On the last night that mattered in a regular season that does not, the Toronto Maple Leafs walked out of the NHL’s most hostile barn with both a loss and some satisfaction.
“It was a good night for us,” Sheldon Keefe told reporters at TD Garden.
At face value, the coach’s approval following a blown third-period lead and a 2-1 overtime defeat dished cold by an injury-riddled archrival seems odd.
But there was plenty within the Leafs’ postseason tune-up against the record-chasing Boston Bruins — “the measuring stick for everyone,” according to Alexander Kerfoot — that should have Leafs Nation feeling optimistic about their tortured franchise’s chances when the playoff puck drops in 10 days.
For starters, Lou Lamoriello’s New York Islanders did Kyle Dubas’ squad a favour Thursday by thrashing the Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto’s first-round opponent, 6-1 in regulation — a result that secures home ice for the Leafs in Games 1, 3, 5 and 7.
Security in the standings will permit Keefe to give extra rest to any player who needs it and avoid overtaxing his superstars for what the organization hopes needs to be a deep postseason run.
Moreover, the Maple Leafs looked every ounce like a team that belonged in a battle-heavy, organized, responsible, low-scoring affair with the runaway Presidents’ Trophy winners.
They checked. They fought. They defended with purpose.
“I don’t think we like those guys,” Zach Aston-Reese said. “They don’t like us.”
Game 83 starter Ilya Samsonov went save for save with Jeremy Swayman (31-31). And prized deadline rental Ryan O’Reilly did not look rusty in his long-awaited return from mid-March finger surgery.
“Coulda went either way,” O’Reilly said. “It was tight everywhere.
“It’s fun. That’s the playoff feel.”
To these eyes, Toronto’s most encouraging development over the past month is how in-sync and effective its bottom six has played.
We’ve criticized that group’s composition in this space for years, but the additions of ex-Bruin Noel Acciari and Sam Lafferty have combined with the emergence of Aston-Reese and the proper slotting of David Kämpf and Alexander Kerfoot to earn Keefe’s trust.
Toronto’s fourth line of Aston-Reese, Kämpf and Lafferty generated its only goal and skated more than any other Leafs’ trio (10:24).
If Keefe can actually trust the far end of his bench and avoid running his Core Four ragged, that balance should do wonders for the Leafs’ chances.
“Absolutely,” Keefe said he is now seeing the type of fourth-line identity he’s been searching for since, well, he took the job.
They pressure the puck. They play connected hockey (Aston-Reese’s slap-pass to Lafferty for the go-ahead goal was pretty). They keep pace with today’s game and don’t sacrifice defence for offence.
“Those guys have been excellent for a number of games now,” Keefe said. “They earn the confidence of the coach.”
Tuesday it was Aston-Reese stealing headlines. Thursday it was Lafferty’s time to shine.
The quick-footed winger laid an aggressive (and clean) check on puck carrier Matt Grzelyck that drew the ire of A.J. Greer, who drew an instigator penalty putting Toronto on the power play.
Big hit, willingness to fight, big goal. Keefe said he couldn’t ask for much more from Lafferty: “He was excellent tonight.”
The chemistry Lafferty is striking with Kämpf and onetime Penguins teammate Aston-Reese is key, particularly after Keefe had made things difficult on Lafferty by moving him all over the lineup chart.
Lafferty appreciates the consistency.
“It’s helpful. I played with Reeser a lot, going back a few years. Kämpfer is just so reliable and steady and easy to play with. I think it’s going well,” he told Shawn McKenzie between periods.
“We just gotta keep bringing energy and own the puck down low.”
No, the Maple Leafs’ trip wasn’t perfect.
Luke Schenn’s failed off-the-glass-and-out led to Charlie Coyle’s game-tying snipe in the third period, and the awesome David Pastrnak — battling a stomach virus, no less — capped the No. 1 seed’s comeback with a power-play overtime blast.
But 5-on-5, lines 1 through 4, the Maple Leafs were comfortable in a playoff-like hockey game against the playoff favourites.
That alone should whet the appetite for what’s to come.
Said Samsonov: “We have four more games before important time start.”
Giddy-yap.
Fox’s Fast 5
• The University of Minnesota defeated Boston University 6-2 in the Frozen Four semifinals Thursday.
Leafs prospect Matthew Knies (one assist) and the Golden Gophers will play Quinnipiac for the NCAA title Saturday in Tampa.
The Maple Leafs just happen to play in Sunrise Monday and in Tampa Tuesday, while Wayne Simmonds and Nick Abruzzese were quietly sent down to the AHL, freeing up cap space.
Hmmm…
• O’Reilly appreciated the confidence Keefe showed in throwing him and his newly healed finger out for the opening face-off in overtime — normally a job for Kämpf — but lamented how his lost face-off led to a Bruins possession and a Leafs penalty.
“I gotta win that draw,” he said.
After 14 games away, O’Reilly still went 5-3 in the faceoff dot, stole a puck, and topped all Leafs with a 72.2 CF%.
“Good to be back,” O’Reilly said. “Most fun I’ve had in a while.”
Keefe thought his third-line centre was excellent even when he wasn’t on the ice.
“He’s the most vocal guy we have on the bench. He’s talking nonstop. Just a great presence for us,” Keefe said.
“Doesn’t look like he missed a beat.”
• Quip of the Night.
Play-by-play czar Chris Cuthbert, deadpan, on Zach Aston-Reese: “Does it seem like he gets all his assists on Sportsnet?”
• Meanwhile, on Long Island… the Lightning saw two bottom-six forwards leave the game and not return.
Bo Horvat’s skate hit Pat Maroon in the ribs, and pricy deadline acquisition Tanner Jeannot needed help leaving the ice with a leg injury suffered from this awkward collision with Scott Mayfield:
Jeannot and Maroon join Anthony Cirelli, Brandon Hagel, and Erik Cernak (all day-to-day) on the sidelines.
• How’s this for a jaw-dropping stat?
The Bruins hold an NHL-best plus-50 goal differential in the third period.
The Maple Leafs are minus-2 in the final frame.
