The Toronto Maple Leafs have had a rollercoaster of a week on the ice. After facing two disappointing losses – the first loss was a difficult game against the Carolina Hurricanes when they gave up a late 4-2 lead to lose in overtime, and the second was a tough rebound game by the Philadelphia Flyers – they managed to bounce back with an impressive performance against the Washington Capitals.
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The game against Washington started cautiously, with both teams engaged in tight-checking play during the first period. However, Auston Matthews’ early goal staked his team to a 1-0 lead. Otherwise, the teams were evenly matched.
But as the game progressed into the second and third periods, the pace picked up, and both teams began to score; a total of nine goals were scored between the two teams in the final two periods. The Maple Leafs had the best of the scoring and left the US capital with a 7-3 win.
Item One: Joseph Woll Wins His 10th Game of the Season
Joseph Woll won his 10th win of the season with an 18-save performance in his team’s 7-3 victory. Woll has just been shaking the rust off his game since his recent return from an ankle injury at the end of February. He hasn’t yet returned to his form before the injury.
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Since his return, he’s posted a 2-2-0 record in four starts. He’s given up 13 goals on 105 shots, which results in a .876 save percentage. Until he’s back to form, Woll will remain second in the goaltending depth chart behind Ilya Samsonov.
Item Two: Tyler Bertuzzi Was Ill, Yet Scored
Tyler Bertuzzi had a slow start to Wednesday’s game. It seems he was not feeling well, which was confirmed by coach Sheldon Keefe after the game. Still, he managed to score a goal on a great, no-look backhand pass from Auston Matthews, who set up the goal.
Last season, Bertuzzi faced numerous injuries. This season, he’s mostly been injury-free, missing only a single game. However, he’s only now beginning to put up points regularly. Despite sharing ice time with prolific scorers like Matthews, Bertuzzi has only recorded six power-play points. However, he’s contributed defensively with 40 blocked shots and 78 hits during the season.
Item Three: Simon Beniot Shows Up Return to the Ice
Simon Benoit was a physical force against the Capitals last night (March 20). He recorded nine hits with a blocked shot and a plus-1 rating in the 7-3 win over the Capitals. When the game got pushy during the third period, Benoit again showed why he should have more regular ice time. He can be, in these kinds of chippy games, a force for physicality.
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While the 25-year-old blueliner hasn’t delivered a point over his past nine games, he’s registered 37 hits, 15 blocked shots, and a plus-4 rating. This includes three games where he’s put up six hits or more. Benoit’s 184 hits on the season have come in only 51 games. Look for him to hit the 200-hit milestone for the second straight season.
Item Four: John Tavares Is Starting to Heat Up
Something has awakened Tavares. After only scoring six points in his last 14 games, Tavares has scored three goals and added five assists (for eight points) in his last three games. Tavares’ goal last night marked his 450th career goal. That places him in a tie for 65th place in all-time NHL scoring alongside former Maple Leafs player Doug Gilmour and former Quebec Nordiques player Peter Stastny.
In Tavares’ last three games, he has also passed five players on the all-time points list and now ranks 87th with 1,029 points. Of Tavares’ 450 goals, 178 have been scored while playing for the Maple Leafs. He has now passed Gary Leeman and holds the 22nd spot in goals (178-176) and the 23rd spot in points (408 for Tavares, 407 for Leeman).
After assisting William Nylander’s goal in the second period and Bobby McMann’s goal in the third period, Tavares ended by scoring his own goal by flipping a backhand shot past Charlie Lindgren from close range. This marks Tavares’ third straight game with multiple points, and in the last 14 games, the 33-year-old has produced eight goals and 14 points.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
For the Maple Leafs, this bounce-back performance was a much-needed confidence builder after their recent losses. Hopefully, the team can carry its momentum forward and continue to perform at a high level in the games to come.
They have another back-to-back against the Edmonton Oilers at home on Saturday night and then on the road against the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday. Look for the goalies once again to split the games.
