Maple Leafs use latest momentum swings in comeback win over Devils

NEWARK, NJ—Billed as a battle of two elite teams, a rare opportunity for the Maple Leafs to play a team higher than themselves in the NHL rankings.

The Devils, third overall, were four points ahead of the fourth-place Leafs when play began. And things got more difficult.

The Leafs took their time getting into the fray but, thanks in no small part to Ilya Samsonov, somehow managed to rob the New Jersey Devils of two points with a 4-3 victory at the Prudential Center on Tuesday night.

“Just perseverance and never give up,” said star center Auston Matthews, who scored the game-winner. “When they got the lead later in the third, we just struggled, we held our own. Some great saves from Sammy.

“Last game of a pretty long road trip and one of those games where you had to push yourself, and that’s what we did.”

Relegated to the fourth line for most of the game, Michael Bunting scored his 20th goal of the year to tie the game with just under five minutes to go and Matthews scored on the power play with 2:53 remaining in a Frequent boost game. changes.

Bunting’s best play was not receiving a pass from William Nylander on the winning play, but letting the puck go to Matthews.

“I heard him ask for it,” Bunting said. “It was clearly wide open so I didn’t want to get in the way of that. So. And he made that count.”

“It gave me a little more room to shoot,” Matthews said of Bunting’s no-contact play. “A very good one-on-one from him. And a beautiful pass from Willie, only to read the pressure and find myself there in the slot.”

Järnkrok Street gave the Leafs a 1-0 lead in the second, and Mitch Marner scored from behind for a 2-1 lead in the third. But the Devils finally got Samsonov to swim into their box, stopping the pucks but not quite sure where the puck was, and they led 3-2 thanks to two goals from Erik Haula and one from Ondrej Palat.

“There were definitely ups and downs,” Bunting said. “I think we responded well on the bench, and especially our penalty. They were great for us and built a lot of momentum for us in that third period, especially with Mitch’s goal there. We just kept rolling from there.”

It may not have been a game the Leafs deserved to win, they were tired from a long road trip and took too many penalties, but the effort was there when it was needed at the end. Samsonov stopped 30 of 33 shots.

The Leafs, 2-0-1 against the Devils this season, were without two key players: John Tavares, who sat out as a precaution, and Ryan O’Reilly, who sat out with a broken finger.

“Injuries are part of this game, so it’s unfortunate, but it does happen,” Marner said. “Obviously (O’Reilly) is a piece that we added that is very important to our team, but it’s unfortunate that it happened and we just have to make sure that we continue to improve.”

Go home

It was the last game of a long road trip, but the Leafs finished it with a 3-2-0 record.

“I feel like it’s been a month of being on the road,” Matthews said. “It definitely wears you down a bit. It’s a great way to end our road trip and come out of it with a winning record. And we can go home now and have a couple of days to recover, recharge and get back on track.”

It was an oddly organized trip that saw the team on both coasts as the roster was reviewed before the trade deadline. They left with Rasmus Sandin and Pierre Engvall. None returned, with Jake McCabe, Sam Lafferty, Erik Gustafsson and Luke Schenn taking their place. Nearly two weeks will have passed before they return to practice at their home facility in Etobicoke on Friday.

“It interferes with your sleep schedule,” Justin Holl said. “The big emphasis is just trying to make sure you’re getting as much sleep as you can and resting your body so you’re ready to compete.”

The Leafs played the first period like they needed the break, managing just five shots into the net. They didn’t record the first until the game was almost eight minutes into the game. The Devils, for their part, had 15.

But the Leafs scored first and took control for the early part of the second period. That’s when Järnkrok capitalized on a William Nylander pass for an improbable 1-0 lead. The Devils tied it up later in the period when Haula grabbed a bouncing puck that neither Holl nor Marner could corral into the slot.

main idea

If there was an underrated theme in the game, it was the starting goalkeepers. Toronto’s Ilya Samsonov and New Jersey’s Vitek Vanecek shared net-care duties last year in Washington, but the Capitals opted for free agent Darcy Kuemper this season. The Leafs and Devils have benefited greatly, as both goaltenders have had payback years with playoff-bound teams.

“That was the first time we played against each other,” said Samsonov, who raised his record to 23-8-2. “It is a good opportunity for me and for him. We are still friends. He’s a really nice guy and he’s a good goalie.”

thymus time

Devils fans enjoyed newcomer Timo Meier’s first game at the Prudential Center. They chanted his name and cheered for his first turn, which included a couple of chances on goal as the Devils started the game with a sizable jump.

“It’s a really exciting time to step on the ice here in home building,” said Meier, picked up from the San Jose Sharks at the deadline. “It’s definitely been a lot, but also exciting for me… (I’m) getting more comfortable on the ice every day and I just go to work. That is what I love the most. It’s been great being around the guys so far and meeting more people every day. So it’s been a really fun ride.”

Meier scored a goal Sunday in his Devils debut, a 5-4 win at Arizona. It was his 32nd of the year, three shy of his career high.

“It makes them a lot more dangerous and rounds out their forward group,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said. “They have a lot of potential to be a very dangerous group. Even without Meier, this was the No. 1 offensive team in the league. They have been playing well and dominating the opponents.”

devoid of centers

The Leafs were without two of their top centers, with Tavares given the night off and O’Reilly beginning his recovery from surgery to repair a broken finger.

Tavares should be back on Saturday when the Oilers visit. He informed medical staff that he wasn’t feeling well on Sunday, and although he said he was fine on Monday and Tuesday, the team played it safe given his history of concussions.

“Obviously I feel good and I would love to be there,” Tavares said after the morning skate. “But the medical staff and I thought, as we talked about things, that it was better to be cautious.”

O’Reilly broke his finger Saturday in Vancouver when he faced a slapshot from Auston Matthews.

“With the nature of the injury, I think we’ll see him back on his skates pretty quickly,” Keefe said. “And that’s a good sign. We will welcome him back when he is well and ready.”

The Leafs were also without Schenn, who stayed home with his future wife. Gustafsson was a healthy scratch.

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