Leafs 3, Ducks 2: Toronto lengthens Atlantic lead with big road wins

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To help their cause in winning the Atlantic Division, the Maple Leafs needed big results on the shores of the Pacific.

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Five of a possible six points will go a long way — and they hope Sunday wasn’t the last time this season they play in a later time zone.

With their nailbiter 3-2 win in Anaheim, games beyond their familiar Eastern clock are done for the regular season with eight remaining. The Leafs are now three points ahead of Florida and Tampa Bay. The latter duo have a game in hand.

After nearly squandering a two-goal lead on the playoff-eliminated Ducks, a late game tip by fourth-liner Steven Lorentz was the difference a night after beating the Los Angeles Kings 3-1. A shootout loss in San Jose was all that separated the Leafs from sweeping the trip.

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As the calendar flips to April 1 on Tuesday, Toronto and its legion of impatient fans can get serious about playoff preparations.

The Leafs didn’t show any ill effects from the night before, nor was it arduous travel to go a few miles down the highway.

Toronto could have taken a larger lead after the first period. But where a key high stick ruling went its way Saturday on a goal in L.A., Mitch Marner whacked a puck over his shoulder that wiped out an Auston Matthews-to-Matthew Knies strike.

After killing two Ducks power plays, special teams being the home side’s kryptonite this season, the Leafs struck in the last minute of the opening frame. Where he’d tried to force passes on earlier rushes, Max Domi held on to the puck, deked his old boxing partner Radko Gudas and buried a backhander under goalie Lukas Dostal’s crossbar.

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Marner made one count the next period. After a nice cover by Simon Benoit in a scramble around goalie Joseph Woll, he helped send Marner away for a breakaway. Marner is now nine points away from 100.

The young Ducks wouldn’t be subdued very long, however, as Leo Carlsson, the second-overall pick behind Connor Bedard two years ago, beat Woll on a screen shot for his 20th of the year. It came off sustained pressure following William Nylander’s failure to at least get a puck deep at the Ducks’ blueline.

The Ducks did get their special teams in order to tie it, Sam Colangelo jumping on an early third-period rebound off the post, after Matthews struck iron at the other end. But with both fourth lines on the ice, David Kampf’s shot was re-directed by the opportunistic Lorentz.

Woll made 28 saves for his 25th win, helped by 20-plus blocked shots.

The Leafs now get a break en route home on the schedule with two days off, though waiting on the other side are the Panthers who are in Toronto on Wednesday. That starts four games in eight days where the Leafs face the Panthers and Lighting three times. Other than a game in Buffalo, the Leafs face a steady diet of playoff teams or close contenders.

lhornby@postmedia.com

X: @sunhornby

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