Nylander and Matthews Rescued the Maple Leafs. Can They Keep It Up?

Sometimes a hockey team gives you a night that makes you feel pretty good about what you’re watching. The Toronto Maple Leafs‘ 6-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche was one of those nights.

William Nylander was spectacular, Auston Matthews was right there with him, and the Maple Leafs showed they can put a very good team on its heels. After some uneven early performances, it was exactly the sort of game Toronto needed.

But we have a small word of caution. One terrific night doesn’t mean all the questions about this team are gone.

Nylander and Matthews Can Carry This Team

Let’s start with the good stuff. Nylander put up five points against Colorado, while Matthews also had a big offensive night. When those two are playing with that kind of confidence, the Maple Leafs can score against just about anybody.

That’s not exactly a revelation. We’ve known for years that these two have the talent to take over games. The question has been how consistently they can do it, and whether the rest of the team can provide enough support.

Saturday was encouraging because Toronto didn’t just sneak past Colorado. It scored six goals against a strong opponent and looked capable of making things happen whenever it moved the puck up ice. For fans who have been waiting for this team to find its stride, there was plenty to enjoy.

But Let’s Not Forget the Bigger Maple Leafs Picture

Here’s where we’d be a little careful. The Maple Leafs have had some difficult stretches already this season. At times, the offence has gone quiet, the defensive game has looked vulnerable, and the team hasn’t put together a complete performance.

A six-goal night can make those concerns feel far away. That’s understandable. We all like watching our team win, especially when its best players are leading the way. But Jim Hiller’s challenge is to make this kind of performance less of an event and more of a habit.

Toronto can’t expect Nylander and Matthews to rescue the team every night. Even the best players have quiet games. Sometimes the puck doesn’t go in, the opponent takes away the available space, or the goaltender makes the necessary saves. What happens then?

That’s where the Maple Leafs need contributions from their supporting players, responsible defensive hockey, and enough consistency to win games when the offence isn’t firing on all cylinders.

The Win Was Encouraging. The Next Step Matters More.

We’re not interested in talking down a good win. Beating Colorado 6-3 is something to enjoy, and the Maple Leafs deserve credit for the way they played.

Nor would we dismiss what Nylander and Matthews showed us. When your best players produce at this level, it lifts the whole team. It can also give younger players more room to develop and take chances of their own. But we’ve watched enough hockey to know that one great night doesn’t tell us everything about a team.

The real test comes over the next several games. Can Toronto defend well enough to support its offence? Can it keep generating chances when Nylander and Matthews aren’t putting up big numbers? Can it avoid the stretches when its game seems to disappear?

Those are the questions we’d like to see answered. For now, let’s enjoy the win. The Maple Leafs looked dangerous, their stars delivered, and the fans had a good night. That’s a fine place to start. It just isn’t the finish line.

[Note: I want to thank long-time Maple Leafs fan Stan Smith for collaborating with me on this post. Stan’s Facebook profile can be found here.]