Mitch Marner and Jack Campbell step up for Maple Leafs with Auston Matthews down in Edmonton
Marner #Marner
Ask any Leaf and they’ll tell you Jack Campbell is an ideal teammate and one of the hardest workers.
That’s why Saturday night’s 4-0 shutout win in Edmonton — in Campbell’s first game back after missing 13 with a lower-body injury — was so sweet.
“If you ever have the chance to meet Soupy (Campbell), he’s one of a kind,” said winger Mitch Marner, who thrived despite the absence of injured linemate Auston Matthews, scoring a goal and adding an assist.
Campbell notched the Maple Leafs’ first shutout of the season, and third of his career, with 30 saves. One of the Leafs’ finest defensive efforts of the season silenced the NHL’s leading scorers, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. McDavid was minus three on the night and kept off the scoresheet for just the fourth time this season.
“Our overall team game was one of our best,” Campbell beamed in a post-game Zoom call. “All four lines played amazing. I’m just so proud of this group, and we needed a big game like that.”
Indeed, Toronto and Edmonton opened a three-game series where first place was on the line in the North Division. But in handing the red-hot Oilers just their third loss in 14 games, the Leafs moved six points ahead of Edmonton and guaranteed they’ll remain atop the division standings after the two remaining games.
This night belonged mostly to Campbell. His teammates swept onto the ice after the final buzzer to congratulate him on backstopping an important win.
“He was just really good,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said. “We had some tough turnovers off our breakout in the first period, but he was solid for us. I thought our team defended well, which made his life easier. Coming off an injury, we had to play well defensively … and I don’t know if we gave up an odd-man rush all night long.
“When we broke down, Jack played great for us, but our guys played hard for him because they love him. You could see how they went out and did a good job for him.”
Spezza’s marker — a fake slapshot, followed by a bar-down snapshot — impressed Campbell: “Just want to give a shout-out to Jason Spezza for that goal. That was Vintage (Spezza’s nickname).”
Loading…
Loading…Loading…Loading…Loading…Loading…
“Oh man, I could go on all day about Holler,” Campbell said. “There’s that fire in his belly. He wants big minutes, and he wants the opportunity to shut down big players. He leads the way for us and we’re lucky to have him.”
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Q:
How do you think the Leafs played tonight?
Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be registered Torstar account holder. If you do not yet have a Torstar account, you can create one now (it is free)
Conversations are opinions of our readers and are subject to the Code of Conduct. The Star does not endorse these opinions.