ANAHEIM – Admit it.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are sucking you once again, aren’t they?

You swore to wait until April to worry about it, to dream. Yet slowly but surely you heat up at the thought of hurting yourself again.

Or just maybe: they really are a contender this time around.

Toronto’s November reign ended Sunday with another decisive victory, 5-1 over the Anaheim Ducks, and an exclamation mark on one of the smoothest trips a hockey club could ask for .

Scoring a perfect 4-0 and sweeping across California with relative ease, the scorching Toronto Maple Leafs surged to a share of the top spot in the NHL standings, set a franchise record by snatching a seventh straight win on the road and have collected their 13th win in the last 15 games.

The Leafs goaltenders have been superb and their defense stingy. Their special teams are called in and their attack punishes again.

“He feels good. We’re rolling,” said Auston Matthews. “It looks like we’re getting consistent play across all four lines. Our goalie has been amazing. I think throughout our roster we get everything. what we need from everyone. ”

Fans of arguably the most infuriating team of the playoffs in recent memory will have to fight the urge to let hope creep in.

Because it is not only the points in the standings (33) which are auspicious. It’s the locking of the tracks, the overtaking of injuries and the 200-foot engagement of the group that becomes more and more difficult to deny.

“I think everyone is on board – and that’s where it starts. It really starts with a decision within the group that everyone really has to buy into it. Everyone has to be on the same page, ”said Alexander Kerfoot.

“When, on an individual level, you all get involved in defense, it also really helps a team game. And structurally, we’ve been great, and then obviously Soupy has been amazing. So this is probably the # 1 key for us.

Take for example, How? ‘Or’ What Sniper Auston Matthews has scored in every California stable.

Not with his patented pulled wrist or scalable one-timer, but rather by heading to the hash marks for fatter hints, bounces, and tucks.

“You see some of the goals that Auston has scored recently, being in the right places, fighting for position and scoring in and around the net, these are the types of goals that are hard to win,” said coach Sheldon. Keefe.

“They’re available if you can work like that. Especially for a guy like Auston, who’s so tall and strong and fast that he has a lot to deal with when he gets into that lunge area and you’re trying to defend him out of the box. puck.”

After a 0-0 first period in which the Ducks controlled play, Matthews opened the scoring second by showing up inside the hash marks and getting fiberglass on a TJ Brodie’s point shot.

“There haven’t been a lot of chances available in the race for our team,” said Keefe. “The teams did a good job defending us in this regard. Anaheim will. One of the things that I was pleased with on this trip is how our team has adjusted to this and found different ways to score. “

Kerfoot describes Matthews as “a complete goalscorer”.

Allow him to explain, “He can score any way you can put the puck in the net. He has good hands. He gets a stick on a lot of pucks. He fights hard to get to those areas and he’s able to really get the pucks out in front of the net which is essential as there are always free pucks out there, and he always seems to be putting the puck on his stick in. these situations. . Besides, he has very good hands in net. He can make people stupid, and there aren’t a lot of guys who can beat goalies on the outside and he’s obviously one of them. So, there isn’t much more to ask of a goalscorer.

A much more leafy goal came next.

Jake Muzzin started a scramble with a wonderful extended pass to Mitch Marner, who then fed Michael Bunting for a battered receiving shot that beat John Gibson cleanly.

“Mitch has a big vision, probably one of the best visions in the NHL,” said Bunting. “I know every time it’s on his stick I just have to find those weak spots and he will find me.” He made a hell of a pass for my goal tonight.

Kerfoot found the net 13 seconds into the third period, essentially putting the thing to bed.

Hampus Lindholm scored a bold shutout for the Ducks midway through the third. But William Nylander added an empty net, and Wayne Simmonds threw another past Gibson for good measure.

How tempted was Alexander Kerfoot to pump one into the empty net?
“I wasn’t really tempted. Will did all of the work on the play anyway, so he deserves to have it. It was a great way to end the game. https://t.co/xj8XPM1712

– luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) November 29, 2021

And, yes, Olympic hopeful Jack Campbell made 38 saves, beating his fellow American goaltender.

Toronto outscored their opponents by a combined score of 18-4 over this roadie and never dragged a game at any time.

We dare say we are seeing the most consistent stretch of hockey in this core of the Maple Leafs.

Twelve victories in one month.

Their belief grows.

Will you allow yours to do so?

Renard’s Fast 5

• Ryan Getzlaf (plus his wife Paige and their four children) was honored ahead of the game for scoring his 1,000th point. A personalized engraved gold stick is on its way.

“It’s cool to be here for all of these milestones that he hits,” said rookie center Trevor Zegras. “I feel like every night we have a Getzlaf ceremony, which I know he hates. But it’s pretty cool for all of us young people to see. We have a few more coming up for him. , which he will be mortified, but we will certainly appreciate it.

• Former Marlies coach Dallas Eakins asked about Matthews and responded with praise for Morgan Rielly.

“He’s doing very, very well with his business there. He’s a very, very underrated defenseman in this league, ”said Eakins, who believes Rielly’s low-key personality makes him fly under the radar.

“We focus a lot on the Leafs forwards, and it’s easier to watch the shiny toys a little bit. These young men deserved it all there. They are excellent players.

• Despite the local start early at 5:00 pm, Campbell still wanted to skate in the morning. So, the creature of habit hit the ice at 9:30 a.m. (instead of its usual 11:30 a.m.). No other player in the game has. The Leafs also asked the team to leave the hotel and go to the Honda Center in the morning for a meeting. All business.

• Anaheim winger Nicolas Deslauriers leads the NHL in hits (99).

• Toronto’s 55.7 percent face-off point success is the league’s best. Part of this is due to the improvement of Matthews and the addition of David Kämpf, who wins most of the PK draws.

But Keefe says the club put more emphasis on wingers wins during training camp. So you’ll see the Leafs’ wings jump into the thick of it with more aggression and help pick up pucks that aren’t swept cleanly.