2 days Ago By Lance Hornby
Article content The Maple Leafs won’t have a Rocket Richard Trophy winner this season and Alex Ovechkin is deservedly getting all the goal headlines after passing Wayne Gretzky. But with two on Saturday, William Nylander is now six away from becoming the fifth Leaf to reach 50. Rick Vaive did it three times, Auston Matthews twice, including a Rocket-worthy 69 last season, followed by Dave Andreychuk and Gary Leeman.
Nylander, who is a shot on goal away from becoming the eighth Leaf to reach 2,000, isn’t high on discussing the possibility, at least for now. “I’ve said before the most important thing is win the games going forward, get our game ready for playoffs.” He was more talkative about Ovechkin, saying he made sure to watch all of Friday’s game against Chicago when it appeared Gretzky’s record would fall that night.
“It’s been incredible with way he just finds the back of the net (through 20 seasons) and incredible this season (through a broken leg at age 39). I hope he keeps going.” Earlier in the week, Nylander reminisced of being a pre-teen in Washington when his father Michael played for the Caps and the young, mischievous Ovechkin taking all the kids’ sticks during father — son scrimmages and stacking them just out of their small arms atop the penalty box.
STANDINGS’ STATE OF FLUX While some teams are falling in the playoff race with less than two weeks on the schedule, first round matchups for clubs such as the Leafs are becoming hard to track, too. The Ottawa Senators are getting so hot in securing the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference they’ve begun to pressure the third-place Florida Panthers in the Atlantic Division. Before the Panthers game Sunday night against the Red Wings was complete, the Sens’ 4-0 win over Columbus put them just two behind the defending Cup champions.
That’s bad news for those anticipating a Toronto-Ottawa first round. The Leafs own 5-0 win over the Blue Jackets on Saturday reduced the latter’s chances of joining the New York Rangers, Islanders and Red Wings as threats to Montreal’s second and final wild-card berth. The Canadiens were poised to go six points up on their nearest foes, the Rangers if they beat Nashville Sunday night.
Toronto, which had a day off, returns to practice Monday for a road back-to-back with its closest pursuers, Tampa Bay and Florida. The worst the Leafs would be by mid-week is still tied for first, while three points or a sweep is a path to a rare division title and home ice in a series against the first wild card. For winger Steven Lorentz, who played into June last season with Florida, early April is unquestionably “the best time of the year,“ as he said last week.
“Sometimes you want to fast forward right to the end of regular season and get into Game 1. Everything goes up a level, or two or three, the intensity ramps up. “The fans are louder, hockey’s harder, there’s a lot more hits.
It’s exciting for everybody and we all look forward to it.” SCOTT CONNECTING DOTS Scott Laughton is trying to stay sharp for the Leafs on faceoffs as he’s spent most of his 14 games in Toronto on the left wing. He and assistant coach Marc Savard spent time on the process at the last full practice on Friday.
He won two of three draws against Columbus. “If it’s only two faceoffs you’re taking, you want to be dialled in for it,” Laughton said. “My faceoffs have been better here than they were in Philadelphia.
They have to be on this team, with such good faceoff guys ( Auston Matthews , John Tavares and Max Domi). You see the way Matthews and Johnny take them, pick up on things during the game, ask them before what they do on certain guys, see what they’re seeing out there. That elevates you.
“As a (full-time) centre you get in the rhythm a little more. In Philly I was taking big penalty kill faceoffs at certain times.” LOOSE LEAFS Laughton says he’s slowly getting comfortable enough around the Leafs to assert authority in such matters as dressing room music as he did for years on the Flyers.
“I’m on a big Tragically Hip kick,” Laughton said ...
Goalie Anthony Stolarz on Chris Tanev breaking the Leafs’ single-season shot block record on Saturday of 177: “He’s absolutely fearless. He continues to sit in the lane and block guys from Ovie to (Steven) Stamkos, guys who can really wire the puck” ..
. While demoted winger Ryan Reaves scored his first for the Marlies in Saturday afternoon’s 3-2 home shootout loss to Syracuse, there was a different kind of emergency call-up from the farm. Regular Leaf public address man Mike Ross tried to work the Columbus game through illness, but was unable to finish.
Having just completed his 400th game last week, Ross did his best until Simon Bennett could rush over after working the Marlies’ game at Coca-Cola Coliseum ...
On Wednesday, the Professional Hockey Writers Association will be announcing all 32 nominees for the Bill Masterton Trophy, recognizing ‘perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey’. [email protected] @sunhornby.
