NHL scores 2016: Home continues to be the Maple Leafs’ best friend

There really is no place like home, right Toronto? The Maple Leafs are giving truth to that old adage after improving their home record this season to 8-3-0 after besting the Capitals on Saturday evening.

Their record away from the Air Canada Centre? A measly 1-5-4.

Toronto even has a perfect record at home when leading after two periods. There’s a lot of factors as to why a team might do well in their own barn — familiarity, the fans, other voodoo nonsense. Considering the Maple Leafs won just 14 games at home last season, the turnaround is a pretty interesting quirk through their first quarter season.

Now, the tables seemed to have reversed. Toronto’s last away win came on November 3 versus the Sabres, and they’ve lost their last three on the road since.

Good news though is that Auston Matthews had his first career game-winning goal in the win over Washington and he has four points in his last two games. Toronto’s main offensive producers are continuing to put up goals. Oh and Frederik Andersen has posted a minimum .930 save percentage in his last five starts.

But, with a three-game road trip coming up this week, the Maple Leafs might want to find that same spark they have at home.

Maple Leafs 4, Capitals 2
Senators 2, Hurricanes 1
Canadiens 2, Red Wings 1 (OT)
Panthers 2, Blue Jackets 1 (SO)
Penguins 4, Devils 3 (SO)
Blues 4, Wild 3 (SO)
Canucks 3, Avalanche 2 (SO)
Kings 2, Blackhawks 1 (OT)
Sharks 3, Ducks 2

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1. Ottawa is climbing that Atlantic ladder

The Senators — surprise! — are tied for second in the Atlantic after besting the Hurricanes 2-1. A big reason for their success is their ability to shut down offenses after obtaining a lead, which is important all things considered.

They’re also doing so in close games. Take a look at their record in one-goal games, for instance.

Now it’s 9-1-1 after the win over Carolina. With a three-game win streak under their belts, the Senators are putting themselves in good position for the fight for the playoffs.

2. Sidney Crosby continues to be the best player in the NHL

By all rights, the Penguins deserved to win their game versus the Devils. Between the two teams, 79 shots were put on net in the game that needed overtime and a shootout to decide, with 49 of them coming from Pittsburgh.

Yet, the Penguins were losing 3-2 in the final moments of the game. That was until Crosby did his thing and tied the game with 14 seconds to play.

Never count out Sidney Crosby, folks.

3. Mike Yeo got the last laugh against Minnesota, again

We’re going to have to wait until next season to see Yeo take the reins as the head coach in St. Louis. But for now, the former bench boss of the Wild — and the current associate coach of the Blues — got his second dose of revenge on his former team in the Blues 4-3 victory in the shootout. Jaden Schwartz had a pair of goals for St. Louis, but they had to endure a comeback from Minnesota in the third period to eventually get the victory in the shootout.

Their next meeting on December 11 will be a big one: Yeo’s first trip back to Minnesota.

Alexei Emelin got a pair of Red Wings with hits that took both Todd Bertuzzi and Dylan Larkin out of Detroit’s lineup.

Larkin did return to the game, but Bertuzzi did not.

Brendan Smith also suffered a lower-body injury during the game for Detroit, adding injury to insult in the 2-1 overtime loss.

We’ve played a quarter of the season already! Can you believe it? here are some stats from the Avalanche broadcast we thought we should share.