Marner records career-high 98th point as Maple Leafs crush Canadiens

The Maple Leafs have nothing tangible to strive for as regular season winds down.

Playoff seeding and home-ice advantage are both secured.

Staying healthy and dialed into the details are paramount for a team that hasn’t tasted any spring success in almost two decades as it prepares to embark on another quest to get over its painful post-season hump.

Individual accomplishments are one area where the games still matter for Toronto.

One player inched closer to a milestone Saturday night. Another received an unexpected moment in the sun.

Marner is now two points shy of becoming just the fourth player in franchise history to reach 100 points, joining Darryl Sittler (twice), Doug Gilmour (twice) and Auston Matthews (once).

“Definitely a cool thing,” the 25-year-old said with three games remaining. “Try not to focus on stuff like that. But it’s hard when you’re this close.”

“Would love to see it,” added Leafs captain John Tavares, who scored twice against Montreal. “He’s right there.”

Matthews, with a goal and three assists, Michael Bunting, with a goal and an assist, and William Nylander provided the rest of the offence for Toronto (47-21-11). Ryan O’Reilly and Erik Gustafsson each added three assists.

Ilya Samsonov made 20 saves.

WATCH | Matthews leads way with 4-point night:

“We were really connected,” Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe said. “We were in control of the game and didn’t really do anything to jeopardize that.”

With fellow goaltender Matt Murray still out due to a head injury, the Leafs signed Alexander — a 23-year-old netminder for the University of Toronto — hours before puck drop to serve as Samsonov’s backup instead of recalling third-string option Joseph Woll from the minors.

“Pretty special,” said the native of Bloomfield, Ont. “Pretty nerve-racking, obviously, but something I’ll remember.”

Alexander played the final 1:10 with the Leafs up by six, but didn’t register a save after getting tapped on the shoulder.

“It was just, ‘Jett, you’re going in,”‘ he said. “Hopped over the boards and just…