TORONTO – Three players with 1000 games.
Three locals.
A retro winning goal in the game.
The match was hardly memorable, but it was definitely the moment.
Wayne Simmonds, 33, turned to the gap in speed, turned against the attacking forwards, and supported Philadelphia Flyers defender Keith Yandel.
Simmonds returned the puck to his teammate Jason Spca (38), who drove a flawless hand with activated Mark Giordano (38) and shot past Martin Jones.
“It was a beautiful goal. I like. I mean, it was a good tic-tac-toe game. Simmer and then Spec to Gio and back to Spec’s back door, “smiled William Nylander.
“That was great,” added Jack Campbell. “A big goal in the hockey game as well. They put so much heart into every game, it’s good to see them rewarded. “
Sea chess.
Older-older-adult.
Beauty-beauty-beauty.
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Crystallizing on three different paths starting in the same city, winding through a dozen NHL sweaters and 3,278 regular-season games and landing right back where their delayed dream of the Stanley Cup began: Toronto.
“It’s great that we’re all here and we all care deeply about this organization and the team, the city,” Spezza said after Tuesday’s 5-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.
“We are here to provide leadership as well as a good game on the ice. You know, I think we are more proud than anyone else that we are from Toronto and we know what is at stake to try to bring success to the playoffs of this city. “
The three oldest Toronto Maple Leafs – local male boys and all the later added chasing banners – came together for a goal that was 111 years and two weeks in the making on Tuesday night.
This is the oldest series of points for 2021-22 in the entire league and the oldest in Leafland since Ron Francis (41) was created by Brian Leach (37) and Cala Johansson (37) in 2004.
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Something else important happened in 2004: The Maple Leafs won their latest series of playoffs.
Francis, now Seattle’s Kraken GM, replaced Giordano at Maple Leafs, who are remarkable 12-2-1 as the defender pulled out his childhood colors at the deadline.
Spezza has learned nothing new about Giordano. Hell, he’s been playing against this man since they were 10 or 11 years old fighting on the little hockey rinks in this town. As professionals, they would share a few summer skates up close and mutual respect from afar.
“Now that we have a chance to play together is pretty good for us. He is a man that, where he came from, how much he worked, he got better. He’s in the same mold as a man like Big Z. [Zdeno Chara]where he changes his game over the years. And his game stands the test of time because of that, “said Speza.
“It’s good to play together now. We can laugh and enjoy our time together. But we are also trying to push this team forward. So great a man to add and kind of cool for us because we played against each other for as long as kids. ”
These are the lightning bolts, the native particles that can lead to the victory of otherwise hot maple leaves, which is worth tuning into.
Because let’s be real.
Toronto is a virtual lock in the second number of the Atlantic Division, too good to be marked in the back and too far behind to touch the Florida Panthers.
As for Philadelphia? Well, to put it mildly, this is a wasted year.
For many different reasons, these clubs are just getting out of the line, trying to keep their health for the off-season or golf season.
What turned out to be an affair resembling Tuesday’s exhibition, however, was a milestone.
Leaf fans were able to enjoy the excellent individual campaigns of Mitch Marner, who set a new career peak in points (95) and slipped into the three-figure club’s reach, and William Nilander, who scored his best 32nd goal. per year.
New defender Timothy Lilgegren gave a laser shot to Leafs, beating Jones from a distance and further strengthening Giordano’s right-hand partner in Match 1.
Toronto keeps its A-game, which is good. The team didn’t need that against those broken flyers.
Several new moves by the old boys worked.
“We are guys with an established career and we are not afraid of the moment. I can not wait. That’s why I play the game. You go through 82 games to reach the playoffs. And these are the moments when I think I can help the most, “Speca said.
“I played in Canada for most of my career. I enjoy it. I love the atmosphere in the pressure cooker and the daily driving. I think this has made me rediscover myself all my career, to change my game. And you can’t have two bad nights in a row, or you’ll hear about it. That’s a great thing. “
This is the time of year when the preparation pays off, where the goal crystallizes. Especially if you are wise enough to know that you only have so many cracks left.
“It means a lot to me to play for Leafs and play at home and help push this team, I hope, over the edge,” said Speza.
“I do not know if the goal puts him in perspective. But it’s just that every day I walk into a room, I know what my job is here and I know what I have to do. ”
The speed of the fox 5
• The Maple Leafs are brilliant 11-2-0 in their last 13 games with Oston Matthews out of the squad.
After Matthews was away and the ruined Flyers in town, Keefe drove the scientist crazy with his front remarks on Tuesday:
Mikheev – Tavares – Blackwell
Engvall – Kerfoot – Nylander
Oatmeal – Abruzze – Marner
Simmonds – Kempf – Spca
• Islanders Matthew Barzal was fined $ 2,500 for unsportsmanlike conduct for pulling a Mitch Marner sweater during Toronto’s victory on Sunday:
“I hope he is fined for that. That would be great, “Marner said during an interview, smiling.
“He’s a good friend of mine and he’s a competitor there. It’s a lot of fun.”
• Leafs are hesitant to set a timeline for Ondrej Kase’s return from his last concussion, but it was encouraging to see the winger go through training with a small group of teammates on Tuesday morning. He will not travel for the upcoming trip, but he has been on the ice for four or five days in a row and is in the trend for the right path for a hopeful participation in the playoffs.
“He’s in a good mood,” Keefe said. “The more positive days there can be, then we will start looking at it and thinking about it.”
• Rasmus Sandin, the other Leaf in LTIR, has not played in a month and has been counting since injuring his knee in Nashville, but he went through two training sessions on Tuesday and looks set to return.
The defender will also not travel this weekend, but it is possible to draw against Detroit and / or Boston next week, Toronto’s last two games of the season.
• Both Tampa Bay Lightning and the Boston Bruins, Toronto’s two possible opponents in the first round, sent scouts to take part in the game. We’re almost done, people.
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