After a 3-2 overtime loss to the Nashville Predators on Oct. 28, the Toronto Maple Leafs looked to get back in the win column against the Los Angeles Kings to avoid a losing streak. However, that did not come to fruition, as the Maple Leafs fell to the Kings by a 4-1 final score. It was a frightful Halloween loss for the Maple Leafs, as they got heavily outplayed against a tough Kings team and even were booed off the ice by their hometown fans. Let’s now discuss three notable takeaways from the contest.
Maple Leafs Heavily Outplayed By Kings
This was certainly not the best of performances by the Maple Leafs. The Kings noticeably outplayed them, and the final score effectively displays that. The Maple Leafs started off this contest very flat, and it ultimately ended up burning them. During the first period, Andreas Englund and Phillip Danault each scored for the Kings and gave them a comfortable 2-0 lead. Then, in the second period, Arthur Kaliyev gave the Kings a 3-0 lead, making it impossible for the Maple Leafs to get back into this game. With that, the Maple Leafs were met with boos from their hometown crowd at the end of the second.
The Maple Leafs looked noticeably flat, and the Kings took advantage of it. They were far faster than the Maple Leafs during the first two periods especially. With the Kings being a legitimate playoff team, this was not the game for the Maple Leafs to take off, and they failed to secure two points because of it.
The Maple Leafs’ defence was far from perfect, while their offence’s chemistry was off. Line changes may be in order. It was just a tough game for Toronto, and they will need to get things back on track next game to avoid a three-game losing streak.
Woll Can’t Bail Maple Leafs Out
Joseph Woll has had a marvelous start to the 2023-24 season, and he is starting to get serious consideration to be the Maple Leafs’ new starting goaltender because of it. However, this was not his best performance of the season, as the rookie netminder allowed four goals on 27 shots. The Maple Leafs’ poor play in front of him did not do him any favours in this one, and he, unfortunately, suffered his second regular-season loss of the season because of it.
Although Woll allowed four goals in this one, two of them were quite challenging for him to stop. Englund’s first-period goal was deflected by Mark Giordano’s stick, while Danault was given a perfect pass by Trevor Moore and had an empty net to work with because of it.
Overall, while this was not a perfect performance by Woll, the Maple Leafs’ poor play throughout the game played a notable role in this loss. After this contest, Woll’s stats are still quite impressive, as he sports a 3-2-0 record, a 1.89 goals-against average (GAA), and a .942 save percentage (SV%).
Nylander Sets Franchise Record
While this Halloween contest provided plenty of scares for the Maple Leafs, it did come with one notable positive. William Nylander recorded an assist on John Tavares’ goal in this contest, extending his season-opening point streak to nine games. With this assist, Nylander now has set a new team record.
Nylander, 27, has been the Maple Leafs’ most valuable player so far this young season, and the truth is in his stats. During his nine-game season-opening point streak, the 2014 first-round pick has six goals to go along with 13 points. It has been a marvelous and historic start for the star winger, and it is happening during a contract year. The timing could not be better for him.
Although Nylander setting a new franchise record does not make up for the Maple Leafs’ frustrating loss, it is still a cool aspect of the contest. It will be intriguing to see how much longer he can keep this season-opening point streak going from here.
Overall, this is a game that the Maple Leafs will need to learn from. They cannot afford to take games off, especially against very competitive teams like the Kings. They will now look to bounce back against the Boston Bruins on Nov. 2 in a much-anticipated Original Six matchup. With Charlie McAvoy suspended and Matt Grzelcyk sidelined, this is a winnable game for the Blue and White.
