Rookie Nylander shines in Maple Leafs' triumph over Bruins
BOSTON — The hope is that, over time, the Maple Leafs will find a way to win close games. And when it happens, they can be taken seriously every night.
On so many nights this season, Mike Babcock’s rookie-heavy team has been in close contests, but when the final margin has been one goal, they were 3-10 heading into Saturday’s game against the Bruins.
With the contribution of a couple of hard-working rookies, the Leafs may have turned the corner on that stat Saturday night at the TD Garden, where they were outplayed early but ultimately defeated the Bruins 4-1.
Rookie Auston Matthews, with what was temporarily his team-leading 12th goal of the season got the Leafs on the board at 1:44 for the second, helping to erase a weak opening 20 minutes.
When linemate and fellow rookie Zach Hyman deflected a Jake Gardiner point shot past Tuukka Rask in the Bruins net at 15:14 of the second, the Leafs had a 2-0 lead.
Overall, the Leafs have been frustrated by the close losses, especially those in which they’ve blown leads. It has been particularly a battle on the road, where Babcock hasn’t always been able to get the match ups he prefers.
But to this point anyway, the tight losses haven’t resulted in a shot to their confidence, which surely got a boost in a grinding win here on Saturday.
“We've got a lot of guys who have been on championship teams so it’s nothing to do with the mix of players,” said forward Connor Brown, who added an empty net goal late in the third to ice it. “It’s just the swagger. I think we’re doing a lot of the outplaying and are (headed) in the right direction. It’s coming. Everyone feels it in here.
“Just get the ‘know you can win.’ We’re right there. We’re in every game.”
Saturday’s game was important on many levels, among them the Leafs were trying to avoid a season-high fourth consecutive loss. Also, they began the day in last place in the Eastern Conference, a spot they have no intention of getting too comfortable with.
Matthews continues to be a solid producer on the road, with 10 of his 12 goals now coming away from the Air Canada Centre. His goal Saturday was a beauty, taking a feed from Willie Nylander and burying it in the top corn to Rask’s glove side.
The Leafs should have carried a two-goal lead into the intermission, but when Andersen misplayed the puck behind his own net, the Bruins Brad Marchand made him pay, burying his own rebound with 1:21 remaining in the period.
When James van Riemsdyk batted home his 12th of the season in the third, however, the Leafs had restored their 3-1 margin and were on their way to just their third road win of the season and a big one at that.
“A lot of those games we’ve had the lead in and we gave it up,” said Hyman, who scored his fourth of the season. “Playing with the lead is very important and something we’ve got to get better at .. one goal games are the ones you want to be in.
“They are the ones you have to win if you’re going to be successful When we get that lead hold onto it and keep playing no matter what. That’s something you gain over time with experience.”
The opening 20 minutes was as tedious a period as we’ve seen from this Leafs team in quite some time as they were outshot 11-2, managing that second harmless puck at Rask 18 minutes into the game.
Give them credit though. They came out with a surge in the second and recorded one of their better road efforts of the year.
The Leafs were scheduled to return home after the game where they will face the Colorado Avalanche - who were throttled by the Canadiens in Montreal - on Sunday night.
BOSTON — The hope is that, over time, the Maple Leafs will find a way to win close games. And when it happens, they can be taken seriously every night.
On so many nights this season, Mike Babcock’s rookie-heavy team has been in close contests, but when the final margin has been one goal, they were 3-10 heading into Saturday’s game against the Bruins.
With the contribution of a couple of hard-working rookies, the Leafs may have turned the corner on that stat Saturday night at the TD Garden, where they were outplayed early but ultimately defeated the Bruins 4-1.
Rookie Auston Matthews, with what was temporarily his team-leading 12th goal of the season got the Leafs on the board at 1:44 for the second, helping to erase a weak opening 20 minutes.
When linemate and fellow rookie Zach Hyman deflected a Jake Gardiner point shot past Tuukka Rask in the Bruins net at 15:14 of the second, the Leafs had a 2-0 lead.
Overall, the Leafs have been frustrated by the close losses, especially those in which they’ve blown leads. It has been particularly a battle on the road, where Babcock hasn’t always been able to get the match ups he prefers.
But to this point anyway, the tight losses haven’t resulted in a shot to their confidence, which surely got a boost in a grinding win here on Saturday.
“We've got a lot of guys who have been on championship teams so it’s nothing to do with the mix of players,” said forward Connor Brown, who added an empty net goal late in the third to ice it. “It’s just the swagger. I think we’re doing a lot of the outplaying and are (headed) in the right direction. It’s coming. Everyone feels it in here.
“Just get the ‘know you can win.’ We’re right there. We’re in every game.”
Saturday’s game was important on many levels, among them the Leafs were trying to avoid a season-high fourth consecutive loss. Also, they began the day in last place in the Eastern Conference, a spot they have no intention of getting too comfortable with.
Matthews continues to be a solid producer on the road, with 10 of his 12 goals now coming away from the Air Canada Centre. His goal Saturday was a beauty, taking a feed from Willie Nylander and burying it in the top corn to Rask’s glove side.
The Leafs should have carried a two-goal lead into the intermission, but when Andersen misplayed the puck behind his own net, the Bruins Brad Marchand made him pay, burying his own rebound with 1:21 remaining in the period.
When James van Riemsdyk batted home his 12th of the season in the third, however, the Leafs had restored their 3-1 margin and were on their way to just their third road win of the season and a big one at that.
“A lot of those games we’ve had the lead in and we gave it up,” said Hyman, who scored his fourth of the season. “Playing with the lead is very important and something we’ve got to get better at .. one goal games are the ones you want to be in.
“They are the ones you have to win if you’re going to be successful When we get that lead hold onto it and keep playing no matter what. That’s something you gain over time with experience.”
The opening 20 minutes was as tedious a period as we’ve seen from this Leafs team in quite some time as they were outshot 11-2, managing that second harmless puck at Rask 18 minutes into the game.
Give them credit though. They came out with a surge in the second and recorded one of their better road efforts of the year.
The Leafs were scheduled to return home after the game where they will face the Colorado Avalanche - who were throttled by the Canadiens in Montreal - on Sunday night.
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