After enduring a long drought without a man-advantage, the Maple Leafs capitalized on a 5-on-3 opportunity to secure their third consecutive win and keep their playoff hopes alive heading into the Olympic break.
EDMONTON —The Toronto Maple Leafs showed some frustration about their lack of power play opportunities heading into their 5-2 win against the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday. The Leafs had just one power play opportunity in their last four games, and it looked like they would go another contest without the man-advantage. Following a 4-2 win against the Calgary Flames on Monday, head coach Craig Berube had even theorized why his team wasn’t getting those calls.
"I don't have an answer for that," Berube said before correcting himself. "I do, but I'm not going to tell you guys."
The drought finally broke when Edmonton took a pair of minor penalties in the third period. First, Edmonton’s Matt Savoie was called for interference on Toronto’s Troy Stecher. Six seconds later, Edmonton’s Mattias Janmark was called for high-sticking Leafs forward Auston Matthews, giving Toronto a 5-on-3 for 1:54.
With the game tied 2-2, John Tavares scored his 20th of the season to put the Leafs up 3-2. Matias Maccelli added another goal just 31 seconds later to extend the lead to 4-2.
“I don't think I've ever seen that in my career—three games almost without a power play,” Maccelli said. “Obviously, you've got 5-3 and 5-4 goals there, so it feels good and gives us good momentum”.
Those two power-play markers made the difference in getting past Connor McDavid and the Oilers. The win also boosted Toronto’s confidence with a third consecutive victory heading into the break.
“We were all itching to get out there and just get some opportunities and get it to click, so it was good,” Matthew Knies said. “Those were important goals and I was glad to win".
Despite the recent success, the Maple Leafs still sit five points back of the Boston Bruins for the second wild-card spot, entering the break with a 27-21-9 record. While Toronto begins their break early, many teams they are chasing will remain in action on Wednesday before the season pauses for the Olympic break.
This precarious position raises a difficult question: Will this streak change the front office's thinking from sellers back to buyers? It remains hard to see. However, the players on the roster appear committed to making a playoff push. Capitalizing on the power play after such a long drought can only further their confidence as they try to climb back into a playoff spot.
“You're never out of it. We're going to continue to build,” Maple Leafs defenseman Brandon Carlo said. “This break will be nice, but we want to come back with the same intensity that we brought through these last three games". Carlo noted that the atmosphere in the locker room improves when the team plays the right way, adding, “It's a good feeling... something you definitely want to be a part of. So we want to keep that rolling when we get back”.