BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — For everything he’s done since his celebrated arrival in 2017, Auston Matthews can’t change the Toronto Maple Leafs’ history of early round playoff collapses.
Perhaps, a better future lies directly ahead for a team playing a more responsible defensive style under new coach Craig Berube, and after Toronto secured several individual and franchise achievements in clinching its first Atlantic Division title with a 4-0 win at Buffalo on Tuesday night.
“I think we’re prepared,” Matthews said after scoring his 400th career goal.
“Obviously, we can’t change what’s happened in the past. I think you wear that,” the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NHL draft added. “So I feel really confident in this group. I think we put in a lot of work over the season. Obviously, earning the division (title) here is a big step for us. But we just want to continue to push forward.”
With the victory, Toronto (51-26-4) won its team-record 25th road game and, with one game left, is guaranteed to finish with its second-most wins and third-most points. In the meantime, Mitch Marner set a career-high with his 100th point, while goalie Anthony Stolarz stopped 35 shots to extend his career-best winning streak to eight.
In securing the Eastern Conference’s second seed, Toronto will face provincial rival Ottawa in the first round and rekindle the so-called “Battle of Ontario.” The Maple Leafs have won all four playoff series meetings against the Senators, the most recent a seven-game first-round win in 2004.
Toronto, however, is also carrying the weight of its more recent playoff history. The team has advanced past the first round just once — a 4-2 series win over Tampa Bay in 2023 — in its past nine post-season appearances.
What’s different is how the Maple Leafs are playing in riding a 12-2-1 run, including a nine-game stretch in which they’ve won eight times while outscoring opponents by a combined margin of 28-12.
“The whole season’s a learning curve, especially with a new coach coming in, new systems. It’s different from the style of play that this team’s played with in previous seasons,” said forward Steven Lorentz, who signed with Toronto after winning a Stanley Cup with Florida last year.
“It might not be as exciting when you win the game 2-1 rather than 7-6,” Lorentz added. “But you know, that’s championship hockey and that’s what it takes if you want to play into June.”
The Maple Leafs certainly haven’t lost their offensive touch. With 263 goals, Toronto is closing in on finishing its ninth straight season ranked among the NHL’s top 10.
What’s changed is the team’s goals-against numbers. The Maple Leafs enter their final game ranked 10th in the NHL in allowing 226 goals. Only twice over the past nine seasons have they finished with a better ranking.
The players credit their goaltending tandem that includes Joseph Woll, and with Stolarz picking up his fourth shutout of the season, third in four starts, and 12th of his career.
“He was lights out last year,” Lorentz said of Stolarz, who also spent last season in Florida. “He just brings it. He’s a gamer. He doesn’t take anything super seriously. And I think that’s what makes him so good.”
Stolarz placed the emphasis on how the team’s playing soundly in front of him.
“I feel good, but I think at the end of the day, the guys are really committing to a complete two-way game up and down the ice,” the 31-year-old said. “It’s what it’s gonna take to go far in the playoffs. I just think that we have to continue this trend.”
Berube, who won a Cup coaching the St. Louis Blues in 2019, said the key to this season has been the buy-in from players.
“You’re always trying to work on your identity. And that hasn’t stopped throughout the season,” he said.
“I think our guys have done a good job of it,” Berube added. “So yeah, I think we’re in a good spot, but we’ve got to keep making sure we’re pounding away at it and keep working on it and be ready to go.”
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
John Wawrow, The Associated Press
