Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube watches his team play against the Montreal Canadiens during at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, on Nov. 9.Nick Turchiaro/Reuters
What a difference a week can make in the NHL.
Just seven days ago, the Toronto Maple Leafs were coming off back-to-back losses, were barely keeping their noses above the .500 mark, and were operating a power play that was giving the Buffalo Sabres a run for their money as the league’s worst, with just four goals in 40 opportunities.
Now, they’re just three points back of the Stanley Cup defending champion Florida Panthers at the top of the Atlantic Division – albeit having played one game more – have won three in a row and own the hottest power play in the NHL, having scored seven goals from their past 13 chances with the man advantage.
That they’ve managed to do it without captain Auston Matthews, the reigning Rocket Richard Trophy winner who set a franchise record last season with 69 goals, makes it a remarkable week, even in the often-melodramatic world of arguably hockey’s most scrutinized team.
Not that head coach Craig Berube is about to get carried away with the turn of events. As one of the few members of the organization in possession of bejewelled evidence that the Stanley Cup is won in June, not November, the Leafs’ bench boss simply acknowledged that things are moving in the right direction after Saturday’s 4-1 home victory over the Montreal Canadiens.
“Very good,” was the assessment of the man who led the St. Louis Blues to the NHL championship five years ago after overseeing Toronto’s 200th home win over the Habs.
However, that compliment wasn’t delivered without reservation. Despite taking a three-goal lead into the third period, the Maple Leafs very much took their foot off the gas, allowing the Canadiens – who had been restricted to just 11 shots over the first two periods – to get 10 in the final stanza. However, Joseph Woll – making just his fourth start of the season – ensured that the Habs were unable to get a foothold.
“I mean, I thought that we checked extremely well for two periods,” Berube said. “Power play was good again; clean, pretty much, with penalties. And I thought that we played a real smart game. I was really happy. I mean, third period, they made a push; goalie was really good for us.”
Having gone into the season preaching a north-south game – a foreign concept to some of the Leafs, who have traditionally liked to take a more meandering route to goal, skirting the periphery and sometimes skating round the houses – implementing Berube’s philosophy was always going to take time.
And while he acknowledged that while his players naturally like to attack and accrue points, he emphasized that it must come from within the system.
“I know it’s difficult at times because guys want to get scoring chances and they want to score, and I want them to do the same, but you’ve got to do it the right way,” he said.
Playing within that system has done little to harm their offensive production over the past three games though. Without Matthews, Toronto’s other big guns have picked up the slack. Mitch Marner and Morgan Rielly each have six points over that span – with the latter registering his 400th NHL assist in Saturday’s win – William Nylander has five, while John Tavares has chipped in with three goals, including a pair in Friday’s 3-1 win over Detroit. And Nylander, whose coast-to-coast goal in Saturday’s second period stood up as the game winner, now has 11, tied for the NHL’s lead before Sunday’s games.
“I think we’re just trying to play to the team that we want to be and continue to become,” Tavares said. “When you start having success, I think you just keep believing in it more and keep sticking with it.”
But much of Toronto’s success of late has come from its defensive foundation, which has allowed just two goals during the streak. Though the goaltending has been top notch – with Anthony Stolarz and Woll posting a combined .972 save percentage – the team defence in front of them has been equally pleasing to Berube.
“We’re really doing a good job in the slot area, and we’re heavy down low in our zone,” he said. “Our D are doing a great job of killing plays, and our forwards are protecting the middle of the ice really well and that’s key, and that’s what you’ve got to do.”
Next up for Toronto is a fourth consecutive game against an Atlantic Division opponent, with the Ottawa Senators coming to town on Tuesday, before a trip to Washington to play the red-hot Alexander Ovechkin and the Capitals.
Matthews, who was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Nov. 3 with his upper-body ailment, could be in line for a return, with No. 34 seen back on the ice Saturday morning for the first time since his injury. But the Leafs now have another injury concern, with forward Max Pacioretty leaving Saturday’s game in the first period after grabbing the back of his left leg. While Berube said the full extent of the injury won’t be known for a couple of days, his linemate says the former Habs captain has made a strong impression in his short time with Toronto.
“Never easy to see,” Tavares said. “We’ve obviously found some chemistry together and had some success here early, so we’re obviously going to miss him and what he’s been bringing to the table.”