After three straight losses to the Ottawa Senators, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Carolina Hurricanes and winning just one of their last six games, the Toronto Maple Leafs looked to turn things around against the Los Angeles Kings. In the end, they did just that, as they shutout the Kings by a 3-0 final score. This was a much-needed win for the Maple Leafs against a tough Kings team, and they have now improved to an 18-10-7 record. Let’s now discuss three takeaways from the game.
Jones’ Outstanding Performance
Martin Jones was, without a doubt, the Maple Leafs’ top star of the game. The veteran netminder was nothing short of excellent against his former team, saving all 31 Kings shots he faced. Without his stellar goaltending, this game would have gone in an entirely different direction, so he warrants great praise for his performance.
The Kings did not make things easy for Jones, either, as they had a number of high-danger shots throughout the game. However, even with the immense pressure that the undrafted goalie faced, he stood on his head and gave the Maple Leafs a crucial win. Los Angeles also did not let up as the game went on, as 25 of their shots came in the second period and third period.
With goaltending being a notable issue for the Maple Leafs, getting a performance like this from Jones was needed. With this win, the 33-year-old now sports a 5-3-0 record, a 2.37 goals-against average (GAA), and a .926 save percentage (SV%) in nine appearances. That’s not bad at all for a goalie who started the season in the American Hockey League (AHL).
Nylander Continues to Stay Hot
William Nylander has been the Maple Leafs’ most consistent forward all season and is having the best campaign of his career because of it. He kept his hot play going against the Kings, as he scored two important goals in the Maple Leafs’ win.
Related: Maple Leafs Closing in on Deal with William Nylander
Nylander’s first goal of the game came at the 5:13 mark of the second period. The superstar winger received a nice backhand pass in front by winger Tyler Bertuzzi before one-timing it past Kings goaltender Cam Talbot. Then, with the Maple Leafs sporting a 2-0 lead in the final minute of the third, Nylander helped the Original Six club secure the win with an empty-net goal.
With this two-goal game, Nylander now has 19 goals and 50 points in 35 games this season. It has been a spectacular season for the 2014 first-round pick, and he will look to keep this play going for the remainder of the campaign.
Bertuzzi Has Multi-Point Game
When the Maple Leafs signed Tyler Bertuzzi this offseason, the expectation was that he would be a big-time point-producer for their forward group. So far, his season has been fairly underwhelming, but he also has been improving. This continued against the Kings, too, as the 28-year-old winger had two assists.
As noted above, Bertuzzi made a beautiful backhand feed to help set up Nylander’s first goal in the second period. Then, while in a board battle in the Kings’ zone, he retrieved the puck and passed it to Calle Jarnkrok in front for the Maple Leafs’ second goal of the game. His playmaking skills were on full display in this contest, and he was another notable reason why the Maple Leafs secured two points in this game.
With this multi-point game, Bertuzzi now has six goals, 16 points, and a plus-6 rating in 35 games played. It will be interesting to see if this game gives him the spark he needs to produce more regularly from here.
Nevertheless, this was an impressive win for the Maple Leafs, and Jones, Nylander, and Bertuzzi deserve a lot of praise for their contributions. Toronto will now look to keep it going against the rebuilding Anaheim Ducks on Jan. 3.