‘Nice To Get The Monkey Off The Back’: Maple Leafs' Jake McCabe Scores First Goal From Defenseman Since November In Win Over Bruins

The Toronto Maple Leafs secured a gritty 6-4 victory over the Boston Bruins on Saturday night at Scotiabank Arena. The win was not only a statement in a long-standing rivalry after a back-and-forth contest but it also marked a long-awaited breakthrough for Toronto’s defensemen, who had zero goals on a whopping 99 shots in December.

Jake McCabe's first-period goal, a slick wrist shot from the slot, ended over a month-long dry spell for the Leafs' defensemen, who had collectively not recorded a goal since Chris Tanev’s tally on November 30. That goal in a 5-3 win against Tampa Bay had been the last from a Toronto defenseman until McCabe’s marker on Saturday night.

Going into Saturday’s game, the Leafs had netted 50 goals in 16 outings, yet their blueliners had not contributed a goal over that span.

For McCabe, the goal was a relief.

“Nice to get the monkey off the back and get rid of the goose egg next to the G and especially get it started early in the first,” McCabe said post-game.

His goal, just 3:29 into the first period, was a timely one that gave the Leafs an early 1-0 lead.

“I liked our game all night and we're on our toes and obviously they scored a couple right after we'd pop one but feel like it didn't phase this and we just kept trucking along,” he added.

The tally from a Leafs defenseman also gave the blueline a much-needed boost, one that head coach Craig Berube was happy to see.

“I don't look at it as a concern,” Berube said when asked about the blueliners’ scoring struggles. “We're trying to activate them a little bit more, which they've been in the play more on rushes and things like that. And then, you know, in the offensive zone, tonight I thought our D, too, did a real good job of activating the backdoor Caber scored. And we missed two other ones. We had some, a couple of good looks there.”

As of late, as Berube points out, the Leafs have been pushing for more offensive involvement from their defense corps. Philippe Myers, who signed a two-year extension with the club earlier this week, was another example of Berube’s explanation post-game.

The 27-year-old generated some offense against the Bruins, taking a pass in the neutral zone before cycling the puck into the offensive zone and creating chances by playing an active role in the transition game.

While there is a clear focus on increasing offensive contributions, McCabe emphasized the importance of maintaining a balance between defensive responsibilities and offensive output.

“We're not worried about scoring goals,” the 31-year-old explained. “We're worried about winning hockey games and that's keeping the puck out of our net. You know, you (want to) keep the goals down in this league and we got enough guys in this room that can score so obviously it's nice to contribute when we do but that's not our priority.”

Related: 'I Bit My Nail And Cracked One Off': Jake McCabe Reveals What Dental Work Was Like After Taking Red Wings' Lucas Raymond's Stick To Face

McCabe’s sentiments speak to the Leafs' shift in focus under Berube, who has emphasized defensive responsibility ever since his arrival in Toronto. The team has been more effective in that regard this season, with 2.74 goals against per game in 2024-25 – a significant improvement over last year's 3.18 – becoming more committed to a defense-first mentality.

As for the scoring from the blue line, it hasn’t been abundant, but it's been improving. Through 40 games, only one Maple Leafs defenseman (Morgan Rielly) has more than one goal this season.

Related: 'I Expect Myself To Handle Any Situation': Can Morgan Rielly's Struggling Offensive Numbers Be Attributed To Maple Leafs' Constant Defensive Partner Shuffle?

Here’s a quick breakdown of the Leafs’ defensive goals this season: * = extra (current rotation)

Morgan Rielly: 4 goals

Philippe Myers: 0 goals

Jake McCabe: 1 goal

Chris Tanev: 1 goal

Simon Benoit: 0 goals

Oliver Ekman-Larsson: 1 goal

Conor Timmins*: 1 goal

Total through 40 games: 8 goals

While the offensive output from the Leafs' defense may still be underwhelming, McCabe’s goal was certainly a sign of progress. With Berube and Co. looking for the defense to play a bigger role in the offensive zone while maintaining their defense-first approach, the hope is that this shift will ultimately lead to more balanced contributions going forward.

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