The Toronto Maple Leafs snapped their two-game losing skid on the strength of a good start and a bounce back performance from Frederik Andersen in a 4-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena in Raleigh, NC on Tuesday.
Unlike the loss to the Canes last month, where Toronto surrendered an NHL record 29 shots in the first period, the Leafs dominated the opening 20 minutes and outshot Carolina 15-8, with fourth liner Tyler Ennis scoring to give Toronto the early lead.
Veteran Justin Williams tied the game on a Hurricanes power play midway through the second, but the Leafs re-took the lead for good just over a minute later, as Morgan Rielly’s centering pass was redirected by defenseman Dougie Hamilton past Carolina goalie Petr Mrazek.
William Nylander assisted on both Rielly and Patrick Marleau’s third period goal, registering his first two points of the season, and John Tavares scored his club-leading 19th goal of the season in his 700th NHL game.
“It's going to take (Nylander) time. Let's not get carried away.” Leafs coach Mike Babcock said after the game. “They're all fine as long as the ice is open, but as soon as it's in contact and you've got to keep your legs going, you get stuck out on a shift. He took a penalty the one time he got stuck out on a shift. It's hard for you. It's going to take some time.”
Andersen made 28 saves on the night for his league-leading 17th win, rebounding from his worst effort of the season in Boston against the offensively challenged Hurricanes, who continue to flounder with just 72 goals scored (30th in the NHL) in 29 games.
With the Leafs still in need of adding blueline help and Carolina headed for another non-playoff finish and looking for offense, it is likely that Toronto will continue to eye veterans like Justin Faulk or Brett Pesce before the February 25th trade deadline in exchange for one of the club’s young forwards.
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Where the Leafs offered former Olympian Alex Pietrangelo in a deal for William Nylander????
In his 31 Thoughts column, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman believes that it is possible that the St. Louis Blues floated Pietrangelo as part of an offer for the unsigned William Nylander, but that that Toronto decided to keep the 22-year-old winger because he is six years younger than the Blues captain.
In a potential deal for Nylander, Leafs GM Kyle Dubas would prefer to bring back a comparably aged defenseman with term remaining on a deal to provide cost certainty. Pietrangelo becomes an unrestricted free agent after next season and will undoubtedly be looking for a long-term extension at a price point higher than what Jake Gardiner would attract in free agency next summer.
Friedman indicates that the Leafs are continuing to do their due diligence on defensemen that may be on the market in the next two months and would prefer blueliners with term left.
Since the cost for rental options will be prohibitive and they only address the Leafs need on defense for just the rest of this season, it makes more sense that Dubas would prefer getting help for more than one playoff run if it entails giving up a high draft and/or young prospects.
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Push back from the Maple Leafs produces a NOICE win.
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