicate what it was that kept the blueliner out.
MISS YA, ILYA
Given the way Keefe continues to change his forward lines, there’s little doubt that the Leafs would have been better off had they found a way to keep Ilya Mikheyev. Instead, the fast, smart forward got more money on the open market than he would have in Toronto when he signed a four-year, Us$19-million deal with the Canucks in July.
We asked Keefe whether the Leafs miss Mikheyev.
“He’s a good player, brings a lot,” Keefe said. “He had a big season for us in the regular season last season and produced at a higher rate than he had previously.
“He felt he had more to give. We felt he had more to give and he was given an opportunity and he did well with it.”
The Leafs haven’t found a way to replace Mikheyev’s goals after he scored 21 in 53 games last season. Before the season, the Leafs figured newcomers such as Calle Jarnkrok and Adam Gaudette might help fill that hole, yet Jarnkrok has three goals in 16 games and Gaudette is with the AHL’S Toronto Marlies.
Mikheyev has eight points in 12 games for Vancouver.
A FINE TRIBUTE
Full marks to the Leafs for the job done on the pregame tribute for Borje Salming.
The legendary defenceman, with his family by his side, dropped the puck for the ceremonial faceoff following a video that highlighted his impact on the game during his time with the Leafs.
Canucks coach Bruce Boudreau, who has said several times in recent years that he watches every Leafs game (when the schedule allows it), was tuned in Friday night when Salming, in a battle with ALS, received an enthusiastic ovation during the pre-game Hockey Hall of Fame ceremony.
Boudreau had several stints with the Leafs during the late 1970s and early 1980s and once was Salming’s roommate.
“Lots of memories when you see Borje,” Boudreau said. “Such a well-deserved ovation for him. You could see Darryl (Sittler) crying a little bit. It brings you back to the ’70s and back to the times that they were the three best players (along with Lanny Mcdonald) that the Leafs had. I was glad for a while to be a part of that.”