In an Original Six matchup between the Detroit Red Wings and an Auston Matthews-less Toronto Maple Leafs, special teams play was on full display from both teams. The Maple Leafs got the upper hand by the night’s end, winning 3-1 over the Red Wings.
Game Recap
The first period got off to a quick start for the Leafs when they thought they got out to a 1-0 lead just over two minutes in the game when Nick Robertson scored off a shot from Bobby McMann. But it was overturned after Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde challenged for goaltender interference on McMann. The Maple Leafs did find themselves getting a goal that counted, thanks to their lethal power play. Mitch Marner cashed in for his third goal of the season after following up a shot from William Nylander and beating Cam Talbot to put the Leafs up 1-0. While the shots were fairly even in the first period, the Maple Leafs’ defense limited the Red Wings’ high-danger chances. At the end of the period, the Maple Leafs held a 1-0 lead and shot lead of 10-9.
The second period saw more strength from each team’s power play units, with both goals in the period coming on the man advantage. The Red Wings evened up the score thanks to a goal from captain Dylan Larkin, who tallied his league-leading sixth power-play goal of the season. But the tie game did not last long, as John Tavares countered Larkin’s power-play goal with one of his own less than two minutes later to push the Maple Leafs’ power play to a two-for-two showing. The Maple Leafs held a 2-1 lead at the end of two.
A back-and-forth struggle offensively in the third period did not see a whole lot of action, with the only goal in the period an empty-netter off the stick of Tavares after a turnover by Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider.
The Red Wings fall to 6-6-1 and will hit the ice again on Nov. 9 when they return home to take on the New York Rangers. The Maple Leafs move to 8-5-2 and return to the ice again on Nov. 9 when they welcome the Montreal Canadiens for another Original Six matchup.
