The Toronto Maple Leafs got a jolt of energy Tuesday night from the return of Brandon Carlo. The Maple Leafs defeated the Florida Panthers 4-1, while Carlo helped stabilize the defence core, and gave Morgan Rielly some much-needed help on the blueline. Tuesday night’s win was one of the most complete performances Toronto has put together all season. Even without William Nylander in the lineup, the Maple Leafs controlled the pace and rarely let Florida find sustained momentum.
Carlo and the Leafs dominate on Tuesday night
The Maple Leafs and Carlo had a dominant game from start to finish. Carlo was a +2 on the night. Carlo is not a player that will show up on the scoresheet, but is the type of stay-at-home defenceman that every team needs to win games. Carlo plays heavy minutes while supporting a struggling Morgan Rielly on the defensive side of the puck. If the Maple Leafs want to get back into the playoff picture, they will need this pair to be dependable. Carlo will help Rielly free up on the offensive side of the puck while providing defensive reliability. In the game Tuesday against Florida, we saw a much-improved Rielly, which could go a long way for this Maple Leafs team. Florida struggled to generate clean looks at five-on-five, and much of that stemmed from how quickly Carlo and the Maple Leafs blueline shut plays down at the blue line.
What Carlo can become
Last season with the Maple Leafs, Carlo struggled and couldn't seem to find his fit with the Maple Leafs. Many have wondered if the Maple Leafs made the right choice trading away their top prospect in Fraser Minten and a first-round pick. Minten has begun developing well with the Bruins, and for the Maple Leafs, Carlo can become the player he was in Boston; the deal can be justified.
For a team chasing a playoff spot, this win was massive. Beating a division rival in dominating fashion sends a message, both internally and around the rest of the league. More importantly, it showed what the Maple Leafs can look like with their pricey shutdown defenceman. Carlo doesn’t need to be a star; he just needs to bring consistency, structure, and reliability, all of which were on display in his return.