After the a success go back of Auston Matthews, the Toronto Maple Leafs look ahead to taking part in 3 consecutive house video games beginning Monday evening in opposition to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Matthews had two assists Saturday evening in a 5-3 highway win over the Tampa Bay Lightning after he been sidelined just about 4 weeks with an upper-body damage.
The Blackhawks will whole a back-to-back in Toronto after a 6-3 house loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday. Chicago has misplaced two in a row and 8 in their ultimate 11 video games (3-7-1).
Matthews assisted on Toronto’s first objective on Saturday scored by way of Matthew Knies, who additionally returned from an upper-body damage after lacking two video games.
“Having them again is very large,” stated Toronto goaltender Joseph Woll, who made 38 saves. “And you’ll see, our manufacturing used to be nice this night. We scored a couple of objectives to get us forward and take regulate of the sport.”
Knies and Matthews additionally assisted on William Nylander’s empty-net objective within the 3rd length after the Lightning had scored 3 instantly objectives to trim Toronto’s result in one.
“I felt high quality,” Matthews stated. “As the sport went on, felt a bit bit higher. You realize, nonetheless felt a bit bit rusty. However I believed our line performed lovely forged throughout, and easy for essentially the most section. And clearly, it feels just right to chip in with some objectives there.”
Matthews performed 20:23, used to be 16-for-24 on faceoffs and had two pictures on objective.
“I believed he used to be sturdy on pucks and moved neatly available in the market,” Toronto trainer Craig Berube stated. “He did numerous just right issues, identical with Knies.”
Toronto’s Mitchell Marner had two assists on Saturday to increase his issues streak to 6 video games (5 objectives, six assists).
Maple Leafs defenseman Jake McCabe left the sport in the second one length on Saturday after he took a puck off the facet of his head. Berube stated that McCabe will have to be to be had for Monday.
The Blackhawks are inspired by way of the hot play of Connor Bedard, who had a objective and an lend a hand on Sunday, however see room for growth.
“He undoubtedly appears to be like extra like himself the previous few video games, however at the defensive facet of items, we need to be higher and so does he,” Chicago trainer Luke Richardson stated. “He cannot rating one and surrender two, proper? Identical as anyone else at the workforce.”
Chicago scored 3 power-play objectives on Sunday, the others by way of Nick Foligno and Craig Smith. Every time, alternatively, Columbus replied with a objective quickly after.
“We get one again, after which we are a bit too unfastened — it simply gave the look of that,” Foligno stated. “(Columbus is) an offensive workforce. however you smother a workforce like that by way of making them have to come back thru you and no longer giving them the ones alternatives. It simply gave the look of a bit bit an excessive amount of time and house on numerous the ones objectives. We need to rectify this.”
“We by hook or by crook were given sucked into that sport,” Richardson stated. “That is simply (no longer) being disciplined on our sport plan. We need to be more potent in that. Lately used to be the entire ball of wax put in combination. That is the scenario Nick’s speaking about.”
No. 2 goaltender Arvid Soderblom almost definitely will play in opposition to the Maple Leafs. He had two wins in opposition to Toronto ultimate season.
Petr Mrazek began Sunday and allowed 5 objectives on 35 pictures.
–Box Stage Media
