The Toronto Maple Leafs took full advantage of the Pekka Rinne injury situation on Tuesday night, lighting up recent call-up Marek Mazanec en route to a 6-2 win over the Nashville Predators.
With a six-goal outburst – all at even strength — the Toronto Maple Leafs have broken into the top five in goals per game, currently scoring at a 3.13 GPG clip overall and a 3.9 GPG average on home ice. The Maple Leafs also improved to 6-2-0 at the Air Canada Centre with tonight’s victory.
Contributions from three different lines has been the key to the early offensive success and it gives reason to believe the Maple Leafs could sustainably reside among the top-10 offenses in the league this season. Auston Matthews hasn’t scored in ten games and William Nylander hadn’t scored in nine before scoring a garbage-time goal tonight, yet the Leafs are a competitive 6-4 in their last ten thanks to the presence of balanced scoring. The contributions from Kadri and Marner lines has given the Leafs enough scoring depth to suggest that the club will not be too reliant on any one trio for any significant amount of time this season.
The Leafs received contributions from each of their top three lines by the end of the 60 minutes, but it was apparent the Mitch Marner, Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk line was motivated and looking forward to a big night from their very first shift. Quickly in on the forecheck, Bozak stripped Roman Josi and JVR tipped a Morgan Rielly shot that nearly got through Mazanec in the first minute. After Bozak won the subsequent draw with help from his winger (JVR), Marner and JVR cycled it back and forth before Marner spun off a check and fired one through Mazanec coming out of the corner.
It was off and running for the line from there. Four assists for Bozak, a hat trick and four points (career-high) for JVR, and a goal and two assists for the new Leafs points co-leader, Mitch Marner.
Notes
– Did James van Riemsdyk print out Anthony’s notebook and post it in his dressing room stall for motivation?
– Mitch Marner has been as consistent of a performer as the Leafs have had in their lineup through 16 games, and when his two veteran linemates are engaged and Bozak is winning his faceoffs, it makes for a pretty lethal trio that can eat up second and third lines with home change. More possession time for Marner means nothing but good things for his linemates. The ability to shelter that line from tougher competition at home has been a significant factor in determining how their night is going to go. 12 of Tyler Bozak’s 14 points have been recorded at the ACC, while 11 of 15 have come at home for Marner and JVR. As productive as they were tonight, the Leafs will need the veteran contingent of this line, in particular, to step up against the tougher mix of competition on the road. Each of Marner, Bozak and JVR is a -6 in eight away games.
– Marner has moved into second in the NHL rookie scoring race with 15 points in 16 games, just one behind Patrik Laine in overall points scoring, and he’s tied with Laine for first in points per game (.94). Marner is playing 2:15 less per night on average and significantly less on the powerplay (2:08 PPTOI/game for Marner, 3:26 per game for Laine). Marner’s three game-winning goals are tied for first league-wide.
– Interesting assessment of JVR from Babcock in the post-game presser: “Big, talented guy, obviously… James’ game is still, in my opinion, young. He can be a way better player than he is because he can add a cycle game, a heavier game. He’s always been a rush player but he can be more than that because of his hands and his skill set. We work with him every day trying to evolve that part of his game.”
We’ve certainly seen the damage Bozak and JVR can wage together feeding off the rush – as they did for two of their goals tonight – but it was nice to see them create one off of the cycle on Marner’s goal, as well as generate two of their goals starting with the wingers winning battles in the faceoff circle.
– The Predators play a much different game under Peter Laviolette than they used to be known for under Barry Trotz. Laviolette is a more offensive-minded coach and David Poile has made some significant offensive additions in recent seasons, trading for Filip Forsberg, Ryan Johansen, and a high-end puck-rushing defenceman in PK Subban. Laviolette deploys a 2-1-2 forechecking scheme, gives his defence the green light and is not hesitant to open up the game. While that gave the Leafs a few issues defending off of the rush at times in this contest, this Leaf team is more than happy to take part in a track meet knowing it can skate with any team in the league. You like the Leafs’ odds more often than not if the game goes that way (compare and contrast to the LA game).
– For a while there, you were worried that neither Auston Matthews or William Nylander was going to bust their slump when the iron was hot, but Mazanec was a generous man this evening — deep in his net and down early. Nylander came on stronger as the game progressed; working harder away from the puck — he got away from that somewhat in the previous three or so games — enabled him to have it on his stick more. As for Matthews: Another five shots gives him zero goals on his last 37 efforts on net after scoring six on his first 26 shots. You can’t explain that.
– Here’s a strange one: The Matthews line has been the polar opposite of the Bozak line in terms of its performance away versus at home. Performing better against a tougher mix of competition on the road isn’t a negative thing by any means, but the disparity is odd. Matthews and Nylander have eight and nine points, respectively, in eight away games compared to four in eight at home. Matthews is a -5, Nylander is a -3 and Hyman is a -6 at the ACC (bottom three on the team), yet they are the only plus players on the team on the road. Something that will balance itself out over time, no doubt.
– It’s not like Connor Carrick has been free of warts defensively, but it’s tough to watch this from two more experienced defencemen while he sits in the press box.
Even Strength Shot Attempts
Shot Location Chart
