The Toronto Maple Leafs were back in action last night against the Pittsburgh Penguins. In what likely was going to be their worst effort of the season, they somehow managed to come out with the win, thanks largely to a very good five-minute stretch in the third period.
Related: Maple Leafs’ 3rd Period Comeback Leads Them Past the Penguins 4-3
Other than that short burst that allowed them to tie the game and later take the lead, the first 40 minutes were terrible. Simply put, this team was awful, and sadly it doesn’t seem like many people know why.
Unfortunately, that’s a conversation for another day. For now, let’s look at a few takeaways from last night’s game.
Stolarz Kept the Maple Leafs in the Game
Over the first four weeks, I have been extremely critical of Anthony Stolarz’s performance. He hasn’t looked sharp and has given up a lot of soft goals. However, last night against the Penguins, he looked very good. He faced 36 shots and stopped 33 for a .917 SV%. The only goal that was really questionable was the Penguins’ second, but that was more about the chaos in front of the net that saw the puck deflect off Morgan Rielly’s stick high into the air.
Other than that, he was great. He single-handedly kept the Maple Leafs in the game and gave them a chance to mount a comeback. The biggest issue for Stolarz right now might be his workload. Without Joseph Woll as his backup, it seems he may be overworked, and that could be affecting his game. Essentially, yes, he’s their 1A starter, but he’s not built to be a 50-55 game goalie like Connor Hellebuyck. Nevertheless, if he can play like that over the next stretch, he’ll give Toronto a chance to stay in games despite their early-season struggles.
Maple Leafs Chased the Puck for 40 Minutes
There still hasn’t been an answer as to why the Maple Leafs have struggled so much this season. Their only major loss was Mitch Marner, and while he was an important player, his absence shouldn’t make the team look this unrecognizable. But something about this group feels off, and it’s showing.
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Last night was a perfect example. For the first 40 minutes, they were chasing the puck constantly. The Penguins were skating circles around them, and Toronto had virtually no response. It got so bad that the announcers on Prime Monday Night Hockey pointed out that this isn’t the real version of the team, or at least it shouldn’t be. But all season, we’ve seen similar efforts. Maybe not this bad, but bad enough to make you shake your head. Thankfully, they found a way to claw back and win, but until the third period, it felt like fans were ready to toss their jerseys on the ice and head for the exits.
Matthews & Nylander Led the Comeback
As mentioned, the Maple Leafs somehow found a way to come back and win 4-3, and that’s largely thanks to Auston Matthews and William Nylander. For the first 40 minutes, they were on separate lines, but when head coach Craig Berube reunited them in the third, the game changed. They combined to score three goals in just over three minutes to tie things up.
Berube leaned into the matchup game and used that top line against the Penguins’ young defensive pairing of Harrison Brunicke and Owen Pickering. Shift after shift, they took over the offensive zone. Berube even started rolling them out every other shift to keep the pressure on, and it worked. This is likely going to be a line the team sticks with for a while to generate more offense and hopefully steal a few more wins in the coming weeks.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
After their win against the Penguins, the Maple Leafs continue their four-game homestand against the Utah Mammoth on Wednesday, Nov. 5. That’ll be a real test, as the Mammoth are off to a very hot start. After that, Toronto faces off against the Boston Bruins on Saturday, Nov. 8, on Hockey Night in Canada.
