If there is a single 20-minute period that encapsulates just how far the Maple Leafs have come in their overall team game and five-on-five structure during this 10-game points streak, it was the second period of this 4-3 overtime win against Colorado.

The Avalanche are far and away the best long-change team in the NHL, outscoring the opposition 64-37 entering tonight’s game in the second period. It’s an even more ludicrous 37-13 on home ice (nearly a 3:1 ratio). The Leafs, meanwhile, were one of the league’s strongest second-period teams last season but were suddenly among the NHL’s worst before this current 10-game heater.

The Leafs entered the second period down 2-1 after a well-played first period by both teams, one in which the Leafs weathered a bit of an early storm of rush/transition chances for the Avalanche (thanks to Joseph Woll), then settled in and opened the scoring via Easton Cowan. It was a bit of a lucky bounce off Brent Burns’ skate, but it was a bounce well earned by the work on the boards by the Nic Roy line, who recovered a puck and supported each other well along the wall before Cowan sent a pass into a good area toward Bobby McMann at the backpost (McMann was playing in Nick Robertson’s spot after Robertson left the game early, due to a stinger on the inside of his knee from a shot block).

Following a good power play by the Leafs that nearly opened up a 2-0 lead, a Jake McCabe blown tire led to a scramble/breakdown in coverage during which Cale Makar took a seam pass from Martin Necas in Makar’s wheelhouse at the backpost, making it 1-1. After a bad interference penalty by Morgan Rielly late in the frame, a bang-bang power-play goal for Brock Nelson off the faceoff put the Leafs behind the eight-ball entering the most difficult single-period test of their season to date.

The Leafs proceeded to win the second period 1-0 in goals (and Auston Matthews nearly made it 2-0, ringing the crossbar late in the frame after his breakaway attempt was pulled off the line just seconds into the period), while out-shooting Colorado 9-7 at five-on-five and out-attempting them 17-14. The real risk against this Colorado team is that they get on top of their opponent, start attacking in waves, and skate their opposition into the ground in the middle frame. But it was a hard-working, structured, well-managed period overall — good changes, responsible puck management — by the Leafs. They almost never ended up over-extended on any shift in the middle 20 — there was one example later in the period, but it stemmed from Woll mishandling the puck — and they didn’t give up a ton in the way of odd-man opportunities.

Maple Leafs’ second-period shift lengths vs. Colorado (Jan. 12)

The Leafs’ 2-2 goal came courtesy of Bobby McMann, who jumped on a turnover high in the defensive zone after an offensive-zone faceoff win by Colorado and turned on the afterburners. He left the Avs in his wake — to the point where they could hardly reach him with an outstretched stick — and then confidently ripped it by the goalie for his sixth goal in his last 12 games (10 points).

This wasn’t a game where the Leafs simply hung around until overtime, content with a point while hoping to grab the extra one in the crapshoot that is three-on-three OT. Rather, it looked like a highly competitive game between two good teams squaring off, with offensive-zone time split about even and the quality chances pretty close overall.

Auston Matthews briefly put the Leafs ahead in the third period off a trademark snipe at four-on-four with 10 minutes to play. He seamlessly sorted out an awkward pass in his skates in the neutral zone, burst into the zone, pulled it into his feet, and ripped it far-side top corner, an unstoppable shot enabled by his angle-change release off a lunging right foot. It gives goalies almost no chance when executed like only Matthews can.

Unfortunately, the Leafs gave the 3-2 goal back quickly. For the second time in the game, Jake McCabe wanted a play back leading to a Colorado goal. Retrieving a dump-in with a little time available, he made a mess of it, attempting a blind between-the-legs pass to the middle for a turnover when a quick D-to-D bump to OEL was the play. McCabe (and Matthews) then didn’t grab enough of Necas’ stick in front, leading to the 3-3 goal.

When Matthews fell down and took a sloppy tripping penalty in the neutral zone, it led to the biggest pressure-packed moment of the night for the Leafs: a penalty kill with under three minutes to play in a tied game. So much of what has driven the major PK success for the Leafs of late was on display, with an initial draw win by Scott Laughton for an immediate clear and a string of disrupted entries for clearances. Last but not least, there was a good diving interception by Simon Benoit on a seam pass to the backpost, possibly saving the game for the Leafs.

As is often the case, a bullet needed to be dodged at three-on-three (Nathan MacKinnon, bar-down and out) before William Nylander secured the extra point on a 2v1 with OEL, during which OEL was never not passing. Nylander couldn’t quite connect on several plays with the puck throughout the game, but the legs and effort were there from him all night — including away from the puck — so it was good to see him rewarded with the winner.

That is now 10 games in a row with at least a point for the Leafs, thanks to one of their most impressive wins of the season in the most difficult building in hockey. The Leafs are officially back in a playoff spot.

Post-Game Notes

– This was very much a heavy-minutes-at-the-top-of-the-lineup game for both teams, as the Avs basically kept their fourth line on the bench all night and played their four top forwards 20+. Partly as a response to that on the road, it was a top-six+Bobby McMann-heavy game for the Leafs, between Nick Robertson‘s early injury and Easton Cowan, Scott Laughton, Nic Roy, and Steven Lorentz all finishing around 12 minutes or less (Goal aside, I did think the Roy line with Cowan struggled a little bit with its puck management at times, between a few half-wall turnovers and a failure to get pucks in deep at the line, feeding the Avs’ transition game a couple of times).

Nylander and Matthews drove their lines well at five-on-five while finding a breakthrough together at four-on-four. Both had a few quality looks at five-on-five that they couldn’t cash in. Matthews, Nylander, and Knies all clocked 21+, led by Matthews’ 25 minutes. Matthews was on for the 3-3 Colorado goal — which was mostly on McCabe — but the Matthews vs. MacKinnon matchup was basically a saw-off at five-on-five for the vast majority of the night. The Leafs’ best players needed a big one tonight, and while it wasn’t perfect (nor should we expect it to be in such a tough matchup on the road), Matthews led the way. He had a breakaway chance pulled off the goal line right at the start of the second period, ripped one off the crossbar at the end of the second period, buried a big one at four-on-four, and fired seven individual shot attempts.

– It was surprising to see Craig Berube wait until well into the third period to really run Bobby McMann back on the top line with Matthews. There was a play with around 6:30 left in the second period, where Matthews played it toward the back post with a chance for Knies to skate onto it, and you couldn’t help but think that McMann easily would’ve gotten to that puck and potentially buried it. In such a high-paced game, McMann was a force again for the Leafs, and Matthews continues to look his best apart from Knies of late. When Matthews rang the bar late in the second period, it came on a shift with Nylander and Matias Maccelli, who helped create the opportunity and then set up Matthews at the back post shortly after.

– Speaking of Maccelli, he and Nylander have obvious chemistry forming. It goes beyond five-on-five and extends to the power play as well. Maccelli found him on an entry before Nylander rounded Brent Burns and nearly scored on the PP in the first period, and then they just missed connecting for a likely goal on the doorstep shortly after.

The Maccelli story arc this season has been fascinating, as he’s gone from healthy scratch with an unclear fit to complementing Nylander effectively, playing 17.5 minutes in a big game like this one, and forcing one of the usual four forwards (Tavares right now) off the top power-play unit, where he’s been a real asset. Anthony Petrielli made some good points today about the reasons for some “wait and see” re: his current five-on-five line as a long-term fit, but Maccelli continued to provide a spark with his creativity and incisive passing tonight in a tough game on the road.

– Another really good game from Brandon Carlo on the backend. He drew a penalty after smothering Cale Makar 1v1 off the rush, saved a likely goal with a good box out on a puck that got behind Woll in the second period, blocked five shots, and defended well and hard throughout while playing nearly 21 minutes.

– William Nylander is now tied for the league lead with three three-on-three goals this season. Quietly, this was Oliver Ekman-Larsson‘s fifth multi-point game of the season already, after he picked up the assist on the Nylander OT winner. OEL is up to 20 assists (27 points) and is 11th among NHL defensemen in five-on-five points with 21.

Game Flow: 5v5 Shot Attempts

Heat Map: 5v5 Shot Attempts

Game Highlights: Maple Leafs 4 vs. Avalanche 3 (OT)

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