Maple Leafs face NHL's best, road woes, and former star on crucial road trip

"The victory marked the return of star forward William Nylander and continued Toronto's steady march toward an Eastern Conference playoff spot. The win stretched the Maple Leafs' consecutive points streak to nine games (7-0-2) and brought them within a point of the final wild card spot in the East. Nylander's productive return (a goal and three assists) sparked a lineup that continues to get contributions from all areas, but sterner challenges await."

"The Avalanche are playing at a .830 clip, amassing 73 points over 44 games (33-4-7), and their +80 goal differential is more than double the second-best Tampa Bay Lightning's +39. MacKinnon is on pace to challenge the seventy-goal mark, has 78 points in 44 games, and is a Hart Trophy contender for league MVP. Norris Trophy candidate Makar has 51 points in 44 games. A league-best penalty-kill (85.6%) has helped the Avalanche to an NHL-low 2.16 goals-against-per-game."

"The Maple Leafs' indifferent play for most of the first two months of the season kept them closer to the conference basement and out of a playoff spot. Their recent hot streak has returned them to relevance, but they are not in a position to relax. Before Sunday's games, the Leafs found themselves fourth in the wild-card standings, part of a seven-team cluster separated by only three points, jockeying for a top-three divisional position or a wild-card spot."

Toronto earned a 5-0 win that marked William Nylander's return and extended the team's point streak to nine games (7-0-2), moving them within a point of the final Eastern wild-card spot. Nylander recorded a goal and three assists, and multiple lineup contributors sustained offensive balance. The Leafs overcame early-season inconsistency to climb the standings but remain in a tight seven-team wild-card cluster separated by three points. A critical four-game West Coast road trip begins against the league-leading Colorado Avalanche, who boast a .830 points pace, +80 goal differential, elite scorers Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, and an NHL-best penalty kill.

Read at Editor In Leaf