‘We will play with anybody’: Maple Leafs’ depth shining in season-best win streak

LAS VEGAS — Jake McCabe was excited about it Thursday in sunny Las Vegas, in the midst of back-to-back jacks, someday between wins 5 and 6 of one of the best and most constant stretch of Toronto Maple Leafs hockey all winter.

When did issues click on?

What allowed a bunch so typically praised or ripped for its high heaviness to search out a little bit steadiness and a whole lot of buy-in? To reel off a six-pack of convincing wins by a cumulative rating of 34-14?

To combat by way of fatigue and stomp the Vegas Golden Knights 7-3 Thursday in their very own bass-boosted barn and leap over the reigning Stanley Cup champions to enter the NHL’s high 10 in factors proportion (.636)?

McCabe pointed to Feb. 13’s dwelling date towards the St. Louis Blues, the primary sport of Morgan Rielly’s suspension, when core forwards Mitch Marner and John Tavares got here down ailing, and the supporting solid was out of the blue known as upon to learn strains supposed for the leads.

McCabe considered Bobby McMann’s hat trick that night, however the effort and function unfold nicely past the actions of 1 unlikely hero. It was all fingers on deck.

“We performed such a easy and north and heavy sport. And quick. Acquired in on the forecheck. And we’ve type of continued that right here by way of this stretch,” McCabe stated inside T-Cell Area, after slapping his sixth purpose of the season, a profession greatest.

“Constructing an identification and constructing confidence inside that construction has been actually essential for us, and it’s paying dividends for us.”

So, at the same time as the large weapons returned to well being, and as Rielly now returns from his ban, that ethos of rolling strains, taking good care of leads and spreading some minutes to the short-term mercenaries has had an exquisite impact when it comes to bonding a bench that, by way of an inconsistent first half, felt disjointed at greatest. Destined for catastrophe at worst.

To that time, coach Sheldon Keefe is recognizing the optimistic momentum fostered just lately by spreading his expertise.

Rielly and T.J. Brodie are on completely different pairs.

Tavares and William Nylander are on completely different strains.

Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi and Timothy Liljegren have all been rewarded just lately with cameos on the highest power-play unit, a privilege beforehand unique to the Core 5.

Additional ice time for the non-stars has led to shared cookies has led to buoyancy for the blokes making one thing lower than eight figures.

“It’s nice. I imply, it simply gives confidence for everyone, every particular person, when a whole lot of guys are taking part in,” McCabe defined.

“Clearly our stars are assured of their sport, however confidence may be fleeting on this league. And when everybody’s taking part in with confidence, like we’re presently, it’s a scary factor. And we simply gotta hold it rolling right here.”

In Thursday’s quick-start defeat of admittedly shorthanded Golden Knights, the Maple Leafs jumped to a 4-0 lead within the first interval and chased starter Adin Hill by dousing the house web with 23 pictures from the blades of 12 completely different skaters. None of which belonged to Auston Matthews.

And whereas Matthews would convert the landing late, notching purpose No. 52 with a deft tip throughout a web drive, his first level didn’t arrive till McCabe, Tavares, David Kämpf, Max Domi (twice) and Pontus Hölmberg all lit the lamp. All at even energy.

13 Leafs completed with factors.

Keefe’s tweak of getting Domi centre the second line with Nylander and Bertuzzi and dropping Tavares to face softer matchups with McMann and Nick Robertson is paying off for all concerned.

Domi scored twice in Vegas. He’s been engaged bodily and offensively all week.

“When he’s skating and competing at that stage, he can play towards anyone within the league,” Keefe praised.

There’s a snowball impact to involving Toronto’s depth as a substitute of defending it. The coach’s belief — which was admittedly restricted as just lately as mid-January — is branching out.

Is sensible, no? Really feel valued, strive more durable.

Certain, Matthews is main the cost along with his historic scoring, however the Leafs are averaging a foolish 5.67 objectives per sport throughout this heater. They’re greater than a one-man present.

“[Vegas], in all probability extra so than any within the league, makes it onerous to get to their web. So we needed to actually be dedicated to get into that house, and I assumed we did a very good job of it,” Keefe stated. “Each single line did a very good job, our defence contributed, simply attending to the web and stressing the goaltender.”

The ripple impact of the staff taking part in higher is that its efficiency may drive GM Brad Treliving additional right into a purchaser’s mindset.

“Nicely, I believe we imagine within the depth and the kind of group we’ve had all 12 months,” Tavares stated. “Clearly, we acquired some fairly particular gamers which might be heavy catalysts and might produce on a nightly foundation. However, little doubt, whenever you get contributions all through the lineup … it goes a great distance.”

Nobody enjoys driving coattails. All of us want to be a part of the ensemble.

“Everybody was good tonight. We had contributions from everybody,” Domi stated.

“When we’ve got everybody going like that, we’re a tricky staff to beat. We will play with anybody. 4 strains going brief and onerous. And everybody’s sticking to the sport plan: preserving it easy, staying disciplined, not taking penalties. Once we try this, we simply come at groups in waves — and that’s the Stanley Cup champions. I imply, they may not have had their greatest tonight, however I’m positive they’d say that we’re a tricky staff to play towards.”

Fox’s Quick 5

• Cautious to not disrupt the in-sync pairs found throughout Rielly’s suspension, Keefe deployed the returning Rielly and William Lagesson collectively, preserving Brodie on his pure left facet with a rising Liljegren.

Brodie has been a exceptional plus-14 over his previous seven video games, wanting far more snug breaking out on his sturdy facet.

“It simply simplifies it,” Brodie stated. “Impartial zone is a large optimistic. You’re in your forehand. You may make the cross-ice go a little bit simpler, and it’s simpler to see the ice.” 

• When McMann anticipated being a wholesome scratch that night time he ended up scoring a hat trick and jump-starting his greatest stretch as an NHLer, he refused to sulk.

As an alternative, he hit the ice for a two-hour apply session. He labored on carrying the puck backhanded. He peppered pucks to enhance his fast launch. He took the demotion as a wake-up name.

Now, the late bloomer is noticeable nightly within the high 9. Since the specter of a scratch, he has 9 factors and a plus-9 score over six video games.

“I believe I generally is a constant contributor, and I’ve all the time thought that,” McCann stated. “You kinda should earn your approach, too. You’ll be able to’t simply assume it’s going to occur. I believe I’ve been incomes it increasingly.”

McMann is one in all a handful of Leafs forwards auditioning to stay within the high 9 as soon as Calle Järnkrok (damaged knuckle) returns.

Keefe stated: “I’d put Bobby on the high of the checklist of men who’ve taken benefit of the extra time.”

• Vegas fancies itself a menace to repeat however has been a middle-of-the-pack offensive squad this season.

That Mark Stone (week to week; upper-body) and Jack Eichel (LTIR; knee) are sidelined with vital accidents doesn’t assist.

GM Kelly McCrimmon seldom shies from the daring transfer.

I’m wondering if he turns to ol’ commerce associate Pittsburgh and considers a pitch for Jake Guentzel or presumably a Reilly Smith reunion.

• Marner’s six consecutive multi-assist video games is a membership file.

• Rocket, Hart, Ted Lindsay: Matthews might be in competition for all of them. Prefer it’s 2022 another time.

McCabe desires so as to add one other: “He ought to be within the Selke dialog too, frankly. I imply, the man’s stick is unbelievable. He’s tremendous accountable defensively. We return for pucks, and he’s all the time there for an out. He performs a whole 200-foot sport that positively will get overshadowed with the goal-scoring. However him and Mitch, frankly, don’t get sufficient credit score defensively.”

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