Just when the Toronto Maple Leafs looked like they were down and out with key injuries, the team has rallied and has put together a string of impressive performances coming out of the Christmas break.
The Toronto Maple Leafs' playoff hopes appeared to be on the brink just before the Christmas break, as regulation road losses to the Washington Capitals, Nashville Predators, and Dallas Stars had the club at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, with rumors that head coach Craig Berube would be fired coming to fruition.
Less than two weeks later, despite losing some of their key players to injury, the Leafs have surged with a five-game points streak (4-0-1) and are just two points out of the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Injuries have plagued Toronto all season. They have been without goalie Anthony Stolarz and defenseman Brandon Carlo for nearly two months.
In a 7-5 win over the Ottawa Senators on Dec. 27, leading scorer William Nylander suffered a lower-body injury. Additionally, in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings the next night, the club lost team captain and center Auston Matthews, defenseman Chris Tanev, and left winger Dakota Joshua.
Without their two top goal scorers, two minutes-munching right-shot defensemen and a big physical winger, the Leafs put on their most impressive display of the season in a 4-0 shutout over the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday.
The team got offense from support players such as Bobby McMann, Nicolas Roy, and Nick Robertson, and a stellar 33-save performance from goalie Joseph Woll.
“Everyone contributed, everyone is doing their job,” Berube told reporters after their win over the Devils. “I think we are playing a lot better, the puck play has been better, there are a lot of things that have been better… The team’s got confidence, they are starting to understand how we need to do things, and everyone’s buying into it.”
Part of the Leafs' turnaround has been because of their special teams. Toronto’s penalty kill is in the top five.
Also, after the firing of assistant coach Marc Savard – whose responsibility was chiefly the power play – the Leafs are first in the NHL (45.5 percent - five goals on 11 attempts). They will need to continue if they hope to stay in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
On New Year’s Day, Matthews returned after missing one game with a lower-body injury and put forth his best performance of the season, scoring a hat trick in a 6-5 comeback win over the Winnipeg Jets.
Auston Matthews Looks Like Himself Again As Maple Leafs Captain's Hat Trick Drives Comeback Win Over Jets
Returning from injury to spark a massive New Year’s Day comeback, Auston Matthews' 14th career hat trick gave off vibes that the captain is back to his dominant form.
Tanev had only played three games since returning from an upper-body injury suffered against the Philadelphia Flyers on Nov. 1. Against Detroit on Sunday, the veteran blueliner developed a serious groin injury and hasn't returned since.
Joshua suffered a kidney injury after being checked along the boards, and the Leafs have only indicated that he will be out for a “significant time.”
“It was kind of a freak thing more than anything," Berube told reporters of Tanev's injury. "It’s one of those unfortunate things that happens, unfortunate for him. You feel for him and what he’s gone through this year, and unfortunate for us too. He’s not going to be back for a long time.”
Nylander skated for the first time on Thursday at Scotiabank Arena, but is not expected to suit up for the Leafs' next game against the New York Islanders on Saturday.
Carlo skated earlier in the week, and Berube said that it was possible the blueliner could return to action on Long Island.
The Maple Leafs have been able to insert themselves into the conversation in the Eastern Conference with their recent success, but they will need the likes of Matthews, Nylander, Tanev, and Carlo to return and be at their best to qualify for the post-season.
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