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For one night only, it’s permissible for Maple Leaf fans to chant or clap ‘sixty-seven!’ and not sound like they’ve joined the mockers of the Stanley Cup drought.
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Auston Matthews’ quest for 70 goals is at 66 ahead of playing the New Jersey Devils on Thursday, a team who have lost all playoff hope and could be ripe for the Leafs offence to exploit.
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But Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe is not worried his team will drift away from the gameplan to accelerate Matthews’ chase when the aim should be on solidifying all facets for the start of playoffs. Wins remain imperative to hopefully securing home-ice advantage as long as the Panthers are within reach and Florida holds a three points before Thursday’s action.
“We’ve been through it before,” Keefe said. “The guys have done a good job of it. If you look at the goals that group does score (Matthews with flankers Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi) the process has been good, the guys haven’t cheated the game, forced anything or that kind of stuff.”
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Keefe himself came under scrutiny for not having Matthews out for a late-game empty-net opportunity after his 66th in Jersey on Tuesday.
“I know that got lots of play. He was not going to be out there 4-on-6 (Bertuzzi was in the box), it’s not a situation he usually plays in. That to me would be forcing it. But 6-on-5, he was the next guy up, we just didn’t get the line change we wanted.”
There have been many scoring milestones teammates have been tempted to fast track, such as Matthews’ run at Rick Vaive’s 55 goals and the franchise record, to 60 that same season in ‘21-22, Mitch Marner’s run to 100 points that came up one short last year and John Tavares’s 1,000th NHL point earlier this season.
“The guys are just going out there and playing, and to me that’s the best way to add to your goal total,” Keefe said. “They’re good players, they’re dominating. Just go out and go about it the right way.”
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Before 70 is Mario Lemieux’s mark of 69 in 1995-96, the most goals in a season over the past 30 years in the NHL.
“It is pretty remarkable what he’s accomplished and the number continues to grow,” Keefe added. “Auston is feeling really good right now with lots of energy. You can see it in his play and the way he’s interacted with his teammates. He’s playing with a free mind and you can see it. Just keep going about it within our team process.”
There will be blueline changes for the Leafs to accommodate the return of defenceman Joel Edmundson from a shot-blocking injury.
Edmundsun was just getting comfortable with his new team when he missed eight games, but is back with Ilya Lyubushkin (rested Tuesday) while Connor Timmins sits and Jake McCabe gets a maintenance day to heal bumps and bruises from the past couple of weeks.
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“It’s never fun watching,” Edmundson said. “If it was playoffs, I’d have played through it. I just wanted to make sure I was 100%.”
Keefe said Connor Dewar will be back on the fourth line, likely meaning Noah Gregor rests. But as Nick Robertson scored in place of Ryan Reaves in Jersey, that switch might stay.
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New Jersey interim coach Travis Green was trying to re-focus his team after Tuesday’s defeat eliminated them from playoffs on the heels of losing Jack Hughes to shoulder surgery.
“You always worry when that time does come when you’re not in the playoffs, a mental letdown,” Green said. “But it goes back to our identity from Day 1, a team that can win long-term, win in the playoffs.
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“That comes from a natural willingness to win, it doesn’t matter if you’re playing hockey or checkers.”
The other topic at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday was the demise of the Coyotes and a reported move to Salt Lake City, a wound for Matthews, fellow Arizonan Matthew Knies and Leafs assistant general manager Shane Doan, an original Coyote.
“It’s pretty unfortunate, the Coyotes did a lot for me growing up,” Knies said. “I’d go to their games and that’s a big reason I got into hockey.
“Hockey is definitely growing there. When I was there, it wasn’t the hockey hotbed of Colorado or Chicago, but you could see the potential and the Coyotes were a big part of that.
“I know a lot of kids were picking up a hockey stick. I hope they can stay there, I’m not too happy with the situation, but it’s out of my control.”
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