The Maple Leafs didn’t pile up the style points on Saturday night.
When the final horn sounded against the Carolina Hurricanes at Scotiabank Arena, though, what mattered most were the two points that the Leafs received for a 6-3 victory.
Our takeaways from the win, which moved the Leafs — still with three games in hand — to within one point of first place in the Atlantic Division, coupled with a loss in regulation by the Florida Panthers to the Seattle Kraken:
STEEVES STEPS UP
All Alex Steeves wanted was another shot with the Leafs.
After the 25-year-old forward was recalled from the Toronto Marlies earlier in the week, he made good on the opportunity.
Not only did Steeves score his first goal in the National Hockey League, he also recorded his first assist and was named the first star of the game.
Never mind that Steeves’ ice time — nine minutes and four seconds — was lowest among all Leafs as he skated on the fourth line with Steven Lorentz and David Kampf.
There was no wiping the smile off his face afterward. His goal at 2:50 of the first period gave the Leafs a nice start, one they would build to 3-0 before the seven-minute mark.
The milestone goal for Steeves was the result of a pass from John Tavares, followed by a one-timer. It’s the kind of goal Steeves has scored a lot in the American Hockey League. He leads the AHL with 29 goals.
“It felt really good,” Steeves said. “Bit of a relief, honestly. Beautiful play by Johnny.
“Just celebrate it, relief, fist bump and immediately try to find Johnny and tell him nice pass, and then kind of just blacked out.”
Why was there relief? The goal came in Steeves’ 12th NHL game and fifth in 2024-25.
“I think any time anyone gets called up, you just want to make an impact,” Steeves said. “Goals are nice and it’s my first. I am a goal-scorer, and I know that, and I know I can be a goal-scorer at this level.
“I score a lot of goals not handling the puck, and just one-timing it, trying to get myself available. It felt good. I’ve got belief that I can do that, so it’s nice to get the results.”
The Leafs could use more production from their bottom six. The initial indication from coach Craig Berube was that Steeves will remain in the lineup on Sunday night in Chicago against the Blackhawks.
“Very happy for him to get his first NHL goal,” Berube said. “I thought he was hard on the forecheck. He plays a simple game. It’s direct, and that’s what I like about it.”
This is Steeves’ fourth year in the Leafs organization. The players have seen him put the work in.
“Always special for every single guy when you get your first,” Tavares said. “He’s playing some great hockey. Filling the net with the Marlies, and has had spurts with us here. To make an impact like he did and get his first, I thought was great for him.”
Steeves had a funny response when he was asked what he is going to do with his special puck.
“Hold on to it … I don’t really know,” Steeves said. “I’m not really one to display all that stuff. I don’t even have a house. I live in my parents’ basement. I’m sure my mom maybe will have a little shrine in my room or something. Right now, it’s just going to go in a cupboard until the season’s over.”
To be sure, Steeves was referring to where he lives in the off-season. He does have his own condo in Toronto.
AN ‘A’ FOR DEPTH
Once Steeves scored, the Leafs’ other depth players took notice.
First Pontus Holmberg and then Kampf scored to put the Leafs up 3-0. Holmberg also scored into an empty Carolina net, marking the second time he has had two goals in an NHL game (and first since a pair against Edmonton on March 23, 2024).
Holmberg and Kampf each have four goals this season.
If general manager Brad Treliving adds at forward before the NHL trade deadline on March 7, we’re not sure where Holmberg will fit in. We don’t expect the production to suddenly start rolling in for him. We would have seen more of it by now. But it would be wise on his part to give Berube and Treliving more to chew on.
“The top guys aren’t always going to score goals every single night, and that’s when you need the depth guys to come in and chip away and get some points too,” Lorentz said.
As for those top guys, captain Auston Matthews ended a six-game goal drought when he scored into an empty net. William Nylander had two assists, while Mitch Marner was held off the scoresheet 48 hours after he set up Connor McDavid for the goal that won Canada the 4 Nations Face-off title. The three were honoured with a video tribute during a TV timeout in the first period.
Matthews’ goal was the 389th of his career, bringing him into a tie for second on the Leafs franchise list with Darryl Sittler. Matthews has played in 603 games; Sittler skated in 844 for Toronto. Mats Sundin holds the franchise record with 420 goals, a mark that Matthews is bound to break early next season.
STOLARZ SOUND
Three Carolina goals in a span of less than three minutes late in the third period, which cut the Leafs lead to 4-3 before Matthews and Holmberg scored empty-netters, put a bit of blemish on the night for Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz.
Let’s be clear, though. For much of the night, Stolarz was sharp. He finished with 31 saves and was required to be on point as the Hurricanes had, in all situations, 80 shot attempts. The Leafs had 37.
Though the Leafs had a 4-0 lead at the end of first, Carolina refused to go away and continued to come at the Toronto goalie.
Stolarz shrugged off the late uprising.
“A couple of unfortunate bounces that go off our D’s stick, the second one, and lose it off a nice block in front, but it’s part of the game,” Stolarz said. “The way we just battled and didn’t really fold under the pressure, and were able to close it out … it was a huge two points for us.”
It was the first start for Stolarz at home since Dec. 12, when a knee issue forced him out against Anaheim. He was solid in his first game back, in Seattle on Feb. 6, and had it going again on Saturday.
“Tracking the puck, that’s probably the biggest thing for me,” Stolarz said. “If I could see it, more (often) than not, I’m going to stop it.
“Just trying to get the hands moving, getting my body moving around the crease and getting that flow style back.
“Having the four days (of practice and workouts) before this game is huge, and allowed me to get that. I was really prepared.”
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