The Vancouver Canucks opened a five-game homestand with a victory that they hope provides momentum for their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs Saturday night.
The Canucks returned from a 5-1-1 road trip Thursday to defeat the Arizona Coyotes 2-1 and become the first team in the league to reach 30 wins this season.
The Canucks’ homestand precedes a nine-day break for the team around NHL All-Star Weekend. Canucks coach Rick Tocchet feels the homestand can set up his team for the stretch drive.
“Guys know we have to empty the tank,” Tocchet said. “We can’t wade our way through. This is really where we can separate ourselves and set ourselves up for the stretch drive.”
The Canucks got the winning goal against Arizona late in the second period from Dakota Joshua.
“That was hard-fought,” Tocchet said. “I liked the way we managed and we had enough juice to lock it down. The Coyotes are trying to make the playoffs and we’re going to run into desperate teams. And we have to play the same way.
“There are moments when we have the puck and we throw it away, but it’s happening less frequently and these are good pressure situations to be in. And we didn’t give them a lot.”
Said Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes: “Playing a team game has won us a lot of games and just understanding how to close out wins and be a mature group. For the most part, we’ve done what we needed to do.”
The Maple Leafs ended a four-game losing streak Thursday with a 4-3 road victory over the Calgary Flames, with Auston Matthews scoring three goals.
The Maple Leafs surrendered leads in all four games of their losing streak. They were able to hold the lead against Calgary with help from a video review.
The Flames put the puck in the net in the third period for what would have been the tying goal. Toronto challenged the play, officials ruled that there had been a Calgary hand pass that disallowed the play and the Maple Leafs retained their 4-3 lead.
“We needed this,” Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said.
The Flames took a 2-0 lead in the first period before Matthews took over with his fourth hat trick of the season and the 11th of his career. He added an assist as Toronto built a 4-2 lead. His 37 goals lead the league.
“While he scored big goals tonight, he also defended extremely hard,” Keefe said. “Once we get the lead, now we need him to defend, need him to compete and lead the way that way.”
Goaltender Martin Jones made 23 saves.
“It always feels like even when we’re down two in the first that we’re never really out of the game because we’ve got some weapons that can dig us out of those holes,” Jones said.
The Maple Leafs have had problems closing out games at times this season, not just on that four-game slide.
“I think it’s a nice win for us to get, knowing how we’ve been playing the past couple of games, having leads and losing games,” said William Nylander, who had two assists. “I think it was a good game for us. I don’t think we’re too worried about it. We know what we have to do to win games.”
–Field Level Media
