The humble Habs exploded for the first five goals of the match and a half full Bell Center was at his feet shouting, “Olé! Ole! Ole!” in the middle of Season 2. To be honest, it was arguably the flatter performance these 20 Maple Leafs dreamers had. “These are always games you keep in the back of your head,” Auston Matthews said ahead of Saturday’s rematch. “We did not go out with that game for a specific purpose, and they had a lot of fun. We have another crack in them here.” While the Toronto crack was much more dynamic this time around, the result was the same: two points were left unbeaten as the Canadiens won 4-2. Again, Toronto failed to hide points in the meeting with the club that is in 32nd place. The Maple Leafs confirmed their dominance early in the rematch, delaying Montreal’s first shot on Erik Källgren until nine minutes into the night and jumping on the scoreboard in their first substitution. Matthews continued his quest for 50 buzzes, scoring his best 47th NHL goal of the season, overtaking Jake Allen. Wings Mitch Marner (70 points) and Michael Bading (50 points) collected assists in a row. “I did not come in this year thinking that I would make such a production. I really wanted to help this team. Individual success is also a good thing. So, I’m happy with my season. “I just hope I can continue,” Bading said before the game, unsure why most of his points have come far from the Scotiabank Arena. “It’s funny. My father texted me, ‘Oh, you’re going back on the road. That’s good.’ “He just laughed. … I like to play in front of the fans, but right now I just score more on the road.” In the second frame, David Savard was activated from the blue line, beating William Nylander in a move to the net and converted a beautiful cross-ice feed by Laurent Dauphin to equalize a game that had nothing to do with it. “It’s a team that plays with a lot of confidence,” Jason Spezza said in advance. “Marty (St. Louis) made them play free hockey. They control hard now. They are dangerous teams against them.” Cole Cowfield scored the 14th in his rookie season in power play, giving the hosts the lead. And the barn exploded as loudly as it could when it hosted the first team to be mathematically eliminated from the post-season. This is not digging. This is a compliment to a city that is smart enough to recognize a comeback and still show up in noisy groups to appreciate a strong effort on Saturday night. The Leafs got stuck with that, and Nylander closed the game 2-2 with a power-play hit. In the middle of the third, as tensions escalated and the Leafs controlled the game, the Bell Center did The Wave. They party as if they already knew what was going to follow. Paul Byron played the role of the hero, looking at the pass, but hitting the winner in a weird rush. Christian Dvorak kicked with an empty net. Sometimes, winning the night can be quite satisfying. “It’s one of the best places to play in the NHL,” said Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe. “If you are on the road, it is an incredible environment, a wonderful atmosphere. “I’m coming with the Leafs, even more so.” Indeed, the atmosphere was incredible. The Leafs should hope for the same Sunday as they host the mighty Florida Panthers in the second half of this back-to-back. Petr Mrazek will start for Toronto. Fox’s Fast 5 • Kyle Dubas signed candidate Nick Abruzzese on his two-year contract at initial level on Saturday. Next: Get Matthew Knies committed. Playmaker Abruzzese, 22, was one point per player for the U.S. team at the Olympics and scored 33 points in 28 games as a sophomore at Harvard this season. Dubas has earned a place on the roster to give him a look at the NHL in April. “He is a very good hockey player. He has dynamic abilities. Super good with the elf. “He has an elite brain and he is a very good attacking player,” said his Harvard colleague Alexander Kerfoot. “The other thing you notice is just his hunger. He wants to get better. “He wants to be the best player on the ice every night.” • Timothy Liljegren takes time in the second power-play unit, but Keefe said that the formation of the two defenders is more intended to be safe when the two minutes are over and the 5-on-5 game continues. If PP2 jumps on the boards with plenty of 5-on-4 time, the coach will continue to roll four ahead. “O Canada” was sung in French, English and Kri before the game – a trilingual game with an anthem. Injury collection: Ondrej Kase has not skated with the club since receiving a head injury from Matt Duchene on March 19 in Nashville. “There is no real information,” Keefe said. “Actually, I haven’t heard much about him other than that he’s not going to be available this week.” Jack Campbell (side) has increased his workload. The No. 1 goalkeeper will travel with the Leafs to Boston on Tuesday and may be available on Thursday against Winnipeg, at the earliest. If not, bet in the first week of April. Rasmus Sandin (knee) has started training in the gym but has not gone to the ice. It ‘s still weeks away. “His spirit is very good. “He was unlucky this year with injuries,” said Liljegren’s friend. “It always brings a smile to the rink. He will overcome it. “ • The quote of the day: “He is very calm, cool and collected. Shelly does not show much emotion, which I think is good for a goalkeeper – especially in Toronto. – Michael Bunting for Erik Källgren
