Maple Leafs deliver most decisive win of season: 'We're finding our groove'

TORONTO — There was a time, not so long ago, that the Toronto Maple Leafs would yawn their way into a night like this.

That Toronto’s skilled, seasoned group would steal a peek at the standings, realize the Buffalo Sabres had lost seven straight, and figure it could squeak by with half effort.

Maybe it was the coaching staff’s pre-game reminder of how their QEW rivals had upset the Leafs so often toward the end of 2021-22.

Or maybe this slow-to-gel edition of Toronto’s roster is finally coming together, waking up and taking weaker opponents as seriously as the contenders.

“We’re looking at them as a dangerous team, and a team that, for whatever reason, last year we didn't have a lot of success against,” said Mark Giordano, the reigning voice of wisdom and scorer of Saturday’s game-winner.

“So, we were ready.”

Indeed.

The Maple Leafs' 5-2 dismantling of Don Granato’s slumping squad was as decisive a victory as the home side has submitted through these first 19 games.

They scored on the power-play (twice). They scored at 5-on-5 (twice). They even scored shorthanded.

Offensive contributions were supplied from the superstars, the bottom six, and a blue line that coach Sheldon Keefe had challenged pre-game to deliver more in the O-zone.

Yes, Toronto has enjoyed three other three-goal victories this season, but those featured an empty-netter or bouts of nervousness or necessitated a comeback rally.

This was wire-to-wire clinical. Never in doubt.

The brand of controlled hockey that contending clubs should execute over bottom feeders with regularity.

And make no mistake: the Sabres, who jumped hot out the gate (as per their pattern), are once again stumbling around the south end of the Atlantic Division.

“Defensively, I thought we were exceptional. Between how we defended and how Matt Murray played in goal, we were a tough team to beat tonight,” Keefe said.

The coach did some fine work, too.

Noticing early in the first period that Buffalo’s threatening top line of Jeff Skinner, Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch was hording the puck and creating quality looks, Keefe flipped William Nylander onto John Tavares’ wing and bumped Mitch Marner up with Auston Matthews to create a tougher defensive assignment for Thompson & Co.

“You forget that Matthews and Marner are two of the best defensive players in the league. They’re committed to defending,” Keefe says.

“I knew at least that the Tavares line was going to get a pretty good matchup.”

The tweak paid off.

Buffalo failed to score at even strength, got frustrated with attempts to find middle ice, and was limited mostly to power-play chances during a penalty-filled affair.

Each member of the Core Four gathered points on special teams, and Tavares connected with the speedy Nylander on a beautiful third-period stretch play that salted the victory and allowed fans to go beat traffic.

We’ll be cautious about reading too much into a game the Maple Leafs should win, however.

The Sabres are losers of eight consecutive games, all in regulation. And with Eric Comrie sidelined weeks with a lower-body injury, Buffalo threw third-string goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (and his sub-.900 AHL save percentage) to the wolves in his NHL season debut.

Still, the positives are swelling in Leafland during this run, where Toronto has gathered at least one point in nine of its past 10 games.

Murray’s healthy and effective return is the biggie. He allowed no more than two goals in each of his three starts this week, secured five of six points, and made 97 stops on 104 shots.

“Murray has been unreal for us, made some massive saves. He's just came in and brought a steady presence and calmness to him, and it's been great to see him just excel,” Marner said.

Keefe was even more effusive: “I thought our goaltending was elite tonight…. I can just tell you, being behind the bench and seeing our players, he gave our team tremendous confidence.”

As the stars pile up points, the special teams sharpen and the goaltending stabilizes, the drama dissipates.

Marner will carry a 12-game point streak into Monday’s tilt with the New York Islanders

“It’s pretty standard for him,” Tavares reasons.

Meanwhile, Nylander — who celebrated a two-goal night with his top three buttons undone — is out there winning puck battles and races.

“Just swagger, like usual, from Will,” Marner says.

Yep.

Slowly but surely, the Maple Leafs are actually looking good again.

“We just kind of simplified there from the beginning,” Nylander says. “And now I think we're kind of finding our groove again and getting back to the way we can play.”

• The Maple Leafs’ new Reverse Retros are so dang gorgeous, they should be the default home sweater. Shoulder yokes forever.

“They're awesome,” Giordano says. “In the ’90s they had the white on the shoulders, but they had a different crest in the middle, so it took me back to that a little bit. They're sharp-looking. I thought they were really cool.”

Adds style maven Nylander: “I love ’em.”

• Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin registered an assist, moving him into a tie with Adam Fox for second in points by defencemen (20). Erik Karlsson is running away in the category with 28 points.

Dahlin looks fantastic. A treat to watch. Only Norris champ Cale Makar (26:49) logs more ice time than Dahlin (26:31).

• Alexander Kerfoot is a career 13 per cent shooter firing at a measly three per cent this season. He has one goal despite ample opportunity, skating alongside Toronto’s best forwards and using his speed to secure multiple breakaways. (He was even awarded a penalty shot in Anaheim.)

Kerfoot couldn’t quite cash in on this clear PK breakaway Saturday:

“It’s a tough one. We do want him to shoot the puck more. It’s a confidence thing, I think. As pucks start to go in, all of a sudden, you’re more willing to shoot it,” said Keefe, who has a message for the snakebit forward.

“Just clear your mind. That’s the biggest thing… Trust the process. Trust your skill.”

• Keefe was happy with how his rare use of Marner as a defenceman worked out in the third period Thursday versus New Jersey.

“He’s not out there to defend. He’s out there to spark our offence,” the coach explained. Keefe says RD Marner had three touches in the D-zone, and that those were some of the most efficient breakouts of the period. “You’re out there to spark the offence, and he did the job there. We’ve got to sustain the offence, so he doesn’t have to defend.”

Except Marner did have to defend the deadly Nico Hischier off the rush at one point:

“I felt good until Nico decided to take me for a walk there,” Marner said. “That’s a helluva move by him.”

• Does Marner have a Grey Cup pick for Sunday?

“C’mon. What kind of question is that? I’m going Argos all day.”