Last night’s game against the Minnesota Wild in a phrase: the Toronto Maple Leafs couldn’t score. They found the back of the net only once on Wednesday night, falling 3-1 in a game where offensive struggles were front and center, back and behind. Despite generating some chances, particularly with William Nylander hitting the crossbar on yet another breakaway in the second, the Maple Leafs’ lack of finish haunted them.
Even Auston Matthews, one of the league’s most prolific goal-scorers, couldn’t beat Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson. Matthews hit the post in the first period, but that would be the closest Toronto came to scoring until Nylander found the net in the third, cutting the deficit to 2-1 with his 29th of the season.
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No matter what they did, the Maple Leafs couldn’t capitalize on their opportunities. They had a few decent looks, but Wild goalie Gustavsson stopped 31 shots. The team was unable to generate consistent pressure in the offensive zone. These scoring woes have been a troubling theme during their three-game losing streak. The team’s struggles to create high-quality chances, combined with missed opportunities like the ones Nylander and Matthews had, kept them from mounting a comeback.
Item One: Matthews and Nylander Fine, But They Seemed Alone
Nylander and Matthews were the standouts in Toronto’s 3-1 loss, with Matthews creating numerous chances for Mitch Marner and Bobby McMann. However, despite their efforts, the top line couldn’t capitalize. Nylander scored Toronto’s only goal, converting a Pontus Holmberg assist. However, Holmberg and Max Domi were otherwise ineffective.
Domi seemed hesitant to shoot. He doesn’t look like the player who put up offence alongside the team’s elite players last season. His offensive struggles are not helping the Maple Leafs’ cause—plain and simple.
Matthews and Nylander are generating most of the chances, but they’re getting little support from the rest of their teammates. Although it’s a small number of games, McMann isn’t as effective with Marner and Matthews as Matthew Knies is. The chemistry is absent, perhaps for only a couple of games, but still, it isn’t the same. The team’s second line isn’t producing, and it becomes increasingly apparent how much John Tavares is missed when he’s sidelined.
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Toronto’s offensive depth has disappeared, and the team is struggling to find a rhythm.
Item Two: Morgan Rielly Admits He Needs to Improve His Play
Morgan Rielly is beginning to face increased scrutiny after a tough stretch. He’s now gone 10 games without scoring a goal, and he has put up a mere 22 points in 51 games this season. Despite the dip in production, the Maple Leafs defenceman insists his struggles aren’t due to an injury. “I feel good, despite the numbers,” he said after the game. Rielly conceded that he feels the pressure to perform but is focused on competing at his best.
Head coach Craig Berube weighed in on Rielly. He believes his blueliner is capable of more but also emphasized the team’s role in supporting him through this rough patch. “Can Morgan play better? Yes, he can,” Berube said. With a four-game road trip ahead, Rielly and the Maple Leafs are looking for a reset. Can they turn things around before the upcoming break for the 4-Nations Face-Off?
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
With Minnesota missing its star player, Kirill Kaprizov, due to injury, it still didn’t matter. The Maple Leafs couldn’t take advantage of this and held the edge in their on-ice execution. For the Maple Leafs, life gets no easier. They start a tough road trip with a game against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday.
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Perhaps some competition will bring out the best in the team. Usually, a game pitting the Maple Leafs’ firepower against the Oilers’ firepower would be something to look forward to. Maybe it will be, but given how the Maple Leafs are playing right now, it could be their fourth loss in a row.
The Blue & White need to break out of their offensive slump.
