Columnist image

SPORTSCENTRE Reporter

| Archive

TSN Toronto reporter Mark Masters checks in daily with news and notes from Maple Leafs practices and game-day skates. The Leafs and Avalanche held morning skates at the Air Canada Centre on Monday.

Nathan MacKinnon has racked up 19 points during Colorado's nine-game winning streak, surging into second place in the NHL's scoring race.

“I just think a lot of it is mental," said MacKinnon when asked why he's reached a new level this season. "My physical tools haven’t really changed. I feel like I can stick with the game longer. I don’t get down on myself as much. I trust my game more than I have in the past.”

MacKinnon posted three points in a win against the Leafs on Dec. 29, which started this hot stretch.

“He does everything so fast," said Auston Matthews, who played with MacKinnon on Team North America at the 2016 World Cup, "He’s such an explosive player in general, it’s just tough to read him.”

“He comes out of their zone a million miles an hour," said Jake Gardiner. "We just need our forwards to get on top of him right away so he’s not buzzing down on us.”

“It looks like he just has that mindset to attack defencemen," said linemate Gabriel Landeskog, "and whether he’s on a one-on-one rush or two-on-two, he’s making them defend him and that’s a difference for him.”

MacKinnon has always been lightning-quick, but he's using that speed more effectively this season. He used to go full tilt as much as possible.

“You can’t have one gear," the 22-year-old explained. "I’m trying more changes of speed and slowing down in the neutral zone. With my linemates, obviously those guys can skate, but when I feel like I can slow down the pace a little bit it helps them as well and helps me. You can’t be a one speed guy. You’re way too predictable like that and I think when you’re a little slower you can shoot through screens and things like that too so trying to mix that up.”

“He’s a more dangerous one-on-one player now, because he’s kind of mixed up his attack," said Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar. "Sometimes he’ll drive the D deep into the zone and try to take it to the net. Sometimes he pulls up and then tries to cut into the middle of the ice and get into the interior of the ice to use his shot. We’re seeing him shoot and use the D-man as a screen a little bit more.”

---

The day before last Saturday’s game in Ottawa, Matthews said he believed the scuffling Leafs had reached a “tipping point.” Now, he's hoping the team will build off that big comeback win in the nation's capital.

“I hope that it’s kind of a turning point for us," the team's leading scorer said, "turns things around and we get going here and get on a streak of our own.”

A second intermission speech by Patrick Marleau has been credited with helping spark the turnaround on Saturday, but Gardiner notes the general mood in the room was positive even though the team trailed 3-1.

"We were upset, but knew we had it in us to come back," Gardiner said. "We were all talking and it was almost like it was going to happen.”

Long an admirer of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, Mike Babcock couldn't help but see some parallels between New England's comeback win in the AFC Championship and Toronto's win in Ottawa.

"We stuck with it and stayed the course and I watched a good football team do that yesterday too," he said. "Just stay the course, you don't get in your own way, you don't panic and, next thing you know, you win some games."

---

Mitch Marner couldn't help but laugh about the online buzz regarding his breakaway goal on Saturday. The move was the same one used by a virtual Marner in the EA Sports trailer for the 2018 NHL video game.

"I was looking at that yesterday," Gardiner said with a grin. "I'm sure that could've been in the back of his head when he was doing it. Not many guys can do that. That was pretty impressive."

The goal in the video game also came against Craig Anderson and the Senators.
"It was pretty funny reading the tweets," Marner said. "I saw the trailer in the summer, but that was it. Jake made a great play coming up the ice and we had talked about how we were going to try and move ahead and look for me. Lucky enough I got the puck with speed coming down and was able to make the move."

Marner started Saturday's game on a line with Frederik Gauthier and his good friend Matt Martin. He earned more playing time during the third period, but was back on the fourth line at Monday's morning skate. Marner insists the demotion doesn't bug him.

"I've said it before, I really am a big fan of playing with Marty," Marner said on Saturday night. "I think he opens up a lot of ice and space for me. Goat as well, he had great chances and opened up space for me as well. I think our fourth line could be one of the best in the NHL."

---
Jonathan Bernier has been a big part of Colorado's hot streak winning eight straight games with a .958 save percentage during the run.

"He's been unbelievable," said MacKinnon. "He's a warrior. He got thrown in against Winnipeg when Varly [starter Semyon Varlamov] got hurt. They had a power play too so his first few shots were from [Patrik] Laine's one-timers. That's not easy. He's been our best player on this streak."

Bernier, who wasn't available to the media this morning, is playing his first game back in Toronto since being traded by the Leafs following the 2015-16 season. Bernier struggled in his final year in Toronto even getting sent to the AHL on a conditioning stint at one point.

"I just had him in the year where we didn't win any games," Babcock recalled. "We were the worst team in the National Hockey League, so if you're the goaltender on that team, how much fun is that? Obviously, the good thing about Bernie is he has been mentally tough enough to find his way back and get his career going the way he wants. He's playing good right now and that's what you want to do isn't it? I think it's one of the toughest spots in sport, for sure, to be a goalie and the consistency from year-to-year. To find that, good for him.

Bernier played the Leafs last season outdueling Curtis McElhinney during a game in Anaheim. But tonight will be the first time Bernier faces Frederik Andersen since the Dane was brought in to be Toronto's answer between the pipes.

Semyon Varlamov (lower body) will not return before the all-star break, Bednar confirmed on Monday.