Leafs Weekend Roundup

The Leafs had easily one of their most demanding road trips this season end on Sunday. Five games on the road ended with a back-to-back, with travel, less than 24 hours between games. In all honesty, many fans would’ve understood if the team looked tired by the weekend, at least against Nashville. Surprisingly though, the Leafs played some of their best hockey in those two weekend games, and there was a lot to take away from both.

The first game, a 5-3 loss to Carolina, was one example of the Leafs playing up to their opponents' level. The Leafs outshot the Hurricanes 44 to 28, who are the best team in the NHL at limiting shots against. They give up an average of just 26.2 shots per game.

“In a lot of ways it might have been one of our best games of the season,” said Sheldon Keefe.

We were breaking out well, we were getting on the attack, we were really working… I think it’s as good as we’ve played all season.”

It was a tight game. Tied at 2 after two periods, both teams continued to play hard until the final minute. With the intensity and commitment the Leafs showed, one could say that 9 times out of ten, they win that game. Pyotr Kochetkov being the X-factor, stopping 42 of 44 shots for a .955 SV%.

Auston Matthews scored twice, catching William Nylander for the team lead in goals (36). While Nylander had a head start, it’s worth noting that Matthews has 4 goals and 9 points in his last 5 games, whereas Nylander has had a noticeable cooldown as of late.

Matt Murray however, had a less-than-stellar performance, allowing four goals on 28 shots for a .857 SV%.

“I thought he did a good job for us but it’s difficult to win with any sort of regularity if you have to score more than four,” Keefe said postgame.

Murray has a 2.97 GAA and a .905SV% this season. In 25 games played, he has allowed four or more goals 12 times and allowed four or more goals in four of his last five games.

Against the Preds on Sunday night, the Leafs had another solid game winning 3-2. John Tavares scored twice and Joseph Woll put up another solid performance, stopping 23 out of 25 shots for a .920 SV% on the night.

Woll now has a .938 SV% and a 2.04 GAA in three games played this season.

Overall, this past weekend was a very positive stretch for the Leafs. They played with the pace, intensity, and grit that the playoffs will demand of them. They also created further separation between themselves and the Lightning.

The Leafs now have 97 points to the Lightning’s 90 with one game in hand. According to MoneyPuck.com, the Leafs now have a 98.5% chance of having home-ice advantage in the first round.

As the season comes to an end, expect Sheldon Keefe to start to cement his defensive pairings, giving his defense a chance to gel before game one versus Tampa.