Without their best player, the Leafs played host to the Minnesota Wild tonight.
That Wild first line of Mikael Granlund, Nido Niederreiter, and Mikko Koivu is a strong trio, and they sustain some pressure in the Leafs zone. The man I call “Neato Underwriter” finishes his shift like a goon, nailing Nazem Kadri with a blatant hit from behind and taking a penalty.
The JVR + Bozak + Marner PP unit doesn’t really come close, as a nice hold at the line by Marner dies on Bozak’s stick when he shoots into a block. The reconstructed Nylander unit—Josh Leivo is on it in place of Matthews—doesn’t do much better.