The Canadian Press
Joshua Clipperton
TORONTO–Jake Muzzin couldn’t have asked for a smoother transition to his new team.
He also was happy to heap more misery on an old foe.
The defenceman scored once and added two assists for his first three points with Toronto as the Maple Leafs thumped the free-falling Anaheim Ducks 6-1 last night.
Acquired from the L.A. Kings for two prospects and a first-round pick last week, Muzzin already has provided a physical presence and calming influence to a blueline previously viewed as the Leafs’ weak link.
“Good team, good coaching, good plan, and it’s easy to follow,” Muzzin said of why things have clicked.
“They’re very clear in how we’re supposed to play, and that’s how we’re playing.”
Set to turn 30 later this month, Muzzin has been blown away by the welcome in Toronto, including the huge ovations from the crowd at Scotiabank Arena for a couple of thunderous hits in his first two home outings.
“It’s been awesome,” said Muzzin, a native of Woodstock, Ont. “I didn’t know what to expect, really, with media and hockey in general.
“I’m very pleased with how it’s going,” he added. “Hopefully it continues.”
Rookie winger Andreas Johnsson added two goals and two assists to register the first four-point game of his career for Toronto (32-17-3).
William Nylander and John Tavares, with a goal and an assist each, and Connor Brown also scored for the Leafs, who now have won three in a row at home after dropping six of their previous seven games.
Frederik Andersen made 24 saves while Zach Hyman added two assists.
Rickard Rakell replied for Anaheim (21-23-9), which got 30 stops from John Gibson before he was pulled in favour of Chad Johnson following Toronto’s fifth goal.
The Ducks, who trailed 6-0 after the first period of Saturday’s embarrassing 9-3 defeat in Winnipeg, now have lost four-straight and are just 2-12-4 over their last 18.
Despite the freefall, Anaheim remains just three points out of the final wild-card spot in the congested Western Conference, thanks largely to Gibson’s Vezina Trophy-level play this season.
“It’s hard on everybody,” head coach Randy Carlyle said. “This is not an easy time.”
Muzzin, who battled the Ducks over the years in the bruising Pacific Division, said teams built like Anaheim–and L.A. could be added to the mix–aren’t long for the NHL.
“The game of hockey is transitioning to a skill, fast game like we have here,” noted Muzzin, who’s been paired with No. 1 defenceman Morgan Rielly.
“It’s tough,” he added. “The big guys, some of them just can’t handle the speed and skill that some of these Eastern teams have.”
“It’s huge, you have a couple big hits now in the beginning and it’s going to create space for skilled guys,” Johnsson said of Muzzin’s influence on the game.
“That was a part we didn’t have before.”
Anaheim finally got on the board at 2:45 of the third when Rakell sniped his ninth past Andersen.
“There’s nobody in our locker-room that’s not trying,” Rakell said.
“We want to do the right things but our head is not really in the game,” he admitted.
Nylander, who came in with just one goal since ending his contract impasse in early December, scored the Leafs’ fifth goal when he picked the far corner on Gibson.
“It’s coming together,” Nylander said. “Today was a step in the right direction.”
That ended the night for Gibson, who has been pulled in three-straight games.
He went to the locker-room and didn’t return to the bench.
Elsewhere in the NHL, Philadelphia edged Vancouver 2-1, L.A. nipped the N.Y. Rangers 4-3 (OT), and Dallas topped Arizona 5-4.
