A 3-2 overtime win Sunday against Philadelphia extended the Maple Leafs’ winning streak to four games under some very difficult circumstances.
Our takeaways on a match in which coach Craig Berube was pleased his short-handed club produced a “gutsy” victory:
THAT HURTS
Sometimes there’s a heavy price for the ‘all for one’ mentality the Maple Leafs are trying to foster.
Jake McCabe tried to send a message to Garnet Hathaway after the referee’s arm went up for the Flyer forward’s knock on Leaf goalie Dennis Hildeby. McCabe persisted in hassling Hathaway, but his head hit the ice in the ensuing fight.
“We all know what type of person and player he is,” fellow defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson said of McCabe. “He sticks up for his friends so it’s tough to see him go down.”
It forced the Leafs to play a defender short for 40 minutes in regulation time, the overtime, and perhaps for some or all of the coming two-game road trip. McCabe was woozy, but got off the ice under his own steam.
“We battled back for him and won the game for him,” Matthew Knies said.
At 6-foot-7, Hildeby probably wasn’t too roughed up by Hathaway, but did give props to McCabe as well.
“I really appreciate it, really big of him,” Hildeby said, adding “I feel bad for him (getting hurt).”
HIT PARADE
Two games versus the Islanders and then back-to-back weekend wars against Boston and Philadelphia would drain any team. But the Leafs were able to endure and give a lot of the smack back. The weekend was without their policeman Ryan Reaves, Berube preferring better skating forecheckers in the lineup. Toronto still was credited with 43 hits Sunday.
“That’s the brand of hockey we want to play,” Knies said. “I think it helps us get every advantage. You saw the one by Max Pacioretty (crunching Nick Seeler into the boards, one of several the elder statesman has thrown recently) that leads to a chance in front. The more we can do that, the better.”
Five Leafs had five hits or more Sunday, seven by defenceman Simon Benoit. Only Max Domi and William Nylander weren’t credited with at least one, Domi’s unnecessary elbow on Hathaway notwithstanding.
“We had good hits that I thought were really important,” Berube praised. “(The rested Flyers) had legs tonight, but we battled. It’s not always pretty. You go through theses stretches where you’re not scoring a lot, maybe not be getting chances, but we’re staying with it and finding a way.”
BLUE LINE, RED LIGHTS
Counting McCabe’s goal Saturday against Boston, Toronto’s defence had three on the weekend, Ekman-Larsson and Morgan Rielly hitting the score sheet Sunday.
OEL’s followed up fourth-line pressure, his second goal of the year, pool cueing it past Ivan Fedotov.
“I worked a lot on that move in the summer,” he said before breaking into laughter. “I’ll take it. I saw the puck laying there so I was just trying to get a stick on it.”
Rielly had been blanked since Nov. 3, despite being on the top power play unit.
JUST LIKE FAMILY
After the game, a huge crowd in Leaf sweaters was gathered outside the dressing room. They are the ‘mentors’, relatives and friends of the players and staff, one each invited on this week’s trip to Philadelphia and Carolina. It’s a twist many NHL teams do on the annual fathers or mothers’ trip.
“It’s great, we had them in for a team meeting,” Berube said. “They love being in on (NHL life), to talk and see video. It’s a special trip.”
Joe Thornton was spotted, the retired NHLer having spent an influential season with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner here. Knies is bringing his older brother Phil, who has been out of hockey a couple of years since his NCAA days and a brief stint in Europe.
“It’s quite nostalgic for him, he’s probably missing the game,” Matthew said.
Any incentive to win is a good one in what will be two more challenging games.
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