A home-and-home between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets needs to be an annual thing. These two teams have always played great games against each other, and in the last few years, their rivalry has grown. There is real hatred between these two clubs, and having them play home-and-home was a brilliant move by the NHL schedulers.
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The Maple Leafs took the first game on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, beating the Jets 1-0 in overtime (OT). The Maple Leafs also took the second game, 4-2. This game was fast-paced and very entertaining. Personally, these two games between these two teams were ones that I had circled since the beginning of the season. I love when these two teams meet; the games are fun to watch and physical. With only 11.8 seconds left, the Jets scored, and Nino Niederreiter and Jake McCabe got into it after battling all night. This caused a scrum where all five players on both teams paired off, but no one dropped the gloves. You still love to see this, especially between these two clubs. With that, let’s get into three key takeaways from the game.
Reaves Earns Himself Another Game
Hockey has a funny way of working, doesn’t it? Ryan Reaves suffered an injury on Dec. 14, 2023, and then had an interview with Sportsnet’s Luke Fox about how he has since recovered from his injury. In the interview, he said, “Yeah, I’ve been ready for a couple weeks now.” Now, Calle Jarnkrok suffers from a broken knuckle and is out week-to-week. As a result, Reaves draws into the lineup and has what could be the best game in a Maple Leafs jersey.
He got the Maple Leafs back into the game with a goal in the first period. He created the turnover, parked himself in front of the net, and deflected the puck past the Jets’ goalie, Connor Hellebuyck. He and his linemates, Noah Gregor and David Kampf, had a very good game. They played with speed and got in on the forecheck, which created scoring chances all game. Reaves had a run-in with Nikolai Ehlers late in the game, and the two were jawing at each other, but Ehlers made the smart decision not to fight him. This was like vintage Reaves; he got into his face and looked to be laughing while cross-checking him; eventually, cooler heads prevailed, and he went to the bench.
The reason why I feel Reaves earned himself another game is because, with just a minute left, Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe had him back on the ice. Although they had a 4-1 lead then, this trust hasn’t been there all season. When the Jets scored their second goal with 11.8 seconds left in the game, the scrum between McCabe and Niederreiter happened, and Reaves was right there in the middle of it, doing exactly what he was expected to do when the Maple Leafs signed him this past offseason. Due to his performance in this game, he was given the belt from Samsonov, which is well deserved.
Samsonov Is BACK
Ilya Samsonov’s story this season could be made into a documentary. He was atrocious early on this season and lost his confidence. It got so bad that the Maple Leafs placed him on waivers on Jan. 1, 2024, and he cleared. Now, there are probably a handful of teams that regret not claiming him because, in his last three starts (3-0), he has been amazing, giving up three goals in those games. He has been lights out, making great saves, and helping keep the Maple Leafs in the games even though the opposition has all the pressure.
Samsonov has also received the belt in back-to-back games, which shows that even his teammates see how well he has performed. Has there been another player with a comeback story like this? In less than a month, he went from waivers to the AHL to take a mental break, and now he is earning his starting role back. He even had a visit from his parents from Russia during that time, which seemed to help him regain his focus.
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All in all, this is exactly what the Maple Leafs needed; they had Joseph Woll step up when Samsonov struggled, and then Martin Jones stepped up when Woll suffered an injury. Jones is tired and needs some rest, and Samsonov has stepped up and helped the team win games. Although it’s unconventional, the team needs wins and good goaltending, and between the three goalies this season, they have gotten that.
Maple Leafs Win 2 Must-Win Games
There has been a lot of talk this season about the Maple Leafs’ direction, whether they are good enough to make a run at the Stanley Cup or not. Well, this mini-series against the Jets may have proven to the management group that they should try and look to add some secondary scoring pieces and some defensive help to make a run at the Stanley Cup. It is games like these last two, against teams that are considered Stanley Cup contenders, that can change the minds of management groups and even make the team buy in a little more.
The Jets are one of the top teams in the NHL, and the Maple Leafs beat them in back-to-back games that were probably as close to playoff-style games as they have played in all season. They were tight-checking, very fast-paced games that had both teams fighting to the very end. These are the types of games that the Maple Leafs need to show up in and prove to themselves that they can compete with the big dogs in the NHL. The Maple Leafs are the type of team that is very confident; however, at times this season, they have seemed to have lost something in their game. But with these two hard-fought wins against a Jets team that isn’t very liked inside that dressing room, it seems that they have found what was lost. This could be the turning point in the season, and the Maple Leafs could potentially go on a little run after their week off and All-Star break.
Overall, the game tonight was exactly what the Maple Leafs needed. They needed to win at least one of the two games in this home-and-home; instead, they won both. They knew what these games meant, and they did what they needed to do to win both. Additionally, Auston Matthews has tied his goal total from last season (40) before the All-Star break and could be on his way to 70 for the first time in the NHL since Alexander Mogilny and Teemu Selänne both scored 76 in the 1992-93 season.
Now, they all enjoy a week off before Matthews, Morgan Rielly, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander will represent the team during the 2024 All-Star weekend on Feb. 1-3. The team’s next game is Monday, Feb. 5, 2024, against the New York Islanders at home.
