Domination

 Game 50: Canucks vs. Leafs

Simon B

Toronto has 6 regular-season games remaining until the playoffs. They clinched a playoffs spot last game so what importance do these games have? Well, they'll be able to rotate guys in and out of the lineup to get the regulars some rest and make sure they're in good condition for the postseason. With that in mind, there were quite a few significant lineup changes before Thursday's clash with the Canucks

Nick Foligno was out so his top-line spot was filled in by Joe Thornton. Pierre Engvall slotted into the lineup on the fourth line where Thornton was the last couple of games. On defense, Morgan Reilly and Jake Muzzin were both given the night off so Timothy Liligren was on a defensive pairing with Travis Dermott, and Ben Hutton (who was acquired from Anaheim at the deadline) made his Leafs debut alongside Justin Holl on the second line defense. Jack Campbell also got the night off so Dave Rittich was in the net.

The Game

In warmups, Wayne Simmonds was eyeing down Vancouver's Alex Edler, and not a friendly look either. If you remember, Edler was the guy who Injured Zach Hyman last time these two teams met. When you're facing a team with Wayne Simmonds on it, those types of actions don't go unnoticed. 

On his first shift of the game, Simmonds dropped the gloves with Edler and he really got the better of the Swede. They mentioned on the broadcast that this was Simmonds' 64th career fight. Edler, on the other hand, had never fought in his career before and it showed when we saw a huge cut on his cheek as he sat in the penalty box.

After that relatively violent start, the game turned into a fast-paced skills competition for the Leafs. Brodie was ringing shots off the post, Marner was making silly little backhand passes and Matthews was dangling through a bunch of Canuck defenders. You can tell that this is a team that already clinched the playoffs. They're just playing freely all over the ice and their skill was overwhelming Vancouver.

It took a while but they finally got one. John Tavares entered the zone with speed and kind of knocked the puck into the skates of a Vancouver defenceman. It wasn't really controlled by the Canucks and Alex Glachneyuck was able to pick it up and pass it to Nylander who took a sweet shot that slid underneath the pads of Brayden Holtby and right to the back of the cage.
In the first, it took them half of a period to score a goal. Well in the second, it took them only 50 seconds. Matthews and Marner were on a two-on-one and Mitch made a really nice pass across so that Auston would one-time it past Holtby and make it 2-0. That's his league-leading 36th goal of the campaign and he still had that infectious smile just like every time he scores.

Minutes later, a similar play, only this time it was a three-on-two, where Rasmus Sandin was able to get it across to Jason Spezza who then flipped it to Pierre Engvall who was at a pretty sharp angle but he fired a really nice shot over the shoulder of Holtby to put the Leafs up 3-0. From then on, the leafs continued to dominate all over the ice, and like in the first, they were basically playing "skills competition" with Vancouver. The second ended 3-0 and I (and most of Leafs Nation) had a lot of confidence going into the third period. 

At the start of the third, it was more of the same from Toronto, dominating and playing "keep-away". But around the 11th or 12th minute of the period, Vancouver started to pick things up and they were generating some pretty dangerous chances against Rittich but "big save Dave" stood up to the task and made the saves that he had to. Until he didn't.

Vancouver was on the power play and JT Miller took a shot on the net as Rittich was coming back in his net from behind it. The shot trickled through his equipment and into the net to give Vancouver a bit of life. The Canucks kept pressing for the remainder of the game but then with less than a minute to go, Brayden Holtby misplayed the puck behind the goal-line and the Leafs picked it back up and Mitch Marner was able to score the easy tap-in and the Leafs would win 4-1.

The Wrap

I'm really glad that they were able to win the way they did because they didn't really play structured but they were still able to get the two points to prove that they can still win even when they don't play their best lineup. Now granted it is the Canucks and they have not been good at all of late but they did strengthen their lead on the division and first place is looking really promising.

If you have any other sports topics you'd like to read about, let me know in the comments or send me a message in the "Contact me" section in the sidebar! 

Thanks for reading! I'd love your comments and questions.  Please share with friends and take a moment to subscribe (head to the sidebar and sign up under the "subscribe" section) so you can read all my post-game pieces on the Leafs as well as my takes on the big news in 
Toronto sports and more. It would mean a lot.

You can also follow me on Twitter @sports_slaw to get updates and opinions on sports news as it's breaking.

#Leafs4ever #MapleLeafs #LeafsCanucks #HockeyNight #Vancouver #NHL #shootsleftandwrites #slaw