When the Toronto Maple Leafs hosted the Washington Capitals at the Scotiabank Arena on Sunday, a number of players enjoyed a special evening. In the Maple Leafs’ 5-1 home win, however, one player in particular was in the spotlight. Toronto’s captain John Tavares appeared in his 1,000th NHL game and contributed two assists to the Canadians’ success. He also cracked the 50-point mark this season.
“Of course I was aware of the anniversary, but I tried to stay on the ground and prepare myself all day,” explained Tavares, who was honored on the ice before the match. His parents, wife and two sons were present at the ceremony. “Having my family there was something special.”
In the first third, however, the Maple Leafs had little to celebrate. The Capitals scored the only goal of the period. The shooter was Nicklas Backstrom (18.), who only played in his ninth game of the season due to injury and was able to celebrate his first goal.
Video: WSH@TOR: Engvall from the face-off circle successful
In the second third, however, Tavares initiated an impressive comeback. 89 seconds after the break, he equalized on the power play Michael Bunting (22nd) and later prepared the lead Morgan Rielly (28th) before. The defender also scored his first goal in his 36th game of the season, ending an uncharacteristic lull for him.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever played with a more complete professional than Morgan,” said the captain. “The way he’s performing, you don’t think he’s waiting for his first goal. He’s a world-class player, a great guy and a leader. When the puck doesn’t want to go in, it’s never easy, especially mentally. But he lets it don’t hang your head in any phase.”
The Maple Leafs scored two more goals in the second period William Nylander (31st) and Pierre Engvall (35th) and thus ensured the preliminary decision. Worried in the third third Zach Aston-Reese (57th) the final score.
It was also a special evening for Toronto’s man between the posts. Ilya Samsonov was only making his second appearance against the Capitals, for whom he played his first three NHL seasons before coming to Toronto as a free agent in the summer. He had already clinched a win against Washington on October 13.
“Today we mainly played for Johnny,” the goalkeeper drew attention to Tavares. “1000 games, that’s amazing. It’s incredible, we’re really happy for him and of course it was a nice win against my former team. I enjoyed that.”
The success was not only a special event for some players, but also came at the right time for the team. The Maple Leafs lost their previous game and two of their last four games on Friday. It lost to the bottom two teams in the Atlantic Division, the Montreal Canadiens (2-3 aet) and the Ottawa Senators (2-6). Despite this, the Maple Leafs are second in the Atlantic Division and third in the NHL overall with 70 points (31-12-8).
“That was good, we wanted to find an answer,” Rielly said, referring to the recent disappointment against the Senators. “We weren’t too proud of ourselves when we came out of the arena after the Ottawa game. We had a good practice session yesterday and then to go out on the ice and play a good game feels good.”
Video: WSH@TOR: Backstrom to power play lead
For the Capitals, however, it was the next chapter in a series of disappointments. They beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 in overtime on Thursday, but once again fell short of their second win in a row. Washington last had two successes in a row on December 23rd and 27th. This trend puts their place in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in jeopardy. They are currently in the first wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference with 58 points (26-20-6). However, the Penguins are a point behind them, the Buffalo Sabers are two points behind, and the New York Islanders and Florida Panthers are also trailing at one-point intervals.
The Capitals have an away game against the Columbus Blue Jackets ahead of a lengthy hiatus surrounding the 2023 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; NHL.tv, Wed. 1 a.m. ET). The Maple Leafs meet the Boston Bruins at home in the Atlantic Division’s top game on Wednesday (7:30 pm ET, NHL.tv; Thurs. 1:30 pm CET).
