The Toronto Maple Leafs may have just taken the Vancouver Canucks’ playoff chances behind the shed.
That wasn’t nice, Toronto Maple Leafs! How could you do that to an organization without their best young player (Elias Pettersson)?! In what world is it ok to outright dominate every facet of a game in route to a 5-0 shutout victory?!
Wait, no all of that is ok. Please carry on.
Jokes aside, the Maple Leafs straight up dominated the Canucks during the entire course of their tilt on “Hockey Night in Canada”. The Leafs got a nice win to snap a two-game skid, bringing their record to 27-12-2 (Compared to 23-16-2 at the same point last season. In a game where the entire Leafs lineup looked solid, a few performances stuck out.
Michael Hutchinson Guns For The Backup Job
With Frederik Andersen still out with a groin injury, Michael Hutchinson got his second consecutive start for the Maple Leafs and looked much better than he did against the Wild on Thursday.
Hutchinson stopped all 28 shots he faced, and while he never made any exceptionally difficult saves, he looked confident and strong in net, even making a save with his mask as a shot hit him right between the eyes.
This was his fourth career NHL shutout and first with the Maple Leafs organization, and if he keeps it up he may have a stable spot on the roster as a backup goalie when Andersen returns from injury.
Trevor Moore Nets His First
The 650th different player to score a goal in Maple Leafs history, Trevor Moore made sure we would remember his first career NHL goal. Receiving the puck around centre ice, Moore turned on the jets and sped right past Derrick Pouliot, making him look like a parking cone, before sniping it five-hole on Jacob Markstrom.
It was another great game for Moore, who has looked solid since being called up in wake of Zach Hyman’s injury. Like Hutchinson, Moore may be making a claim to take to the place of Frederik Gauthier or Par Lindholm.
The Big Boys Come To Play
And of course, there was Auston Matthews and John Tavares, who both recorded a goal (Their 20th and 27th of the season, respectively) while Matthews also provided two assists to bring his point total to 39. Along the way, Andreas Johnsson contributed a gorgeous over the shoulder snipe on Markstrom for his ninth of the season.
Meanwhile, Igor Ozhiganov continued to thrive, with a goal (Which admittedly did go off the stick of a Canuck in front) and an assist for his fifth and sixth points of the season.
Up Next: The Preds Come To Toronto
The Toronto Maple Leafs have an exciting matchup on the horizon for Monday night as P.K. Subban and the Nashville Predators come knocking at Scotiabank Arena. This is a game between two of the top squads in the NHL, with the Preds leading a stacked Central Division while the Maple Leafs look to chip away at the Tampa Bay Lightning’s lead in the Atlantic.
Thanks for reading!