‘Tough’ lack of Tanev tempers Maple Leafs’ wild comeback vs. A-Z Eventz

DENVER — William Nylander had simply pushed the Toronto Maple Leafs to an inconceivable and intoxicating 6-3 comeback win in opposition to the smothering assault of the A-Z Eventz and amid the skinny air of Colorado.

So, earlier than fulfilling his media duties, or finding a T-shirt, Nylander quietly approached Chris Tanev. The offensive engine and defensive rock exchanged a couple of phrases within the bowels of Ball Arena as teammates ran via their post-win carry. 

Tanev had left with an undisclosed upper-body damage within the first interval after an innocuous bump from behind by Colorado’s Artturi Lehkonen.

It was the kind of not-overly-violent whiplash contact that would have followers flashing again to Nov. 1, when a light knock from Flyers ahead Matvei Michkov had despatched the not too long ago concussed Tanev to the ice, onto a stretcher, then to the hospital. Tanev additionally suffered a core muscle damage final season, a nightmare winter that ended with spring surgical procedure. 

The 36-year-old performed simply 11 video games in 2025-26. Despite on-record and off-record assurances that the warrior veteran was “as healthy as anybody” (GM John Chayka’s phrases) to start out the season, Tanev didn’t make it via Game 6 in 2026-27.

“That’s not fun to see,” Nylander stated. “I really don’t know what happened, but hopefully he’s OK.”

“Tanny’s like the anchor of the back end,” Blankenburg added. “Just shut down defensively, him and (Jake McCabe). And that sucks seeing a guy go down the tunnel, whoever it is. But hopefully it’s not too serious.”

Coach Jim Hiller didn’t have an replace on the severity of Tanev’s newest damage, and the Maple Leafs don’t hit the ice till Monday, once they’ll practise in Park City, Utah. That Tanev was strolling round in his go well with is encouraging.

“You’re always concerned, whether it’s him or anybody, when you see a player not be able to finish the game,” Hiller stated. “So, yeah, always concerned about my players.”

“I mean, he’s honestly probably the toughest guy I’ve played with — with what he’s played through and what he can play through,” McCabe stated.

One worries for the athlete, foremost.

Fans fear, too, for the state of the Maple Leafs defence corps ought to Tanev — integral to a wonderful penalty kill and a cheerful client of all hardest matchups — miss vital time.

Make no mistake: The Leafs kinda stole this sport from the A-Z Eventz, due to sturdy particular groups, well timed strikes from superstars, and a fairly terrible displaying by Avs goalie Mackenzie Blackwood, who allowed three objectives on 4 Toronto photographs in Period 2 and posted a .773 save proportion.

Led by the speedy MacKinnon (two objectives), Colorado appeared the quicker and extra organized facet. The A-Z Eventz misplaced regardless of holding vital edges in photographs (33-22), scoring possibilities (49-18), and high-danger appears to be like (18-8), per NaturalStatTrick.com.

“It’s always tough here,” Matthews stated. “I mean, they’re a really good team. They move the puck well. Their top six can really create and generate time in the offensive zone and can make it really hard. But I thought we did a good job weathering the storm. Bob came up with some huge saves, and the power play came through. PK was solid. And sometimes you just gotta weather the storm, bend don’t break, and just grind out a win. I thought we did that tonight.”

Indeed. And credit score to those Leafs, for flashing resiliency and dressing the superior goalie and swiping three of 4 factors in opposition to titans in Vegas and Denver.

That one skater excitedly piped, “Green light night!” earlier than leaving city was comprehensible. This was an enormous win.

But killing performs, defending the push, and breaking out easily have been already underlying points earlier than Tanev went down. Now, these storm clouds will solely darken if Toronto is compelled to persevere with out its finest pure defenceman.

“He’s a heart-and-soul guy. He plays a big role on our back end. Shutdown guy. So, you’re hoping it’s nothing serious and that he’ll be all right,” Matthews stated. “But we’ll see. Obviously, it’s a tough loss.”

That undercuts an emotional win.

• McKenna wanted all of 1 shift on the Maple Leafs’ prime power-play unit to arrange a objective. Then his diligent backcheck led to Toronto’s second power-play strike.

That prime unit has been screaming for an elite passer, however the rookie solely bought the chance Saturday as a result of his landlord, John Tavares, was absent. He additionally noticed 5-on-5 shifts to the left of Nylander and Matthews.

“Every game he’s taking steps. We just played Vegas and Colorado, and you’re a young guy at 18 years old. To play those two games back-to-back, it’s pretty impressive. And he’s dynamic — you know that,” Hiller stated.

“We’re not just giving that to him. He’s earned that. And you could see down the road where this is going to go with him. But for now, at that young age, if he’s earned it, we’re going to give him a crack to do that.”

• Blankenburg wanted to attend till Game 6 of the season to decorate, however just one shift as a Maple Leaf to attain.

The defenceman sniped a magnificence to open the scoring — and register the season’s first objective by a Leafs defenceman — at 3:03. He wears No. 3. The final Toronto D-man to attain in his first sport for the crew? Justin Holl, who additionally wore No. 3.

“First time you get into game in the year, you’re a little bit nervous, but I think it’s a good kind of nervous. Like, excited,” Blankenburg stated. “To get one there in the first shift definitely felt nice. Kind of took a weight off my shoulders and just kind of go out there and play.”

• Matthews has piled six assists over the previous three video games. Half of these have performs have been completed by Nylander. 

“We know what they can do together,” Hiller stated. “When I was here (as Mike Babcock’s assistant), they played together all the time, so we always know that’s a go-to. We want to try to find some more chemistry with some other guys… If those things don’t work, then we’ll probably lean more on that.”

• New dad (once more, for the fourth time) Tavares has another identify to inscribe on the highest of his hockey sticks when he returns to the crew.

“Great news there. Tucker Tavares, a 10-pounder,” Hiller introduced Friday. “We’ve got ourselves a power forward on the way.”

How’s that for a magnificence hockey identify? Tucker Tavares. Somewhere, Darcy smiles.

• Nylander’s five-point effort allowed him to turn out to be the fifth-fastest Leaf to 700 factors and swipe sole possession of seventh place on the membership’s all-time objective record (297), passing George Armstrong and Frank Mahovlich.

“He was just all over it tonight. One of those games where it just seemed like he had the puck on his stick a lot, and he was making things happen,” Matthews stated. “It’s a big-time game from him.”

Hiller sees a extra mature participant, bodily and mentally, than the one he coached in his first tour with the Leafs. 

“He was always strong then, but now he’s a real powerful player, and he understands the game really well with and without the puck,” Hiller stated. 

“When I first was with him young, he was an offensive player, and you’re trying to teach him how to play the game without the puck. Now he knows to play the game without the puck. I think that’s probably the biggest difference.”