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There’s no gain without pain — just ask the roster of the Maple Leafs, who had blocked 966 shots before Tuesday night.

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That’s 10^th most in the league and second among Eastern Conference teams now in a playoff position. Saturday in Denver resulted in 24 blocks of the most hurtin’ kind, but it extended the Leafs’ win streak to seven.

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“Morgan (Rielly) got one right in the head,” noted defenceman Simon Benoit, who missed some game time after one off the leg, while a block by Timothy Liljegren might have contributed to him being used sparingly at the end and missing Tuesday’s match against Vegas.

“But it’s important,” Benoit added. “The less shots you can give our goalie makes their job easier and eliminates chances.

“Blocking is part of the game if you want to go deep in playoffs.”

Newcomer Tyler Bertuzzi is making his mark among Toronto forwards getting in the line of fire. He stopped one Saturday after his stick broke and more blocks are being recorded by all-stars Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander as their penalty-killing duties increased this year.

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The fear, of course, is that one of those stars takes a bullet on special teams that causes them to miss significant time.

WILD WILL

William Nylander went into Tuesday needing one assist for a personal season-high 48, having hit 300 for his career with his nifty behind-the-net feed to Bertuzzi on Saturday. Almost half his apples have come on Toronto’s potent power play.

“That part is clicking really well and it’s a good time to get a lot of assists,” Nylander said. “Five-on-five, I’m playing with some great players.”

Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said his team has to be aware of Nylander as much as the lethal shot of Auston Matthews. Before facing the Knights, Nylander led Matthews by a point for the Leafs lead and Cassidy recalled Nylander haunting his former team, the Boston Bruins.

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“He always did damage — and from the house, inside from areas we try to protect. He’s got that wrist shot, he’s good 1-on-1. (Retired Boston goalie) Tuukka Rask probably doesn’t want to hear this, but he beat him quite a bit with that release.”

INJURY UPDATES

Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe created a bit of a buzz this week saying goalie Matt Murray is now able to face live shooters after bilateral hip surgery in the autumn. But he cautioned Murray is still a long way off and that defenceman John Klingberg, who also had a significant hip operation, has an even lengthier timeline that had already ruled out his playing this season.

With an abundance of left-shooting defencemen, Keefe still doesn’t have Conor Timmins (mononucleosis) to beef up the right side, though the latter is slowly recovering. Forward Calle Jarnkrok is now stickhandling and shooting after breaking a knuckle in late January.

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Joining Jarnkrok among about a dozen Leafs at Tuesday’s optional skate was goaltender Joseph Woll. While there have been no complications with his sprained ankle since playing for the Marlies last Friday and through Monday’s first practice after his recall, the medical staff wanted at least another day of drills to build up his stamina after almost three months on the shelf. He could play Thursday against Arizona.

HALL-IDAY FOR KNIGHTS

Cassidy and many Knights and staffers took time off in Toronto to visit the downtown Hockey Hall of Fame and its Resource Centre at the Leafs’ practice rink. Cassidy went to the Hall alone on Sunday after a game in Ottawa, his team’s third straight loss.

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“You think, ‘boy, you can’t coach a lick’, then you see your team’s ring and a stall with the Knights’ Cup stuff. It gives you a confidence boost. I love that. I’m a hockey junkie.”

At the Resource Centre, where 80% of the Hall’s collection is stored, the highlight for the visitors was a 52-year-old wooden log Bobby Orr scored his 200^th goal with. There were also vintage hockey cards and old jerseys.

As the Golden Knights are defending champions, the visit meant a lot more.

“Sticks that Wayne Gretzky had his (milestone) points with, old helmets, so much stuff you can’t remember it all,” said Saskatoon-born forward Chandler Stephenson, a Cup winner with Washington and Vegas. “We were the first team on a new ring of the Cup with Washington, so it’s cool they told us when ours gets removed (as space is limited) I’ll be 90 years old or something, which is pretty crazy.”

Defenceman Zach Whitecloud enjoyed seeing familiar Vegas artifacts among the gear, books and films.

“Cookie’s (Phil Kessel) first Cup stick and it was also cool of them to bring out some of (Vegas goalie coach) Sean Burke’s old gear.”

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