Eric Staal continues to torch Maple Leafs
Minnesota is treating Eric Staal well. Staal, meanwhile, is still abusing the Maple Leafs.
Staal and his Wild teammates were in Toronto on Wednesday, and No. 12 scored his sixth of the season - and third against the blue and white, after a pair in October. It eventually stood up as the game-winning goal in a 3-2 decision for Minnesota.
It was Staal's 43rd career game against Toronto, and the goal was his 23rd, to go along with 24 assists. Leafs killer.
Staal also has scored 23 against the Islanders. Said he grew up in Thunder Bay with a soft spot for the Leafs because of HNIC.
— Joe Yerdon (@JoeYerdon) December 8, 2016
Staal is tied for the Wild lead in scoring with 18 points, and he's been a solid addition, especially at a salary of $3.5 million. Getting out of Carolina was the right decision, and he's now one point shy of 800 for his career.
Toronto deserved a better fate Wednesday, outshooting Minnesota 27-12 in the final 40 minutes - and 37-20 overall. But Devan Dubnyk's the top goalie in the league for a reason, and he was particularly stellar in the third period, his club up by one.