Bertuzzi became the first player in club history to record a hat trick on his birthday.
DENVER — It was just one week ago when Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe defended the offensive struggles of forward Tyler Bertuzzi.
"I still feel really strongly, this guy is going to be a very important player for us," he said. "I think this guy is fearless, he’s a competitor. He’s been a gamer when it really counts.”
That when Bertuzzi was moved up the lineup to skate on the second line with William Nylander and Max Domi. In addition to that, Bertuzzi was moved over to the top power play, replacing captain John Tavares.
It's worked.
Bertuzzi became the first Maple Leafs player in franchise history to record a hat trick on his birthday as his team weathered the storm against the Colorado Avalanche, defeating them 4-3 and extending their winning streak to ain 20-year-high seven games.
Two of his goals came on the power play, including the game-winner that capped off his hat trick.
"I feel good out there," Bertuzzi said of his play on the top special teams unit. "(I'm) just trying to find little holes here and there."
Since Keefe's endorsement, Bertuzzi has played five games and he has scored three power-play goals. But what has impressed his teammates the most is that he never showed any visible signs of frustration in his game.
"I think the puck luck comes and goes and he hasn’t let that affect him at all," Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly said of Bertuzzi. "He’s been playing great. He’s been a great teammate. So to watch him have a great night is awesome for our group."
Signed to a one-year, $5.5 million deal with the Leafs this summer, the club had high hopes that the gritty forward would be a big source of secondary scoring for the club. it hadn't worked out that way. A 30-goal scorer with the Detroit Red Wings just two seasons ago and a top points producer on a short-lived playoff run with the Boston Bruins last spring, the Leafs were right to expect more.
But as the club begins to reach a stretch where the playoffs are on the horizon, the focus has sharpened and the luck has fallen in Bertuzzi's direction. And the club has reaped the benefits with their seventh consecutive victory, their longest since 2003.
"Look at the type of goals he got tonight. He’s been getting those shots and chances all season," Keefe said of Bertuzzi after the game. "Those are the types of goals that we’ve come to expect from him throughout his career.
"He's a gamer."
With his goals, Bertuzzi moved into a tie with Calle Jarnkrok and Matthews Knies for sixth in team goal-scoring with 10.
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