The Toronto Maple Leafs hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins in another edition of their Next Gen game before the Christmas break. They came into this game losers of three straight and were looking to turn things around after the firing of assistant coach Marc Savard.
Related: Nylander’s 4-Point Night Lifts Maple Leafs Past Penguins 6-3
Right from the drop of the puck, this team looked hungry. They played significantly better than they had in recent games. And, even after some pushback from the Penguins, the Maple Leafs managed to hold on and win 6-3. The victory included a four-point night from William Nylander.
With that, let’s get into a few key takeaways from yesterday afternoon’s game.
Nylander’s 4-Point Night
There hasn’t been many moments in Nylander’s career where Leafs Nation has seen him lacking confidence. That changed during this recent stretch where he had been without a goal for 11 games. When he spoke to the media after the loss to the Dallas Stars on Sunday, he said, “I don’t know if I’ve felt like this before. If I’ve had a stretch like this.”
That comment immediately caught the attention of social media and, of course, it became a talking point. But everything changed in the span of one game. Nylander scored two goals and added two assists for four points, which was badly needed for both him and the team. His first goal was vintage Nylander, coming in alone on a breakaway where he waited out Stuart Skinner and slid a backhand into the open net. He later added an empty net goal to seal the win and send the Maple Leafs into the Christmas break on a positive note.
Woll Continues to Play Well
Throughout the season, there haven’t been many bright spots, but one of them has been Joseph Woll. He has battled in nearly every game he has appeared in and has posted an above .900 save percentage in all but one of his starts. That is the type of goaltending this team has desperately needed.
Related: Maple Leafs Fire Assistant Coach Marc Savard
On Tuesday afternoon, Woll had another strong performance. He stopped 32 of the 35 shots he faced and finished with a .906 save percentage. That improves his record to 6-4-1 with a .923 save percentage and a 2.41 goals-against average. If he can continue playing at this level and the Maple Leafs can find some consistency, they have a goalie capable of carrying them back into the playoff race.
Bounce-Back Win Before the Christmas Break
After the loss to the Stars, it felt like things were boiling over in Toronto. But yesterday’s win was a step in the right direction. The Maple Leafs looked like a team playing with more effort following Savard’s dismissal, which is usually what happens after a change is made.
They generated more offensive zone time and shots, which led to quality scoring chances. They also finally started to go hard to the net, something head coach Craig Berube has been saying a lot this season. That directly resulted in the second goal of the game from Matias Maccelli. Berube also experimented with a few new line combinations, and all four lines contributed. It would still be nice to see Matthew Knies back on the top line with Auston Matthews. But the Matthews, Max Domi, and Bobby McMann line factored into two goals. Domi scored a highlight-reel goal, arguably the nicest of the season so far, while McMann added the first empty net goal.
Related: DeBoer Not Believed to Be in Mix if Maple Leafs Move on From Berube
Overall, it was a much better night across the board. It will take time to figure out exactly what needs to change for this team to climb back into the playoff race, but the good news is the Eastern Conference is wide open. A winning streak of five or more games could drastically change the outlook of their season.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs are now off for the Christmas break until Dec. 27. When they return, they will host the Ottawa Senators, as teams typically play geographically close opponents coming out of the break.
That game will kick off an important five-game stretch. If they play well, they will be right back in the mix. And more importantly, it would quiet some of the noise surrounding this team.
