Maybe it just took a little longer than expected, but the Toronto Maple Leafs are 7-0-1 in their last eight games after a 4-1 win over the Minnesota Wild in St Paul, on Tuesday.
Frederik Andersen made 26 saves in the win.
John Tavares had a goal in win over Wild – file photo by Lewis Bleiman
Ryan Suter scored the lone goal of the game for the Wild.
“It’s maddening, quite frankly,” Wild head coach Bruce Boudreau said. “I think [the Maple Leafs are] on a really good roll, but I think if you do the right things they’re a beatable team. Until we started to get some emotion in the game, it took them to be up 3-0 for us to get emotional and physical on a nonphysical team, we didn’t have much.”
Alexander Kerfoot opened the scroing to give the Maple Leafs a 1-0 lead.
“[John Tavares and William Nylander] are just good hockey players,” Kerfoot said. “I think you put anyone on their wing, and they’re going to have success. They spend a lot of time in the [offensive] zone, so it’s just trying to read off them and make plays. They find space and they make good things happen.”
Auston Matthews, Tavares and Nylander were the other Maple Leafs strikers.
“Probably wasn’t the prettiest [win],” Tavares said. “I don’t think we made as many plays as we’re capable of, but it was just one of those games where it felt like pingpong, especially early, and we were just able to capitalize on some good opportunities and play with the lead pretty well.”
[WATCH: All Maple Leafs vs. Wild highlights]
Devan Dubnyk made 25 saves in the loss.
“[It’s] disheartening,” Wild forward Zach Parise said. “We played a good game in Colorado (in a 6-4 win Thursday) and responded with a couple duds back here. It’s not ideal.”
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