Wanna blog? Start your own hockey blog with My HockeyBuzz. Register for free today!
 

Leafs come up big in win over Blues; New Leafs Convo

December 8, 2019, 12:26 PM ET [485 Comments]
Mike Augello
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
For the latest Leafs updates or on Twitter

The Toronto Maple Leafs got off on the right foot in the first of a four-game road trip with a 5-2 victory over the Stanley Cup Champion St. Louis Blues at the Enterprise Center on Saturday.

Auston Matthews and Zach Hyman tallied twice, Jason Spezza also scored, and Frederik Andersen made 26 saves for his 14th victory of the season in a game which Toronto jumped on a road-weary Blues squad and scored four first period goals. Once again, the Leafs relied heavily on Andersen, who made a number of big saves in the opening minutes to keep St. Louis from scoring.



After taking the lead on Hyman’s fourth goal of the season, the Blues bounced back quickly with a tally from Ivan Barbashev, but Toronto responded with goals from Matthews, a short-handed marker by Hyman, and Spezza’s power-play tally in a span of just over six minutes and chased St. Louis starter Jordan Binnington.

The Leafs special teams were also effective on the night, killing off a pair of Blues power-play opportunities before Matthews extended the lead midway through the middle frame on the man advantage. The goals on Saturday ended a five-game mini-slump for their leading scorer, who is tied for fourth in the league with 18 goals.



“We were able to score goals. In that first period, the puck fell in the net for us, so that was good.” Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said after the game. “It's got to feel good for (Matthews). I didn't think about (his slump) one second. (I had) full confidence it was going to fall in for him. He's too good a player for it not to. He's getting to good a chance for it not to go in. It's just the ebb and flow of the season. A lot of little things I think he has been doing really well and gets rewarded for it today.”



St. Louis attempted to stage a comeback in the third, scoring early on a David Perron deflection to narrow the Toronto lead to 5-2, but Keefe was smartly proactive and called a timeout to get his club on the same page.

“There are some things that we could have done better away from the puck and just managing the game when we had the lead,” Keefe said. “Playing against a team such as (the Blues), they really make it hard on you, you know they're going to push back. I can see us handle that a little bit better than through the start of the second and the start of the third.”

Toronto has two days respite before beginning the Western Canada leg of their road trip in Vancouver against the high-flying Canucks. With days in between games in Calgary (on Thursday) and Edmonton (on Saturday), it is likely that Andersen will start every game.

*******





*******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.*******
Join the Discussion: » 485 Comments » Post New Comment
More from Mike Augello
» Matthews Game-Time Decision; 2023 Draftees Update; Leafs vs. Capitals
» Leafs Frustrated And Immature In Loss To Devils
» Practicing Load Management Down The Stretch; Leafs vs. Devils
» Woll Wonderful In Loss To Canes; Keefe Downplaying Samsonov Injury
» Podcast Sunday – Off The Post Radio