TORONTO — Overpowered.
That’s the word coach Craig Berube used to describe the clock-freezing play that cost his Toronto Maple Leafs an extra point and a season sweep to the long-dormant Detroit Red Wings.
But it wasn’t just rookie Easton Cowan getting bullied off the puck by the sturdier and hungrier Moritz Seider in the hard-fought contest’s 64th minute that showed which side is stronger — and which Atlantic franchise is now nine points clear of the other.
In what Joseph Woll, one of the evening’s two dialled-in goaltenders, described as a divisional battle with a “playoff-type feel,” it was the Red Wings who appeared more suited for springtime hockey in crunch time and were deserving of their 2-1 overtime comeback win.
After the rivals traded first-period goals, Wednesday’s tight-checking affair was knotted at one goal apiece for more than 43 minutes.
Yet, ironically, it was the more desperate Maple Leafs who were busy clinging to a tie late, hoping to secure one point, then cross their fingers for a bonus.
Detroit outshot Toronto to the tune of 19-5 in the third period plus a fourth, where the Leafs didn’t put one on John Gibson’s net.
The Leafs’ showing was emblematic of their place in the race: competitive but a half step behind. Too much “just hang in there” and not enough “take it to ’em.”
After nine years as an Atlantic punching bag, the Red Wings — who ripped off a 4-0-0 record against the Leafs this season and improved to 17-2-4 in one-goal decisions — finally appear to be the more organized, determined, and balanced of the two outfits.
“They forecheck hard. They kind of are on top of you at different moments when you’re trying to break the puck out. You know, their defencemen are on top of you, on top of our forwards,” Leafs defenceman Brandon Carlo said.
“They’re playing a little bit more of an assertive game. And I think that’s benefiting them.”
That assertion stems from Detroit’s all-world top defensive pairing of Seider and Simon Edvinsson, who skated 55:21 combined and stomped their boot prints all over this result.
Edvinsson jumped in the rush to score the visitors’ first goal. Seider gave Berube a glimpse of the worst-case scenario of relying too much on a 20-year-old come playoff time — if the Leafs make it.
“He does good things, and there’s things he has to do better. Typical young player,” Berube said of Cowan. “It’s normal, young guy, where he’s at. Gotta get stronger. Better decisions at times.”
To these eyes, it’s the Maple Leafs’ personnel, not their decision-making, that has raised a red flag this week.
Be it Quinn Hughes–Brock Faber on Monday or Edvinsson–Seider Wednesday, Toronto’s dump-and-chase has had a rough ride against legit, puck-moving defence pairs. (Fun fact: Seider didn’t have a single hit in the win. Didn’t need one.)
“They’re both big bodies. They move well — that’s the thing. And they’re good with the puck,” Scott Laughton said of the D’s big D. “When you have that, it’s hard to forecheck.”
Conversely, the Leafs are operating with patchwork pairs, as Chris Tanev’s return remains doubtful and a Dougie Hamilton trade remains, at least, discussion-worthy.
Morgan Rielly’s defensive dips are well-publicized.
Milking any more from competitors Jake McCabe (28:09!) and Troy Stecher (25:13) at this point is reaching blood-from-a-stone extremes.
And, uh-oh, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, the team’s best all-around blueliner, just went down with another lower-body injury (more below).
The effort is intact, but that might not be enough.
“The bruises don’t really have time to heal. You just got to play through it, man,” said an elevated and engaged Simon Benoit, after throwing a team-high five hits.
“We get paid to do what we love, and that’s my game, so I just got to do it every night.”
Any time missed by the durable Ekman-Larsson would be a significant blow.
“You’ve seen him just raise his game to a whole another level,” Carlo said. “You know, his playmaking ability, his calmness. Just in the defensive zone, he’s got an amazing stick. He’s somebody I definitely look up to and like to learn from, for sure. But his game is fantastic, and his composure definitely keeps things a little bit more calm for us.”
Keep calm and carry on. Because defensive reinforcements aren’t coming anytime soon.
And a legit top pair that can break out, attack, and defend? Well, you gotta pay up or draft high to find one of those.
In the meantime, the Leafs can’t get overpowered when one point could mean the difference between wild card berth and post-season streak death.
“Every point is important. That’s why we have that playoff mentality, playoff feeling. We can’t go a couple of games in a row without any points,” Benoit said.
“You don’t want to get too far from the lead dogs.”
As the Red Wings celebrated their first season sweep of the Leafs since the mid-’90s, The Outfield’s “Your Love” barked from the Scotiabank Arena’s visitors’ room.
Nowhere to run when I’m in trouble / You know I’d do anything for you…
“That’s what it comes down to at this time of year. This is how tight it’s going to be,” Laughton said.
“Got a point, but it wasn’t good enough tonight.”
Fox’s Fast Five
• Ekman-Larsson suffered (another) lower-body injury early in the first period during an awkward collision with Lucas Raymond and did not return. He needs further evaluation.
The Olympics-bound Swede leads all Toronto D-men in scoring (31 points) and, despite leaving multiple nights banged up, is the only Leafs blueliner to appear in all 50 games.
• Max Domi loves himself some Patrick Kane.
“He’s the best,” Domi said. “I look up to him like an older brother. He gets mad at me for saying it, but I always looked up to him as a kid.”
Kane had a laugh recalling the first time he learned Domi was a stan. The two shared a ride during a New York City thunderstorm.
“We went to the US Open, the tennis, myself and my agent. We couldn’t find a ride after,” Kane said. “It was raining pretty hard, and we jumped in with Tie and Max. Tie was in the front seat just kind of giving it to Max, like, ‘Tell Kaner how much you loved him when you were younger.’”
Domi describes playing with Kane in Chicago as “a highlight of my whole career.” Domi enjoyed his most productive campaign in the past nine years (18 goals, 49 points) in 2022-23 as a Blackhawk.
• Tanev is still weighing whether to undergo groin surgery.
Our understanding is that surgery would essentially end his season, whereas nonsurgical rehabilitation might give him a chance to play sometime after the Olympic break.
The risk of reinjury, especially when physicality escalates in the post-season, must be concerning. Tanev has also dealt with a head/neck injury this season, too.
It’s the player’s call.
• Laughton was excellent Wednesday: a goal, a steal, three shots, two hits, and some nice work on Toronto’s 2-for-2 penalty kill.
But, boy, would he love a mulligan on the shorthanded penalty shot he earned in the second period.
Going full clapper would’ve been electric. Did Laughton consider it?
“I was too tired,” he replied. “I should have faked a broken stick and let Matthews go or somethin’.”
• Has Seider thought about what it’d be like to be in the Norris conversation?
“Zero times, to be honest,” the dynamic defenceman replies. “There’s so much other stuff going on. I got plenty of work to do on the ice. I don’t read any comments. I don’t even read the standings. It’s just too much noise from the outside.”
C’mon. You don’t know where the Red Wings are in the standings?
“If I would check the standings, I would see teams switching back and forth every single minute,” he says. “So, it’s not worth it. And it’s definitely not worth listening to any outsiders, because I know what’s going on in this locker room — and it’s very special. I’m just very proud to be a part of that team.”
