Columnist image

TSN Toronto Maple Leafs Reporter

| Archive

OTTAWA – The Toronto Maple Leafs have been a scorching hot road team lately and they kept the momentum going Saturday night, downing the Ottawa Senators 4-2. The victory extended their road point streak to nine games, establishing a new franchise record in a single season. It also tied them with the Senators in the standings, with both teams sitting at 48 points. But the regulation win slots them above the Sens for third place in the Atlantic Division.

--

Takeaways

Calling his shot: Auston Matthews had a historic four-goal debut in Ottawa on Oct. 12, but on Saturday he had to find a different way to have an impact. For the first 40 minutes, Matthews and his linemates struggled against the Senators’ shutdown line centred by Jean-Gabriel Pageau. It wasn’t until 3:21 was left in the second period that Matthews even registered a shot on goal. But early in the third frame, he and Connor Brown got in on the scoring action. As they described it after the game, Matthews told his winger he was going to go forward off the offensive zone faceoff, essentially losing the draw, but establishing position down low to feed Brown at the net for the goal. It’s another example of how, at 19, Matthews displays hockey smarts already beyond his years.

Kadri keeps climbing: A season ago, Nazem Kadri was the Maple Leafs’ leading scorer with 17 goals and 45 points in 76 games. Against the Senators he tallied his 17th and 18th goals of the season, surpassing his total a year ago in only 41 games. The 26-year-old’s career high is 20 goals (in 2013-14) and he is on pace to push well past that. After rotating between Connor Brown and William Nylander on his right wing, Kadri has found a good rhythm with Nylander. He’s riding a season-long five-game point streak, with goals in four of his last five, and it was Nylander’s great assist that set up his second goal on Saturday. While Toronto’s rookies have (deservedly) gotten much of the attention, Kadri is a veteran who has been rejuvenated by the youthful energy around him.

Third guy’s the charm? In their first 41 games, Toronto has used three different back-up goaltenders with Curtis McElhinney the latest to try his luck behind Frederik Andersen. McElhinney made his Maple Leafs debut against Ottawa after some concern over a potential injury forced the team to recall Garret Sparks this morning. The veteran turned out to be fine and made the start on schedule. His first period was his strongest, where he stopped all 15 shots he faced, but as the wear of another back-to-back began to show on the Maple Leafs, McElhinney faltered. Ottawa tied the game late in the second with a Kyle Turris top-shelf snipe that started with a Toronto turnover. He stood tall when they needed it most, closing the door in the third to secure just the second win by a Toronto backup this season with a 35-save performance.

Face the music: Toronto got completely dominated by Ottawa in the faceoff circle from start to finish. After the first period they had won only 26 percent of their draws, with Kadri and Matthews a combined 1-for-10. They finished 39 per cent overall. On the Senators’ opening score, Jean-Gabriel Pageau was able to set the play up with a clean faceoff win against Matthews in Toronto’s defensive zone. Frederik Gauthier ended up Toronto’s best faceoff man, going 6-for-8.  Matthews finished 5-for-14 (36 per cent) and Kadri ended up 5-for-21 (24 per cent). Kadri had such an off-night he said his linemate Leo Komarov offered to take an offensive zone draw in the third, which he won, and that set up Kadri’s game-winning goal.

--

Next game: Toronto returns to the Air Canada Centre on Tuesday for the start of a four-game homestand. They welcome in the Buffalo Sabres.