Kadri, Tavares help Leafs turn things around out west
If it’s possible for Game 10 of the season to be about redemption, then the Maple Leafs’ 4-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets would qualify.
The Leafs ended a two-game skid. They got goals from players who haven’t been scoring — notably Nazem Kadri and Tyler Ennis. And the Leafs scored 5-on-5, not having to count on their power play. And John Tavares scored, ending a fivegame goalless drought.
á Stanley Cup preview? It’s no longer a stretch to consider both teams viable Stanley Cup contenders, though they’re far from alone. So when they meet — one of the best in the East, against one of the best in the West — the whole preview thing gets thrown around.
The two teams are rising at the same time, with roughly the same quality core at roughly the same age, and could meet for the Cup if not this year, then in the next few.
The journey won’t be easy. What the Jets faced last year, the Leafs could face this year in the divisional playoff system.
Winnipeg finished second overall last year and had to face the first overall team — the Nashville Predators — in the second round. The Jets prevailed, but had very little left in the tank at the Western Conference final against Vegas.
The Leafs could well have the same difficulty in the Atlantic Division, with powerhouses
Boston and Tampa in the same division.
á Turning point: Connor Brown took a pointless penalty in the neutral zone on a play following Nikolaj Ehlers’ first goal of the season. Ehlers’ goal had cut the Leaf lead to 3-1 at 4:57.
It was Ehlers’ first goal in 26 games, including playoffs. It got the Jets feeling good about themselves and got the crowd into it. Then the Jets Mark Scheifele scored on the power play created by the call against Brown, and the Leaf lead was down to 3-2. It was a shooting gallery on Leaf goalie Frederik Andersen after that. But a goal by John Tavares turned things back at 8:28 of the third. It all happened in three-minute, 31-second span.
á Back at you: It’s a home-andhome series as far as the Maple Leafs go, given their next game is Saturday at home to the Jets. But as far as Winnipeg is concerned, the Jets have a game in Detroit in between.