The Toronto Maple Leafse came out of a frenetic game against the Anaheim Ducks with a 7-4 win, but also a little worse for wear.
Here are three quick takeaways from a wild win:
1. Top line bounces back
After being flummoxed by the Boston Bruins at every turn on Saturday, Toronto's young stars made quite a statement.
Auston Matthews and William Nylander both scored twice, while linemate Zach Hyman scored once and Mitch Marner chipped in a beauty of his own.
The trio of Matthews, Nylander, and Marner combined for 14 of Toronto's 40 shots on the night.
It's not the style head coach Mike Babcock prefers, but the Leafs' forward core can run with any other in the NHL, and will usually come out on top of those track meets.
2. Kapanen makes his case
Kasperi Kapanen also made a case for increased playing time by displaying blazing speed and patience beyond his years in recording his first career assist on Matthews' second goal.
The 21-year-old was a big piece acquired in the Phil Kessel trade, and had been good for four goals in 19 games with the big club over the past two seasons, along with a pair in six playoff appearances.
Interestingly, Kapanen saw 11:04 of ice time, 2:07 of which came on the penalty kill. His skill set certainly warrants time on the man advantage as well.
3. Torched by Ducks' top line
Having said all that, Toronto struggled to contain Anaheim's top line:
- Corey Perry: four assists (tied a single-game career high).
- Rickard Rakell: two goals, one assist.
- Ryan Getzlaf: one goal, one assist.
"Three big bodies," explained defenseman Jake Gardiner, per TSN's Mark Masters. "Getzlaf's probably one of the smartest players in the league, just finds guys and makes the right play all the time, and then Rakell and Perry can both bury the puck so it's a pretty lethal combo."
It should also be noted that Frederik Andersen was forced to leave during the second period after taking Perry's skate to the head. He was not able to return, but Babcock's initial assessment was the goaltender seems good, pending further evaluation Tuesday.
Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.