Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

A big night for the rookies and a big win for the Maple Leafs

Toronto Maple Leafs v Ottawa Senators

OTTAWA, ON - OCTOBER 12: Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrates his fourth goal of the game in his first career NHL game with team mate William Nylander #29 against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on October 12, 2016 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images)

Getty Images

William Nylander helped get Toronto started on Thursday, extending his point streak to 10 games -- a new Maple Leafs franchise record for a rookie.

Connor Brown finished it with his 17th goal of the season, securing a 4-2 win for the Maple Leafs over the New Jersey Devils.

Toronto has won three in a row and moves three points clear of Boston for third in the Atlantic Division, with a game in hand, which further helps the Maple Leafs’ playoff chances with nine games remaining on their schedule.

Just another big night for Toronto’s impressive crop of rookies.

-- Auston Matthews had a pair of assists.

-- Nylander had a goal and an assist. He set one and tied another franchise rookie record on Thursday.

-- Mitch Marner had an assist, giving him 40 helpers this season, which ties the franchise rookie record set in 1943-44.

“They’re good players,” said coach Mike Babcock, per the Toronto Star. “I didn’t know Marner would make the team. I knew Matthews and Nylander were good players. I knew Brown and (Zach) Hyman were relentless. I had no idea (Nikita) Zaitsev was as close to how good he is.

“We have lots of good players.”

In May of 2015, Babcock predicted at his introductory press conference that the Maple Leafs would, during their massive rebuild, endure “pain.” This was, he said, to be a long process -- a “massive, massive challenge.”

Approaching the two-year anniversary of that event -- after all the losing that franchise and its fan base has gone through, which obviously helped them with the Matthews lottery last year -- the Maple Leafs are poised to make the playoffs with a nucleus of young players that present even more promise for the future.

“We just want to get in to the playoffs, and give ourselves a chance,” continued Babcock. “We’re playing well, and finding a way to win games. That’s what we have to continue to do.”