Sheldon Keefe needed a response.
The Maple Leafs head coach acquired precisely that in his staff’s home opener due to a well-recognized face — and a pair new ones.
Auston Matthews scored the winner in the third interval and Ilya Samsonov made 24 saves towards his former staff as Toronto defeated the Washington Capitals 3-2 on Thursday.
Keefe gave a blistering evaluation of that efficiency and wasn’t any happier Thursday morning when he met the media following a pointed staff assembly.
“You do not wish to use a kind of bullets after recreation one,” he stated following the victory. “We have excessive expectations as a staff.
Calle Jarnkrok, who like Samsonov signed in free company, and John Tavares had the opposite objectives for the Leafs (1-1-0). Morgan Rielly added two assists.
“It is one recreation,” Matthews, the reigning Hart Trophy winner as NHL MVP coming off the league’s first 60-goal season in a decade, stated of the Montreal defeat. “But you at all times wish to begin off properly.
“Good bounce-back win.”
WATCH | Matthews scores 1st goal of season in win over Capitals:
Auston Matthews successful goal was simply sufficient, as Toronto defeated Washington 3-2 at home Thursday night time.
Nic Dowd and Marcus Johansson replied for Washington. Charlie Lindgren stopped 36 pictures for the Capitals (0-2-0), who had been coming off Wednesday’s 5-2 loss to Boston in their home opener.
With each groups taking part in the second of a back-to-back, there wasn’t a lot ice accessible in the third interval till Matthews tipped a Mark Giordano level shot that handcuffed Lindgren and dribbled over the goal line to snap a 2-2 tie at 6:55.
Samsonov and his new teammates had been then pressured to carry on late with the Leafs short-handed on two events inside the ultimate 4 minutes and Lindgren on the bench for an additional attacker.
“We talked about being extra affected person with our recreation,” Tavares stated. “We tried to perform a little an excessive amount of [in Montreal], caught us chasing slightly bit.”
Let’s take a MOment to understand this go! 🍎 <a href=”https://t.co/nK1PqIedQU”>pic.twitter.com/nK1PqIedQU</a>
—@MapleLeafs
Toronto opened the scoring at 6:40 of the primary on an influence play that lastly clicked after a pair nice probabilities when Rielly discovered Tavares.
The Capitals responded at 9:57 by way of Dowd earlier than Johansson gave Washington the lead on a shot off the frenzy — one which Samsonov, who performed components of three seasons with the Capitals earlier than getting lower free in July, will need again at 13:52.
‘Quite a lot of emotion”
The Leafs put an enormous guess down on Samsonov and Matt Murray — two goaltenders with strong pedigrees, but additionally heaps to show based mostly on current efficiency — after letting Jack Campbell stroll in free company.
“Quite a lot of emotion in the primary interval,” the Russian netminder stated. “First recreation with the Leafs for me and [against] my outdated staff.”
Another day, one other one for the brand new guys! 👀 <a href=”https://t.co/0SSmmV9dnF”>pic.twitter.com/0SSmmV9dnF</a>
—@MapleLeafs
Starting in place of No. 1 possibility Darcy Kuemper, Lindgren might do nothing on Toronto’s equalizer at 4:03 of the second when Alexander Kerfoot took a go on the offensive blue line and delayed earlier than discovering a streaking Jarnkrok for his first with the Leafs.
Toronto got here agonizingly near pushing forward simply previous to the intermission, however each Matthews and Michael Bunting failed to attach on a bouncing puck in Lindgren’s crease earlier than the Leafs nudged in entrance in the third.
“We had a frank dialogue this morning,” Keefe stated. “The guys responded rather well.”