ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Toronto Maple Leafs won’t be so lucky as to face the Anaheim Ducks in the playoffs, but the formula they used to sneak by a speedy, young opponent could well match the recipe they’ll rely on come mid-April.
Equal parts solid goaltending, commitment to shot blocking, and game-breaking skill plays, with a dash of unsung hero.
In the case of Sunday’s 3-2 win in Orange County — a regulation victory that allowed the Atlantic Division leaders to fly from sunshine to ice storm having earned five of six points in California — that final ingredient was supplied by Steven Lorentz.
On a back-to-back where the locals chanted “Quack! Quack!” the Leafs nearly cracked.
-
NHL on Sportsnet
Livestream Hockey Night in Canada, Scotiabank Wednesday Night Hockey, the Oilers, Flames, Canucks, out-of-market matchups, the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the NHL Draft.
Broadcast schedule
The rebuilding Ducks, a fun if flawed outfit still learning to fly, outshot (30-23), out-attempted (76-55) and outchanced (36-32) their visitors, but Lorentz’s nifty tip of a David Kämpf point shot squirted past Lukas Dostal with less than nine minutes to go and stood tall as the difference in a slim-margin affair.
It was Lorentz’s seventh goal and fourth game-winner.
“I didn’t know it was my fourth. Nice to hear,” beamed Lorentz, who leads all Leafs in smiles-per-60. The role-playing Cup winner rates pretty high among his teammates in perspective, too.
“I’ve been on the other end. I’ve been on a team like (Anaheim), where they’re not super happy in the standings, but they’re still fighting for next season and jobs. So, we knew they were going to bring their good game today. And I thought we battled hard. Had a few lapses. We’ll address those in video. But we got the win, so we’re happy.”
No nitpicking a win seems to be the sentiment in Leafland these days, which is understandable considering the club is in a three-headed dogfight (Cerebus fight?) with its foes from Florida for first seed.
Coach Craig Berube noted pregame that the Montreal Canadiens had upset the Panthers before puck drop, and what an opportunity to gain some separation from the Cats before Wednesday’s head-to-head.
“It’s no secret what’s going on in the standings right now. All these points matter,” Lorentz, an ex-Panther, continued. “And we got three big games coming up against the two teams that are in the mix with us. So, those are definitely important games and important points on the line.”
To succeed in those big tests, and the ones that follow, Toronto will need the type of bounce-back goaltending performance provided by Joseph Woll (.935 on this night); showtime offensive plays like the singular-effort goals by Max Domi (fake shot, backhand roof) and Mitch Marner (fake shot, deke into next week); and blue-liners willing to clog lanes.
The Leafs out-blocked the Ducks 22-9, less than 24 hours after out-blocking the Kings 14-9.
On Sunday, Brandon Carlo blocked five pucks while Chris Tanev and Jake McCabe threw their bodies in front of four apiece.
“I’ve definitely noticed just a heightened discipline and unselfishness of the defenceman to do that — and the forwards. That’s the kind of stuff that wins championships, putting the team first,” Woll said.
“You have guys coming off the ice that are bruised, banged up from blocking shots, and that’s what it takes. I appreciate that more than my words can say, right? Like, they have a lot less equipment, and they’re putting their body on the line for the team and for me and for (Anthony Stolarz), so it’s pretty awesome.”
That sacrificial mandate stems from Berube. But having an injection of sturdy personnel that’s keen to do so (particularly Tanev and Carlo) goes a long way.
“We stress it a lot,” Berube said. “I still think we can do a better job of it. You’re going to need to do a better job of it. It’s important. It’s a big deal. In playoffs and to win hockey games, tight games, you got to have the willingness to block shots.”
You’ve also got to have a few unsung heroes contribute along the way.
So, while star centremen John Tavares and Auston Matthews have been driving the bus lately, it’s OK for guys like Loretz to take the wheel once in a while.
“You’re never gonna win unless you got all four lines going,” Domi said.
“Huge goal by Stevie. That whole line, they all could have gotten a goal on that because, I mean, Homer (Pontus Holmberg) protecting the puck, Dave protecting the puck, and what a tip. So, all three of them are buzzing. And in playoffs, that’s going to be huge, because you need all four lines.”
Just as you need that one extra slice of execution, that one extra save to end up on the right side of a back-and-forth contest.
“We knew it wasn’t gonna be an easy game, especially on a back-to-back. And we just stuck with it,” Marner said. “It’s not an easy road trip by any means — three games in four nights to get used to a three-hour time change.
“San Jose game wasn’t easy. We made some big mistakes that they countered on. But I thought we battled back to get a point, which is great. And then, these last two, both teams very good, very hard to play against. So, these are important points. We wanted to get them.
“Just happy with us digging in and battling for them.”
The battle only grows tougher from here.
The Panthers roll into Toronto Wednesday.
• With Toronto making its annual visit to Southern California, the Honda Center’s in-house DJ was leaning in hard to the Drake-Kendrick Lamar beef.
Not only were a half-dozen Kendrick tracks blasted over the speakers throughout the game, but twice after abruptly cutting off a Drake track early.
One man, armed with a mixer, doing his best to spark a regional rivalry.
We’re eight games from the end of the regular season. Marner needs nine points to hit 100 for the first time. William Nylander needs eight goals to reach 50. Can they do it?
Marner had an assist taken away on a disallowed Matthew Knies goal when the Ducks successfully challenged high-stick contact.
“I asked the refs after. It’s because of my height that it got called off,” he said. “But I’ve had some tough bounces with stuff getting called off right now, so hopefully it changes.”
“You stay in touch when they have babies and stuff. I congratulate them. But they’re really nice guys.” —Simon Benoit on his enduring relationship with his former Ducks teammates
• Calle Järnkrok has kept an eye on fellow Swede Leo Carlson, who has piled seven points in three games and reached the 20-goal and 40-point marks Sunday.
“Got the size. Got the got the skill. He’s got a little bit of little bit everything,” Järnkrok says. “It’s gonna be interesting to follow him throughout his career, for sure.”
• Meanwhile, down on the farm… NCAA free agent pickup Luke Haymes scored his first professional goal and notched his first pro assist in the Marlies’ 5-4 loss to Bridgeport.
Source link
