If I had told you before the game that Morgan Rielly, John Tavares, and Mitch Marner were all out of the lineup, would you think the Toronto Maple Leafs could pull off the win? Well, thanks to Bobby McMann and some stellar defence, the Maple Leafs were able to pull off the upset 4-1 over the St. Louis Blues.
Not only did they win, they dominated. The Blues had just 15 shots, which was the lowest shot total by an opponent all season. Games like this help teams pull together, especially when you face as much adversity as the Maple Leafs did last night. Now, there isn’t a timeline on how long Marner and Tavares will be out, as they are both dealing with illnesses.
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However, we all know Rielly is going to be out for five games; this depleted lineup needed a hero against a team in the Blues that had come in winning seven of eight. Well, a hero is what they got, thanks to the aforementioned McMann, who had the best game of his NHL career.
McMann’s Career Night
McMann showed up to the rink ahead of the game and was preparing to sit in the press box. He was announced as the extra forward after coach Sheldon Keefe talked to the media as the morning skate ended. When Marner and Tavares’ scratches were announced, McMann was told that he was drawing into the lineup, and he did not disappoint. He opened the scoring just five minutes into the game and scored his second eight minutes into the third with an incredible shot. He was then given the vote of confidence by the coach and was sent out when the Blues’ net was empty. He was able to bank the puck off of the wall and get the angle perfect for it to go in for his third.
McMann recorded his first career NHL hat trick, which has to be an amazing feeling for any NHL player, but more specifically for him. He was an undrafted rookie who worked his hardest to get to where he is. The 27-year-old has battled adversity his whole career, and when his club needed it most, he put the team on his back and showed his teammates he could step up and deliver. After his performance last night, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him earn a few more games as a regular in the lineup, especially since Marner and Tavares are out for another game.
Great Character Win
The Maple Leafs as a whole had a great character win last night against the Blues. They had a depleted lineup, with three of their five best players out of the lineup, but still managed to dominate. Their defence core was missing Rielly, who is their best defenceman and they were able to hold the Blues to just 15 shots. There were a lot of questions coming into this game about the team’s blue line and how it would work for the next five games. However, last night proved to us that the rest of the back end can hold its own.
Aside from the blue line, the offence was very good as well. The line of Max Domi, Nick Robertson, and Tyler Bertuzzi was lights out. They had a ton of scoring chances; a few of them were high-danger chances, but Blues’ goalie Jordan Binnington stood his ground and kept his team in it. Another line that was good outside of the Maple Leafs’ top line of Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Matthew Knies, was the third line. David Kampf, McMann, and Noah Gregor had numerous chances to score, including Gregor getting stopped on a breakaway.
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The last player to mention was probably the least busy last night, Ilya Samsonov. He was beaten on a shot by Alexey Toropchenko, but other than that, he was perfect. He has been great since he was called back up from the American Hockey League, and it seems that he has reclaimed the net. All in all, it was a great effort that led to a much-needed win.
The Maple Leafs had a lot to prove last night, and that is exactly what they did. They proved to all the nay-sayers that they can still find ways to win even when they are missing three of their five best players. A special shoutout to McMann, who played hero and put the team on his back to secure the victory.
The Maple Leafs are in action next at home on Thursday, Feb. 15, against the Philadelphia Flyers at 7 PM.
