5 Point Night for the Toronto Maple Leafs 3rd Franchise Player

The Toronto Maple Leafs went to overtime and…..won?

It’s true! The Toronto Maple Leafs played from behind all night, but eventually they prevailed with a power-play goal in overtime.

Mitch Marner continued his points streak, now at 22 games and 30 points.  Marner scored the OT winner and added an assist.

William Nylander, representing a victory for sanity over knee-jerk reactions, had a career-high five point night (2 goals, 3 assists).

According to several internet sources, Mitch Marner now has the 3rd highest scoring streak among active players.  Patrick Kane once hit 26, which is a record for an American born player, while Sidney Crosby once scored in 25 straight games.

In order to crack the top ten of all-time, Marner will have to score in six more consecutive games to tie Paul Coffey, Mario Lemieux, Wayne Gretzky, Guy Lafleur and Steve Yzerman at 28.

Toronto Maple Leafs vs Calgary Flames

The Toronto Maple Leafs last lost on November 11th, exactly one month ago.

To go a full month without losing in the NHL (a salary cap league with near full parity) is impressive, but to do it while so shorthanded from injury is just insane. It makes you wonder what a fully healthy version of this team might be capable of.

The streak of games without a regulation loss is now at 14.

This streak has seen the Leafs get lucky and win a couple times when they probably should have lost, but that was not the case last night.

The Flames may have kept taking the lead, but the Leafs were a dominant force at 5v5, and  their constant possession forced the Flames to take seven minor penalties.   Unlike the Leafs game against Dallas where they were the victims of several horrible calls, most of Calgary’s penalties were blatant and obvious calls.

TJ Brodie, playing mostly with Timmins, but taking minutes with Holl and Liljegren, was the most used player last night.

William Nylander though, was the real story.

At 5v5, with Nylander on the ice, the Toronto Maple Leafs scored twice, allowed zero goals, outshot Calgary 10-4, had the puck 66% of the time, had nine scoring chances while allowing just three, and they played to an 84% Expected Goals rating. 

Can you imagine where this team would be if the media and the team’s worst fans had their way and the Leafs actually traded what is clearly now a third franchise player for a defensive defenseman like people wanted to?

As Nylander has ascended to greatness, so to will this team.  The Toronto Maple Leafs are clearly the NHL’s best and deepest team, and like Nylander’s critics, the Leafs’ critics will also be eating their words shortly, if they aren’t already.