But if the Leafs indeed play in a lot more defence-first, mistake-free games like Friday night’s tilt at Scotiabank Arena, they’ll be more hardened to face what comes in April.
“Minnesota plays it tight all the way through,” said Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe. “It’s one player, one mistake. That usually makes the difference, and that’s the way it worked out.”
And when William Nylander stripped Frédérick Gaudreau of the puck in overtime, it was just the break the Leafs needed. Nylander had lost the puck, got it back, danced around Matt Boldy and beat Filip Gustavsson for his third OT winner of the season.
“The goalie tried to poke it away. I tried to go high, but it went under his stick,” said Nylander. “It was a good game, the kind of game we’re going to see more of down the line, more like playoff hockey. So good for us.”
The offence-minded Leafs and defensively dedicated Wild traded goals in the first period: Brandon Duhaime for Minnesota, David Kämpf responding. Then they tried to wear each other down. The Wild wouldn’t let anything really dangerous get to Gustavsson. It was almost comical how many bodies ended up sprawled around the goalie whenever the puck got close.
“Not a lot of excitement out there,” said Keefe, “but I liked how our guys played a disciplined game.”
The Leafs, whose defence is underrated, also did a reasonably good job of protecting Ilya Samsonov.
“It feels like this game was like the playoffs, so tight and a lot of physicality in the game,” said Samsonov. “We did great work today. It wasn’t played perfectly, but it’s a nice result. This is what we need especially to prepare for the playoffs.”
Samsonov had a strong night, stopping 23 of 24 shots in a bounce-back game after allowing three goals in the third period Tuesday night in Buffalo.
“After the Buffalo game after the third period, I (needed a) change mentally,” he said. “In the second and third period I felt so comfortable.”
The Leafs’ big guns carried the play when they could, but the Wild kept them to the periphery and often got sticks in the way of passes and bodies in front of shots. Both teams got late third-period power plays to add to the drama of “next goal wins,” but both penalty kills were superior.
“We did a tremendous job in overtime,” said Keefe. “I like how we controlled the play, and Auston (Matthews) and Willie (Nylander) are able to attack tired players.”
Golden shin pad
They didn’t stop the game or anything, but Leafs defenceman Mark Giordano tied the NHL career record for blocked shots, a stat that goes back to the 2005-06 season.
“I’ve always tried to take a lot of pride in defending,” said Giordano. “Nobody likes getting scored on, or having to pull a puck out of your net, and I think any time you can help eliminate that — be it blocked shots or making the right play — you try to do that.”
Kris Russell, Giordano’s one-time teammate in Calgary, set the record of 2,044. Giordano came in needing three to tie. With 2:25 to go in the second period, he blocked a Matt Dumba slapshot to match the mark.
“Hopefully in 20-something games, I get one more,” said Giordano.
That could come as early as Sunday in Seattle, when the Leafs begin a five-game road trip.
“It’s a tough thing to track,” said teammate Morgan Rielly. “You can’t really stop the game and acknowledge it, but maybe we’ll get him a golden shin pad or something.”
Giordano says he’s been using the same shin pads for at least 10 years: “They’re a little bit old school, but I like the feel of them, and I don’t really like the feel of all the new ones coming out. So, I’ll keep these ones.”
Disappointing sequel
After playing perhaps their best first period of the season on Tuesday in Buffalo, expectations were high for a repeat performance. Fans at Scotiabank Arena had to be disappointed with a 1-1 tie after 20 minutes.
Minnesota scored first, while the Leafs spent the first half of the first period playing in their own end making error after error in a flat performance that was almost predictable with Keefe tempering expectations before the game.
Opposite of Wild
That’s the Minnesota Wild. There’s no flash, no dash. It’s just grind-you-down hockey. A scoreless second period is what the Wild are about. They don’t create a lot of offence and don’t allow a lot of dangerous chances. That had them in third place in the incredibly tight Central Division coming into the game.
“Every game is extremely tight, very close, not unlike playoffs in that way,” Keefe said of the Wild’s style. “It’s one mistake one way or the other, special teams. Those are the difference in games you’re playing against Minnesota. So, you have to have that level of detail and mindset all through the game.”
Black history
The Leafs celebrated Black History Month in a few ways, including by wearing T-shirts specially designed by Niki Cooper (a.k.a. blackpowerbarbie) — an illustrator, animator and director of Trinidadian and Guyanese descent, who was raised in Toronto — as well as entertainment during the first intermission.
They also had a team meeting Thursday with Bernice Carnegie, daughter of Hall of Famer Herb Carnegie, whose skin colour is believed to be the chief reason he never played in the NHL. “It was great opportunity to hear from Bernice and hear her dad’s story, and how she’s carrying that legacy on and continuing to make a tremendous impact in our game and our community,” said Leafs captain John Tavares. “I was obviously fortunate to grow up in the city and play at the (Herbert H. Carnegie Centennial Centre in North York).”
Notables
Leafs goalie Matt Murray took part in the morning optional skate and will travel with the team on their five-game trip ... Defenceman Rasmus Sandin also skated but was not ready to return to the lineup ... Though he cleared waivers, forward Joey Anderson will travel to Seattle. He was a healthy scratch Friday ... It was a two-point night for Nylander, who became the fifth Leaf in the past 30 years to record consecutive 70-point seasons. The others: Mats Sundin (12 times), Mitch Marner, Matthews and Doug Gilmour (twice each).
“We’ve been good in that way a lot throughout the season, it just doesn’t always result in goals like (in Buffalo),” said Keefe. “The opposition has a say.”
And the Wild proved more formidable in the early going than Buffalo. But the tide turned when Kämpf one-timed a pass from Nylander to tie the game.
Source: https://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/analysis/2023/02/24/leafs-pounce-for-ot-win-over-wild-one-mistake-is-all-it-takes.html
