His team made caves in the 32nd Montreal Canadiens. Auston Matthews had scored in 36 seconds. Exhausted and injured Hubs had almost no smell at all. Then, in the middle of the second half, defender David Savard, who stayed home, was activated from the spot, passed untouched by an indifferent Nylander, led the crunch and converted a beautiful cross-ice feed by Laurent Dauphin. The strike tied a game that had no job to do and gave life to a loyal fan base looking for a reason to cheer on a mathematically excluded team that would not stop. Nylander acknowledged the blunder for what it was: a lack of effort. “I had a mistake in the backcheck. He did not make a backcheck all the way “, Nylander had, after Saturday’s 4-2 defeat. “This is a big factor. I have to be there to stop the momentum. “ Coach Sheldon Keefe tackled the blunder as the glass overflowed. He ousted Nylander from center-back John Tavares, a combination that consistently and confusingly failed to equal his $ 17 million worth of components. “It’s difficult,” Keefe said of Nylander’s lost mission. I mean, defensively, I do not know if we can play much better than that. Exactly how we controlled the game, how we controlled the neutral zone – not much happens. It’s hard to give up. “But for me it was the third or fourth such game for Will. And that’s why the time has come [to split Nylander and Tavares]. Things have piled up for this line for some time. “So it was too late.” Overall, is Keefe happy with Nylander’s game lately? “No. Not near,” the coach replied. Another subsequent question was dropped. “I do not need to stack Will here,” Keefe said. “He knows what makes him great and he knows what it takes to get back.” The very foundation of Maple Leafs success is based on an offensive punch by one or two of the Core Four. However, when the Tavares and Nylander share the ice in a tie, the Maple Leafs have prevailed 45-36 this season. Chemistry is waiting on Line 2 and time is running out to find it. It is a confusing truth when you look at the individual talents involved and an issue that has been covered by a dominant power play and one of the scariest top lines in hockey. Keefe claimed that his midfield had more pop when he relegated Nylander along with check center David Kämpf and top speedster Ilya Mikheyev. “Today he was at the top of the games. “He really skated,” Keefe said. “Well, it made it easier for me to make this line switch, to pick it up with John.” The last time Keefe’s Leafs rolled in Montreal, the Canadiens living in the cellar rolled right over them. “These are always games you keep in the back of your head,” Matthews said before the rematch. “We did not go out for that game with a special purpose and they had a lot of fun. “We have another crack in them here.” While the Toronto crack was much stronger this time around, the result was the same: two important points were left unattended against a team playing for pride. “It’s a team that plays with a lot of confidence,” said Jason Spezza. “March [St. Louis] made them play free hockey. They control hard now. “They are dangerous teams against them.” The Leafs woke up in second place in the Atlantic Division. They fell asleep on the fourth. Small mistakes matter. The point is that the Leafs beat Montreal 51-18, giving the Habs their worst home differential (minus 33) at home in franchise history. They played well enough to win, but Jake Allen was great and the Canadians stayed long enough to make some mistakes. “I will take this game 82 times,” Keefe said. Matthews continued his hunt for 50 by buzzing in the first shift, returning his best NHL 47th goal over 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,” said Bading, unsure why most of his points have come away from the Scotiabank Arena. “It’s funny. My father texted me, ‘Oh, you’re going back on the road. That’s good.’ ” Based on the momentum from Savard’s goal, Cole Caufield scored a beauty in power play, giving the hosts the lead. The barn erupted as loudly as possible when it houses the first team that was mathematically excluded 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 – guess who? – Nylander closed the game with 2-2 with his own 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 scaling the winner with five holes in a broken game that resulted 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 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 starts on the net for Toronto. We will watch to see which line the Nylander starts from. 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 game for the U.S. team at the Olympics and scored 33 points in 28 games as a sophomore with 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.” Liljegren takes time in the second power-play unit, but Keefe says the formation of the two defenders is more about safety when the two minutes are up 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 Cretan – 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 could 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 his friend Timothy Liljegren. “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 to Erik Källgren
