5 Takeaways From Maple Leafs’ 3-1 Win Over Sharks

The Toronto Maple Leafs were hoping to bounce back after a 4-1 loss to the New York Islanders on Saturday (Oct. 17), and were looking to respond against a San Jose Sharks team that is hoping to find their way into playoff contention this season.

On Monday (Oct. 19), the Maple Leafs were able to pick up a 3-1 win over the Sharks, improving their record to 4-4-2 on the season. In this article, we take a quick look at five takeaways from their fourth win of the 2026-27 campaign.

Sergei Bobrovsky Has Strong Showing

Sergei Bobrovsky hasn’t been perfect this season, but his performance against the Sharks was impressive. He stopped 30 of 31 shots, finishing the night with a .968 save percentage (SV%) and a 2.81 goals-saved-above-expected (GSAX).

Bobstar 💫 pic.twitter.com/yX6sxgB4cu

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) October 20, 2026

After some concerns from fans after the Maple Leafs signed Bobrovsky, he has shut down doubters. Through seven games this season, he has a +4.5 GSAX, a .902 SV%, and a 2.96 goals-against-average (GAA). After a tough showing against the Islanders, he bounced back well, and we’ll see if he can keep that up moving forward.

Gavin McKenna Nets Game-Winner

It seems like Gavin McKenna is under a microscope this season after the Maple Leafs selected him first overall, so every single thing he does will be analyzed thoroughly, but a game-winning goal is something that will help him win over fans.

On the power play, he was able to pick up a goal early in the third period, that ended up sealing the win for the Maple Leafs.

GWG Gav ☝️ pic.twitter.com/6r0ZohNNk8

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) October 20, 2026

That was his third goal of the season, and he is up to six points in his first 10 NHL games.

Matthews Has Another Strong Game

Auston Matthews has been nothing short of great to start the season, and he continues to prove he might be back to his normal self where he can dominate offensively and continue to build confidence at both ends of the ice.

AUTOMATIC MATTHEWS. pic.twitter.com/t7rHQCOzPh

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) October 20, 2026

Against the Sharks, he scored a goal and added two assists, bringing his point total up to 16 on the season, which puts him tied for third in the entire league in points.

Perfect Penalty Kill, Solid Power Play

The Sharks had four power plays, and the Maple Leafs were able to kill all of them off.

On top of a solid penalty kill, the Maple Leafs went 2-for-5 on their power play. As of right now, the Maple Leafs’ power play sits at 26.7%, which is good enough for seventh in the NHL. As for their penalty kill, they are the best in the NHL with a 96.4%.

Jake McCabe Has Strong Defensive Game

One player who had a really strong defensive game and deserves a quick shoutout, for blocking five shots.

While McCabe hasn’t been able to get on the score sheet at all this season, it is clear that the Maple Leafs’ coaching staff trusts McCabe, and another strong defensive performance like that shows why.

The Maple Leafs are back in action tonight (Oct. 20) to take on the Columbus Blue Jackets, in Columbus. It will be the first time Matthew Knies and Kirill Marchenko face off against their old teams since being traded.

As the 2026-27 season moves along, be sure to continue following The Hockey Writers as your source for news, updates, and more from around the NHL and the hockey world.