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The Toronto Maple Leafs have relied mostly on their core group to carry the majority of their offensive burden this season and have not been getting significant contributions from the bottom six or blueline. but in their 4-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday, the Leafs got goals from both.
Auston Matthews scored his 45th of the season and Zach Hyman tied his career-high with an empty netter, but the key goals of the game came from Frederik Gauthier (who opened the scoring less than three minutes into the game) and Martin Marincin , whose game-winner 18 seconds into the third period was his first NHL goal in nearly a calendar year.
“The depth guys today did a great job for us. Not only providing offence but they gave us good shifts, worked hard, carried play for us, for the most part, when they were out there.… Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said after the game. “Marty [Marincin] did a good job all game, and yet had a tough stretch to end the second period there and he got quite tired. I believe his minutes were reaching a minute for [that shift]. He regrouped and made a big-time play there. I've come to only expect highlight reels from Marty with the Marlies.…
The game resembled the Leafs previous match in Florida, with a fairly wide-open and undisciplined first period and a more disciplined final 40 minutes. Both Thatcher Demko and Frederik Andersen were not sharp early on and victimized by poor defensive play, as Gauthier, Tyler Motte, Matthews and Tanner Pearson scored goals on just 16 shots, but Andersen stopped 20 shots in the second and third period to register his third straight victory.
The victory increased the Leafs hold on third place in the Atlantic Division, as Florida lost 3-2 in a shootout to Chicago on Saturday afternoon. Toronto now leads the Panthers by five points with Florida using up their game in hand against Calgary on Sunday, and are also even with the New York Islanders and two points ahead of Columbus in the race for an Eastern Conference wildcard spot.
Toronto now heads out on the road for three straight in California this week; on Tuesday in San Jose, and back-to-backs on Thursday in Los Angeles, and Friday in Anaheim. The Golden State trio are at the bottom of the Western Conference standings and moved out significant players from their rosters prior to last Monday’s trade deadline, but the Leafs cannot afford to take these clubs for granted.
“We've got to win our games. That's really all we can focus on thus all we need to take care of.… Keefe said. “We're going to play against teams (on the West Coast this week) when you look at the standings that you're going to think that there's real opportunity there for us. But we've been watching those teams and looking at it. They've been playing good hockey and they've beaten good teams. (They are) going to be competitive games. They're important games for us, nonetheless. We've done pretty well on the road. Obviously, this week we did really well on the road.…
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— Norman James (@IamNormanJames) March 1, 2020
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