Leaf Takeaways: Why Leafs are so entertaining, Tavares still a top pop

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It’s all happening in threes for the Maple Leafs. 

A difficult three-game road trip, three respectable points, a series of three-goal leads that came and went for themselves and opponents. In the end, they fly home from Utah Wednesday with a 3-3-1 record overall. 

Our takeaways from the closing game, a 5-4 defeat to the Mammoth on Tuesday: 

The thrill and Kirill of it all

Last year, Craig Berube’s Leafs were plodding and it wasn’t hard to see why they missed the playoffs. 

The John Chayka – Jim Hiller edition has its defensive lapses and April’s a long way off, but how entertaining are Auston Matthews and William Nylander, back in Core Four scoring form, augmented by new guys Jack Roslovic and Kirill Marchenko, while father figure John Tavares and his most recent student lodgers, Gavin McKenna and Easton Cowan, keep filling the net.

Marchenko and Roslovic are the wild cards so far, positioned as Matthews’ wingers but needing to finish a bit better, as Roslovic did Tuesday. And while Marchenko has a point in all but one of the seven games he’s played so far since the frenetic trade with Columbus for Matthew Knies and his fat new contract just before opening day, he’s missed some goals and could’ve been the game-tying hero in Utah. 

“It’s a little bit different for him,” Hiller told media in Salt Lake City before the game. “In Columbus he was relied upon for a lot of offence and he’ll certainly be here, but there are other players who can spread it around. 

“He’s just kind of finding his way around now. We all know he’s had a lot of looks and the puck hasn’t gone in for him. He’s still made some plays on the power play. He probably wants to get going a little better than he has, but we have plenty of patience for him, we love the player.” 

Hiller noted the best chemistry with Marchenko and Matthews was the season opener against the Canadiens. 

“It takes time. But him and Auston will be good together.” 

For those scoreboard-watching Knies, after his three-point debut, he has one assist in five games for the offensively challenged Jackets. 

Father knows best 

For those doubting if John Tavares can keep up with younger Leafs this season or wondering why he just didn’t stay home after leaving the team to be with his newest baby on the weekend, Tuesday showed Pop still has some pop. 

The Leafs got the most for their travel dollar, flying Tavares all the way back West on Sunday night. He practiced Monday and then scored off the rush in the Leafs’ comeback, as well as assisting on a Matthews power play strike and starting the play that led to McKenna’s goal to put the Leafs within one. 

His 394th power play point moved him into the top 70 of NHL history, one ahead of Mathieu Schneider. It was put to Hiller before the game that McKenna did a fine job in Tavares’s place on special teams Saturday in Colorado and might deserve a longer look. 

“Gavin will get in and get pulled back,” the coach responded. “We’re talking about John Tavares. It’s a pretty easy decision. He’s had a great career and is still a great scorer.” 

McKenna has made a little team history of his own with a four-game points streak, tying the third-longest by a Leaf aged 18 or younger, last done by Jim Benning in 1981-82. The record is Russ Courtnall’s seven-game streak in 1983-84. 

Moving in for the kill 

The Leafs defused four Utah power plays to help keep them in Tuesday’s game, which brought them to the top of the league’s penalty kill file, 95.8 per cent, or 23 of 24. 

Hiller has employed new forwards; rugged Nick Paul, Colton Sissons, Teddy Blueger and Brandon Duhaime and good stick checkers such as Matthews, Nylander and Cowan. Having Nylander’s speed out there for the final seconds of the third period minor to Oliver Ekman-Larsson nearly paid off in a short-handed goal. 

Toronto is also getting big shot blocks and solid goaltending, though Chris Tanev’s injury absence puts the special teams run at risk. 

“We’re just moving our feet, talking a lot and we’re on the same page,” Paul said at the morning skate. “But it’s still early in the season.” 

The PK was a bright spot amid last year’s various difficulties, ranked eighth at 81.2. 

“It’s been a mix of things,” Ekman-Larsson said of the unit. “The goalies have been good, everyone is sacrificing their bodies and it’s been clicking. We‘re getting pucks out and giving the power play bad looks in the middle of the zone or in front.”   

To that Hiller added the Leafs have good internal faceoff numbers when short a man and there has been little loose change with pucks on the doorstep. 

Lhornby@postmedia.com 

X: @sunhornby 

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