Down Kadri, Leafs' forward group serves notice to Bruins in Game 3

TORONTO - Typically, Andreas Johnsson is a support piece for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He'll contribute, sure, but he isn't expected to do anything spectacular.

Once in a while, though, when the rookie is bolting, buzzing, and bumping around the ice, his impact rises exponentially. Monday's Game 3 against the Boston Bruins was one of those occasions - and the timing was impeccable.

Just hours after veteran center Nazem Kadri was given a series-long suspension, Johnsson scored a goal, earned a primary assist, and, as coach Mike Babcock described it afterward, had "all the details in his game."

Throughout Toronto's 3-2 home victory over Boston, which gave the Leafs a 2-1 series lead, the feisty winger bolted, traveling from zone to zone with that choppy yet efficient stride of his; buzzed, rattling bodies along the boards and in the corners; and bumped, smartly redirecting the puck from the middle lane to the periphery of the offensive zone on the power play.

"Johnny's a gamer," teammate Trevor Moore said, sizing up the turbo-charged performance. "That's Mango," added Zach Hyman, dropping Johnsson's nickname.

Kevin Sousa / Getty

Now, this Boston-Toronto series shouldn't be about guys like Johnsson. Stripped down to its bare bones, it should be laser-focused on two of the top forward lines in the NHL.

For the Bruins, that's the longtime Best Line in Hockeya - Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Pastrnak. For the Leafs, it's John Tavares, Mitch Marner, and Hyman, a trio that lives one rung below best-in-class status.

Conventional wisdom suggests whoever wins the five-on-five battle between those lines will advance to the second round. And so far, the matchup has been tight.

Bergeron, Marchand, and Pastrnak have been on the ice for a combined two goals for and five against, making them minus-3 with a collective Corsi of 52.6 percent. Tavares, Marner, and Hyman have been on the ice for a combined four goals for and five against, making them minus-1. Their collective Corsi is 45.9 percent.

With a better goal differential, Toronto holds the edge in the clash of formidable first lines. But only barely.

Mark Blinch / Getty Images

That brings us back to Johnsson and the rest of Toronto's forward group. Sans Kadri, which players filled the void at even strength and on special teams during Game 3 at Scotiabank Arena?

Two Swedes acted as a Kadri Frankenstein of sorts. While Johnsson assumed Kadri's usual high-slot spot on the PP's first unit, countryman William Nylander slid over to the third-line center spot at five-on-five.

Nylander, who scored a goal in Game 1 but submitted an error-ridden Game 2, semi-redeemed himself on Monday. Unlike Kadri, the crafty 22-year-old will never wow you with his defensive acumen. But when he's engaged and unafraid of contact - more or less a requirement of playing center in the NHL - he can hold his own without the puck. All in all, Nylander did his part in Game 3.

Check out this defensive-zone sequence from the second period. Nylander (No. 29 in blue) identifies the open man (Jake DeBrusk, No. 74 in white), skates toward him, blocks his shot, and then proceeds to awkwardly pin him against the boards. The puck pops out to a Toronto teammate. Crisis averted.

Your browser does not support the video tag. Via Sportsnet/CBC

Johnsson, who's found a nice home on Auston Matthews' left wing, asserted himself a handful of times during his playoff-high 18 minutes and 30 seconds of ice time. His effectiveness shone brightest through his ferocious forechecks, though his PP goal showed he's perfectly capable of manning the Kadri spot on the first unit.

In the clip below, notice how Johnsson (No. 18 in blue) taps his stick to call for the pass from Morgan Rielly. Upon reception, he immediately and intelligently bumps the puck to Matthews and then drives to the net. Thanks to a beautiful behind-the-back pass from Tavares, the puck ends up on his stick in a prime scoring area. Uncontested, Johnsson patiently switches from forehand to backhand before going top corner on Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask.

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That goal gave the Leafs a 3-1 lead and capped off a gigantic opening 40 minutes for the team, during which Moore and Matthews joined Johnsson in the goal column and goalie Frederik Andersen stopped 24 of 26 shots. The Leafs had a firm grip on the Bruins, especially in the second period.

Meanwhile, Matthews' power-play goal was his first point of the series, and don't be surprised if the face of the franchise carries his swagger into Wednesday's Game 4. Earlier Monday, Babcock had hinted the big center was close to breaking through.

"Skill is a wonderful thing," the coach said pregame in response to a question about Matthews. "Will is more important at this time of year, and determination."

Overall, one could argue that not a single Leafs forward took the night off in Game 3 (though Patrick Marleau would lead the non-factor list). Moore and fellow fourth-liners Tyler Ennis and Frederick Gauthier were active throughout the contest. Marner continued to display his all-around game, fearlessly blocking consecutive shots by Pastrnak in the dying seconds of the third period.

"To me, that's team-building," Babcock said of Marner's defensive plays. "That's just laying it on the line when you need to and it makes everyone else around you better. Good for him and good for us."

All things considered, it was a great night for Toronto's forward group. No Nazem, no problem. At least through one tilt.

(Advanced stats courtesy Natural Stat Trick)

John Matisz is theScore's National Hockey Writer. You can find him on Twitter @matiszjohn.

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