Maple Leafs overpower lowly San Jose Sharks in lop-sided victory

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You would possibly need to test the Maple Leafs’ struggles in opposition to inferior NHL groups on the door.

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That the Leafs have had bother with the NHL’s lesser golf equipment is not any secret, in fact.

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There was nothing comparable with the unhealthy — actually unhealthy — San Jose Sharks in consecutive video games. 

Three nights after proudly owning the Sharks in a 4-1 win in San Jose, the Leafs crushed them at Scotiabank Enviornment on Tuesday, cruising to a 7-1 victory. 

Toronto has received 4 in a row and in successful each ends of the house and residential prolonged the Sharks’ dropping streak to 12 video games. All 12 losses for the NHL-worst Sharks have are available in regulation.

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The sport on Tuesday amounted to a glorified follow for the Leafs. The guests had been by no means in it, scoring their solely objective after Toronto constructed a 4-0 lead.

The Leafs scored seven objectives in a sport for the fourth time in 2023-24.

Our takeaways:

STARS ALIGN

A trio of Leafs within the operating for the All-Star Sport on residence ice received in on the motion.

William Nylander was main all skaters in fan voting on Tuesday and had three assists the day after he signed an eight-year, $92-million US contract that begins in 2024-25. As he has in opposition to any and all opponents this season, Nylander was a think about driving the play in opposition to the Sharks. We’ve got to remind ourselves typically that Nylander actually doesn’t have the puck on a string. It simply seems that means so typically.

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Mitch Marner (fifth in fan voting as of Tuesday) and Morgan Rielly (eleventh in fan voting) scored the form of objectives that assist set them aside. 

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Marner’s objective 54 seconds into the second got here off a deflection that had some artwork to it. A shot by Jake McCabe would have gone broad if not for Marner, who received his stick on the shot, sufficient to allow the puck to squeeze previous Sharks goalie Kaapo Kahkonen. 

Marner had two objectives and two assists for his third four-point sport of the season. He now has 598 profession factors shifting him one previous Frank Mahovlich into seventh on the Leafs’ franchise listing.

Rielly’s offensive instincts kicked in when he discovered open ice within the first, was fed by Nylander and went excessive on a screened Kahkonen.

Auston Matthews, already within the All-Star Sport as chosen by the NHL, scored his thirty first objective in 37 video games.

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DEPTH RISES

Pontus Holmberg, of all individuals, scored one of many Leafs’ prettiest objectives of the season. 

We imply that with no disrespect towards the bottom-six ahead. 

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Holmberg, who had no objectives in his first 11 video games with the Leafs this season after he scored 5 in 37 with the membership in 2022-23, blew previous Sharks defenceman Kyle Burroughs and with one hand on his stick flipped the puck previous Kahkonen at 2:06 of the second. It delivered to thoughts the form of objective that Sidney Crosby scores each season or so for the Pittsburgh Penguins. It’s troublesome to do and takes a mixture of power and ability.

The objective chased Kahkonen, who allowed 4 objectives on 20 Leafs photographs. In got here Mackenzie Blackwood in reduction.

Talking of depth, Nick Robertson was within the lineup after he was scratched for the previous two video games and used his deadly shot to attain a power-play objective within the third interval. Robertson changed Noah Gregor, who missed the sport due to sickness.

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We’ll be curious to see if Robertson stays in as soon as Gregor returns.

“I feel he has proven that he can play within the league,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe mentioned in reference to Robertson. “Additionally, I don’t know that he’s actually absolutely separated himself from the pack. That’s the subsequent piece. I’ve talked to him in regards to the significance of taking good care of the puck.”

On the blue-line, McCabe, who had one objective in his earlier 31 video games, scored and had two assists. It marked the second time in his NHL profession and first since December 2017 that he had three factors in a sport. Simon Benoit briefly left within the third interval to get repairs after he was high-sticked by Scott Sabourin. Earlier, Benoit picked up his first help of the season.

JONES, AGAIN

Whereas the sport may need appeared like the fitting one to offer Dennis Hildeby his first NHL begin, the Leafs caught with veteran Martin Jones.

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As Joseph Woll recovers from a sprained ankle and Ilya Samsonov works with Toronto Marlies goalie coach Hannu Toivonen and the Leafs’ growth workers, Jones has began the previous 5 video games and 9 of the previous 11. Hardly ever has he faltered.

“I feel he’s dealing with (the workload) nice,” Keefe mentioned. “I feel he’s feeling good and rested and clearly assured. Straightforward resolution to maintain him going (in opposition to the Sharks).”

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Jones made 22 saves on Tuesday.

One would possibly argue that the Leafs run the chance of Jones getting injured with the variety of begins he’s getting, however as Keefe identified, he had performed simply as soon as within the earlier 5 days due to Toronto’s mild schedule.

Nonetheless, there stays some reluctance on the a part of the Leafs to offer Hildeby a go. It’s unlikely to occur in New York in opposition to the Islanders on Thursday and definitely not at residence in opposition to the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday. Maybe on Sunday when the Detroit Purple Wings go to to finish a uncommon back-to-back residence set for Toronto? Possibly.

As a lot as Jones has been sharp, it doesn’t do a lot good for Hildeby to have him sit for so long as he has. With neither Woll nor Samsonov on the horizon, an harm to Jones can be, nicely, unlucky. 

tkoshan@postmedia.com

X: @koshtorontosun

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