TORONTO – You want run-and-gun? Let’s go.
You want to clog it up? That’s fine, too.
Need our much-maligned backup to stand on his head? Well, that can be arranged.
On the burner, Sheldon Keefe’s Toronto Maple Leafs have ripped through the heart of the holidays — now 9-0-1 in their past 10 games — adapting to consecutive opponents as diverse as the fire-packing Jets and the wet-blanket Islanders looks as easy as setting a new benchmark for the most victories within the first 20 games as head coach of a 102-year-old franchise.
In defeating Lou Lamoriello’s New York Islanders 3-0 Saturday night, Kyle Dubas’s Maple Leafs improved to 15-4-1 under Keefe, whose early-career record surpassed a benchmark set by coach Hap Day way back in 1940-41.
The Islanders, staunch in their identity since early October, kept highlights to a minimum and pucks to the outside, gumming up the neutral zone, outshooting the Leafs, and doing their damnedest to sponge up as much of Toronto’s skill as possible.
“It’s pretty clear what the Islanders are good at. They’re very good at it,” Keefe said. “We’re going to have to try to make it so that the things that we’re good at and our strengths are coming to the forefront.”
So, credit Toronto’s patience. And its knack for finish.
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The Leafs didn’t get anxious enough to force the issue and pounced on the tiny windows New York allowed.
John Tavares, who’s captained both squads, considered just stingy his former club has become since his departure and Barry Trotz’s arrival.
“When I was there, we weren’t very good defensively to now probably being the best defensive team—extremely organized,” Tavares said. “They have a lot of trust in their back end.”
After 33 minutes and 25 seconds of goal-free, lullaby hockey, speedster Kasperi Kapanen dangled 13-game rookie Noah Dobson on the rush and set up linemate Pierre Engvall for a beautiful goal in stride.
“He’s been an offensive producer most of his life. Coming into pro hockey caught him off-guard a little bit when we tried to put him in defensive situations and penalty kill and checking against other teams’ best players. He’s always felt he had more to give offensively, and we agreed with that,” Keefe explained.
“Because of the way he skates and his strength, he puts himself in good spots to get shots off — and he has the ability to beat goalies.”
Even with injured forwards Trevor Moore (concussion) and Andreas Johnsson (leg) both back skating, we can’t foresee the gangly-smooth Engvall returning to the Marlies anytime soon.
“He can fly, that’s for sure,” Mason Marchment added.
“He’s a gazelle.”
Isles defenceman Johnny Boychuk came with a rung post of immediately tying the game, but the when the puck went the other way, Auston Matthews tipped a hard Mitchell Marner pass high in tight to give the home side a 2-0 lead that felt like more on a night so scarce on scoring chances.
Matthews 28th gives him nine in his past nine and surely brought a smile to his new BFF, Justin Bieber, who was in the house.
As pretty as the Leafs goals were, however, more impressive was their own defensive game, as they too limited the Isles’ Grade-A opportunities and let Michael Hutchinson’s right-handed catching glove gobble up the rest.
Surely, Mathew Barzal and Josh Bailey will both be cursing that odd-handed trapper as they try to fall asleep.
The win marked Hutchinson’s third in row and was sound-tracked by jubilant “Let’s! Go! Hutch!” chants from the third-period crowd.
More important, the win arrived on the No. 2’s first start all season that wasn’t half of a back-to-back, supplying all-star Frederik Andersen with some extra rest ahead of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl’s annual trip into town Tuesday.
“We’re well aware of the fact that we need to get some more games out of our backup,” Keefe said.
“If we didn’t get Freddie a rest this week, there probably wouldn’t be one until after the break.”
At the pace the Leafs are charging up the standings, who needs a break
