Giordano, Brodie rise from the depths as Leafs blast Caps

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We interrupt this narrative on lack of defensive depth with the Maple Leafs for a special pronouncement from Mark Giordano and TJ Brodie.

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Don’t count them out of important roles when playoffs roll around in three weeks. Missing injured starters Morgan Rielly, Joel Edmundson and Timothy Liljegren, Toronto leaned on the two veterans in Thursday’s 5-1 win over the Washington Capitals, which dodged a three-game losing streak and restored equilibrium to a roster losing some steam late in regular season.

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The 40-year-old Giordano, a surprise addition to the lineup after being quietly activated late in the day from injured reserve to replace an ill Liljegren, had an eventful return. He received an iffy early penalty for pushing Caps’ icon Alex Ovechkin around, then scored his second of the year. Matthew Knies found open ice during a Caps line change and found a rushing Giordano for a high blocker side wrister on Charlie Lindgren.

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Brodie blocked three shots early in the game and with partner Ilya Lyubushkin also generated scoring chances. His season has been plagued by inconsistencies that led to a recent benching.

Giordano’s goal was part of a 19-shot first period to go with 25 to kick off the game before against New Jersey. That one ended badly for the Leafs and put several veterans in coach Sheldon Keefe’s dog house. Thursday they didn’t let up, scoring 18 ticks into the second period with a strong push and Tyler Bertuzzi banking a shot off Lindgren from behind the net.

Max Domi hit the crossbar on a long breakaway that might have put the Caps on ice quicker, instead they got on the board shortly after on a Nic Dowd deflection. That rally was quashed with some heavy lifting by the fourth line when Ryan Reaves set up Connor Dewar for his first as a Leaf. Bobby McMann and Bertuzzi added goals in the third, Bertuzzi’s 18th, when Domi pressured Trevor van Riemsdyk into coughing it up in the slot. The Leafs were one shot shy of 50 in clearing 40 consecutive games for the first time this year.

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After missing five games following the unexpected passing of his father in February, Giordano played two games and went out of the lineup again with a concussion. He was partnered with Conor Timmins on Thursday as Keefe will look to solidify pairings for April.

Speaking of the post-season picture, Toronto put four points between it and the wild-card Tampa Bay Lightning, both now down to 10 games.

Auston Matthews was able to play both ends of an all-star match-up against Ovechkin after staying home in the morning with what Keefe hinted was a non-flu related illness. Matthews had a bevy of shots, but not the 60th goal many at Scotiabank Arena hoped to see. He has missed Mitch Marner, now nine games absent with a sprained ankle.

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Ovechkin, who scored a couple against the Leafs last week in a losing cause, came in with 44 goals, 33 assists and 77 points versus the Leafs. NHL Stats lists that as the most by any player against Toronto this century, certainly the most against any team outside his own division. He remains 46 goals behind Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record of 894.

Joseph Woll made 24 saves, reversing some rough recent starts.

lhornby@postmedia.com

X: @sunhornby

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