Toronto Maple Leafs Notes: Nylander Wins Rookie of the Month, Babcock Discusses the Joe
Another Toronto Maple Leafs rookie has won an award, while Mike Babcock gets emotional at the Joe and we sort through Saturday night’s playoff implications.
Another month, another rookie award for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
For the second time this season, William Nylander has been named the NHL’s Rookie of the Month. The 20-year-old Swede racked up 14 points (four goals and 10 assists) in 14 games last month and also set a Leafs rookie record when he recorded a 12-game point streak.
Nylander previously won this award in October, while the Leafs as a whole now boast four Rookie of the Month Awards: Nylander in October and March, Auston Matthews in December and Mitch Marner in January.
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Final Visit to the Joe
Mike Babcock answered a lot of questions about Joe Louis Arena during his media scrum following Saturday’s practice and he got choked up with emotions when discussing Wings’ legend Ted Lindsay. It was a moment that provided fans with a glimpse of what Babcock the person, not the head coach roaming behind the Leafs’ bench, is like.
The Joe is obviously a special place for Babcock given everything he accomplished during his tenure with Detroit, but hearing him discuss not only the arena, but the people who work in it, late owner Mike Ilitch and the city of Detroit gives you a small sense of how important the relationships he built in Detroit are too him.
Playoff Implications
With a 5-2 victory over the Florida Panthers on Saturday afternoon, the Boston Bruins moved past the Leafs for third in the Atlantic Division with 90 points. Toronto can retake third place with a win over the Red Wings and they still hold a game in-hand over the Bruins, meaning they’re still in the driver’s seat for third place.
Outside of the Bruins, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes are hot on the Leafs’ trail, with 85 and 84 points. The Lightning host the Montreal Canadiens, who clinched a playoff spot Thursday night, and are a small favourite against the Habs. Perhaps Montreal had a “beach day” after clinching a playoff spot? The Hurricanes, meanwhile, will host the Dallas Stars.
Another team to keep an eye on is the Ottawa Senators. The Sens only sit two points ahead of the Leafs for second place in the Atlantic and will be without their captain Erik Karlsson when they host the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday. There’s a real chance the Leafs could catch the Senators for second down the stretch and flip home ice advantage into their favour.
Next: Steady Freddie Leading Maple Leafs to the Playoffs
Despite these teams nipping at the Leafs’ heels, Toronto just needs to keep winning, or at the very least collect points, and the rest will take care of itself. We’ll save going through all the “potential scenarios” until they actually become a realistic possibility. Until then, happy scoreboard watching!