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Maple Leafs report cards: Ryan O’Reilly’s hat trick lifts Leafs past Sabres – The Athletic

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1 year ago

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Ryan O’Reilly must have left a few of his favourite hats back in St. Louis.

Toronto’s new star forward torched one of his former teams by picking up two goals and an assist in the first eight minutes and completed the hat trick with an empty-net goal to seal the game. With an incredible number of Leafs fans making the trip across the border, it’s safe to say that he’ll have no shortage of hats as his team returns home to Toronto.

Mitch Marner was incredible, picking up a career-high five assists. While his box score stats look impressive, he could have easily added a couple more assists with another break or two. John Tavares had four points of his own, including a highlight reel pass on William Nylander’s third-period goal, and the newly formed all-Ontario line was electric. The Sabres attempted a late comeback after falling behind by five goals, but the trio of Tavares, O’Reilly, and Marner was not going to be defeated.

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Let’s get to the grades!

First star

Mitch Marner

This was one of the best games of Marner’s career, and the first period was one of his best of the season. He set O’Reilly up for two goals in the first five minutes, handing his new linemate an empty net and a breakaway. He set Tavares’ goal up a few minutes later and started the play off by forcing a turnover in the neutral zone. Three points in a period is awfully impressive, and it felt like he could have had five.

Marner could have taken the rest of the night off after a first-period hat trick of assists, but he decided to add a fourth with a secondary helper on Nylander’s power-play goal in the second. He made a wicked cross-ice pass to set up Matthews in front on a third-period power play, then set him up again for a deflection off the post seconds later, but Toronto’s star goal scorer wasn’t able to convert on either. He made a strong defensive play while defending a two-goal lead late, then picked up his fifth assist on O’Reilly’s empty-net goal. The five assists are a career-high, but it felt like he could have had eight. It’s tough to overstate how well he played.

Second star

Ryan O’Reilly

O’Reilly returned to the KeyBank Center to play one of his former teams, and he started like he was shot out of a cannon. He scored his first goal as a Leaf just under four minutes in after Marner put the puck on a platter for him in the slot. He thought that was so much fun that he decided to score another just 37 seconds later, ripping a back-hand shot past Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen on a breakaway.

O’Reilly generously took two minutes off from torching his former team, then deflected the puck over to Tavares in front to pick up his third point just over seven minutes in. He just missed the hat trick off a two-on-one with three minutes left, as Craig Anderson slid over to rob him. However, the flurry of hats was meant to be, as O’Reilly won a key face-off in the final minutes, then fought off a couple of Buffalo defenders en route to an empty-net goal. I can’t believe I’m not giving him the first star after he scored a hat trick, but Marner played one of the best games of his career.

Third star

John Tavares

Tavares entered play with four goals in his last five games, and he got on the scoresheet immediately with a couple of secondary assists. He knocked the puck down and passed it to Marner ahead of O’Reilly’s first goal, and he scored from his office to pick up his third point just seven minutes in:

Toronto’s captain wasn’t done there, as he made two wicked passes ahead of Nylander’s power-play goal in the second. With Ilya Lyubushkin on his back, he made a no-look backhand pass to give Matthews time and space in the slot. Tavares ended up grabbing a deflection in front, and when everyone in the building thought he was going to fire a shot, he fooled Craig Anderson by dishing it over to Nylander for a tap-in:

Player reports

A

Noel Acciari

The Leafs owned 85 percent of the five-on-five expected goals in his first two games, and Acciari picked up where he left off with a strong period. He came back to break up a rush chance from Jack Quinn three minutes in, lifting his stick just before he got a shot off. He won an offensive zone puck battle a few minutes later that led to a chance for Zach Aston-Reese, then won another one eight minutes in that led to more sustained pressure.

Acciari was a menace in puck battles and racked up six hits by the second intermission. His line’s minutes were fairly uneventful in terms of chances at both ends, but he looked like a man amongst boys for most of his shifts. He led the Leafs by expected-goals percentage once again.

T.J. Brodie

Brodie was quietly excellent early on, and it was his defensive play in the neutral zone that kick-started the sequence ahead of O’Reilly’s first goal. He had a good chance from the slot six minutes in and made a strong defensive play at the end of the second to break up a rush. Jack Quinn scored off a two-on-one when Brodie was defending, but it’s tough to blame him all that much. The Leafs dominated his minutes by expected-goals percentage, and he wasn’t just a passenger.

A-

Alex Kerfoot

Kerfoot made a sweet pass while behind the net to set up Aston-Reese five minutes in. He drew a penalty on a partial breakaway with six minutes left, and given Toronto’s lead, the power play was better than a penalty shot. The Sabres didn’t generate many chances when he was on the ice, and he continues to look like a great fit with Acciari.

The second pair (Mark Giordano and Timothy Liljegren)

The Leafs had won Liljegren’s minutes by expected goals in five straight games entering play, and Giordano’s minutes in four straight. This pair continued their strong play once again tonight, and neither player was on for a goal against. Liljegren made a nice defensive play on the always shifty Jeff Skinner, then set up Matthews for a deflection opportunity 13 minutes into the second. He continues to look stronger and stronger every month, as he bowled over Zemgus Girgensons to shut down a rush in the second, then briefly knocked Tage Thompson off the puck in the third. Giordano’s point shot five minutes in created a rebound chance for David Kämpf, but both players were ultimately held off the scoresheet.

B+

William Nylander

Nylander was gifted a secondary assist on Bunting’s goal, but he was otherwise left out of Toronto’s first-period rally. He did deserve to have an assist though, as he set up Brodie in the slot six minutes in, then set up Matthews for another good chance seconds later. He just missed on a good chance to start a power play in the second, but Tavares set him up for a tap-in goal seconds later to give Nylander another point. Matthews sent him on a breakaway a few minutes later, but he couldn’t find a way to beat Anderson. He finished with a team-high seven shots on goal.

Auston Matthews

Matthews didn’t find the scoresheet on Sunday against Chicago, and he wasn’t included in any of Toronto’s six goals. He had a good chance off a deflection halfway through the game, and “picked up” a tertiary assist on Nylander’s second-period power-play goal. He set up Nylander for a breakaway chance a few minutes later, but his winger wasn’t able to capitalize. Matthews couldn’t capitalize on a wicked cross-ice pass from Marner while on the power play in the third, and hit the post with a deflection shortly after. He didn’t pick up a point, but he deserved at least one or two.

B

Michael Bunting

With the Leafs out to a 3-0 lead, Bunting took a stretch pass from Morgan Rielly and scored on a breakaway 12 minutes in:

He didn’t stand out much outside of scoring that goal, but I didn’t love his neutral zone defence ahead of Buffalo’s second goal.

B-

Zach Aston-Reese

Aston-Reese was noticeable on the forecheck early on and had a heavy hit on Tyson Jost halfway through the first. Like most games, his minutes were uneventful, but it’s worth noting that his line has played much better since adding Acciari.

Ilya Samsonov

Samsonov was looking for a bounce-back performance after surrendering four goals, but he was left to watch the O’Reilly line score three goals before he even saw a shot. His first shot of the game came 10 minutes in and didn’t test him whatsoever. Buffalo’s two best chances missed the net, and his best save of the period was a glove save on Mattias Samuelsson with two seconds left.

The Sabres came out motivated to start the second and dominated on the shot clock early, but there weren’t exactly a ton of high-danger chances. He was a perfect 19 for 19 through two periods, but his team did a good job of keeping those chances to the outside. He made a decent save on Rasmus Dahlin to start the third, but Buffalo’s 23rd shot of the game beat him, as Jack Quinn made the most of a two-on-one:

Samsonov was beaten again three shots later, as Alex Tuch beat him with a perfectly placed shot to the blocker side off an impressive rush:

Buffalo’s third goal came on their 30th shot of the game, as Jeff Skinner beat Samsonov off the rush:

He finished with 29 saves on 32 shots, including a stick save on Thompson in the final minutes.

C+

The third line (Pierre Engvall, David Kämpf, and Calle Järnkrok)

Engvall’s screen in front led to an A+ chance for Kämpf five minutes in, and he stole the puck on the forecheck to set up a high-danger chance for Järnkrok to begin the second. Unfortunately, he was involved in Buffalo’s first goal, as he made an iffy turnover and couldn’t get back to break up a rush chance. He set up Kerfoot for a partial breakaway with six minutes left, but Henri Jokiharju broke up the chance by taking a hooking penalty. He also set up O’Reilly on a two-on-one with three minutes left, but Anderson robbed Toronto’s new forward of a hat trick.

The entire line wasn’t overly impactful, and they were hemmed in at the end of the first. Rasmus Dahlin made Järnkrok look silly by dancing around him to start the third, but Samsonov had his back, and the Leafs were no worse for wear. However, he made up for it by beating out an icing call and wasting valuable seconds while defending a two-goal lead in the final minutes.

Conor Timmins

The Sabres generated next to nothing during his minutes in the first two periods, but he took a cross-checking penalty to start the third. He then got caught on an iffy pinch that led to a two-on-one and a Quinn goal. The Sabres didn’t generate many chances during his minutes, but I think that was mostly because of his partner.

C-

The first pair (Morgan Rielly and Justin Holl)

Rielly had two beautiful primary assists against Chicago and picked up another with a first-period stretch pass that set up Bunting for a breakaway goal. Unfortunately his defensive game wasn’t quite as impressive, as Alex Tuch beat him to the outside ahead of Buffalo’s second goal. His poor rush defence was on display once again while defending a two goal lead in the final minutes, as Thompson had a great chance in part because Rielly was out of position. He was Toronto’s worst defencemen in terms of five-on-five expected-goals percentage. Holl had a heavy hit on Girgensons six minutes into the second to shut down an entry attempt, but Skinner snuck by him ahead of his third-period goal.

Game Score

Final grade: A

The Leafs took their foot off the gas pedal after taking a five-goal lead into the second intermission, but they were dominant early on that it didn’t matter. The O’Reilly line scored three goals before the Sabres even had a shot on goal. Toronto’s power play looked dominant, and players like T.J. Brodie, Noel Acciari, and Alex Kerfoot impressed even though they failed to get on the scoresheet. Auston Matthews played a fine game, yet it felt like he was the second-line centre.

Plenty of Leafs fans always make the trip to Buffalo, but tonight was on another level. There was plenty of energy in the building as fans wanted to see O’Reilly play in person for the first time, and Toronto’s big addition wasted no time putting on a show. Sheldon Keefe looks like a genius for sticking with the all-Ontario second line, and while it remains to be seen what the optimal lineup will be come playoff time, the trio proved that they are capable of dominating their opposition. The Leafs didn’t get an A effort from everyone, but Marner in particular was absolutely incredible.

What’s next for the Leafs?

Heading home to take on the Minnesota Wild on Friday at 7 p.m. on TSN.

(Top photo: Timothy T. Ludwig / USA Today)

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NHL teams, take note: Alexandar Georgiev is proof that anything can happen in the playoffs

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10 hours ago

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April 24, 2024

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It’s hard to say when, exactly, Alexandar Georgiev truly began to win some hearts and change some minds on Tuesday night.

Maybe it was in the back half of the second period; that was when the Colorado Avalanche, for the first time in their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series against the Winnipeg Jets, actually managed to hold a lead for more than, oh, two minutes or thereabouts. Maybe it was when the Avs walked into the locker room up 4-2 with 20 minutes to play.

Maybe it was midway through the third, when a series of saves by the Avalanche’s beleaguered starting goaltender helped preserve their two-goal buffer. Maybe it was when the buzzer sounded after their 5-2 win. Maybe it didn’t happen until the Avs made it into their locker room at Canada Life Centre, tied 1-1 with the Jets and headed for Denver.

At some point, though, it should’ve happened. If you were watching, you should’ve realized that Colorado — after a 7-6 Game 1 loss that had us all talking not just about all those goals, but at least one of the guys who’d allowed them — had squared things up, thanks in part to … well, that same guy.

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Georgiev, indeed, was the story of Game 2, stopping 28 of 30 shots, improving as the game progressed and providing a lesson on how quickly things can change in the playoffs — series to series, game to game, period to period, moment to moment. The narrative doesn’t always hold. Facts don’t always cooperate. Alexandar Georgiev, for one night and counting, was not a problem for the Colorado Avalanche. He was, in direct opposition to the way he played in Game 1, a solution. How could we view him as anything else?

He had a few big-moment saves, and most of them came midway through the third period with his team up 4-2. There he was with 12:44 remaining, stopping a puck that had awkwardly rolled off Nino Niederreiter’s stick; two missed posts by the Avs at the other end had helped spring Niederreiter for a breakaway. Game 1 Georgiev doesn’t make that save.

There he was, stopping Nikolaj Ehlers from the circle a few minutes later. There wasn’t an Avs defender within five feet, and there was nothing awkward about the puck Ehlers fired at his shoulder. Game 1 Georgiev gets scored on twice.

(That one might’ve been poetic justice. It was Ehlers who’d put the first puck of the night on Georgiev — a chip from center ice that he stopped, and that the crowd in Winnipeg greeted with the ol’ mock cheer. Whoops.)

By the end of it all, Georgiev had stared down Connor Hellebuyck and won, saving nearly 0.5 goals more than expected according to Natural Stat Trick, giving the Avalanche precisely what they needed and looking almost nothing like the guy we’d seen a couple days before. Conventional wisdom coming into this series was twofold: That the Avs have firepower, high-end talent and an overall edge — slight as it may be — on Winnipeg, and that Georgiev is shaky enough to nuke the whole thing.

That wasn’t without merit, either. Georgiev’s .897 save percentage in the regular season was six percentage points below the league average, and he hadn’t broken even in expected goals allowed (minus-0.21). He’d been even worse down the stretch, putting up an .856 save percentage in his final eight appearances, and worse still in Game 1, allowing seven goals on 23 shots and more than five goals more than expected. That’s not bad; that’s an oil spill. Writing him off would’ve been understandable. Writing off Jared Bednar for rolling him out there in Game 2 would’ve been understandable. Writing the Avs off — for all of Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar’s greatness — would’ve been understandable.

It just wouldn’t have been correct.

The fact that this all went down now, four days into a two-month ordeal, is a gift — because the postseason thus far has been short on surprises, almost as a rule. The Rangers and Oilers are overwhelming the Capitals and Kings. The Hurricanes are halfway done with the Islanders. The Canucks are struggling with the Predators. Panthers–Lightning is tight, but one team is clearly better than the other. Bruins–Maple Leafs is a close matchup featuring psychic baggage that we don’t have time to unpack. In Golden Knights–Stars, Mark Stone came back and scored a huge goal.

None of that should shock you. None of that should make you blink.

Georgiev being good enough for Colorado, though? After what we saw in Game 1? Strange, surprising and completely true. For now.

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"Laugh it off": Evander Kane says Oilers won’t take the bait against Kings | Offside

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21 hours ago

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April 23, 2024

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The LA Kings tried every trick in the book to get the Edmonton Oilers off their game last night.

Hacks after the whistle, punches to the face, and interference with line changes were just some of the things that the Oilers had to endure, and throughout it all, there was not an ounce of retaliation.

All that badgering by the Kings resulted in at least two penalties against them and fuelled a red-hot Oilers power play that made them pay with three goals on four chances. That was by design for Edmonton, who knew that LA was going to try to pester them as much as they could.

That may have worked on past Oilers teams, but not this one.

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“We’ve been in a series now for the third year in a row with these guys,” Kane said after practice this morning. “We know them, they know us… it’s one of those things where maybe it makes it a little easier to kind of laugh it off, walk away, or take a shot.

“That type of stuff isn’t gonna affect us.”

Once upon a time, this type of play would get under the Oilers’ skin and result in retaliatory penalties. Yet, with a few hard-knock lessons handed down to them in the past few seasons, it seems like the team is as determined as ever to cut the extracurriculars and focus on getting revenge on the scoreboard.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the longest-tenured player on this Oilers team, had to keep his emotions in check with Kings defender Vladislav Gavrikov, who punched him in the face early in the game. The easy reaction would be to punch back, but the veteran Nugen-Hopkins took his licks and wound up scoring later in the game.

“It’s going to be physical, the emotions are high, and there’s probably going to be some stuff after the whistle,” Nugent-Hopkins told reporters this morning. “I think it’s important to stay poised out there and not retaliate and just play through the whistles and let the other stuff just kind of happen.”

Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch also noticed his team’s discipline. Playoff hockey is full of emotion, and keeping those in check to focus on the larger goal is difficult. He was happy with how his team set the tone.

“It’s not necessarily easy to do,” Knoblauch said. “You get punched in the face and sometimes the referees feel it’s enough to call a penalty, sometimes it’s not… You just have to take them, and sometimes, you get rewarded with the power play.

“I liked our guy’s response and we want to be sticking up for each other, we want to have that pack mentality, but it’s really important that we’re not the ones taking that extra penalty.”

There is no doubt that the Kings will continue to poke and prod at the Oilers as the series continues. Keeping those retaliations in check will only get more difficult, but if the team can continue to succeed on the scoreboard, it could get easier.

 

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Thatcher Demko injured, out for Game 2 between Canucks and Predators

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22 hours ago

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April 23, 2024

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Thatcher Demko returned from injury just in time for the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs but now is injured again.

After the Vancouver Canucks’ victory in Game 1, Demko was not made available to the media as he was “receiving treatment.” This is not unusual, so was not heavily reported at the time. Monday’s practice was turned into an optional skate — just nine players participated — so Demko’s absence did not seem particularly significant.

But when Demko was also missing from Tuesday’s gameday skate, alarm bells started going off.

According to multiple reports — and now the Canucks’ head coach, Rick Tocchet —Demko will not play in Game 2 and is in fact questionable for the rest of their series against the Nashville Predators.

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Demko made 22 saves on 24 shots, none bigger — and potentially injury-inducing — than his first-period save on Anthony Beauvillier where he went into the full splits.

While this is not necessarily where Demko got injured, it would be understandable if it was. Demko still stayed in the game and didn’t seem to be experiencing any difficulties at the time.

Demko is a major difference-maker for the Canucks and his injury casts a pall over the team’s emotional Game 1 victory.

Tocchet confirmed that Demko will not start in Game 2 but said Demko did skate on Monday on his own. He also said that Demko’s injury is unrelated to the knee injury he suffered during the season that caused him to miss five weeks. Instead, Tocchet suggested Demko was day-to-day, leaving open the possibility for his return in the first round.

TSN’s Farhan Lalji, however, has reported that Demko’s injury could indeed be to the same knee, even if it is not the same exact injury.

If Demko does indeed miss the rest of the series, the pressure will be on Casey DeSmith, who had a strong season when called upon intermittently as the team’s backup but struggled when thrust into the number-one role when Demko was injured. Behind DeSmith is rookie Arturs Silovs, who has come through with heroic performances in international competition for Latvia but hasn’t been able to repeat those performances at the NHL level.

DeSmith played one game against the Predators this season, making 26 saves on 28 shots in a 5-2 victory in December.

While DeSmith has limited experience in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, his one appearance was spectacular.

On May 3, 2022, DeSmith had to step in for the injured Tristan Jarry for the Pittsburgh Penguins, starting their first postseason game against the New York Rangers. DeSmith made 48 saves on 51 shots before leaving the game in the second overtime with an injury of his own, with Louis Domingue stepping in to make 17 more saves for the win.

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