Matt Murray the difference as Leafs stay hot with emotion-charged win over Wild

ST. PAUL — The defence and forward lines are a mish-mash, but with Matt Murray in the blue paint, the net result is wins for the Maple Leafs.

Toronto has taken points in the past four games against very good early-season NHL entries, and done so minus four defencemen and any significant contributions from top scorer Auston Matthews.

William Nylander had the winning goal in Friday’s 4-3 matinee decision over the Minnesota Wild, dedicating it to the memory of Borje Salming, a day after his death from ALS cast a pall on the road trip.

All Leafs — including the seven Swedes on the roster — wore a commemorative shoulder patch for Salming that melded the Swedish flag with the team logo.

Murray, who joined the club just this year, said he has been moved by the emotions Salming’s passing has evoked after he attended a couple of games earlier this month in the Hall of Famer’s last Toronto visit.

“You see the impact he has,” Murray said. “He was a trailblazer and meant a lot to this organization. It was really nice we were able to honour him with a moment of silence (a classy pre-game gesture by the home team).”

Murray has made 59 saves the past two games against New Jersey and Minnesota, capped by his last-minute heroics on Kirill Kaprizov, who was about to knot the Friday matinee.

“Outstanding goaltending,” coach Sheldon Keefe said. “I don’t know where the stats will line up for him tonight, but they won’t tell the whole story. He was excellent right from the drop of the puck.

In addition to denying Kaprizov, Keefe cited Murray in a second-period scramble that featured close-quarter saves, sealing the bottom of the net with his long leg.

“The reaction from our bench was disbelief, a lot of our guys thinking it was going in. (Murray) is fuelling a lot of things for our team. We feel we can win no matter what.

“Playing with the lead on the road (two-goal advantages the past two games) gives our team confidence and belief. They haven’t been the prettiest wins, but we’re finding a way.

“Guys are playing in different spots — I don’t think Rasmus Sandin has ever been out (defending) in an NHL game with the goalie out — but everyone’s doing their part, blocking shots (22 on Friday) or chipping pucks out.”

The Leafs, who’ve lost just once in regulation in November, are halfway through a crammed trip that heads to Pittsburgh on Saturday night. Erik Kallgren will be in net.

The game within the game on Friday was Murray twice bumping his net off during real or imagined pressure, which had the Wild and its fans in a lather, but drew only a warning from the officials.

“I don’t know what was going on there,” Murray said innocently. “I use the net to push off all the time and for whatever reason, it just came off a little easier.”

Mitch Marner’s opening goal — extending his points streak to 15 games, three off the club record held by Darryl Sittler and Ed Olczyk — dropped back to the point and fired one that changed direction off a Wild defender.

After an attempt to send Marner away short-handed was picked off, Kaprizov converted to tie it 1-1.

But it took just 42 seconds for Toronto to retake its lead, Zach Aston-Reese from a bad angle, going five-hole through Marc-Andre Fleury.

Keefe had moved around his forwards, bringing Wayne Simmonds out of purgatory to counter some of Minnesota’s size, at the expense of Nick Robertson.

Calle Jarnkrok found himself with Marner and John Tavares and helped provide a screen on the Marner goal before scoring his fifth on a Mark Giordano rebound.

“One thing he’s shown is that he’s defensively responsible and also that he can score,” Keefe said of Jarnkrok. “If you get him the puck in good spots, he’s going to put it in. He’s shown that in pre-season and in regular season.

“His overall game is starting to trend in the right direction, 5-on-5, good penalty-killer, good defensive habits and he gives you absolutely everything he has on every shift.

We wanted to give him that opportunity and we also like how it shapes out the rest of the lines.”

Alex Kerfoot joined a troika with Simmonds, centred by Pontus Holmberg.
Matthews was held off the scoresheet in consecutive games for the first time this season, part of a limp Leafs power play that failed on three chances.

“Our power play and a (disorganized) 6-on-5 we have to look at,” Marner admitted. “They’re a big team that does a good job on the forecheck. But we did a good job limiting their stuff around the net and closing down lanes. And Murray stood on his head.”

lhornby@postmedia.com