Craig Berube on Troy Stecher firing up Leafs fans after the final buzzer vs. Ottawa: "He brings a lot of energy every night, this guy, and plays as hard as anybody I've coached"

"You guys loved that hockey, eh? A lot of excitement. Fans liked it. Everyone likes it. Everybody loves it. I liked the first two periods, I'll tell you that. He brings a lot of energy every night, this guy, and he plays as hard as anybody I've coached. He is full bore. It is rubbing off on the team. I really do believe that. He has played extremely well for us since we got him."

"Well, it's a broken play on the entry, and then Matty made a great play to Willy, who finished it off. That is skill. The other unit went out there, and that is the type of stuff from Max that we are looking for with that play into the middle of the ice. That line dominated in the second period, I thought. He was moving really well."

Toronto won 7-5 over Ottawa, improving to 17-15-5 after strong first and second periods but a looser third. The lineup gained energy from Troy Stecher, whose full-bore play has positively impacted team compete level. William Nylander left late with a lower-body issue but will travel with the team for further evaluation. The matchup mirrored prior playoff physicality, with the Leafs emphasizing net-front presence, rebounds and inside positioning. The power play scored on a broken-entry sequence, and the Matthews line dominated the second period through movement, chemistry and finishing around the net.

Read at Maple Leafs Hotstove