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Scott Laughton was finding his return to the Stanley Cup playoffs to his liking.
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The Battle of Ontario marked just the fourth time Laughton has participated in the annual tournament, and first since the 2020 bubble season with the Philadelphia Flyers.
“It feels awesome,” Laughton told media in Ottawa on Saturday, hours ahead of Game 4 between the Maple Leafs and the Senators. “Even on the road with the fans, it’s special to play in the playoffs. It brings out the best in you as a player and that excitement of playing for that ultimate goal.
“It has been awesome for me so far and I just need to continue to do my job and continue to work on my game and help us win hockey games.”
After being acquired from the Flyers on March 7, Laughton’s first home goal with the Leafs was Toronto’s last goal of the regular season, coming in overtime against the Detroit Red Wings in the finale on April 17 at Scotiabank Arena. If Laughton needed some confidence heading into the playoffs, that goal might have provided some, but either way, he and his linemates were solid through the first three games.
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Laughton at centre between Steven Lorentz and Calle Jarnkrok was clicking in the right areas.
“We’ve been straightforward,” Laughton said. “We’ve been out there for a couple of D-zone draws and been good on the forecheck.
“Those two guys can skate, can get up and down the ice in straight lines and we’ll need to continue to do that to be successful as a line. I think it’s pretty simple.”
Simple is a word that coach Craig Berube likes. What had Berube liked about Laughton’s game?
“Gamesmanship, for sure,” Berube said. “He has been really good in the faceoff circle (53.1% through three games).
“The checking side of things, understanding his role, D-zone faceoffs and the penalty kill. They’re out there against different lines, a lot of times with matchups and D-zone faceoffs, and he has been solid in all those areas.”
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PICK UP, BENNY
Not surprisingly, the phone of defenceman Simon Benoit didn’t stop buzzing after he scored in overtime in Game 3.
How many friends and family reached out?
“A couple, that’s for sure,” Benoit said with a smile. “A lot of people supporting me, which I really appreciate and it means a lot to me. It’s fun to see that old teammates, old coaches, old friends, they still keep track of what you’re doing out there.”
It would have been difficult to not take note. It was quite a 48 hours for Benoit, scoring like he did off a point shot after setting up Max Domi for the OT winner in Game 2. Benoit became the first defenceman and fourth player in National Hockey League history to have each of his first two career playoff points come in overtime.
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“I’m not used to (the attention),” Benoit said. “It’s fun. We have the greatest fans out there, so you have to embrace it.”
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Plays like the one Benoit made to Domi off the rush are commonplace for offensive defencemen, but not so for D-men such as Benoit. Playoffs included, he had 32 points (including seven goals) in 289 NHL career games heading into Saturday night.
“My first job is to be reliable defensively,” Benoit said. “But if I see an opening, I will try to take it for sure. If an opportunity comes offensively, why not?”
More important than anything else, Benoit and Oliver Ekman-Larsson have settled in as an effective pair on the Leafs blue line. As a whole, the defence corps was more than just reliable for Berube heading into Game 4.
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Jake McCabe led the group in average ice time at 21 minutes 51 seconds. Brandon Carlo was sixth at 18 minutes 35 seconds. No Leafs defenceman was sitting on the bench.
“Playoff hockey, we need everybody,” Berube said. “If you can keep the minutes good, it keeps guys fresh, more energy, we use all our D.
“They have been good for us. We have a good combination with the pairs and how they work. That’s why you see that the minutes are pretty equal.”
COWAN DOMINATING
The best hockey players find another gear once the playoffs begin.
Easton Cowan, the Leafs’ top prospect, has done exactly that with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League.
With the Knights holding a 1-0 series lead in the Western Conference final against the Kitchener Rangers, Cowan has 23 points (eight goals and 15 assists) in nine playoff games. This after Cowan posted 69 points in 46 regular-season games.
Cowan, who won the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award last year as the MVP in the OHL playoffs, could be in line to win the award again.
He has the most points among players who still are playing in the OHL postseason and is two behind leader Ilya Protas of the Windsor Spitfires, whose year ended at the hands of the Rangers in the second round.
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