TAMPA — On Tuesday morning, with the ink barely dry on his new four-year contract, Jake Muzzin talked about closing the generation gap on the Maple Leafs.
Basically it was a call for the oldest and most talented on the team to guide those who have never been in the pressure of a stretch run to the playoffs with many doubting Toronto’s chances.
“That’s (on) everyone, bringing the younger guys as well,” Muzzin said. “We have to give them no option but to come with us.”
With Muzzin missing the third period with a hand injury of undetermined severity, the kids, particularly defencemen Travis Dermott, Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren, might have to mature even quicker. The trio and the much-maligned Tyson Barrie were under the gun, but kept their cool in limiting the Lightning to one final-frame goal and hanging on for a badly needed 4-3 win.
“We battled through and I think we did a good job,” said Sandin, who was a combined minus-4 with fellow rookie partner Liljegren entering the third. “We got help from the forwards, too.
“Jake is one of the guys who really helped us, took us under his wing, talked to us in all different ways. He’s important for all our defencemen, but especially the younger ones.”
Coach Sheldon Keefe, who is highly secretive about injuries, said Muzzin was getting X-rays and more would be known Wednesday morning. The injury came on a second period shot block and given Muzzin’s usual reluctance to leave games in the heat of battle, that’s not encouraging.
“We’re really going to have to embrace the next man up,” said Barrie, noting defencemen Morgan Rielly and Cody Ceci are out at least a couple of more weeks. “This showed a lot of character, having Muzz go down, then grinding out a third period is a really good sign for us. They make a big push in the third, but we don’t break like we have in the past.”
After being the butt of NHL jokes for losing to a 42-year-old rink attendant goalie on Saturday, the Leafs managed to strengthen their playoff position on the Panthers, pending Florida’s game in Arizona.
The Leafs were guilty of icing the puck too much early on and it led to Nikita Kucherov’s 30th goal, with big guns Steve Stamkos and Victor Hedman assisting. But aiding Toronto’s cause was a nagging injury to Stamkos that took him out of the third period and its excellent special teams. The Leafs killed all three power plays, one in the third and produced two nice ones themselves via John Tavares and then William Nylander’s fancy between-the-legs deke, roofing it on Andrei Vasilevskiy. Frederik Andersen’s 26 saves provided a further cushion, half of them in the final period.
“We get scored on first and don’t let it snowball and make some tactical adjustments,” Keefe praised. “The guys caught on quickly and we got ourselves a lead (2-1 and 4-2), finding a way to get it done and not cracking. We did a nice job of protecting the net.
“This was a rough game for the young guys, even before Muzz left, with the match-ups (Tampa) have. But they got better as the game went on, more comfortable. By the third period, you have to play them.”
The Leafs beat big Vasilevskiy from long range. Muzzin’s point shot found its way in, ditto for Barrie’s on a Tavares power-play tip-in.
Less than a minute after fourth-liner Patrick Maroon tied it on a double deflection, Nylander sent Tavares through the slot for a nice backhander.
Barrie had his second assist of the night on Nylander’s goal. Earlier, Barrie stressed a fast start to put Saturday’s third-period nightmare of David Ayres behind them. Not easy when the former MLSE employee was still being feted in the mass media. Talk show host Stephen Colbert had him on The Late Show on Monday night, preceded by a graphic of Leafs’ Zach Hyman shooting at a Zamboni driven across the crease by Ayres
“We need a bounce back,” said an understated Barrie. “It’s disappointing we haven’t reached our expectations yet, but we have a lot more to give. If we can hit stride and get hot at the right time, it sets up well for us.”
Barrie wasn’t sure if he’d still be a Leaf for this game, but the trade deadline passed him by. He did not ask for a trade, but in his situation, a sub-par first year as a Leaf and no contract after July 1, it wouldn’t have been shocking.
“It was touch and go for a couple of days, but I’m glad I made it through. I had a good chat with Kyle (Dubas) and we’re moving on. He believes in me.”
Muzzin, with a new deal carrying an AAV of $5.625 million US, said he’s committed to seeing himself and the Leafs realize those pre-season predictions of getting in the playoffs and making noise.
“Kyle brought in pieces earlier (Kyle Clifford and Jack Campbell) and he believes in this group. I know there was a big fuss (about Ayres), but it wasn’t losing to him, it was losing to a good team that out-played us. When we get away from being connected, you get results like that.”
The Leafs have a chance to put even more distance between themselves and the Panthers in Sunrise on Thursday.
lhornby@postmedia.com
