After defeating the New York Rangers by a 7-3 final score on Dec. 12, the Toronto Maple Leafs looked to get another win on Dec. 14 against the Columbus Blue Jackets. In the end, they were unsuccessful with their goal, but they certainly put together an extremely eventful performance. After being down 5-0 at the start of the third period, the Maple Leafs scored five unanswered goals to force overtime. Although they lost in overtime, they secured a point when it seemed impossible. Let’s now discuss three main takeaways from the game.
Maple Leafs & Samsonov Struggle to Start Game
As noted above, the Maple Leafs had a brutal start to this game. They allowed goals to Patrik Laine and Kent Johnson in the first period, and then Justin Danforth, Yegor Chinakhov, and Johnny Gaudreau scored in the second to make it 5-0. The Maple Leafs’ defence during the first two periods of the game was especially sloppy, and the same can be said about Ilya Samsonov‘s goaltending.
Samsonov allowed five goals on 26 shots over the first two periods, and there was understandable confusion as to why the Maple Leafs kept him in the game. He had an off night, and the Maple Leafs’ play in front of him did not make things any easier.
Over the first two periods, the Maple Leafs’ offence created chances, as they had 25 total shots. However, their offence just could not figure out Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins, as he was excellent for two-thirds of the game.
Overall, the majority of this game was brutal for the Maple Leafs. As a team, they struggled immensely, but in the third period, they turned things around big time.
Maple Leafs Show Heart & Shockingly Force Overtime
Although the Maple Leafs had a disastrous first two periods, they picked it up immensely in the third period. Star winger William Nylander finally broke the ice for the Maple Leafs, scoring 38 seconds in. This gave the Maple Leafs a real spark, as Mitch Marner scored three minutes later. Jake McCabe then made this a real game as he scored a power-play goal at 14:21.
Related: 3 Takeaways From Maple Leafs’ 7-3 Win Over the Rangers
However, Auston Matthews put the Maple Leafs on his back during the final minutes of the third. When the team’s comeback hopes slowly started to lower, Matthews scored at the 18:45 mark. Then, just 30 seconds later, he scored again to tie the game at 5-5, forcing overtime.
In the third period, the Maple Leafs had a jaw-dropping 21 shots on goal. They were hard on the forecheck, strong in their own zone, and refused to give up, even after being down 5-0. Although they lost in overtime, their heart and determination deserve a ton of praise. Now, their goal must be to play that way over a full 60 minutes.
Ryan Reaves Suffers Lower-Body Injury & Will Miss Time
The injury bug bit the Maple Leafs again in this one. Enforcer Ryan Reaves left the contest early after crashing into the boards and suffering a lower-body injury on the play. The veteran winger needed help to get off the ice and was unable to put weight down on his left leg.
Following the game, Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters that Reaves would be out for “a while.”
Hearing that Reaves is going to miss a good chunk of time is tough news. While the 36-year-old has had a slow start to his Maple Leafs tenure, the Original Six club will miss his grit and leadership while he is sidelined. We will need to wait and see what his expected recovery timeline is from here.
Nevertheless, this was a whacky game for the Maple Leafs. While the comeback was very impressive, it is also hard not to feel concerned about their play in the first two periods. The Maple Leafs will now look to have a better 60-minute effort against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Dec. 16.
