Another week, another important set of games for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Coming off a successful 2-1-1 road trip, Craig Berube’s group, who’s 9-1-3 since December 23rd, are set to kick off a five game homestand on Monday night when they host the Minnesota Wild.
All in all, we were in good spirits to kick off the Monday edition of Leafs Morning Take as we looked back at Saturday night’s chaotic 4-3 come-from-behind OT win in Winnipeg. This team’s playing with so much PASSION right now. Unfortunately, because of the hole they dug from themselves early in the season, they need to keep winning. They had to have that one, and good on them, they found a way to get the job done.
Believe it or not, the Leafs actually revealed what William Nylander’s been dealing with the last month or so. Following Monday’s morning skate, Craig Berube disclosed that it’s a groin issue. Furthermore, he had no timetable for a potential return. Weirdly enough, the Leafs are 7-2-2 in 11 outings so far this season without Nylander. Additionally, Matthew Knies, who’s been dealing with a lower body injury, will be a game-time decision.
After that, we recapped the big win in Winnipeg where Max Domi netted the OT winner. Once again, Auston Matthews was sensational. The Leafs captain notched a goal and an assist. He’s up to 10 goals and 17 points over his past 11 outings. Meantime, Oliver Ekman-Larsson was outstanding, too. The Swede tallied a goal and two helpers. We gave him some love. By far, he’s been Toronto’s best blueliner this season. On top of that, we raved about Scott Laughton’s leadership and Craig Berube losing his mind on the officials as he walked off the ice following the game. Most importantly, the Leafs have their swagger back. They’ve been playing with a lot of conviction and purpose, something that needs to continue if they’re going to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Speaking of which, we had a fun conversation about the crease. Dennis Hildeby got the win against the Jets, Joseph Woll will get the call against the Wild. I think it would be a bad decision to try and move Anthony Stolarz, who’s getting closer to returning to game action. If there’s one thing we’ve learned about this crease, it’s to expect the unexpected. The Leafs will need all three of these guys moving forward. Unless the trade offer is too good to pass up, there’s no way they should pull the trigger on anything. In fact, I went as far to say that Stolarz will start at least one playoff game for the Leafs this season.
At any rate, be sure to join us for the Tuesday edition of Leafs Morning Take for a full recap of Leafs/Wild. Plus, we’ll be joined by Red Wings forward James van Riemsdyk.
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