If Thursday night’s game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Florida Panthers was about revenge, it fell far short of what the Maple Leafs hoped would happen. Given that the two teams were meeting for the first time since the Panthers ended the Maple Leafs’ 2023 Playoff run in the second round, it was a bit of a dud.
The revenge narrative simply fizzled out.
In this edition of Maple Leafs News & Rumors, I’ll take a look at some of the news emerging from the game from the perspective of the players. For readers who would like to read a takeaways post, please see my THW colleague Michael DeRosa’s link below.
Item One: Sheldon Keefe Did Some Line Juggling
Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe fiddled with some line changes, hoping for more offense. It didn’t happen. After scoring 13 goals in their first two games, the offensively-starved team has scored exactly two goals in their last two games – no surprise, they were both losses.
Related: 3 Takeaways From Maple Leafs’ 3-1 Loss to Panthers
Tyler Bertuzzi was a game-time decision with an undisclosed injury, but he played – on the third line. After the game, Mitch Marner commented on the line adjustments and acknowledged the challenges of integrating new players and the need to find the right chemistry. He’s right, the newcomers – except for maybe Ryan Reaves, whose job is much more straightforward, have not fitted in that well. Max Domi had another tough game, and Bertuzzi has not been the offensive force that was expected. However, John Klingberg seems to be improving.
Item Two: Once Again, the Maple Leafs Played from Behind
As the team tends to do, they gave up first-period goals – in this case, two of them – and then struggled to get back into the game. When combined with the team’s scoring struggles, the familiar theme ensued. This time there was no comeback.
The game took a challenging turn when the Panthers scored two late first-period goals. However, neither of them could be placed at the feet of goalie Ilya Samsonov. The Panthers had two shots from the point that Samsonov could never have been expected to stop.
On both goals, he was screened by multiple players – including some from his own team. The second goal, in particular, stung because it happened with just seven seconds remaining in the first period.
Item Three: Marner Scores First Goal of the Season
Marner scored his first goal of the season on the power play. That seemed to energize him, and he had his best game of the season. The goal was one of the lone bright spots on a night when the team faced difficulties. Despite several promising chances, the team couldn’t find the net after that.
Item Four: Ilya Samsonov Has His Best Game of the Season
As noted, Maple Leafs goalie Samsonov had a strong game, making 21 saves, including a couple of impressive stretch-pad saves. Despite the loss, Samsonov was confident in his game, noting that it was “not a great result today, but I feel my game was going better.”
Related: The Case for the Maple Leafs to Return Fraser Minten to the WHL
He also emphasized his own need to stay focused and resilient, because the team has four more games on this trip. He optimistically concluded that “the sun is up tomorrow.”
Samsonov now has a 2-1 record in three games, with room for improvement, and he now has a 3.67 goals-against average and a .861 save percentage.
Item Five: The Maple Leafs Must Address Their Lack of Scoring
The key that emerged from the game was the team’s struggle to score. The Maple Leafs managed only one goal, and it came on the power play. That was it. Such a paucity of scoring simply won’t win games.
Give the Panthers credit. They put their bodies on the line to block a number of shots, especially in the final minutes of the game. Their commitment to defense helped protect their lead and secure the win. I’m not sure the Maple Leafs have matched that desire to keep pucks out of their own net so far this season.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
As Samsonov noted, the sun has come up in Florida. On Saturday night (Oct. 21), the Maple Leafs will visit the Tampa Bay Lightning. If they are to win, they will have to have a far better performance.
The Panthers’ game was marked by scoring struggles and overall flat play. The team is especially vulnerable to late-period goals and seems unable to find a way to respond. Slow starts and the absence of a 5-on-5 offense create challenges for winning.
Related: Maple Leafs Defense an Early Cause for Concern in 2023-24
These demand attention as the season progresses. While the outcome of this game might be disheartening, the road trip continues. The team’s focus is on improving and delivering better results in their next games.
