The Columbus Blue Jackets come into town tonight to play the Toronto Maple Leafs. Both teams are coming off very different games. The Blue Jackets suffered a disappointing 3-1 loss against the New York Islanders on Monday, while the Maple Leafs played a solid game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, a 5–3 win.
The Blue Jackets had picked up points in seven straight games, but Monday’s loss ended that streak. The Maple Leafs are on a bit of a winning streak again. The win on Monday was the team’s third in a row.
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Although the Maple Leafs’ big guns, Auston Matthews and William Nylander, scored goals, Matthew Knies was the team’s key offensive player. Still, scoring aside, the whole Maple Leafs roster played a balanced game. They took the lead and were threatened, but they just never let the Lightning come back.
The last time the two teams played each other was in late October, and the Blue Jackets dominated with a 6–2 victory. So, expect the Maple Leafs to come out stronger and carry the pace of the game, trying to push their winning streak to four in a row. They have a bit of a cushion on the Florida Panthers in the Atlantic Division standings, and they’ll probably want to expand that cushion even further.
Item 1: Goalie Joseph Woll Has Been Critical
Joseph Woll has been a steady presence in net and a key player in the Maple Leafs’ three-game win streak. He stopped 27 shots in Toronto’s victory over Tampa Bay and has been the go-to goalie for all three wins in this stretch. He’s giving up some goals. However, he’s also making tough and timely saves to keep his team in games.
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One announcer suggested that Woll reminded him of the Edmonton Oilers’ Grant Fuhr, who was solid when the game was on the line. It’s an apt example. As the last line of defence, he’s a big reason the Maple Leafs have found their stride after a three-game losing streak where fans and analysts seemed to believe the sky was falling. As it turned out, it wasn’t.
Item 2: Matthew Knies Is Developing Quickly
Matthew Knies is emerging as a unique power forward. He’s an exciting mix of size, strength, and skill. The 21-year-old has been playing the best hockey of his young career, and it seems that his game is so simple that it is easy to replicate over and over. Go to the front of the net and wait for Mitch Marner to find you. Or, let Matthews shoot and dig out the rebound.
Knies scored his two goals in the dirty areas of the ice. His growth (including his physical strength and the savvy to use it) is becoming increasingly evident. He also has good hands, which allow him to take advantage of his strength. Finally, he has a high hockey IQ, which many seem to forget. He knows where to go and is willing to go to the right places. In that, he’s like Nylander. It allows Knies to impact play at both ends of the ice. In short, he knows how to play nicely in the same sandbox as the Maple Leafs’ established stars – Marner and Matthews.
Item 3: Mitch Marner Has 123 Career Multiple-Point Games, Say No More
Marner is having a career year. He’s making it clear that he’s one of the NHL’s top playmakers. In the win over Tampa Bay, he scored one goal and added two assists, pushing his number of multi-point games to a franchise-record 123. In doing so, he passed the great Börje Salming.
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Marner’s capacity to create chances for his teammates is phenomenal. He can both set up goals or score them himself. He’s dynamic. His vision, passing, and (like the other elite players on the Maple Leafs) high hockey IQ are part of the Maple Leafs’ offensive abilities. He’s making life easier for his teammates even when not putting up points himself.
Item 4: Max Pacioretty Was Placed on Injured Reserve
Max Pacioretty has been placed on injured reserve Wednesday, retroactive to Jan. 18, due to an upper-body injury. The veteran forward has posted five goals and 12 points in 32 games this season. In a corresponding move, the Maple Leafs have recalled Jacob Quillan from the minors. Once healthy, Pacioretty is expected to return to a bottom-six role in the lineup.
Item 5: Jacob Quillan Called Up by the Maple Leafs
As noted, the Maple Leafs called up Quillan from the American Hockey League (AHL) Toronto Marlies on Tuesday. With the Marlies, the 22-year-old has six goals and 15 points in 35 games this season. With the team dealing with several injuries (Connor Dewar, Calle Jarnkrok, Max Pacioretty, and John Tavares), Quillan will add some much-needed forward depth as the Maple Leafs work through this stretch.
Could the youngster from Nova Scotia make his NHL debut tonight? You gotta think he’s excited by the opportunity.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
I find it interesting that I spent time here lavishing praise on the Maple Leafs’ offence, yet I never really spent much space writing about Matthews. In some ways, that speaks volumes about the team. The spotlight isn’t solely on Matthews anymore. There’s depth and talent across the lineup, and the Maple Leafs captain doesn’t have to burden himself with carrying the load alone, and that’s a thing.
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Still, make no mistake—Matthews is a huge part of the team’s success. Since returning from injury, he looks like he’s finally fully healthy for the first time this season, and that (too) is a thing. His presence makes the Maple Leafs’ offence that much more dangerous. When you add him to the mix, suddenly, the entire roster looks much stronger.
Could this be the year they make up for their past playoff difficulties? It’s hard to ignore the history that hangs over them, but at some point, the past must become the past. The team has a different vibe, and Matthews is a huge part of it. While there’s no history to support the hope for a deep playoff run – perhaps the key word is “yet.” Should Matthews stay healthy and continue to play at his best, could this be their year?
