Goaltending will naturally come under increased scrutiny for the Maple Leafs as the bigger playoff picture takes shape.
“A team like Toronto that’s really good in transition, our puck decisions are going to be important,” Nashville coach John Hynes warned before the game. “When there’s ice available, you want to attack off the rush, but they’re a good skating team, they track hard and have good gaps.”Article content
His team came out flying in the second period and put the Leafs on their heels, tying it when Juuso Parssinen spotted Filip Forsberg coming down the middle unguarded. Matthews was rested at the front of this back-to-back that moves to Detroit on Thursday, for an unspecified wear-and-tear issue, though he was in the morning skate. It was the first game he’s missed this season..“Auston is a guy you can’t obviously replace, but they’re a good team for a reason,” Hynes added. “They have other good players and play a good team game.
Ilya Samsonov will get the start in Detroit as the second half of the schedule contains eight back-to-backs after the Leafs got off easy playing consecutive nights. They will have a night’s rest and quality time with their fathers before Saturday’s vital match in Boston with a chance to slow the division leaders.Article content
Coach Sheldon Keefe got a good game out of Wainwright, Alta.’s Bobby McMann in his NHL debut and the first-ever numerical nuance of a 74 for the Leafs shooting against a goalie with those digits. McMann filled in on the third line in the ripple effect of Matthews’ absence, Alex Kerfoot moving to the top six. Nylander lost his first five draws as the centre on the line.
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