SAN JOSE – Sunshine and relaxation can be an alluring temptation when work allows you to escape the bitterness of late November in Toronto and the first hard bite of winter.
So, yes, the Toronto Maple Leafs‘ coaching staff had considered giving their players Thanksgiving off Thursday. Had they gone that route, their generosity could be easily justified as a reward for the club’s hot streak.
Instead, they ducked out of the warmth and into the rink, where they’ve punched the clock daily during a California swing described plainly as “a business trip.”
The team hunkered down together in their hotel Thursday night. They ordered in turkey, mashed potatoes, and Brussels sprouts (Justin Holl’s personal favourite), watched a little American football, and secured a good night’s sleep.
Friday was a workday, after all. And free time, whenever that arrives, is a ton more fun when it feels well earned.
The Maple Leafs’ businesslike approach — so long, relaxed dress code, we hardly knew ye — has been translating to the ice throughout this four-game roadie.
Avenging the San Jose Sharks by a score of 4-1 Friday, Toronto has now outscored its opponents 13-3 on this trip, which concludes Sunday in Anaheim.
Sure, one could dispute the quality of competition, but the Leafs have a history of playing down to weaker foes. And that, most certainly, has not been the case lately.
Despite skating without Ondrej Kase and dressing rookie goalie Joseph Woll (3-0-0) in his first non-back-to-back situation, Toronto was never in danger of letting the Sharks take over.
Heck, William Nylander made good on the night’s first shot. A silky backhand deke of James Reimer when the game was all of 32 seconds old busted Nylander’s seven-game goal drought and set the tone.
And while Nick Bonino responded with a double-five-hole snipe that beat both T.J. Brodie and Woll through the legs, the 1-1 tie was short-lived. Wayne Simmonds, filling in for the injured Kase, responded on the very next shift, tipping home a puck after a passing sequence with new linemates David Kampf and Nick Ritchie.
“We’re looking for him to not change really from what he’s done; Simmer’s done a really good job,” coach Sheldon Keefe said pregame of the promotion. “Like a lot of players that play lower in the lineup, you’re looking for a little bit more when it’s available — and tonight it’s available.”
Auston Matthews notched his ninth early in the second period, and John Tavares drove the nail toward the conclusion of the Leafs’ first frighteningly in-sync power play.
On the flip side, the Maple Leafs’ vastly improved penalty kill limited the Sharks to a total of one shot during San Jose’s three power plays.
Toronto’s fourth on Reimer chased the ex-Leaf midway through the game. And although Adin Hill was solid in relief, the damage had been done.
Woll stood tall during a sloppy final 10 minutes, but the Leafs took care of business once again.
They’ve now won 13 of their past 15 games.
Naturally, Saturday is another practice day.
Fox’s Fast 5
• With the Leafs rolling, Travis Dermott has been stuck getting the Holl treatment. Friday marked his fourth straight healthy scratch.
Coach Keefe is constantly communicating with his Group of Seven, knowing one will always be unhappy to sit.
“We believe having seven defencemen that can play is a strength for us as a team at this point, but it is certainly something we have to manage,” said Keefe, who encouraged Dermott to remain sharp after Thursday’s practice.
“We thought Justin Holl was going to have to sit maybe one game. He ended up sitting five. Generally, we’ve tried to keep the lineup rolling here. It is a daily discussion. We have just felt that we want to keep it the same here for the last little bit.”
• Scary moment in the first frame as Morgan Rielly blocked a Timo Meier blast with the inside of his lower right leg. Hobbled, Rielly left the game temporarily but returned before the period ended.
• Keefe had a discipline chat with Ritchie heading into this season after the winger averaged 0.66 PIM per game last year in Boston. He’s up to 0.86 PIM per game in Toronto. Not a big deal when your team can’t lose and is killing off penalties with ease. But it’s something to monitor.
• Evander Kane, the Sharks’ leading scorer in 2020-21, will be eligible to return from his 21-game suspension after the weekend. The scuttlebutt here says he’ll hit the waiver wire. We’ll see.
• Rielly flashed back to what it was like sharing a dressing room with Reimer:
“It was just his everyday smile and his demeanour. I used to think that his cheeks would get sore by the end of the day just from having a smile on his face for so long. That’s just the type of person he was. I was lucky to be around him when I was a young player, and I got to experience a teammate who just loved life that much. I think that’s a good influence to have.”
