TORONTO – With the Kings and Maple Leafs conducting two significant deadline trades in recent years, an extra layer of revenge was baked into their matchup Monday.
Grizzled shutdown man Jake Muzzin won a Stanley Cup in Los Angeles but now logs heavy minutes for the Leafs, and Toronto starting goalie Jack Campbell was the unchosen one in L.A. when the franchise crowned Cal Peterson as Jonathan Quick’s incumbent.
“We knew we were trading a pretty good goaltender away, but where we were as an organization—and even where we are right now — we have to make some strategic moves,” said Kings coach Todd McLellan. He pointed to Tobias Bjornfot, the emerging young D-man L.A. selected with the first-round pick it got in return. “It all works out based on where the teams are in their evolution.”
Things worked out nicely for Trevor Moore, who notched his first of the year and first of the game off a feed from fellow traded Leaf Carl Grundstrom.
Moore smiled when confirming he’d put money on the board for his long-awaited return — and he’ll be happy to pay up after L.A. executed a fine 5-1 road win.
In Toronto, the undrafted California kid developed his two-way game and had hoisted the 2018 Calder Cup under current Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe.
Practising at Coca-Cola Coliseum on Sunday, Moore’s Kings teammates pointed his name out on the ring of Marlies who have graduated to the Show.
“I think a lot about his journey, a guy that came fresh out of college and struggled to find himself in the American League and eventually did and was a very important part of our team that won the Calder Cup,” Keefe said. “It was tough to see him go at that time.
“At the same time, I’m happy to see him be a full-time NHL player, be home in California, all those things. I got a lot of time for Trevor.”
The speedy Andreas Athanasiou went inside-out on Muzzin and flipped a puck high past Campbell’s far shoulder to double the Kings’ lead.
Two Kings rush goals and a 2-0 deficit concluded a rather lacklustre opening period from the Leafs.
“They’re a very good team 5-on-5,” Keefe assessed correctly. “We expect it’ll be difficult to get through the neutral zone and get access to their goaltender. We’re going to have to be patient.”
John Tavares and Toronto’s power-play extended their respective hot streaks early in the second, chopping the lead in half.
But noted Leaf killer Phillip Danault crashed the crease and knocked a puck off his boot to make it 3-1.
A dialed-in Quick withstood the Leafs’ third-period push, and Danault and Adrian Kempe (empty net) added insurance markers late.
The Kings simultaneously extended their win streak to five and ended Toronto’s at that same number.
“When you win games and you win them the right way, you [learn]what that feels like as a team, and you can replicate it. That’s why you see teams go on win streaks — you get a feeling what the recipe is,” Jason Spezza said.
The Maple Leafs know their blueprint for what works.
With three more games this week — Philadelphia is on deck Wednesday — the trick will be getting back to that winning recipe quickly.
Fox’s Fast 5
• Justin Holl and callup Joey Anderson took part in warmup despite being healthy scratches. Cool moment for Joey who (in addition to getting NHL money for a few days) got to look across the ice and see younger brother Mikey — a defenceman for the Kings.
• Travis Dermott on his name surfacing in trade rumours: “I’ll keep doing what I do until something happens, if it’s going to happen.
“The best I can do for myself is come in here and show what I have every day. I’m in the Blue and White now, and that’s where my heart is.”
• The Maple Leafs were dinged for another too-many-men infraction and are now tied with the New Jersey Devils for the most bench penalties this season (four).
• Danault, Athanasiou and Alex Iafallo looked fantastic, all enjoying multi-point nights.
• Year-round mustache owner Auston Matthews unveiled custom Movember edition skates and stick:
Check out Auston’s new custom @Movember skates and sticks! pic.twitter.com/TbLgghQoaR
— CCM Hockey (@CCMHockey) November 9, 2021
