PHILADELPHIA — Rick Tocchet glanced over at his longtime friend Craig Berubeâ€s group and predicted a “desperate†opponent Saturday night on Broad Street.
The Toronto Maple Leafs arrived in their head coachâ€s old stomping grounds winless on the road and mulling around the basement of a mediocre Atlantic Division.
In fact, Tocchetâ€s rebuilding Flyers exited the first month of the season with more wins than Toronto, despite the franchises†differing expectations.
Whatever desperation the depleted Toronto team had going into the second-most-important sporting event for the city on this night escalated when it was announced that its best player, William Nylander, would not suit up (again) and when the Flyers sniped on the first shot of the game. Just 69 seconds in.
Responding well to Berubeâ€s pleas for tightened defence and a reduction in rush chances, the Leafs patiently clawed their way back, slogging out a 5-2 victory — despite having the game interrupted by a frightening injury to Chris Tanev.
“I mean, weâ€re all human, so thereâ€s definitely an emotional side of that, seeing a guy go down like that,†captain Auston Matthews said. “It’s just tough. So, you’ve got to try to get yourself back in the game.Â
“The game just kind of feels stagnant at that point, something like that happening. But happy with the consistent effort over the full 60 minutes tonight, and grinding out this win, and weâ€ll be thinking about Tanny here and hoping itâ€s nothing too serious.â€
Matthews tied the game with the type of snappy wrister from distance that used to be the norm but has become rarer these days.
Jake McCabe launched a sifter from the point through traffic to seize the lead, and top-six Nick Robertson whipped a beautiful bar-down snipe to double it.
“Robby, itâ€s effort, right? You know, if you look back before he scored that goal, he had two big blocks in our zone. Just the speed, his shot, are dangerous, obviously, but his work ethic drives everything for me,†Berube said.
“Last year, he was mostly a third-line player, but power play and stuff. And then this year we’ve got different players and different things, so we gave him a look up there, and he’s doing a good job. You know, it’s not about us not giving them a shot up there. It’s just these guys, where they’re slotted, and so we had some different people this year. Heâ€s gone up there and done a good job.â€
Rookie Easton Cowan ripped his first NHL goal, off a setup from John Tavares, no less.
Funny, Cowan was speaking that goal into existence Saturday morning.
“I know I can contribute more to help this team win,†he said. “I mean, Iâ€m getting chances. So, I gotta start burying just to help this team as much as I can. Thatâ€s my goal out there.â€
The Leafs blasted Luke Combs†“Back in the Saddle†from the visitors†room in celebration of Cowboyâ€s first goal — and the teamâ€s first road win.
“Itâ€s a mental grind,†Cowan said. “You want to score. And the first (eight) games I played in, didnâ€t score. So, just stuck with it in practice. Kept getting better, and I’m gonna keep doing that. Itâ€s just felt like it was just gonna be a matter of time, you know? I stuck with it.â€
Most encouraging is that Toronto didnâ€t sacrifice defence to generate its chances. And cashed in despite both sides waging a closely checked contest.
“Theyâ€re playing a good, structured game right now. Theyâ€re not giving up much. Theyâ€re tight defensively, and you gotta work for your chances,†Berube said of Tocchetâ€s bunch.
“Heâ€s got these guys playing the right way, and theyâ€re packing in around their net and protecting.â€
Berubeâ€s message was received. And that elusive two points on the road were secured.
“Last year we were a great defending team, so weâ€re trying to get back to that,†Knies said, following the teamâ€s morning meeting.
Simplify. Limit the rush.
Dump pucks. Wait for windows. Then bury â€em.
“Weâ€re too eager to play offence right now. Everyoneâ€s getting below the goal line, and weâ€re getting beat up ice. We gotta play structured. Have a good F3 and not allow those rushes,†Knies explained of the correction. “Just not cheating for offence. Not leaving the zone too early.
“Our skill comes out when weâ€re doing the right things.â€
• Robertson has five points over four games during this stretch where heâ€s gotten top-line shifts with Matthews.
“Itâ€s a great opportunity. Itâ€s a blessing, for sure. For me, I try to take advantage of it. You know, they’re just such good, talented players, him and Kniesy, and I just want to do my best to complement them,†said Robertson, who believes his production goes together with the ice time and the linemates.
“I think with more minutes played, more pucks on my stick, just more confidence. Nothing changes with me as a player, anything. I think itâ€s just I got more of an opportunity. What I like from it is just capitalizing on my chances, being confident with the puck and acting like I belong there.â€
• Nylander has now missed three of the past four games while managing a lower-body injury.
“Anytime heâ€s on the ice, heâ€s a dangerous player,†Berube said.
“He just provides puck play, puck possession and threats. Heâ€s a threat out there every time heâ€s on the ice, whether heâ€s making a play or shooting it in the net. Power play, too. Heâ€s obviously one of our best power-play guys last year, and weâ€re going to miss that there too. Just in general, his presence, his leadership, all that stuff is missed when heâ€s not in the lineup.â€
• The Maple Leafs only hold optional morning skates on game days preceded by a full practice. Not in Philadelphia. Berube made Saturdayâ€s morning skate mandatory despite running a hard practice Friday.
“We havenâ€t got a road win yet,†the coach said.
• Sean Couturier exited Thursdayâ€s win over Nashville when teammate Noah Juulsen launched some friendly fire that caught him in the elbow. The Flyers captain took morning skate but has ruled himself day-to-day.
“I was relieved it didn’t hit me in the face. It was coming right at my face,†Couturier says. “It was actually the same exact play when I lost my teeth in juniors. Same exact thing. Gave it to my D, went to the net, and it was coming at me.â€
Couturier isnâ€t in too much pain to chirp his injurer, though.
“This time, the shot wasnâ€t as hard, so I was good enough to respond,†Couturier quipped. “Thatâ€s what I told Juuls.â€
• Toronto dealt 22-year-old Nikita Grebenkin at the deadline as part of the Scott Laughton trade.
Berube breaks into a wide smile talking about the former Leafs prospect, now a fourth-liner and occasional scratch in Philly — also, a guy who set up the opening goal.
“I like him a lot,†Berube says. “Heâ€s got some jam to him. I love that. Like, heâ€s got energy and emotion, and heâ€s physical. He’s not afraid out there; he gets involved. And I like his hands and his puck play down low on the offensive zone. Heâ€s strong on pucks. He hangs on the pucks, and heâ€s good in that area.
“He’s going to be a good player. Heâ€s just got to learn the game. Heâ€s a young Russian kid, and they gotta learn the whole game. But thatâ€s where he’s effective.â€
Gregarious and hilarious, Grebenkin politely declined an interview. He wants to keep a low profile and let his play do the talking.
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