Maple Leafs Roll Past Kraken, Tavares Extends Point Streak
The Toronto Maple Leafs dominated the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday night, securing a 4-1 victory.
The game saw the Maple Leafs’ offense firing on all cylinders, led by John Tavares’ impressive performance. Tavares extended his point streak to six games, collecting a secondary assist on William Nylander’s goal. Head Coach Sheldon Keefe praised Tavares’ resilience after battling a recent illness.
“Pretty solid,” Berube said. “I thought before he got sick, he was fine, but the sickness affected him. He lost 10 pounds so it was energy-wise and stuff through three games or more [were affected]. But he’s been heavy on pucks, strong on the puck, heavy stick, doing the little things right, face-offs, all good stuff.”
Nylander Leads the Charge
Nylander played a critical role in building the Maple Leafs’ lead. He scored two goals, both from the same spot on the ice. The first came with a beautiful setup from Tavares, who found him with a spinning pass in the slot.
“It’s a bit of a guess,” Tavares said of his pass. “As the play is developing and you get into that spot, you have an idea where guys might be and you just try to put the puck in a good spot and if it doesn’t work out, it gives you a good spot to work to earn it back. But the way developed, I thought him or Patch (Max Pacioretty) would have drifted to that side and I’m happy it worked out.”
Late Game Push
Seattle’s Kaapo Tolvanen managed to cut the Leafs’ lead to 3-1 with a late goal in the third period. However, Auston Matthews sealed the victory with an empty-net goal, showcasing his impressive shooting range.
“He told me he aced geometry,” Knies joked.
Quick Notes
• Matty Beniers continued his strong play for the Kraken, extending his point streak to four games.
• Seattle defenseman Cale Fleury made his season debut after being recalled from the AHL.
The Maple Leafs will look to keep their momentum going in their next game while the Kraken aim to bounce back from this loss.