Well, if there’s anything to the so-called “homecoming game syndrome,” the Toronto Maple Leafs showed their fans what it was last night. The phenomenon suggests that teams tend to come out flat in their first home game after an extended road trip. That’s exactly what the Maple Leafs did.
The theory lacks statistical evidence, or at least I couldn’t find any. However, many in the hockey community believe it exists. And last night gave Maple Leafs fans even more reason to believe. The team simply didn’t show up and left their young goalie hanging out to dry.
That doesn’t excuse the Maple Leafs’ letdown after returning home after their lengthy road trip. That’s on them. But even, according to radio announcers Joe Bowen and Jim Ralph, it was apparent. In fact, from the way they described the team’s play, it was surprising the Maple Leafs weren’t shut out last night. It was that bad.
Related: 3 Takeaways From the Maple Leafs’ 4-1 Loss to Kings
For readers who want a takeaways piece, let me encourage you to go to my THW colleague Michael DeRosa’s link above.
Item One: The Maple Leafs Struggled in Their Loss to the Kings
In a tip of the hat to other oldies like myself, as Joe Friday (played by Jack Webb) used to say on the classic TV series “Dragnet:” “Just the facts, ma’am.” Here are the facts of the game. [This early television series ran from 1951 to 1959.]
In Tuesday night’s game against the Los Angeles Kings, the Maple Leafs didn’t even make it tough for veteran goalie Cam Talbot. While they outshot the Kings on the night, the 36-year-old Talbot made 30 saves and barely had to work for the win.
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While the game ended in a 4-1 loss for the Maple Leafs, John Tavares did find the back of the net to break Talbot’s shutout bid. However, the real silver lining was that William Nylander was given an assist on Tavares’ goal. By doing so, he passed franchise legends Frank Mahovlich, Lanny McDonald, and John Anderson’s eight-game point streaks.
Item Two: William Nylander Sets Team Record for Start of the Season
Nylander continued his strong play against the Kings. With his power-play assist, Nylander now holds the franchise record for a season-opening point streak of nine games. During this remarkable stretch, the 27-year-old forward has six goals and seven assists.
Related: Maple Leafs Nylander: Uncovering His Unseen Drive
But this isn’t a lucky streak. Nylander’s whole game has picked up. He’s registered 39 shots on net and seven hits. Given that he’s in a contract year, his outstanding play will pose challenges to Toronto’s salary cap situation if he maintains this elite level of performance.
As I noted in a recent post, I wouldn’t be surprised if fans started to chant “Pay the Guy!” at games. He’s been the best player on the team this season.
Item Three: Joseph Woll Gets No Help from His Team
Joseph Woll, manning the Toronto net, made 23 saves trying to hold off the Kings’ offensive onslaught. Despite his strong games this season, the young netminder had a challenging night. While he didn’t help his own cause, his team’s lack of support and some unfortunate bounces did him in.
The Kings’ first goal was a deflection off Mark Giordano’s stick after what seemed to be a harmless backhand shot. The second goal came from a defensive breakdown, where no one from the Maple Leafs covered Phillip Danault, and he had an easy tap-in. The third and fourth goals were out of Woll’s control, resulting from deflections and strange bounces.
It was a game where luck seemed to be working against him, and he deserved a better outcome. In the end, he allowed four goals on 27 shots. Prior to the game, Woll had been in solid form, conceding just five goals across his first four starts of the season. However, the Kings’ offense proved to be too tough a test for his team, and he got caught in the crossfire.
Related: Maple Leafs’ 3 Up, 3 Down: Woll, Samsonov, Minten & Nylander
To show how well the 25-year-old goalie has played, although he now has a 3-2-0 record, he’s only given up nine goals on 155 shots. His goals-against average is an outstanding 1.89 and his save percentage remains a high .942 – even after allowing four goals.
Item Four: John Tavares Scores a Power-Play Goal
In the loss, the only goal came when Tavares managed to score on the power play. Although he had his seven-game point streak snapped against the Nashville Predators on Saturday (Oct. 28), the 33-year-old remains one of the team’s primary offensive threats.
He now has five goals and 12 points in nine games. He’s second in team scoring to Nylander, who has 13 points. Tavares has his second line running smoothly.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
The Maple Leafs have no time to dwell on this disappointing performance. They hit the road for a single game against the strong Boston Bruins on Thursday night (Nov. 2). Despite losing key players in the offseason, the Bruins are always in excellent form. They’ve lost just one game – an overtime loss – in nine games.
Related: Maple Leafs’ Joseph Woll Is Emerging as a Calder Contender
Will the Maple Leafs come into this game highly motivated? Can they redeem themselves after their lackluster game versus the Kings? Look for Woll and Ilya Samsonov to find themselves sharing the goaltending duties in the upcoming games. If so, the net will be Samsonov’s on Thursday.
