Tip of the Tower
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Toronto Maple Leafs Improve Playoff Chances With Win Over New Jersey Devils

By Chris Okrainetz

Mar 23, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) congratulates goalie Curtis McElhinney (35) after defeating the New Jersey Devils 3-2 at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 23, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) congratulates goalie Curtis McElhinney (35) after defeating the New Jersey Devils 3-2 at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Toronto Maple Leafs (35-23-14) took care of business on home ice and improved their playoff chances with a 4-2 win over the New Jersey Devils (27-34-12) on Thursday night.

Thoughts and Observations

  • Led by their impressive rookie class, the victories are starting to pile up for the Toronto Maple Leafs and they’re gaining a tighter and tighter grip on a playoff spot. The team is red hot following Thursday’s 4-2 victory over the Devils and they now own a 7-1-1 record in their last nine games.

    • The power play is a big reason for Toronto’s success this season and it’s been humming as of late, with the team scoring 10 power play goals in their last 10 games. Their penalty kill has also been coming up big recently, killing off a five-minute major against the Blue Jackets on Wednesday and a 5-on-3 against the Devils. But this PK against the Devils was tremendous when you consider two (

    Brian Boyle

    and

    Matt Hunwick

    ) of the team’s three best penalty killers were in the box and

    Roman Polak

    is suspended.

    More from Tip of the Tower

  • It was a rough start for Curtis McElhinney, who let in a soft goal early when he was handcuffed by a shot from John Moore, but he battled back and finished the night with 30 saves on 32 shots.
  • Tyler Bozak continued his career-year when he reached the 50 point mark for the first time in his career, eclipsing his previous career-high of 49 points in 2013-14. Marner has driven the Bozak line all year, but let’s not discredit how far Bozak has come as a player. He’s smart on the ice and what he lacks in sheer talent and ability, he makes up for with his positioning and hockey IQ.
    • Josh Leivo

    was given another opportunity to showcase what he can do on Thursday, and, you guessed it, he ended up scoring a goal. #Freivo, I mean, Leivo has played very well when given an opportunity this season. However, I do understand and agree with what Mike Babcock is saying in regards to Leivo being restricted because of his inability to play the PK. If Leivo can fix that part of his game, I could see him competing for ice time with

    Nikita Soshnikov

    .

  • The rookie records continue to fall in Toronto this season. With a goal and an assist, William Nylander extended his point streak to 10 games on Thursday and broke the rookie point streak record set by Gus Bodnar, Bob Nevin and Dan Daoust. Nylander’s point streak is the longest by a rookie this season, surpassing Matthew Tkachuk‘s nine game streak. Nylander also tied Daoust’s rookie record for power play points in a season when he logged his 25th power play point on Leivo’s first period goal.
  • Mitch Marner also tied a franchise rookie record on Thursday when he logged his 40th assist of the season on James van Riemsdyk‘s goal, matching Bodnar’s total from the 1943-44 season. With this class quickly rewriting the Leafs’ rookie record book, I think we sometimes forget how prestigious these records are. I mean, Bodnar’s record stood for 70 years! That should put into perspective just how special this season has been.

    • Of course, there were a few bonuses handed out during Thursday’s game. Here’s a recap of who earned what, starting with Nylander’s bonus.

    Matthews maxed out his bonuses, too.

    Babcock provided an update on

    Eric Fehr

    after the game, saying he underwent successful surgery and does not have a timetable for his return, but will be “out for a while.” By the sounds of it, I’d say Fehr’s season is over.

    Stat of the Night

    22-1-9 and 27-1-9

    Just how important is it for the Leafs to jump out to an early lead? Well, according to Paul Hendrick’s of Leafs TV, the Leafs own a 22-1-9 record when they lead after 20 minutes of play, and they own 27-1-9 record when leading after two periods.

    What’s Next

    The Maple Leafs will travel to Western New York to take on the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night. Despite the Sabres being out of the playoff race, I’m sure this game will be an interesting contest since Toronto is only a short drive down the QEW. In other words, expect Leafs Nation in full force at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo.

    Next: Fehr Spotted in a Cast, Likely Out for Remainder of Season

    What did you think of the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 victory against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below

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