Pacioretty, Tavares lead Maple Leafs to big win over Jets

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Craig Berube rewired his offence on Monday night in Winnipeg and jolted a few Maple Leafs to life, namely Max Pacioretty. 

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Trying to rediscover his place and purpose in the NHL after a torn Achilles tendon threatened his career, the 35-year-old wasn’t lost in the shuffle as Toronto ended a three-game losing streak in what turned out to be a tight, but nonetheless huge, 6-4 win over the previously undefeated Jets.

Pacioretty was promoted to a top-six role and a place on the first power play, producing three assists and, along with linemates William Nylander and John Tavares, was a plus-3 as the new troika combined for nine points.

“Things change throughout the year. I can’t get too high or low about the position I’m in,” Pacioretty told the media in Winnipeg before the game. “There are different ways I can contribute.” 

Midway through the first period, Pacioretty’s long reach helped swat a one-handed pass across the crease to Tavares for the opening goal. It was NHL point No. 1,047 for Tavares, passing Henri Richard for 79th in NHL history.

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Less than six minutes later, Pacioretty hopped on a Neal Pionk giveaway for a quick feed to an untouched Nylander, who scored to record his first point in four games and give the Leafs a 2-0 lead. 

“They’ve been successful in the past,” Berube noted Monday morning of reuniting Tavares and Nylander. “With Pacioretty there, a big winger that could score, we are just trying to find a little bit more scoring in some other lines.” 

Berube, however, couldn’t have liked what transpired after that as a 4-0 lead almost dried up.– the Leafs getting into penalty trouble, giving up two on the power play, another on a delayed call in the third period and one more with Connor Hellebuyck on the bench still with a few minutes left in regulation.

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It took a Tavares empty-netter, for his hat trick, to secure the win and improve to 5-4-1.

As for the power play, Berube had obviously grown tired of trotting out the 10%-effective status-quo and not seeing his faith rewarded. The Leafs’ new-look first-unit power play featured the overdue appearance of Matthew Knies, plus Pacioretty and the return of Morgan Rielly, but went 0-for-2 on a couple of early chances and sits at an abysmal 3-for-32 this season.

The coach’s juggling act also saw him drop centre Max Domi and Bobby McMann to the third line with Pontus Holmberg, though they had a quiet game offensively. 

While the Jets had come back from various deficits in six of their eight wins, Knies scored in the opening minute of the middle period, his fourth in the past five games. It followed a familiar script at the Canada Life Centre — the Leafs dumping, chasing and retrieving the puck. A few minutes later, Rielly sailed in from the point to take a Nylander pass for goals in consecutive games. 

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Connor, with two goals and two assists, kept the game close, but it was Pacioretty driving the net to help with Tavares’ second of the night to restore a three-goal lead late in the second.

Berube didn’t hesitate coming back with Anthony Stolarz in net after the most recent loss, Saturday’s overtime setback in Boston. It was confirmation that Stolarz has the net in big games for now, while Joseph Woll feels his way back from a lower-body injury. 

Berube ended his first 10 games with a record of 5-4-1, tying Pat Quinn and Pat Burns for the most victories in that span the past 30 years from the start of the season. The Leafs also ended the Jets’ attempt to tie a record with 10 wins to open a season, which Burns’ ‘93-94 teams jointly share with the 2006-07 Buffalo Sabres.

Lhornby@postmedia.com

X: @sunhornby 

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