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Shorthanded Toronto Maple Leafs Continue to Get It Done

By James Tanner

CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 05: Toronto Marlies defenceman Timothy Liljegren (7) plays the puck during the second period of the 2019 American Hockey League Calder Cup North Division Finals game 3 between the Toronto Marlies and Cleveland Monsters on May 5, 2019, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, OH. Toronto defeated Cleveland 2-0. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 05: Toronto Marlies defenceman Timothy Liljegren (7) plays the puck during the second period of the 2019 American Hockey League Calder Cup North Division Finals game 3 between the Toronto Marlies and Cleveland Monsters on May 5, 2019, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, OH. Toronto defeated Cleveland 2-0. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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The Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Ottawa Senators last night.

In recent games, the Toronto Maple Leafs have gotten bad results despite solid efforts and game stats that suggested a better outcome.

Recent games against the Dallas Stars, Montreal Canadiens and Florida Panthers spring to mind.

This game was the opposite: the Leafs were not very good at all, but they still managed to get the right result and win the game.

Toronto Maple Leafs vs Ottawa Senators

The Leafs were almost destroyed earlier in the game, but eventually settled down and were able to pull out the win.

The main reason for that was Jack Campbell, who has been excellent since the trade a couple of weeks ago with the L.A Kings.

While it should be relatively easy for the Toronto Maple Leafs to beat the league’s second worst team, the fact is that without Ilya Mikheyev, Morgan Rielly and Freddie Andersen – and a flu bug ripping through their dressing room – they just aren’t the team they can be right now.

It might not have been the best game, but on the bright side (other than the win) Timothy Liljegren picked up his first career point.  Auston Matthews kept pace with David Pastrnak with his 42nd goal of the season.

Matthews is now two goals over his career high, and he’s done it in 23 less games.  He has an absolutely insane 26 goals in his last 29 games.  That is over a third of a season on a 74 goal pace.  The Toronto Maple Leafs have 23 games left in the season, and Matthews needs 18 goals to become the NHL’s first 60 goal player since Steve Stamkos did it in 2011.

Still, a win is a win, and as luck would have it the Florida Panthers lost their game yesterday.

Though Florida has one game in hand the Leafs now have a four point lead over them with the chance to make it six tonight against the Sabres.

If the Leafs should need to fight for a wildcard spot, they’re in great shape on that front too, sitting just one point behind the overachieving Flyers and Blue Jackets and one point up on the Hurricanes.

It might not have been the best game of the season, but it was refreshing to see the Leafs actually win a game because of their goalie rather than lose it.

Next up is the Sabres tonight.

dark. Next. Perception vs Reality: The Leafs Blue-Line

The Leafs have re-established their hold on a playoff spot and have points in four of their last five.

They have also recalled Egor Korshkov and Mason Marchment n advance of tonight’s game.

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