{"id":541,"date":"2022-11-13T16:30:06","date_gmt":"2022-11-13T16:30:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oldprof.nhltradetalk.com\/?p=541"},"modified":"2022-11-13T16:30:07","modified_gmt":"2022-11-13T16:30:07","slug":"good-bad-ugly-maple-leafs-win-over-canucks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oldprof.nhltradetalk.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/13\/good-bad-ugly-maple-leafs-win-over-canucks\/","title":{"rendered":"The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly in Maple Leafs\u2019 3-2 Win Over Canucks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Stan Smith<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After suffering back-to-back home-ice losses, the Toronto Maple Leafs came up with a much-needed 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Good<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Borje Salming<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I have to start with the Maple Leafs honouring Borje Salming on both Friday and Saturday. I watched Salming play throughout his entire career.\u00a0When the team posted its top 100 players of all time and ranked Salming eighth, I felt he should have ranked higher. I don\u2019t usually get emotional for ceremonies like this, but this one choked me up.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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Borje Salming, Maple Leafs<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I also thought it was great that the Maple Leafs started five Swedish players on the opening faceoff, Pierre Engvall, William Nylander, Calle Jarnkrok, Timothy Liljegren, and Rasmus Sandin.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related: THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY IN MAPLE LEAFS LOSS TO PENGUINS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Auston Matthews<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For the next \u201cGood\u201d I\u2019m going to skip right to the start of the second period.\u00a0After being outscored 2-0 in the first period, the Maple Leafs came out on fire to start the second. They scored three goals in the first 10 minutes of the period.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Auston Matthews opened the scoring<\/a> for the Maple Leafs on the power play. He received a nice pass from Mitch Marner at the top of the right circle and then beat Canucks\u2019 goalie Spencer Martin with a wrist shot.\u00a0This is the type of goal we used to see Matthews score quite often.\u00a0We need to see it more.\u00a0He has what might be the best wrist shot in the game.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second goal I am saving for later. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jordie Benn<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The third goal was Jordie Benn\u2019s tap-in off a Morgan Rielly shot that got deflected wide of the net and bounced off the backboard.\u00a0I have to admit being surprised that Benn was down that low (my surprise was shared by Matthews in his post-game press conference).\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watching the playback I wonder if it was not a planned play.\u00a0It looked completely choreographed. Nylander picks up the puck deep in the left corner of the offensive zone.\u00a0As he skates out towards the blueline, Rielly shifts right along the blue line from the left point to the right point.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time and at the same pace Benn skates from his position at the right point to just beside the Vancouver net.\u00a0Meanwhile, Matthews and Pierre Engvall run interference in the middle of the ice and in front of the net.\u00a0The final part of the play I liked was that Nylander continued out into the neutral zone to cover defensively in case of a turnover.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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