3 Leafs-Canadiens picks: Hildeby, Laughton’s efforts wasted, power play remains a mess

Considering how close the division standings are, the Leafs can take solace in securing at least one point while blowing a chance to rise through the Atlantic against a Canadiens team that has been insanely inconsistent.

Cole Caufield opened the scoring for the Canadiens on a power play. Scott Laughton responded for the Maple Leafs with his third goal in as many games, ripping a slap shot off the rush, short-handed, breathing new life into the game. After an overtime period in which Hildeby and Jakub Dobes both made great saves, the game was pushed to an anti-climatic shootout, where the Canadiens emerged victorious.

“I missed the net 15 times in total,” Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said after the game. “At least. I think that’s the number. Good opportunities too. We had to hit the net on those opportunities. And the power play has to come through for us, and it didn’t.”

Here are three takeaways from the Maple Leafs’ 2-1 shootout loss to the Canadiens:

Scott Laughton rewarded for a great all-round performance

Scott Laughton has been on fire since returning to the line-up, scoring for the third game in a row. Laughton was great with the penalty all game and was rewarded for some opportunism in the third period. With the Maple Leafs trailing 1-0, Laughton found a hole in the Canadiens defense and ran onto the ice. Nicolas Roy found Laughton on target, and the Maple Leafs veteran followed up Brian Rolston with a cannon of a slap shot that pierced the back of the net.

“Yeah, a little excited there,” Laughton said. “I’ve done it a few times. I thought that was the play, and I was lucky it went in. I was definitely excited about it. I wasn’t too happy when they scored on their power play. I let a seam through and they found the next seam, so I tried to get one back and found a way to get the extra.”

“He’s such an energetic guy in the room, he’s always going to bring you a lot of fun,” Leafs forward Nicolas Roy said of Laughton after the game. “He’s been really popular lately so it’s nice to see him getting rewarded. He’s doing all the little plays that you normally don’t really notice. He’s been scoring a lot of big goals lately so he’s a big part of the group.”

The game ended on a somber note, but Laughton was a bright spot for the Leafs, showing the totality of his game to match his elusive qualities.

Dennis Hildeby was the Leafs’ best player and deserved a better result

Hildeby made a strong save on Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki in the first period to keep the game scoreless. During a game where Hildeby mitigated the shot differential, his best save came during the second period, when he robbed Zachary Bolduc on a breakaway.

Hildeby made another strong save on Josh Anderson at the end of a Canadiens power play in the second frame. He made two more great saves in overtime, on Cole Caufield and Mike Matheson respectively. And the Leafs won’t get a point without the heroics of their makeshift starting goalie.

“He was great. He kept us in it, huge saves, huge saves in extra time,” Laughton said of Hildeby after the match. “Solid. He’s been solid from camp, from day one. He’s been good every day I’ve seen him. We need that here in the future, it’s good to see. He’s a great kid and he deserves it.”

“I thought Dennis kept us in that game,” Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson said. “He’s been really good. He’s had a chance to come in and play, and this year he’s ready for the next level: confidence. I like the way he handles himself on and off the ice.”

“Every game he played in, we had a chance. He makes big saves. We’re always in the game. I wish we could find one more to get it for him tonight,” Roy said of Hildeby after the game.

Hildeby will now move into a starting role and enter the year as the club’s clear third goalkeeper. He has played well all season and seems to be making a leap in his development. It may be mandatory if the Leafs want to remain competitive in the Eastern Conference playoffs amid several injuries.

The Maple Leafs power play reaches a new low with the game on the line

“What I see now when I look at them is that they are a little insecure about themselves,” Berube said after the game. “Especially on the power play in the second period, they moved well, but they didn’t get a shot off. The shots are there, we’re not taking them. And if we do take a shot, it’s probably the wrong time. They don’t feel good about themselves out there. They don’t see it right now. You have to work through it. That’s all you can do and try to create some chemistry here.”

Toronto is now connecting at a 14.1 percent clip, the 30th best mark in the NHL at the time of this filing. Considering the unit features three top scorers in Auston Matthews, William Nylander and John Tavares, there is no room for excuses. In a close game that had to take into account the Maple Leafs’ superior offensive talent, the man advantage completely faltered down the stretch.

“I thought we looked good in the first. And then we have to be better in the third. We had a chance to get ahead and the game is on the line. We have to step up. Obviously we’re trying to give those guys a little more time and space with the puck,” Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson said.