After a successful 2-1-1 road trip, Craig Berube’s group, which is 9-1-3 since Dec. 23, will kick off a five-game homestand Monday night when they host the Minnesota Wild.
All in all, we were in good spirits to kick off Monday’s edition of Leafs Morning Take as we looked back on Saturday night’s chaotic 4-3 come-from-behind OT win in Winnipeg. This team is playing with so much PASSION right now. Unfortunately, they have to keep winning because of the hole they dug for themselves early in the season. They had to have it, and good on them, they found a way to get the job done.
Believe it or not, the Leafs have actually revealed what William Nylander has been dealing with over the past month. After Monday morning’s skate, Craig Berube revealed it was a groin problem. Furthermore, he had no timetable for a possible return. Oddly enough, the Leafs are 7-2-2 in 11 games without Nylander so far this season. Additionally, Matthew Knies, who is dealing with a lower-body injury, will make a decision during the match.
Then we recapped the big win in Winnipeg, where Max Domi scored the OT winner. Once again Auston Matthews was sensational. The Leafs captain scored a goal and an assist. He has scored ten goals and seventeen points in the past eleven games. Meanwhile, Oliver Ekman-Larsson was also excellent. The Swede scored a goal and two helpers. We gave him some love. He is by far Toronto’s best blueliner this season. Additionally, we were thrilled with Scott Laughton’s leadership and Craig Berube losing his mind at the officials as he walked off the ice after the game. Most importantly, the Leafs have their swagger back. They have played with a lot of conviction and purpose, something that must continue if they want to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Speaking of which, we had a nice chat about the fold. Dennis Hildeby got the win against the Jets, Joseph Woll gets the call against the Wild. I think it would be a bad decision to move Anthony Stolarz, who is closer to returning to game action. If there’s one thing we’ve learned about this fold, it’s that we can expect the unexpected. The Leafs need these three guys moving forward. Unless the trade offer is too good to pass up, there’s no way they can pull the trigger. In fact, I went so far as to say that Stolarz will start at least one playoff game for the Leafs this season.
In any case, join us on Tuesday’s edition of Leafs Morning Take for a full Leafs/Wild recap. In addition, we are joined by Red Wings forward James van Riemsdyk.
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