The Toronto Maple Leafs should get a better idea of how far they have recovered from their last decline when hosting Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday evening.
With Captain Auston Matthews leading the road with two power-play goals and one assist, Maple Leafs thumped the visiting Calgary Flames 6-2 on Monday.
The result came as a relief for Maple Leafs, who had a worrying tendency to surrender leads in losing five of their previous six matches.
After an unfortunate effort in a 4-2 home loss to the Ottawa senators on Saturday, Maple Leafs (40-24-3, 83 points) showed more urgent on Monday.
“We came out with the right intensity, the right attitude and focus, and I thought it translated throughout the game,” Matthews said. “Just life and energy that I think all 20-plus guys brought to the track (Monday) was great.”
Max Domi started the score for Toronto and added an artistic assist.
“We knew we needed this one,” Domi said. “Have gone through the mill a bit right now. We literally had everyone to go. It was not a passenger (Monday). And when we are we are a tough team to beat, man.”
“Max Domi’s game has gone to another level,” said Toronto coach Craig Berube. “He is much more aggressive. He is the player we want him to be, where he is in people’s faces, he disturbs things, he uses his speed. And he’s a player. The guy can pass the puck.”
Avalanche is on an 8-0-1 run and should give a string test for Maple Leafs. They come from a 4-3 overtime home over Dallas Stars on Sunday.
“We know this week’s will be a challenging,” Matthews said. “It’s not easy to win, especially when you go through hardships. So we will enjoy this, so we’re getting ready for a really good team that comes in here on Wednesday and just trying to keep this rolling.”
The inability to keep a lead of 4-2 led to Maple Leafs’ 7-4 road loss to Avalanche on March 8. Toronto was still 4-3 halfway through the third period before Colorado did four times, twice in an empty network.
Avalanche (41-24-3, 85 points) had their own problems with the leadership on Sunday. They took a 3-1 advantage in the third period but the stars scored two goals to bind. Cale Makar did overtime to give Avalanche victory against their central division.
“You knew they would give everything they had in the third,” spouses said. “But I felt we closed the period really nice with the last two minutes there and found a way in overtime.”
“I thought we were playing a fantastic hockey game until we coughed up the parcker in the D-zone,” said lavine coach Jared Bednar. “And I guess when you look at all three goals they got, they were D-Zom sets. But great effort. We went skating and played on both sides of the puck.”
Avalanche will once again be without defender Josh Manson (lower bodily injury) on Wednesday. He left the 4-2 victory at Calgary on Friday and did not play on Sunday.
“He has already been looked at,” said Bednar. “He gets other opinions and looks at trying to find out what the rehabilitation process is. I have no timeline, but again it is not day to day.”
Nathan Mackinnon leads the NHL with 76 assists and 103 points. He netted a couple of goals in March 8 -victory over Toronto.
-Field level media
