Analysis | Leafs attack defense for fifth straight win, courtesy of Morgan Rielly

At one point last week, the Maple Leafs had only one goal of their defensive body to show for the entire season.

Morgan Rielly changed that narrative in Thursday night’s 2-1 win over the New York Rangers at Scotiabank Arena.

Rielly scored the game’s first two goals, one on the power play, and the Leafs earned their fifth straight victory, the 10th in their last 11 games, against a team that had won four in a row.

A lot is going well for the Leafs, including special teams, puck support in defensive zone and neutral zone play, who have followed a five-game losing streak in October with a tremendous November.

One thing that hadn’t improved was production from the bottom, but Rielly did his best to change that on a night with goals in each of the first two periods. It was the fourth two-goal game of his career and the second against the Rangers.

After the game, Rielly spoke more about the fact that the Leafs held the lead in the third despite a stretch mid-period in which the Rangers got a goal from Dryden Hunt and made six unanswered shots on target.

“It’s a mindset,” Rielly said after the Leafs improved to 8-0 by leading after two periods. “You have it in mind, that you are going to play in a certain way, and you don’t give up. It is that mindset that we are beginning to establish and it has been helpful. “

Special moments: Rielly’s second goal was also the Leafs’ 10th in power play in the last 10 games. They have also killed 12 consecutive penalties. “Our special teams have been a big reason behind the roll we’re in now,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said.

Campbell rises: Encouraged by the Leafs’ strong defensive effort of late, goalie Jack Campbell is now among the NHL’s leaders in several categories. He was 16 minutes away from his fourth shutout in eight games when Hunt beat him for his first goal of the season. Calgary’s Jacob Markstrom leads the NHL in shutouts, posting No. 5 (in 13 starts) against the Buffalo Sabers on Thursday.

Campbell stopped 117 of the 119 shots he faced in the last four games. He also earned his 10th win, leading the NHL.

Defender Morgan Rielly scored both of Leaf's goals, one on the power play, and the Leafs earned their fifth straight victory.

“He is our stone,” Rielly said.

Kämpf and great: David Kämpf has quietly become the Leafs’ top defensive forward and a major contributor to the five-game streak. His strengths include reading where the play is headed and supporting his defenders as they work the puck out of the Leafs’ zone.

Thanks to their effectiveness without the puck in the neutral zone, the Leafs have also gotten much better at obstructing that area and, as a result, reducing the number of shots from the opposition, both outside the race and in front of their own. net.

Kampf is also one of the best forwards in the NHL in match-ups, especially in the defensive zone. The Leafs won 37 of 46 meetings Thursday night and remain third in the NHL in team meeting percentage.

Simmonds returns: Wayne Simmonds was another player who did a quiet but effective job Thursday night. On the bench for a period in the third period of Tuesday’s win over the Nashville Predators, he came back with a solid first-quarter turnaround that led to Rielly’s first goal.

Simmonds set up the play with a hit on the end boards, where he gained an inside position, then recovered the puck and received an assist. It was a fourth row goal, a reward for the solid work done by Simmonds, Michael Bunting and Jason Spezza.

The Leafs are now 7-1 when they score first and 8-0 when they lead after two periods.

Kaše good to go: Ondrej Kaše played after missing practice the day before. Kaše blocked a shot Tuesday against Nashville and was clearly sore when he came off the ice.

The crowd: Attendance was announced at 19,029, the second-largest crowd for a Leafs home game this season.

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