Maple Leafs tame Hurricanes and inch closer to Atlantic Division title

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The Maple Leafs can win the Battle of the Atlantic on Tuesday, looking to settle their plan for the Battle of Ontario, too.

Their first division regular-season title in 25 years is a point away in Buffalo or one given up by the second-place Tampa Bay Lightning who face Florida the same night. The Leafs started Sunday with an impressive  4-1 road win over the Carolina Hurricanes, but the Bolts kept pace by blowing out the Sabres 7-4.

It was Toronto’s second tight playoff-style victory in as many days, which they will need to duplicate in about a week should it be the Ottawa  Senators (which most fans and likely the Leafs prefer), or the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.

For new head coach Craig Berube, the question of whether he could get the free-wheeling scorers on the team  in a greater embrace of defence has been settled. But if the Leafs finally turn another 50-win, 100-points-plus season into a post-season run remains to be seen.

The Leafs for the most part shut down one of the NHL’s best checking and shooting teams in their intimidating arena on Sunday, despite missing two starting defencemen. Morgan Rielly had a three-assist game.

After getting blitzed on the shot clock in the first period, somewhat understandable given they played and travelled less than 24 hours earlier and that the Canes’ buzzsaw approach, the Leafs escaped up a goal.

Other than Calle Jarnkrok hitting the post, the Swede part of a juggled Berube lineup, nothing developed around ex-Leaf Freddy Andersen’s crease until he kicked a routine Rielly shot into the slot for Pontus Holmberg’s first in 20 games.

A more regular scorer then came through, Auston Matthews with a nice give-and-go with Rielly, who threw it back so smoothly that three Canes bit on thinking he’d shoot and were down and out on the ice. It was Matthews’ 399th career goal, while linemate Mitch Marner moved to 99 points this season, both looking to hit those milestones in Buffalo.

William Nylander tipped a Max Domi shot to make it 3-0 and just as goaltender Joseph Woll (26 saves) fronted a great combined effort to nearly kill a double minor to Chris Tanev, Sebastian Aho ended his shutout bid before John Tavares restored the three-goal lead.

The Leafs, who made it through a fifth straight period with no goals against. after a 1-0 overtime shutout of Montreal, were able to call up Dakota Mermis as a sixth defender after salary cap restrictions limited them to five the night before.

Berube shook up his lines, to throw off the Canes, putting Domi with Tavares and William Nylander, showing off a possible new bottom six with Holmberg centring Bobby McMann and Nick Robertson, while Jarnkrok, Scott Laughton and Steven Lorentz made up the fourth line.

Lhornby@postmedia.com

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