The dew is on the pumpkin and the real season is here for the Maple Leafs.
That message was pounded home by a visit from the Eastern Conference finalist New York Rangers, who have size, scoring and a sizzling Igor Shesterkin in net. They used all three to take a 4-1 win from Toronto on Saturday night in the Leafs’ biggest test of the young NHL season.
The Leafs had a huge third-period shot advantage and 35-29 in the game, but Shesterkin keeps building his case to be the highest paid at his position in the NHL. The Leafs kept pressing until Chris Kreider and Artemi Panarin added empty netters.
Toronto, with a record of 3-2, was 0-for-3 on the power play and now 2-for-16 this season, though is partially atoning for that with strong penalty killing.
Early in the third period, Auston Matthews woke up Scotiabank Arena by eluding Adam Fox behind the net and breaking in front for his second of the year, making it a one-goal affair. Until then, he was the only Leaf hitting the net in a frustrating night of Grade A chances with Shesterkin equal to the task or the Leafs firing high and wide.
The Rangers have yet to lose in regulation (4-0-1) and have into the season looking to go the extra step to the Cup final after failing to hold a lead on the Florida Panthers in the final four.
For a few minutes, leading into the second intermission, the Leafs lost their best shot blocking defenceman. Chris Tanev took a Mika Zibanejad power-play drive off his leg and had to be helped off the ice, returning early in the third. Also labouring to the bench after 40 minutes was goaltender Anthony Stolarz, due to a busted skate blade with the officials unable to blow the play dead and the Rangers’ hovering.
Stolarz continues to merit the starting role and likely plays Monday against the Tampa Bay Lightning, his old foil with the Florida Panthers, allowing Dennis Hildeby perhaps one more start Tuesday before Joseph Woll is ready to come off the injured reserve list.
In the first frame, Toronto shot wide on three great chances including a William Nylander breakaway and slot misfire by Matthew Knies. Meanwhile, Nick Robertson over-skated a puck with no one near him and New York grabbed a 1-0 lead.
Vincent Trochek got a hand free to tip a Victor Mancini shot, which bounced to Alexis Lafreniere with Stolarz out of position trying to track the puck. In the second period, the Leafs over-passed a couple of times on odd-man rushes and in two power plays. It came back to bite them on a delayed penalty where New York’s finest weaved it through the ranks, Kreider from Reilly Smith and Zibanejad.
There were some heavy hits thrown, but the two most noteworthy combatants on both teams, 6-foot-7 Matt Rempe of the Rangers and Toronto’s Ryan Reaves, stayed clear of prime-time pugilism after their bout at SBA last March.