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New addition to the mantel 🍎✋

6:02 AM · Feb 7, 2025

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Here are XX takeaways from the Maple Leafs’ 3-1 victory over the Kraken:

• Anthony Stolarz would’ve been given a pass if he looked shaky in his return or showed signs of rust, but he was terrific for the Maple Leafs. Stolarz hadn’t played since December 12, while recovering from a procedure to remove a ‘loose pebble’ in his knee. He moved with tremendous lateral mobility, and made a number of excellent stops, especially during the second period where the Kraken controlled possession. It’s unclear if Stolarz will start Saturday against the Vancouver Canucks — it would appear likely that Joseph Woll gets the start before the Maple Leafs enter the break, but it’s great to see that the team can roll two starting-calibre goaltenders down the home stretch, before designating their playoff starter.
• Matthew Knies remains in outstanding form, scoring his 21st goal of the season, his third consecutive contest with a goal. Knies and Auston Matthews worked a strong two-man game throughout the night, with Max Domi on their wing. Knies-Matthews-Domi outshot the Kraken 5-1 at 5-on-5, Matthews finished with a game-high six shots, and Domi is predictably generating his best results on the top line, while receiving a secondary assist on Bobby McMann’s power play marker. Toronto’s optimal set up probably sees Knies and Matthews reunited with Marner, but Domi can play up in a pinch, it allows Craig Berube to continue to experiment with his optimal combinations — the William Nylander-John Tavares-Mitch Marner combination wasn’t outright dominant, although they received poor puck luck while flubbing some grade-A chances — and we’ll see how this combination plays out into Saturday. It’s clear that Knies and Matthews can carry Domi, while Domi is at his most effective on the wing, where he’s not getting beaten on the defensive side of the puck.
• McMann does so many things well, tipping home a point shot from Morgan Rielly for the eventual game-winner. He creates so many opportunities off the rush but tonight, his power game and ability to win puck battles certainly stood out. Pontus Holmberg and Nick Robertson didn’t do anything with the puck, but McMann constantly puts his linemates in opportunities to succeed, he is a mismatch against third-line competition at this point, and it’ll be compelling to see if Berube views him as a genuine top-six player, as the games become incrementally more important leading up to the playoffs.
• Morgan Rielly submitted another terrific game, after an excellent performance in Tuesday’s win against the Calgary Flames. Rielly is making a more concerted effort to get pucks to the net, with three shots Thursday and he’s been stellar in rush scenarios. Toronto held a plus-seven (12-5) shot differential when he was on the ice at 5-on-5. Rielly seems to be communicating better with Oliver Ekman-Larsson as well, and he’s playing more freely this week. Everyone could use the rest, but Rielly has been in terrific form throughout the road trip and may have turned the corner.
• Philippe Myers played his best game of the season, opening the scoring when he received a pass off the wall from Tavares and fired it on net, where Matty Beniers accidentally deflected the puck into the net. Myers would take a penalty of no consequence a few minutes later and appeared to be reinvigorated by his goal, cutting off rush lanes throughout the evening. The 28-year-old finished with a commanding 74 percent share of the expected goals at 5-on-5, he played well in tandem with Simon Benoit (who dropped the gloves with Oliver Bjorkstrand in the second period) and he recorded four shots. Get pucks on net and good things happen, especially if you have a booming shot like Myers. It was an excellent night from Toronto’s third pair, which hasn’t always been the case this year, but you have to be thrilled for Myers, who earned a two-year extension in January on the strength of his play this season.

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