VANCOUVER — Solid trip, rough ending.
When the Toronto Maple Leafs boarded their westbound jet nine days ago for their longest road trip of the season, they were desperate to snuff out a three-game losing skid and off to face the Western Conference champs.
Had you informed the team and its fans then that they would secure six of a possible eight points on the excursion before scattering for vacation, they’d take it.
So, the fact that the Leafs lost a hard-fought 2-1 decision to the Vancouver Canucks on Super Bowl Saturday was hardly cause for concern in the visitors’ quarters of Rogers Arena.
Be it the trio of superstars — Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander — heading to Montreal to represent their nations or the long list of roster players happy with a mental and physical reset away from the ice, there was more anticipation for the next two weeks than there was consternation over another loss to the Canucks.
As much as coach Craig Berube reminded his group that their sabbatical would not begin until Sunday, that they needed to be “emotionally invested” until the final buzzer, the more engaged and invested side came out on top Saturday.
Fast and fierce, determined and disciplined, Vancouver won 73.5 per cent of puck battles and cashed in on a late Brock Boeser power-play goal (with ex-Canuck Oliver Ekman-Larsson in the box, no less) to take the points.
Full credit. They deserved this one, just like they deserved the last one.
That Vancouver dominated the first 20 despite being unable to dress MVP Quinn Hughes and suddenly swapping in backup Kevin Lankinen for Thatcher Demko is an encouraging sign they can dig in for the stretch run.
“They’re a good team. They do a good job checking. They’re hard on the forecheck. I thought they broke the puck out pretty well,” Morgan Reilly said. “I didn’t think we had a ton of O-zone time where we were able to kind of sustain it and keep them hemmed in.”
We learned a few things on this roadie. That Toronto’s power play is heating up. That Rielly should be able to find his groove. That Bobby McMann is making a strong case for top-six status. That two healthy goalies can bleed confidence to 18 other men.
And that we don’t need to see any more of a “super line” composed of Nylander, Marner, and John Tavares. Expensive and ineffective.
Berube abandoned that ill-fated experiment after an ugly 35.6 per cent expected goals rating in Vancouver through 40 minutes.
“A lot of it is a guy getting in there on the forecheck and getting to the net and just being that kind of rock,” Berube said, scrapping the idea after five periods of unthreatening play.
“They all want the puck a lot. It’s a lot. But, hey, it wasn’t a big sample size.”
Joseph Woll started all three Canadian stops on the trip — Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver — and the thoughtful goalie’s sampling of the Leafs’ traveling support was enough that he felt compelled to offer a message to the Western Canada chapter of Leafs Nation.
“The three Canadian cities we played, it’s almost like a home game. So, that’s a testament to our fans, and it’s awesome they get out here and support us,” Woll said.
“All I can say is, when that energy is there and when our fans are rooting like that, it changes the game for us, and it brings so much momentum. So, I love it. Keep it going.”
But first, a pause.
For most Toronto fans to switch their allegiances from Blue and White to Red and White. For the athletes themselves to seek warmth and family, rest and recuperation.
The Maple Leafs won’t practice until Feb. 18. They don’t play until Feb. 22.
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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.
“Probably haven’t had this long a break since, like, the last Olympics (in 2014),” said Chris Tanev, who lost Team Canada’s replacement slot Drew Doughty. “Could be definitely new for a lot of guys, so we’ll manage it well and be ready to go when we come back.”
As they pack their bags and ice their bruises, the Maple Leafs can take solace knowing first place in the Atlantic is a reasonable goal — and that they can play much better than they did Saturday.
“If you look at the road trip as a whole, it’s a positive. Going 3-1 is good. This would’ve been great to end off on a high note, going to the break. Didn’t happen that way,” Rielly said.
“It’s a good trip all around. We just missed out on making it great.”
Fox’s Fast Five
• The Canucks have won eight straight home games versus the Maple Leafs, outscoring them 31-16. They’ve also won 18 of the past 20 against Toronto inside Rogers Arena.
“I never want to lose here,” Tanev said. “I was here for a long time. Still have some good friends over there and don’t like losing to them.”
Time to embrace 4 p.m. local.
• Vancouver-born Rielly scored the Leafs’ lone goal and, after a couple shaky months, began to turn his momentum on this road trip.
“It’s an ongoing thing. I mean, I’ve got more to go. I’ve got more to give. And I think we all feel that way,” Rielly said. “The timing of this break is great. We’re going to come back, and we’re all going to ramp up, and we’re all going to look to improve.”
• Matthews’ road trip: zero goals, seven assists.
The captain will carry a six-game goal drought into the break but remains unflustered. He ripped 26 shots in his past five games.
“They will go in. He just has to keep getting the looks,” Berube says. “He is making plays, too. His game is good, and he is playing a well-rounded game at both ends of the ice and killing penalties.”
• Quote of the Day.
“We need a healthy Quinn Hughes if we’re going to go anywhere.” —Vancouver coach Rick Tocchet
(Reading the Team Canada assistant coach’s words between the lines: Please skip 4 Nations.)
• The incredible, unofficial, season-overlapping CHL point streak of Leafs prospect Easton Cowan finally came to an end Friday, after 65 consecutive appearances on the London Knights’ scoresheet.
Some guy named Mario Lemieux only registered a point in 61 straight CHL contests (1983-84).
Fellow prospect Fraser Minten — who FaceTimes with Cowan every couple of days — is in awe of his pal’s consistency.
“It’s crazy,” Minten says. “Just shows how competitive he is between the ears.”
