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The Toronto Maple Leafs had been showing signs of slippage in their defensive game, allowing 22 goals against and losing three of their last five contests to Minnesota, Winnipeg and Tampa Bay, but in the first of their three-game Western road swing, the Leafs rediscovered their mojo in an energetic and determined 5-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place on Tuesday.
Auston Matthews scored twice to reach the 20-goal mark for the sixth straight season, Wayne Simmonds, TJ Brodie, and Morgan Rielly scored and Jack Campbell made 35 saves for Toronto, who registered their 20th win of the campaign and moved the Leafs into top spot in the NHL standings with 42 points.
As they did numerous times last season, Toronto was able to put the brakes on Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, limiting the NHL’s dynamic scoring duo to five shots on goal and no points in the game.
“I thought our guys did a really good job of capitalizing on our chances, making good on them and thought we played a really disciplined game defensively. At times we defended more than we would have liked, but (I) thought we did a good job of doing the things that we were looking to do before the game, which was to limit space and the speed of their best players.… Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said after the game. “I loved our response in the third period after giving up that goal and getting it right back. We had the edge in special teams, our goaltending was strong and we scored goals at 5-on-5.…
Toronto weathered an Edmonton onslaught in the middle frame (outshot 15-7), but extended their lead to 3-0 on goals from Simmonds and Brodie. The Oilers only flicker occurred early in the third after Colton Sceviour got the home team on the scoreboard, but that was quickly doused by Rielly’s goal made possible by a speedy dash from William Nylander, who outraced McDavid to set up the Leafs defenseman for his fourth of the year.
Brett Seney played 7:10 in his first game with the Leafs after being recalled earlier this week, but according to Keefe suffered a finger injury that could keep him out for a significant period of time.
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The Leafs are still awaiting word on the appeal of Jason Spezza’s six-game suspension for the head hit on Winnipeg’s Neil Pionk. Spezza has missed four games since the incident and Toronto does not play again until Saturday in Vancouver, but based on how slow the wheels are turning at the NHL offices, it is unknown when the decision will be made.
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Lot’s of â¤ï¸ for the 💙ðŸ¤
— Norman James (@IamNormanJames) April 26, 2021
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