PITTSBURGH — From the moment he levied a thunderous hit on Matt Dumba in the first period, it became evident that Dakota Joshua had finally arrived. Forget the fact that the Toronto Maple Leafs forward was playing in his 24th game of the season. He had been mostly invisible since he was acquired by the club in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks.
On Saturday, Joshua delivered the definitive performance the team sought. He levied a big hit on Dumba that woke up the PPG Paints Arena crowd , scored Toronto’s fourth goal that chased former Canucks teammate Arturs Silovs out of the game, and drew a penalty by charging hard to the net. It was the all-around game the Leafs had hoped the depth forward would provide when they added him, and it helped them grab a win they desperately needed.
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“I mean, that’s my goal every night, and to finally have a game like that feels nice,” Joshua said. “And once again, just got to keep it going now.”
Joshua was one of several depth players who got on the scoresheet in a 7-2 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was scratched two games ago when it became evident that the player just wasn’t delivering for the club, especially at a time when it was struggling for wins.
“I thought he had a lot better game in Wash(ington) too,” Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said, referring to the game Joshua played after being scratched against the Columbus Blue Jackets. “A big hit early, scores his goals in tight, and he got one tonight. So that line was good, big, heavy line. They were good on a forward check. They possessed pucks down low, and they got two goals for us.”
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Joshua played alongside fellow newcomer Nic Roy, who had also struggled to find a groove consistently. Bobby McMann also played on the right side as all three forwards busted out of slumps with goals.
“There was a lot of secondary scoring tonight, which is good for our team and we need that,” Berube said. “And it’s not just on three guys or whatever that have been putting points up. So it’s good that we get the secondary scoring.”
Joshua scored his first goal since Oct. 25. And while he isn’t going to be judged solely for scoring, his ability to use his physicality is the foundation of his game. He brought everything the Leafs hoped they’d have when they traded for him. Now he has to build off it and find some consistency.
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