It took until Christmas, but the Toronto Maple Leafs are playing their best hockey of the year. They are 7-0-2 in their last nine games and both of their special teams are heating up at the right time.
The penalty kill is the unit that will draw the most attention, with a rating of 85.3% that’s good for third in the NHL, trailing only the Buffalo Sabres and the Colorado Avalanche in that category. John Tavares, who scored one of the goals in the Maple Leafs’ 5-0 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night, said that the penalty kill is playing with a new level of confidence that they didn’t possess earlier in the year.
“They’ve been building really really well for the last number of weeks, and you can just see the confidence that they have,” Tavares said following the win. “How well-connected they are, how well in sync, and how it’s just feeding our team energy. Obviously, we’re getting a lot of looks the other way as well. It’s funny when you do a lot of good things defending, and when it’s that hard to go up against, it even leads to opportunities the other way.”
While the team carried their weight in all situations, the win was made possible by another excellent performance by Joseph Woll, who picked up his second shutout in his last three games. Tavares raved about Woll’s preparation before games and noted the way it translates into performances like this in games.
“He does such a good job of being so consistent in his preparation and how he approaches things,” Tavares told reporters. “Obviously an elite skillset, continuing to grow this year and come into his own as he gains more and more experience, more maturity, and you can just see him continue to thrive and find a good rhythm here.”
While Woll rightfully earned his flowers for his performance, Tavares also spoke highly about star forward William Nylander, who scored a goal and added two assists in his return to the ice.
“He’s a heck of a player, obviously does a lot for us. You can see his ability to make plays, score goals the way he can skate, so, obviously played great today.”
The Maple Leafs will look to win their fourth-straight game for the first time this season when they get set to visit the league-best Colorado Avalanche on Monday.
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