McMann registers first NHL hat trick, short-handed Leafs beat Blues 4-1
Bobby McMann registered the first hat trick of his NHL career as the short-handed Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the St. Louis Blues 4-1 on Tuesday.
William Nylander had the other goal for Toronto (27-16-8). Ilya Samsonov made 14 saves.
The NHL's department of player safety announced shortly before the opening faceoff it had suspended Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly five games for his cross-check to the head of Ridly Greig following the Ottawa centre's slapshot empty-net goal in the dying seconds of the Senators' 5-3 victory Saturday.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Already without their minute-munching No. 1 blueliner, the Leafs also hit the Scotiabank Arena ice without star forwards Mitch Marner and John Tavares, who were ruled out just before warm-ups due to illness.
Alexey Toropchenko replied for St. Louis (28-22-2), which entered 7-1-0 over its last eight games, including Sunday's 7-2 demolition of the Montreal Canadiens.
Jordan Binnington stopped 28 shots in defeat.
Toronto — 14-2-1 without Rielly in 2023-24 — opened the scoring at 5:33 of the first period when McMann fought off Blues captain Brayden Schenn along the boards before driving to Binnington's crease and stuffing home his third goal of the season.
Down about US$30 million in salary cap space with Rielly, Marner and Tavares sidelined, the Leafs doubled their lead at 16:25 when Nylander's pass hit the stick of St. Louis rookie defenceman Matthew Kessel and fluttered past a helpless Binnington for the winger's 26th.
The Blues got the game's first power play early in the second, but Toronto winger Noah Gregor had the best chance on a breakaway that the St. Louis goaltender turned aside with his blocker.
The visitors cut the deficit to 2-1 at 5:36 when Toropchenko tipped in his ninth. Kessel picked up the secondary assist for the blueliner's first NHL point in his 19th game.
Without a goal in straight 17 contests entering play, Leafs winger Tyler Bertuzzi hit the post moments later after getting stopped on a first-period break.
Elevated to Toronto's top man-advantage unit with Marner and Tavares sick, Bertuzzi fed Max Domi in tight on the Leafs' first chance, but Binnington was there to make the save.
Bertuzzi then missed the net from the slot on a third-period power play, but McMann scored his second of the evening — and fourth overall to double his career total — at 8:02 when he collected a loose puck and roofed a shot upstairs on a night where the Leafs needed their depth players to step up.
The 27-year-old winger playing his 37th NHL game then completed the hat trick with 1:39 left in regulation when his clearing attempt off the boards in the defensive zone found the Blues' empty net at the other end with a weight that would make any curler smile.
SOO CONNECTION
Blues head coach Drew Bannister followed Leafs counterpart Sheldon Keefe behind the bench of the Ontario Hockey League's Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds following the latter's hire by the American Hockey League's Toronto Marlies in 2015.
KAMPF, GIORDANO RETURN
Leafs centre David Kampf and defenceman Mark Giordano returned to the lineup after recovering from undisclosed injuries. Kampf missed three games last week, while Giordano sat out Saturday's loss.
Apart from the absences of Marner and Tavares, Keefe announced before the game blueliner Conor Timmins (mononucleosis) is out indefinitely. Toronto goaltender Martin Jones sat out with an undisclosed injury.
Marlies netminder Dennis Hildeby and forward Alex Steeves were both was called up on an emergency basis.
UP NEXT
Leafs: Host the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday.
Blues: Host the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 13, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Bathroom break nearly derails $22 million project at city council meeting
A brief break during Wednesday's city council meeting in Saskatoon nearly cost the city dearly.
Do this once a month and extend your life by up to 10 years. No gym required
Research shows that art experiences, whether as a maker or a beholder, transform our biology by rewiring our brains and triggering the release of neurochemicals, hormones and endorphins.
Mackenzie Hughes 'gutted' after falling short at RBC Canadian Open
Mackenzie Hughes had the dream scenario of winning the RBC Canadian Open in his hometown within reach but then it all slipped away.
Motorcycle doing wheelies, weaving in, out of traffic caught on Highway 417
A motorcycle driver is facing charges after being caught on Highway 417 doing wheelies and weaving in and out of traffic, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says.
Oilers advance to Stanley Cup final by beating Stars in Game 6
The Edmonton Oilers rode their special teams and goaltender to victory on Sunday, beating the Dallas Stars 2-1 to win the National Hockey League's Western Conference and earn a berth in the Stanley Cup final against the Florida Panthers.
'Rotten rock': Climate change altering the face of Canadian mountaineering
The Abbot Pass hut stood for decades in a rugged saddle between two iconic peaks, overlooking the limpid turquoise of Banff National Park's Lake Louise — a destination for alpinists from around the world until the ground melted beneath it and forced its closure.
North Korea says it will stop sending trash balloons as South Korea vows strong retaliation
South Korea said Sunday it’ll soon take retaliatory steps against North Korea over its launch of trash-carrying balloons across the border and other provocations.
'The legacy I want to leave:' Mother with Stage 4 cancer advocates for survivors
People around the world are observing National Cancer Survivor Day, an annual celebration held to honour patients who have been through the often difficult and traumatic experience of living with cancer.
Driver missing after vehicle plunges into the Riviere-des-Prairies between Montreal and Laval
Emergency response crews are on the scene Sunday morning after a vehicle plunged into the Riviere des Prairies in Montreal.