maple leafs

Leafs handle hapless Flyers, playoff matchup picture cloudy; New Convo

Apr 20, 2022 • 9:46 pm

Be sure to like HockeyBuzz on facebook! For the latest Leafs updates or Follow @mikeinbuffalo on Twitter *******If you are interested in sponsorship or advertising your business in the Greater Toronto / Southern Ontario area on this column, please send a message for more information by clicking on the “Contact… button at the top of the page.******* The Toronto Maple Leafs were slowly able to build momentum after a sluggish start, scoring three second-period goals in a 5-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday, which enabled the Blue and White to strengthen their hold on second place in the Atlantic Division and home-ice advantage in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Timothy Liljegren, William Nylander, Jason Spezza, David Kampf, and Ilya Mikheyev scored for Toronto, and Jack Campbell was sharp in a 37-save performance, earning his 30th win of the season for the first time in his NHL career. “(Campbell) was locked in.… Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said after the game. “It was great to see. We gave up more shots than we would have liked today as a team. I think you can talk to Jack and to goalie coach Steve Briere, you want those shots. You want that work, especially tonight when Jack is feeling the way that he was. That’s the biggest takeaway I’ll take out of the game today is Jack looked great.… After a dreadful opening period in which they were outshot 15-12, the Leafs took the lead early in the middle frame on Liljegren’s fifth goal of the season. Former Leaf James van Riemsdyk tied the game, but Toronto responded with a power-play marker from Nylander and a brilliant goal from Spezza, combining with veterans Wayne Simmonds and Mark Giordano for the oldest three-player combo to team up for a goal this season. Kampf added his career-high 11th goal on a deflection of an Ilya Lyubushkin point shot to increase the lead and Mikheyev iced the game away with his 18th goal into an empty net. The victory combined with Tampa Bay’s 4-3 loss to Detroit in regulation increased the Leafs lead over the Lightning to eight points. Toronto has five games remaining, including their final regular-season match with the Stanley Cup Champions at Amalie Arena.

Barring a departure from their recent red-hot record in the next nine days, Toronto appears to have home-ice advantage well in hand for the first round, but who their opponent will be is more in question with the Lightning’s loss and Boston winning 3-2 in overtime on a Charlie McAvoy goal. With the win, the Bruins move to within one point of Tampa with six games remaining. The two clubs do not face each other again this season, but both face Toronto, which gives the Leafs the ability to determine who they will play in the post-season next month. *******