Tavares ends the potential teaser for a playoff showdown
MONTREAL— The question coming into Saturday’s game was one for the dreamers: Wouldn’t it be fun if the Maple Leafs and Canadiens met in the playoffs?
Forget the obvious pull of rich history and national iconography. If Toronto’s 4-3 overtime win at the Bell Centre was any measure, the answer was a resounding yes.
What’s not to like about a couple of built-for-speed teams trading chances while keeping their defensive-minded coaches relatively satisfied with dogged, turnover-producing puck pursuit? Certainly Saturday’s topsy-turvy sample of the form was worth your time. The Canadiens watched leads of 1-0 and 3-2 go kaput. The Maple Leafs led 2-1 after the first intermission only to see the Canadiens surge ahead.
But John Tavares’s gorgeous backhand winner, off the tailormade feed from Mitch Marner midway through the extra frame, gave the visitors their fifth win in six games.
Glove-hand theory: Is Frederik Andersen vulnerable with the glove? After the Canadiens scored their opening two goals by beating the Maple Leafs goaltender on the side of his catching hand, Montreal certainly wanted to test the theory. While the home team’s first goal came on an Andrew Shaw tip of a point shot by Jeff Petry that understandably handcuffed Andersen, the second Montreal marker — which tied the game 2-2 just 32 seconds into the second period — seemed to, er, catch Andersen off guard, with Tomas Tatar’s wrister beating Andersen in the top corner. In the moments after that goal, the Canadiens took every opportunity to test the Maple Leafs netminder. Winger Joel Armia fired a long shot from the neutral zone toward Andersen’s mitted hand, which Andersen caught. In short order Armia fired another shot at Andersen’s glove, which Andersen stopped, but dropped. And the Brendan Gallagher power-play goal that made it 3-2 Montreal? That squeaked through Andersen’s glove side, too.
Hyman’s non-stop hustle: With the Bell Centre in hysterics after the home team scored in 51 seconds into the proceedings, trust Toronto’s perpetual motion machine, Zach Hyman, with settling down the building. His relentless forechecking set up the goal that made it 1-1, Hyman winning a battle against Montreal captain Shea Weber, circling the net and feeding Andreas Johnsson for an easy score.
Who had Zaitsev in the pool? As unlikely goal scorers go, Nikita Zaitsev is among the unlikeliest. But the right-handed defenceman’s line-walking wrister made it 2-1 for the Maple Leafs less than five minutes into the opening period. It was Zaitsev’s 11th goal in 196 games in Toronto.
Who had Nylander? Though he’s been far too quiet for most tastes, Nylander scored his second goal in three games, giving him three on the season. His killer wrister over Carey Price’s blocker shoulder was a timely marker, tying it 3-3 with about 11:25 to play in the third period.
Up next: The longest road trip of the season continues with the second of six games, a Sunday-night date in New York against the Rangers before a Tuesday outing in Colorado.