Bertuzzi’s birthday hat trick extends Maple Leafs win streak to seven

Article content

It’s a bonus to be in beast mode, but to win in the belly of another brute is the best.

Article content

Throw in a birthday hat trick by Todd Bertuzzi and the Maple Leafs have their longest win streak in more than 20 years.

Article content

Bertuzzi’s final goal on a late power play, via a clever pass from behind the net from William Nylander, provided a 4-3 decision against the NHL’s best home team, the Colorado Avalanche. That’s seven straight, including all four on this Western U.S. road trip, for the first time since reaching eight in the 2003-04 season.

Also impressive is their record of 22-5-2 versus the West, with three games to go, two this week at home versus Vegas and Arizona, then next month when Edmonton visits. The other 22 will be to settle their playoff fate within the East. The Leafs gained a point on Atlantic Division-leading Boston which lost in extra time in Vancouver, but Florida also won to stay six up on Toronto, which had been down two goals early to the Avs.

Article content

Article content

“That felt good,” Bertuzzi said of his and the team’s eventful evening. “That was a great road trip and to be able to go home with eight points on the trip is awesome. Everyone is just buying in. We’re at the point of the season where we have to turn things on and have a winning mentality, take no games off.

“Even before tonight I felt I was making good plays, playing decent hockey.”

With at least a point in all 28 homes games at Ball Arena, Colorado coach Jared Bednar chose to match Nathan MacKinnon head-to-head against Auston Matthews’ line. But it was a Simon Benoit clear over the glass against a hard forecheck that helped MacKinnon quickly add to that streak, setting up Artturi Lehkonen on an impressive looking power play.

Article content

MacKinnon then broke away at full speed down the right boards and, avoiding a diving check by Morgan Rielly, fed an open Andrew Cogliano to make it 2-0.

For a Leafs team that had opened the scoring its past four games, those quick two against put more pressure on their somewhat rusty ranks. They were obligated to take Friday off after back-to-back games, yet couldn’t skate Saturday morning with a 5 p.m. local start for Canadian television.

Ilya Samsonov’s 27 saves included a couple he snagged that got behind him near the goal-line and he had to make one last stop at the buzzer when John Tavares couldn’t get a shot off with an empty Avs net in front of him.

Head coach Sheldon Keefe did opt to keep the same lineup as the one that beat the Golden Knights in Las Vegas two nights earlier, meaning winger Noah Gregor sat again, while Tavares, mostly a third-liner of late, also saw spot duty on the wing with Matthews and Mitch Marner.

Article content

Matthews was overshadowed this night by Colorado’s Hart Trophy candidate MacKinnon as he stalled for a night at 52 goals, but did assist on Bertuzzi’s power-play winner with Mikko Rantanen sitting for the same sin as Benoit after he’d tied it earlier in the third.   

Before the first period ended, the Leafs’ own hot power play had clicked, Marner and Nylander, en route to his 300th NHL assist in the game, working the puck across the slot to an open Bertuzzi on the doorstep. Thus ended an agonizing road to 100 NHL goals for Bertuzzi, who had been trying to get the final few since just after Christmas. He turned 29  Saturday, the first Leaf ever to co-ordinate three goals on his birthday according to Hockey Night In Canada.

Marner put the Leafs ahead in the second period with his 100^th road goal, a nice spin and shoot with Matthew Knies providing a distraction. Bertuzzi’s first goal at even strength helped Max Domi reach 400 NHL points.

Article content

Missing defenceman Mark Giordano for the last time before he comes back from a week of bereavement for his dad, Toronto lost Benoit for part of the first frame after a shot block.

A stickless Bertuzzi had his own painful block in the second in which Samsonov’s degree of difficulty increased trying to hold off the Avs.

TJ Brodie had a rough night on the blueline, barely avoiding being out on a third early goal by Colorado when Samsonov grabbed a puck off the goal-line after Ross Colton got behind him.

FINE FARM REPORT

This has been a huge week in the prospects department for the Leafs, more so if subscribing to the theory general manager Brad Treliving might be using some organizational assets in a trade before the March 8 NHL deadline.

Article content

On Saturday, 2023 first round pick Easton Cowan set the record for longest points streak in the modern history of the mighty London Knights in a 4-3 shootout win over the Ottawa 67s. Cowan’s late second-period goal gave him 26 consecutive games with a point (20 goals, 29 assists) to beat Sergei Kostitsyn’s record from 1997-98. Marner had the Knights’ second longest, which Cowan topped earlier in the week.

The Marlies, who hosted Joseph Woll for a conditioning stint win on Friday night, followed up his 36-save 4-1 over Laval by beating the Rocket again Saturday, a 5-1 victory behind 22 stops from AHL rookie Dennis Hildeby. While forward Kieffer Bellows does not have an NHL contract at present, he notched his 20th and 21st goals on Saturday.

[email protected]

X: @sunhornby

Article content