Eight Was Enough

 

After finishing November with a Franchise best twelve wins the Leafs returned home last night to host the Colorado Avalanche, A team that was a real test for this Maple Leaf team as many believe the Avalanche are a strong cup contender. Now before the game it was announced by the Leafs that Michael Hutchinson was called up because Joseph Woll was dealing with some stiffness and his issue is believed to be a minor one and it is expected that he will be fine with a few days of rest. Also, the team announced that Kirill Semyonov’s time with the Leafs has ended because on the flight back from Anaheim he asked Kyle Dubas if he could be released from his contract to go back to Russia and play there. Semyonov is his tenure appeared in just three games registering no points but in his nine games with the Marlies he collected nine points. It is unfortunate for Kirill that things did not work out for him and the Leafs but all the best to him back in Russia. Lastly, Joey Anderson would make his season debut filling in for Ondrej Kase who is still dealing with a minor injury.

 

Last night Jack Campbell would get the start for the host team and a surprise for Avalanche fans as Jonas Johansson would get the surprise start as Darcy Kuemper the expected starter was a last-minute scratch. Last also saw the return of long time Leaf Nazem Kadri playing his first game against the Leafs since being traded for Kerfoot and Tyson Barrie. Now, sometimes when teams come back from California, they are usually sluggish in their first game at home, not this team Toronto started right where they left off and were absolutely flying right from the opening faceoff. Right from the very start Coach Keefe and the fans were happy as Toronto had the Avalanche chasing the play and at one point in period one the Leafs were outshooting Colorado quite handily and Toronto’s great start would bring some impressive results. Just four and a half minutes into the action the Leafs would open the scoring as Alex Kerfoot would send a breakout pass to John Tavares who would send Nylander in and William Nylander would fire the puck to the top of the net beating Johansson on the glove side for his tenth goal of the season and his first career goal against the Avalanche. Toronto would continue to outwork their opponent and simply dominate the opening period and the Leafs would light the lamp for a second time as Toronto’s fourth line would have a great sequence leading to the goal. Nick Ritchie would take a shot from the slot that Johansson would cough up a rebound from and Wayne Simmonds would be in front of the goal digging for the lose puck, but Jason Spezza would come in from the side and use his reach to his advantage and poke the lose puck over the goal line. This goal would be the fifth of the season for Spezza and I have said it before, but I am going to say it again Nick Ritchie who picked up a secondary assist on this goal for his fifth of the season, although there are no goals from Ritchie his has fit in well with Simmonds and Spezza since being moved to the fourth line. The Leafs dominance would continue and in the final five minutes of the opening period we would easily see the best goal of the Leafs season to this point. Michael Bunting would carry the puck down low; he would then send the puck around too Mitch Marner who would show off his great vision and he would find Auston Matthews who for some reason was left all by himself in front of the net. Auston would show off his great hands by spinning around going from backhand to his forehand and would roof the puck for his eleventh goal of the season and his first goal of the contest, A little foreshadowing for you his night was far from over. Toronto’s entertaining first period would continue as Joey Anderson would draw a two-minute hooking minor against Bowen Byram sending the Leafs to the powerplay with an opportunity to quadruple their lead. The Leafs however were unable to score on the hooking minor and the top unit for the Leafs were tired and unable to change. The near perfect first period would have a sore spot as with just seconds remaining Samuel Girard would receive a pass from Nathan MacKinnon who was playing his first game since recovering from Covid, but Girard would step into a slap shot that would hit the back of the net beating Jack Campbell clean for his second goal of the year and the Avalanche would trail 3-1 after the first twenty minutes.

 

Period number two would be a little different for the Leafs as for the first half of the frame we would see the visiting Avalanche begin to take control of the matchup because they would gain increased possession and the Leafs would wind up being second to every puck and chasing the play. Jack Campbell was forced to bail the team out on many occasions in this period because the Leafs would be hemmed into their end due to turnovers and a familiar friend would find the back of the net. Jack Johnson would send his point shot towards the goal and with Justin Holl battling in front with both Nazem Kadri and Valeri Nichushkin and from his knees Nazem Kadri would bat in the lose puck for his eighth goal of the season pulling the Avalanche to within a goal as they now trail 3-2. The Leafs would once again double their lead when less then a minute later when Tavares would win the draw and then William Nylander would send the puck over to the point to a waiting Travis Dermott who’s point shot take a deflection and go knuckling under the arm of Johansson and into the net for his first goal of the season and the team’s fourth goal growing their lead to 4-2. After this goal, the flood gates would open and from here on out it was all Toronto Maple Leafs and a fifth goal would be netted as they would search for more offense. Alex Kerfoot would work the puck back to the point to TJ Brodie. Now on this play John Tavares would be knocked to the ice but instead of searching for a penalty he would get to his feet and head right to the net. Brodie would shoot from the point where his attempt would be knocked down by the traffic in front, but Tavares would show great strength winning the puck battle and then slide the puck around the pad of Jonas Johansson collecting his eleventh goal of the year continuing his strong production. After forty minutes the Leafs would head into the second period break leading 5-2.

 

Period three while fans were likely still making their way to their seats the Leafs would light the lamp for a sixth time as Kadri’s clearing attempt would be held in by Brodie he would then move the puck to Mitch Marner who would send a no look backhand pass to Matthews who would slide the puck around a sprawling Johansson for his twelfth of the season and second of the night and Toronto’s lead would now be 6-2 and this game was well in hand for the scorching Maple Leafs. Just prior to the midway point of the final frame Auston Matthews would complete his bid for a hat trick as Gabe Landeskog would turn the puck over at center ice to Jake Muzzin who would head man the puck to Matthews as he was heading down the wing, Auston would fire one of his signature snap shots off the post and in for his third goal of the night and thirteenth on the season padding to the teams lead which would now sit at 7-2. The Leafs would rub salt in the wound when just a few minutes later Pierre Engvall would find the back of the net for the team’s final goal his third of the season and the Leafs eighth goal of the game. The play would start in the Leafs end as Morgan Reilly would have the puck behind the Leafs net but he would reverse it too Michael Bunting who would send a stretch pass to Engvall who would enter the zone from the right wing and Engvall would see his wrist shot beat the Avs goalie on the blocker side similar to Auston’s hat trick goal and Toronto would lead 8-2. The scoring would not end there, late in the third with Toronto a man down as Rasmus Sandin was in the box Colorado’s powerplay would cash in and it would once again be Nazem Kadri who would pot his second of the game and the 200^th goal of his career after a scramble in front of Jack Campbell. With Kadri collecting is 200^th goal in what was surely a bittersweet moment for him the Avalanche would see their long night end as the Leafs would win this contest by a score of 8-3.

The Leafs will now have Thursday off before heading to the airport and head back on the road for a short two game trip that sees the Leafs Visit the Wild on Saturday and then visit the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday night.

 

Thanks, as always for reading