Tyler Bozak’s pair of third period goals propelled the Maple Leafs to a 4-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings, capping off a strange week in which Toronto put forth impressive efforts against two Atlantic Division rivals after a lopsided 9-2 loss to Nashville last Tuesday.
The Leafs were ineffective for most of the first 40 minutes of Saturday night’s contest, generating only 18 shots on Wings goalie Jimmy Howard and beating him only once, on Leo Komarov’s second goal of the season.
The Wings had the better of the chances in a disjointed middle frame and tied the game on Tomas Tatar’s club-leading ninth goal, but Toronto took the lead for good early in the third with defenseman Stephane Robidas serving a minor for boarding. Bozak stole the puck from point man Niklas Kronwall and beat Howard on the backhand for Toronto’s fourth short-handed goal of the season.
Peter Holland extended the lead late in the third on an impressive individual effort and Bozak scored into an empty net to ice the game away for the Leafs, who move to 11-8-2 on the year.
Jonathan Bernier made 26 saves for his seventh win of the season and has gone 4-2 since November 8, starting six of the last seven games.
Toronto defenseman Roman Polak left the game after suffering a lower body injury just prior to Tatar’s goal and did not return. The 28-year-old blueliner(second on the club in average TOI with 21:06) appeared to injure his left ankle after Tatar rolled over it in the corner and had to be helped from the ice.
Leafs coach Randy Carlyle indicated following the game that Polak would have an MRI on Sunday to determine the extent of the injury and that the results would be revealed Monday, but that it is expected he would be out “awhile”. With Toronto only carrying six defensemen, they will have to call up someone from the Toronto Marlies, but injuries will be a factor in that decision as well.
Rookie Stuart Percy played well in an eight-game stint with the Leafs earlier in the year, but struggled in his return to the Marlies(no points in four games and going -7 during the AHL affiliate’s recent eight-game road trip) and suffered an injury in practice during the week.
Sophomore Petter Granberg has also missed the last three games for the Marlies due to an undisclosed injury.
"They could be a little bit longer term." Marlies coach Gord Dineen said following a 5-1 loss to Hamilton on Sunday afternoon. "We'll see how it goes. That's probably going to be determined a little bit more (Monday) when they are further assessed."
The recall of veteran Korbinian Holzer is most likely and would not necessitate moving Dion Phaneuf to the right side, as the German-born defenseman is a right hand shot like Polak, but prior to the weekend home-and-home with the Bulldogs, Holzer played only one game during the Marlies lengthy road swing and did not play as an emergency recall last Saturday in Buffalo.
Swedish rookies Viktor Loov and Tom Nilsson might be considered as options for the Leafs. The 6'2" 194 lb Loov opened the eyes of Leafs management at the rookie tournament in London, ON and during training camp with his hitting and skating ability, to the extent that they chose to keep him in North America to further his development instead of returning to MODO in the SHL. The 21-year-old leads the Marlies in defensive scoring with two goals and five assists in 17 games.
The right-handed shooting Nilsson is predominately a stay-at-home defenseman and has one goal and two assists in 17 games, including a helper on Matt Frattin's goal on Sunday.
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David Booth had a successful two-game conditioning stint with the Marlies and is on track to make his Leafs debut in Pittsburgh on Wednesday. The former Florida Panther and Vancouver Canuck winger scored Toronto's only goal in Hamilton on Friday and led the Marlies with seven shots on goal on Sunday.
"He had a little rust on him in the first game, but I thought tonight certainly early on he had his chances." Dineen said. "Once he gets a little rhythm to his game, he's going to be burying those."
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