Or, at least, the resolve of his head coach, Craig Berube: a bundle of resolve disguised as a man.
“It’s important for us not to get impatient,” Berube had warned his team, through journalists, before Tuesday’s morning session against the confident and stingy New York Islanders.
“We know what they are. They have been behaving like this for a long time,” Berube explained about this week’s rival at home. “They are a patient team. They don’t give you a lot.
“Take what they give you. That’s all.”
Berube’s prediction for New Year’s Eve was spot on.
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Toronto’s calm, controlled 3-1 victory over Patrick Roy’s group was a closing of mostly low events until 2024.
Less animal houseplus my parents’ house.
Joseph “Please Stay Healthy” Woll was solid when called upon, turning away 25 of 26 shots, and the Leafs complied with the bench’s directive to clamp down defensively.
And while the big names on both sides remained relatively quiet, all it took were two brilliant offensive flashes for the native team to (a) take an early one-goal lead and (b) restore it for victory.
With Auston Matthews on injured reserve and Pontus Holmberg sidelined due to illness, fourth-line center David Kämpf was promoted to the second line and quickly scored the first goal after a brilliant setup behind William’s net. Nylander, pinned against the wall. .
“A great opportunity for me,” Kämpf said, smiling, to Sportsnet’s Shawn McKenzie at intermission. “We have the puck a little more than I’m used to, so that’s good.”
After each team celebrated and mourned a successfully challenged no-goal (a fitting way to honor 2024), Jean-Gabriel Pageau finished off a beautiful sequence of passes from Leafs killer Noah Dobson and Mathew Barzal to tie the game at 1 -1.
But Toronto fourth-rower Steven Lorentz counterattacked just 16 seconds later, capping a silky one-handed move around Scott Mayfield by placing a clean puck over Ilya Sorokin’s shoulder.
Lorentz’s first in 24 games was a thing of beauty, and the Leafs stymied it for the next 28 minutes, ensuring it would be the winner.
“Every once in a while, you get one of those,” Lorentz said, smiling. “I fainted a little during the celebration. Obviously you could tell he was a little excited.
“I felt it a little bit there.”
Good for the Leafs for not letting Lorentz’s joy get to their feet. Instead of cheating to get more, they worked patiently until time ran out.
So much so, that it was Roy who fell victim to impatience.
The visiting coach made the, uh, bold decision to bring in Sorokin as an extra attacker even though the equalizer took place in the Islanders’ own zone. And despite being on the penalty spot.
“I think this is the first time I’ve seen that,” Berube told reporters.
Roy’s explanation: “If they win the tie, we don’t touch the puck and the game is over.”
When it was possible to count from 10, former New Yorker John Tavares had dropped the empty goal like the Instances Sq. ball.
(PS: It’s worth noting that Lorentz, who agreed to a bargain one-year deal and is easily the most consistent and impressive cog on his favorite childhood team’s fourth line, will be eligible to re-sign with Toronto as soon as as the clock strikes midnight)
• In the 17 games leading up to Nov. 30, the night he suffered a suspected head injury against the Golden Knights, Matthew Knies scored eight goals.
In the 16 games since that setback, the sophomore has two goals. It’s a script 5.
On Monday, Berube dove into a film session with the 227-pound left wing. The coach encourages him to be more reckless. Fiercer at the front. Aggressive in his puck battles and brave with his presence in the crease.
“That’s how I played before. Burly boy. He knows how to skate very well. Heavy. He has to become a little more reckless in his game. Tangle. “Everything with him comes down to that,” says Berube. “He was very good at it before he got injured. He just hasn’t gotten to that level again.
“We need to get it back.”
Well, after admitting his slump in the game, Knies played his best game in weeks on Tuesday.
An apparent third-effort goal was wiped off the board due to goalie interference and he took a team-high five shots on the net in more than 20 minutes of work.
• No Maple Leafs defenseman scored in December.
• As a two-time world junior gold medalist, Tavares understands the national pressure his former lodgings, Easton Cowan, are feeling tonight in Ottawa.
“Expectations in Canada are always extremely high,” says Tavares. “I know Easton is very motivated to want to finish the tournament much better than last year.”
Cowan was part of the 2024 junior team that failed to medal. With a tough offense and a historic shootout loss to Latvia against them, the 2025 Canadians risk another disappointment.
The New Year’s Eve clash against the United States is important and Tavares will be attentive.
“My two children always ask about him: ‘When will he be back?’” Tavares smiles.
“I know he’s talked a lot about having unfinished business in London and how things ended with the Memorial Cup last year. “I think it’s a great sign that he just wants to keep moving forward, keep improving, and obviously taking advantage of opportunities like the world juniors and trying to get back to a Memorial Cup is a big boost for him.”
• Matthews (upper body) practiced with the team on Monday (a positive sign) but missed his fifth straight game.
He has now been unavailable for 42 per cent of Toronto’s games and remains questionable for Thursday.
• The Maple Leafs’ only back-to-back game in January is scheduled for this weekend, when they host Boston on Saturday and Philadelphia on Sunday.
We would go with a hot hand. Hildeby was named AHL Player of the Week after stopping 66 of 69 shots in his two starts for the Marlies, posting a 1.50 goals-against average and a .957 save percentage. He shut out the Belleville Senators on Boxing Day.
The Murr Dawg still needs care.