Last night, the Toronto Maple Leafs took home a close 3-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens. John Tavares broke the 2-2 tie with just 6:46 left in the game when he potted his 20th goal of the season. Max Domi and Bobby McMann also scored for Toronto, and goalie Ilya Samsonov made 29 saves to hold his team in there until they caught up and went ahead.
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Montreal played well, getting good goaltending from Sam Montembeault and goals from Mike Matheson and Alex Newhook. However, in the end, the Canadiens came up one goal short. They had a chance to score on power-play opportunities late in the game but simply could not.
Item 1: 3 Reasons the Maple Leafs Won
There were three reasons the Maple Leafs beat the Canadiens on Saturday night. First, they got two key goals on similar-looking plays from McMann and Domi who used their speed to break in on Montembeault to score. They then got the late-game winner from Maple Leafs’ captain Tavares. Those three goals were enough on this night.
Second, the Maple Leafs got a strong defensive effort from the team. Although Mitch Marner missed the game with a lower-body injury, they were able to limit Montreal’s scoring opportunities. When the Canadiens were able to break through, Samsonov played his role by making solid saves.
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Third, the Maple Leafs shut down the Canadiens’ play with the man advantage. The team’s penalty kill was effective especially when Toronto faced pressure late in the game. They were shorthanded with three minutes left but denied the Canadiens’ attempts to tie the game.
Item 2: Samsonov Wins Again
Samsonov got the start against Montreal. He came into the game riding two solid starts where he had stopped 56 of 60 shots. He had another quality start to move his record to 17-5-6 for the season. On the night, after giving up an early Canadiens goal, he hung in there to make 29 saves. Once again, he remained calm in the crease and shut down the Canadiens’ offence for the remainder of the game.
Samsonov is now on a bit of a hot streak. He’s won three straight starts and allowed just six goals during that span. Since passing through waivers and going through his reset, he’s put up an impressive record of 12-3-0 in 15 games. He’s also let in three or fewer goals in 13 of those games. As mysteriously as he was “gone,” now he’s back and contributing to his team’s success.
Item 3: John Tavares Scores the Game-Winner
Tavares is contributing to the Maple Leafs’ offence even though his ice time has decreased considerably from the start of the season. Last night, he scored the go-ahead goal with just under seven minutes left in the third period. It was a classic Tavares goal that found him bellied up in the tough places on the ice just to the left of the goalie’s crease.
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Jake McCabe’s one-timer bounced off Montembeault’s pad before bouncing off Tavares who had won the space in front of the net. The goal marked his 20th of the season, and it was the 14th time in 15 seasons (darn pandemic) that he has hit the 20-goal mark.
Tavares’ production has slowed slightly with his reduced ice time. He’s scored only five goals and put up six points in his last 13 games. However, he can still find the back of the net and works hard every shift. He also seems to be more engaged physically and has been in the middle of several scrums recently. His role is changing, yet he remains a valuable asset for the Maple Leafs, even as he works through his reduced scoring output.
Item 4: Bobby McMann Gets His 10th Goal of the Season
McMann ended a nine-game goal drought with a key goal against the Canadiens. Both his speed and determination allowed him to break in alone to tie the game less than a minute into the second period. This goal marked his 10th of the season.
After his prolific scoring in mid-February, where he put up seven goals and three assists in six games, McMann has slowed down a bit. Yet, he still shows his ability to use his speed and grit to contribute to the team’s scoring success.
Item Five: Max Domi Is Starting to Heat Up
Domi also scored a goal and added an assist to help his team win. In a goal similar to McMann’s, his speed and fight put him in alone on Montembeault late in the second period. He’s shown his skills in these breakaways, and last night he put a shot under the goalie’s arm to give his team a 2-1 lead.
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Domi now has scored three goals and put up seven points over his last nine games. While he doesn’t see power play time, he’s been able to generate offence and contribute consistently in his new top-six role.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
Last night defenceman Simon Benoit was a healthy scratch. In his place, Joel Edmundson made his debut for Toronto. At the trade deadline, the team added grit and size to their defensive lineup with Edmundson and newcomer Ilya Lyubushkin.
I was surprised that Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe decided to scratch Benoit; however, I suppose he felt the team needed to see former Canadiens’ defenceman Edmundson log some time. He did, with almost 20 minutes on the ice. With some space before the next game on Thursday, the coaching staff now has an opportunity to integrate Edmundson into the lineup and figure out how they will employ their new defence moving forward.