TORONTO — Defying logic, the Maple Leafs have now won six of seven since Auston Matthews was sidelined by an upper-body injury.
And despite others joining the captain on the sidelines, Toronto blanked the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 Wednesday for the latest unlikely chapter.
"I thought that guys, to a man, stepped up," coach Craig Berube said when asked about his team's success without the high-scoring Matthews. "Some guys played some real good hockey throughout this time. And tonight again.
"Different guys and different roles and different things. But they all stepped up and they're all doing what they need to do to be successful out there."
The Leafs were also missing Max Domi, David Kampf, Max Pacioretty and Calle Jarnkrok due to injuries Wednesday, as well as Ryan Reaves, who started his five-game ban for felling Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse with an illegal check to the head.
Toronto (12-6-2) leapfrogged the Florida Panthers to move atop the Atlantic Division thanks to a 31-save shutout from Joseph Woll.
Fraser Minten scored his first NHL goal — in his fifth NHL game and season debut — at 8:53 of the first period, William Nylander scored his team-leading 13th of the season at 3:01 of the third on the power play and Pontus Holmberg, with his first of the campaign, added an empty-net goal with 3:19 remaining.
"The third period was uncharacteristic of us," said Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy. "We didn't do much right and ended up paying the price.
"I thought we lost a lot of races and battles."
The win came at a cost for Toronto with Matthew Knies left dazed following a mid-ice hit by Zach Whitecloud in front of the Leafs' bench at 7:59 of the second period.
Whitecloud, who stood up as he delivered the hit, was not penalized for the punishing check despite video review, but got a minor roughing penalty for tangling with Simon Benoit, who got a four-minute roughing call for his attempted retribution. The game got more physical after that.
"They thought it was a clean hit so it's a clean hit," Berube said, referencing the league. "Really there's nothing to say."
Knies (upper-body injury) did not return to the game and there was no immediate update on his condition.
Whitecloud got his comeuppance when Toronto scored in the third while he served a hooking penalty.
Minten got his goal on his third shift, the benefactor of some fine playmaking by Nylander. The star winger skated around several Vegas players before sending a pass back to Minten, who beat Adin Hill with the Leafs' second shot of the night.
Minten was undetected by Vegas coming off the bench.
"I just kind of tried to stay in the quiet ice there," said the 20-year-old from Vancouver. "I know Willie sees everything so I was just waiting for something and he made a great pass."
Berube said Minten comes as advertised.
"Minten's a very smart player. He's a real good two-way guy and very reliable defensively and in the right spots," he said.
Nikita Grebenkin made his presence felt in his NHL debut, belting Vegas defenceman Shea Theodore into the boards late in the first period. The Golden Knights were irate at the hit, which went unpunished and left Theodore sporting an abrasion on his forehead.
The six-foot-two, 210-pound Grebenkin, playing on a line with Nick Robertson and Minten, had an early giveaway at the Vegas blue line but recovered and was effective at forechecking.
In the second period he raced back to help blunt a Vegas two-on-one.
The 21-year-old Russian, taken in the fifth round (135th overall) in the 2022 draft, was accorded a solo skate for the start of the warm-up as his teammates gave him his moment in the spotlight.
Grebenkin was all smiles after the game, doing his best to answer question in his limited English.
"Fun day," he said.
He drew laughs when he shared the advice he had been given before the game.
"Backcheck, forecheck. And paycheque," he said.
Grebenkin recorded one shot, one block and four hits in 11:05 of ice time.
"I wish I knew more what he was saying because he's so positive and so happy all the time," Woll said of the Russian.
Nylander's goal was the 230th of his NHL career, tying him with Ted Kennedy for 11th on the franchise all-time list.
Vegas (11-6-2) lost its second straight, denying Cassidy his 400th career victory. The Golden Knights were without injured captain Mark Stone for the sixth straight game.
It was the Leafs' annual Pride celebration game with Toronto goaltender Anthony Stolarz among those with rainbow tape on their sticks during warm-up. The Leafs honoured the Grey Cup champion Toronto Argonauts with general manager Pinball Clemons, quarterback Nick Arbuckle and linebacker Wynton McManis — complete with Grey Cup — taking part in the ceremonial puck drop.
Toronto hosts Utah on Sunday.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 20, 2024
Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press