Why two Maple Leafs additions could help versus Vancouver

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Maybe William Nylander can now keep his hands in the headlines for the right reasons.

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Based on the Maple Leafs’ practice Friday in Vancouver, he’s ready to come back Saturday against the Canucks after a groin injury that has kept him out six games, all losses, in addition to a half dozen on the shelf earlier in the month.

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That sideline ‘frustration’ is what Nylander claimed his motivation was for flipping the bird to a TV camera while it scanned injured Leafs in the press box last week. It was unwanted attention for a struggling team, that also drew a $5,000 US fine from the NHL and a Nylander apology.

Whether miffed or just being mischievous with his bit of theatre, let’s agree the Leafs are much better with their leading scorer in uniform if they are to chip away at their daunting 10-point deficit in the Eastern Conference wild-card standings before the Olympic break.

“I feel great,” Nylander told media in Vancouver, back to wearing a casual tank top for interviews. “The first time (he was hurt) we were cooking and it was nice to sit up there and watch everybody playing well. Now you want to be out there and help the team. It’s been a crappy thing.”

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With three games remaining for the Leafs before the break, Nylander said there was no worry he would not be ready to play for Sweden at the Winter  Olympics, and their management only called once during his recovery to be re-assured on his health.

Coach Craig Berube, whose temper was measured on Friday after another bench rant in Seattle, set the table by putting the right-handed shooting Nylander on the first power play unit Friday.

“He means a lot with his skill and his leadership, makes us way more dynamic in other areas,” Berube said.

Nylander’s return could have been bad news for Matias Maccelli, whose costly giveaway in Seattle torpedoed a third-period comeback after Toronto clawed back within a goal Thursday. Maccelli was benched the rest of the game, but on Friday was on the left side of the line with Nylander and centre John Tavares.

“At times we just want to be too cute and we can’t be,” Berube said of mistakes of Maccelli’s nature. “Last year, we put pucks deep second or third (most) in the NHL and it’s a winning recipe. It’s not an easy way to play, but it works.”

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Easton Cowan worked out with Jacob Quillan as spare forwards, Cowan looking like he has hit a wall with the glut of NHL games in his rookie season.

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New Marshall in town

After he was on the verge of making the team in training camp as a seventh or eighth defenceman, Marshall Rifai will make his season debut Saturday. The Quebec native suffered a wrist injury in a pre-season game that required surgery and extended rehab. The belligerent 6-foot-2 left shooting Rifai played two Leaf games a couple of seasons ago and served a one-game AHL suspension during his conditioning stint with the Marlies for being the aggressor in a fight.

“I like his feet and he’s highly competitive,” Berube said. “This guy is highly prepared.”

Based on practice pairs it looked like Simon Benoit would come out, despite one of his better games of late in Seattle, with Rifai partnering Troy Stecher.

Veteran Morgan Rielly remained on the point of the power play, the night after scoring his first goal with an extra man this season, despite all that talent on the first unit. The Leafs were the only team in the league not to have a defenceman get a power-play goal.

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Beastly East beating Leafs

Are we having fun yet?

Sure, if you’re anywhere but Toronto in an unforgiving Eastern Conference. In the recent five-game home losing streak and the league’s second-worst road record, the most recent Leafs win against a conference rival was more than three weeks ago.

That six of the other seven Eastern teams playing Thursday night topped Western opponents while the Leafs lost to the Kraken is no surprise. The East’s record head-to-head in this season’s NHL is a dominant 192-117-31 entering play Friday, and the hottest teams since early December in the league are almost all on Toronto’s Atlantic Division turf.

Western teams aren’t doing the Leafs any favours. Vegas won the much-hyped Mitch Marner return to Toronto on Jan. 23, but lost to three other Atlantic teams on the rest of its trip. Colorado dusted the Leafs, but it could be down 0-3 on the way home if it loses to Detroit on Saturday.

The Leafs are also giving up goals at an alarming rate, empty-netters included, not seen in more than 35 years, five a game average the past nine, eight of them defeats. Since losing to Utah in the few hours of euphoria afforded them for beating league-leading Colorado on Jan. 12, the Leafs have been outscored 46-24.

If the Maple Leafs think the Canucks will be an easy two points as they bring up the rear in the West, losing their last 12 to Eastern teams, they just  shut out Anaheim 2-0 at home.

“Let’s keep that window really small, just work on our next challenge tomorrow,” Tavares said of their lengthening playoff odds.

Lhornby@postmedia.com

X: @sunhornby

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