Strong sport from Nylander, energy play not sufficient to beat San Jose, who high hosts 3-2 on Wennberg’s winner
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The Maple Leafs are operating out of defencemen.
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The 3-2 additional time loss to the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night time was troublesome sufficient for the Leafs to digest, on condition that that they had a 2-0 lead within the second interval just for the guests at Scotiabank Arena to tie the sport late within the third interval.
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Now there’s the chance that the Leafs should get by for some time with out Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who needed to be helped off the ice within the third interval after the Sharks’ Adam Gaudette fell on him.
Ekman-Larsson, the Leafs’ steadiest defenceman this season, suffered a lower-body harm and couldn’t put any weight on his left leg as he departed.
Three takeaways from the sport:
D CORPS HORROR
Ekman-Larsson might be evaluated on Friday, coach Craig Berube mentioned.
The harm comes three nights after Dakota Mermis suffered a knee harm towards Tampa Bay and might be out at the least a month.
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Berube mentioned a choice on the way forward for Chris Tanev, who has not performed since Nov. 1 due to an upper-body harm, might be made within the subsequent few days. That’s amid hypothesis Tanev would possibly require surgical procedure, although Berube mentioned earlier Thursday that was not essentially on the desk.
And Berube acknowledged that Brandon Carlo (decrease physique) underwent surgical procedure through the current street journey. Carlo, who has been out since Nov. 13, was to be out for at the least one month from the time of the surgical procedure.
Henry Thrun was advantageous in his Leafs debut on Thursday, however the Leafs clearly will want extra if Ekman-Larsson is out for an prolonged interval. Marshall Rifai is also working his method again from harm.
To say that that is doubtlessly dangerous information could be a reasonably massive understatement.
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“Oh, he’s been nice,” Berube mentioned of Ekman-Larsson. “He might be missed. Hopefully it’s not too dangerous, however he’s performed nice hockey for us.”
Said captain Auston Matthews: “He’s a giant a part of our workforce, a giant a part of our again finish, and man that brings plenty of expertise to our group. Definitely hoping for the most effective.”
The Leafs have Philippe Myers, who was a wholesome scratch on Thursday, but in addition should possible recall a defenceman from the Toronto Marlies.
William Villeneuve is week to week with an sickness, so the choice might be to recall right-shooting Matt Benning. He has performed in 464 NHL video games with Edmonton, Nashville and San Jose.
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HABITS DIE HARD
Let’s not get too far forward of ourselves and attempt to say that the Leafs have recovered from inferior play and are on their method.
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They’re probably not near that but.
Yes, that they had gained 4 of their earlier 5 video games, however the Leafs didn’t have the psychological power to suppress the Sharks within the third interval.
A greater workforce would have been tidy within the ultimate 20 minutes. We’re speaking a few Toronto workforce that continues to be out of a playoff place, although it has moved to inside two factors of the second wild-card spot within the Eastern Conference.
“Third interval, we didn’t come out and dictate the way to play the sport,” Berube mentioned. “Turned pucks over, passive, we didn’t end them off.
“I nonetheless assume we’re not the place we must be. We will be higher. Third interval, (Sharks) goalie out, we’ve got a possibility to get the puck out a pair instances, we don’t do it. It’s issues like that that value us.”
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Matthews mentioned “it may have gone both method,” and that’s the problem, isn’t it?
The Leafs couldn’t put away a Sharks workforce that’s in a struggle for a wild-card spot within the Western Conference.
After targets by Dakota Joshua within the first interval and Matthews, on an influence play within the second, put the Leafs up 2-0, the Sharks began to get better.
Dmitry Orlov beat Dennis Hildeby 59 seconds after Matthews’ purpose and ex-Leaf John Klingberg scored with 1:25 remaining within the third with goalie Alex Nedeljkovic on the bench.
At 2:49 of additional time, Alex Wennberg scored the winner.
Among Dennis Hildeby’s greatest stops was a denial of Ty Dellandrea on a penalty shot within the first interval. The Sharks ahead acquired the free try at 11:46 after Morgan Rielly hooked him on a breakaway however couldn’t idiot Hildeby, who made a glove save.
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POWER PLAY, FINALLY
The very first thing that got here to thoughts when William Nylander hit Matthews by way of a seam with a cross and the captain blasted a one-timer previous Nedeljkovic: Where has that been all season?
The Leafs are able to that sort of play on the facility play extra usually.
“We have been due for one,” Nylander mentioned. “I really feel like we haven’t scored one in a very long time.
“We ought to have the ability to rating far more on the facility play. It was a confidence builder.”
Matthews, after simply his second power-play purpose of the season, had related ideas.
“We have been shifting it faster, taking pictures pucks, and people pucks have been getting by way of and creating good possibilities,” Matthews mentioned. “It’s at all times good to see one go in. I feel it provides the facility play a little bit of a lift, and particular groups a little bit of a lift. We simply wish to proceed to remain diligent on that.”
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It was the Leafs’ first power-play purpose in 5 video games and simply their third since Nov. 11.
Nylander, taking part in on a line with Nicolas Roy and Joshua, had certainly one of his higher video games in current weeks and snapped a four-game pointless streak with two assists.
“He was engaged,” Berube mentioned. “When I see him skating and dealing with the puck and preserving the puck and doing issues he did tonight with the puck, I do know he was able to go.”
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