The Toronto Maple Leafs season is slowly coming to an end, and with that typically comes rather boring games. It seemed like this game against the New Jersey Devils would be that way, until the Maple Leafs turned up the energy in the second and ultimately put this game to bed. The Maple Leafs were coming into the second half of a back-to-back, which allowed head coach Sheldon Keefe to let some of his fringe players like Connor Dewar, Ryan Reaves, and Ilya Lyubushkin get some rest while giving other players a chance to draw into the lineup.
Related: Matthews Nets 66th Goal, Most in Salary Cap Era
Conor Timmins, Noah Gregor, and Nick Robertson got the chance to play again and did fairly well. The team also gave Joseph Woll the start, with Martin Jones serving as the backup, which allowed Ilya Samsonov to have a full day off to rest for the playoffs. With only four games remaining in the regular season, the expectation is to get Joel Edmundson back into the lineup Thursday, while potentially Calle Jarnkrok and Timothy Liljegren could see a game before the playoffs start. This also means that Leafs Nation could see some players being rested, such as Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares, and the aforementioned Samsonov, most likely on the back-to-back at the end of the season while the team plays the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning.
Matthews Hits 66 Goals
Matthews has recorded the most goals in a season in the salary cap era.
His 66th goal passed Alex Ovechkin, who had the record with 65, and now Matthews is only four goals away from 70 with four games left. Unfortunately, he may be scheduled to sit out a few of those games, which could make 70 a bit of a stretch, but for a player as good at scoring goals as he is, it is doable. Hypothetically, if he has 69 goals going into game 81, there could be a world where Keefe and the Maple Leafs play him but limit his ice time.
Last night, Matthews was all over it; he had five shots, and his line of Max Domi and Tyler Bertuzzi controlled a lot of their shifts from the second period onwards. This is exciting to watch; night in and night out, the trio dominates their shifts and wins the offensive zone time, which leads to a ton of scoring chances. If Matthews, Domi, and Bertuzzi stay together heading into Game 1 of the playoffs, the Maple Leafs will be a deeper team because this line can play top minutes and shut down other teams’ best lines. This is something that they haven’t had since the Matthews and Marner era started. Yes, they have had deeper teams, but not three lines that can all put the puck in the back of the net as well as defend. This should make for an exciting playoff run.
Maple Leafs Have Good Depth
Another thing that the Maple Leafs haven’t had in recent years is depth – good, solid depth. They’ve had depth players; in last year’s playoffs, they had Erik Gustafsson as their seventh defenceman; however, this season is different. They have a rotation of four to five players that can be rotated at any point and help the team get the win. Last night, as a prime example of that, Giordano found the back of the net as well as Robertson. Gregor and Timmins were both solid throughout, which just helps the Maple Leafs win games. With players like Jarnkrok and Liljegren all returning from injury, it will make those four to five depth players turn into six or seven that can step into the lineup and perform.
As of right now, Robertson, Giordano, Timmins, Gregor, Holmberg, Jones, and one of Liljegren or Brodie will all be on the outside looking in going into Game 1 of the playoffs. This is ideal for the Maple Leafs; it’s not every year that a team has that many players that are sitting out of their lineup. The most important thing is that all seven listed above need to ensure they are ready for when they are called upon. In the playoffs, it is a different animal; the games are intense and very physical, which causes injuries, especially if the Maple Leafs go on a long run.
Related: Maple Leafs Keeping Marner May Mean Slighting Tavares
Last night, the Maple Leafs got goals from both Giordano and Robertson, which helped the team win. An important thing to watch for is what the stars and regulars do when the depth/fringe players score. Their reactions prove that this team has bought into one another. Regardless of whether you are the 11th or 15th forward, you are wanted on the team, and the top players will cheer you on when you put the puck in the net. For Maple Leafs fans, this has to be awesome to see. Watching your team finally buy in and not play for themselves can go a long way, especially in the playoffs.
Overall, the Maple Leafs finished the job last night and look to pass the Panthers for second in the Atlantic Division. They are currently three points back with a game in hand and a game against each other in game 81. There could be a chance that the game between these two teams will decide who gets what spot in the division. It will also help the Maple Leafs decide if they are staying in the Sunshine State after game 82 against the Lightning or if they are going home to play Games 1 and 2 of the first round.
The Maple Leafs are next in action against the Devils to finish off a home-and-home on Thursday, April 11 at 7:00 p.m.
