TORONTO — No matter who you’re playing.
That was the key phrase Craig Berube used in his pregame pep talk with his Toronto Maple Leafs, whom the coach is pushing to bring intensity regardless of the opponent.
“Tonight’s a good example,” Berube said. “Initiate right away.”
Another version of these Maple Leafs may have eased off the gas pedal when the slumping and last-place Vancouver Canucks stumbled into town.
Perhaps they would’ve been too pleased with their eight-game point streak to nudge it to nine.
Or maybe they would’ve started peering too far down the highway and saved something in the tank for the stiff three-games-in-four-nights road trip (Colorado, Utah, Vegas) that looms ahead.
But not these 2026 Leafs.
Not now, when they’re dancing and fighting and scoring and winning and feeling themselves for the first prolonged stretch all season (7-0-2).
Nah, these Leafs took it to Canucks starter Thatcher Demko with three goals on their first six shots and breezed to a 5-0 dismissal of a Canadian foe whose next meaningful win might come in the draft lottery.
It’s OK to feast on a cupcake occasionally.
“We’ve just took it to another level,” William Nylander said, “Everybody’s been more connected.”
Jolted by the healthy return of two mainstays, Nylander and Jake McCabe, the Maple Leafs’ searing-hot special teams set the tone in Period 1 and remained effective throughout.
They went a perfect 6-for-6 on the penalty kill and converted on two of four power-plays.
The Maple Leafs have killed 58 of 63 penalties in their past 27 games (92.1 per cent). And goaltender Joseph Woll, much like tandem mate Dennis Hildeby on Thursday, deserves credit on the kill. Woll stopped all 29 shots he faced for his second shutout of the season.
“It’s huge,” John Tavares said of Toronto’s killer kill. “You can just see the confidence that they have, just how well connected they are, how well in sync, and how it’s feeding our team, our energy. And obviously we’re getting a lot of plenty of good looks the other way off it as well.”
You wouldn’t have known that Nylander (lower body) had not so much as practised with the team in two weeks, as the team’s leading scorer hung three points on the Canucks.
“Good way to come back,” Nylander said. “Just happy that the boys have been playing great while I’ve been gone, so it was easy to jump in.”
And Max Domi came an assist short of a Gordie Howe hat trick after taking a snappy feed from ex-Canuck Troy Stecher and sniping short-side on Demko, then dropping the gloves with Marcus Pettersson.
“Awesome,” Matias Maccelli enthused. “Threw a couple of rights and then switched to left. I didn’t know he had that, but it was just unreal. He’s the heavyweight now.”
Pettersson fared about as well in that scrap as the Canucks are these days. Loser of six straight and eight of their past nine, Vancouver has sunk to a minus-37 goal differential. The group looks depleted, deflated, and disorganized.
Heck, one fan chucked Canucks replica sweater onto the ice in disgust. (Reminder: The game took place in Toronto.)
Meanwhile, the resurgent Maple Leafs head west after having won seven straight at home, outscoring the opposition 35-16 in the process.
“That’s a pretty clean game by us defensively. Obviously great offensively. And then won the special teams battle,” Woll said. “A clean game all the way through.”
“Special teams are important, especially come playoff time. So, I think getting that dialed in is very important for us.”
You can’t spell resurgent without urgent.
And that’s how the playoff-hunting Leafs have been attacking game nights lately.
No matter who they’re playing.
Fox’s Fast Five
• Playmaker Maccelli, who has supplanted 500-goal man John Tavares on assistant Steve Sullivan’s now-healthy top power-play unit, opened the scoring on the man-advantage.
“They’re tough decisions that we gotta make, but I spoke with J.T. about it,” Berube explained. “He’s a good team guy, and he’s fine.”
Tavares has not scored a power-play goal in 25 games.
“It’s nice get touches, you know?” Maccelli said. “I don’t know who doesn’t want to play power play. So, it’s always fun to get out there and try to score and help the team win.”
• David Kämpf failed to make the Maple Leafs out of training camp and was honoured with a Jumbotron thank-you in his return to Toronto.
“I wouldn’t say chip (on my shoulder), but of course I’m excited,” the Canucks centre told reporters pre-game. “I have a lot of friends there on the other side.”
Unable to establish himself as a Berube guy, Kämpf wanted a trade away from the Marlies. His return to NHL action helped him earn a coveted spot on Czechia’s Olympic roster.
“I’m happy with my decision and what I did,” Kämpf said. “I’m here and I’m moving forward.”
• Toronto is falling head over heels for a Cowboy.
Rookie Easton Cowan’s rush to scrum it up with Nils Höglander, who delivered a greasy cross-check to Simon Benoit, elicited a standing ovation. The kid gets it.
Brad Treliving ain’t trading this guy.
• Nylander ran into Berube during morning skate, and the coach didn’t budge an inch.
“I’m a little overweight, that’s why,” Berube chuckled. “He told me he let up on me.”
• Injury roundup!
Chris Tanev is still figuring out whether he’ll elect surgery to repair his damaged groin. That decision is expected soon.
And goaltender Anthony Stolarz, still skating on own, is progressing well and expected to join the Leafs on next week’s four-game road trip.
