The Toronto Maple Leafs ventured into New Jersey to play the second of back-to-back games against a Devils team that was rested following their overseas trip. The Devils had an extended break after they defeated the Buffalo Sabres in two games in Czechia. They returned on Sunday; this was their first game since arriving home. The Maple Leafs won the game by a score of 4-2. What were the Good, Bad, and Ugly aspects of the game?
The Good for the Maple Leafs
After failing to score a single goal on 48 shots against Sam Montembault in Montreal, the Maple Leafs scored three in their first eight shots against Jacob Markstrom in this game.
Nick Robertson Shows Up Well
Nicholas Robertson started the play on the first goal when he attempted to split the defense into the Devils’ zone. Robertson was hauled down but there was no call on the play (more about that later). Robertson got the puck into the corner to the right of Markstrom where Max Pacioretty got to it first. Pacioretty tapped the puck back to Robertson behind the Devils’ goal. Robertson fed the puck back to Conor Timmins at the point while Pacioretty and Pontus Holmberg headed for the front of the net.
Timmins fired a wrist shot at the net, hitting a leg in front of Markstrom. The puck bounced around before Holmberg managed to kick it to Pacioretty. Pacioretty batted the puck over a sprawling Markstrom at the 8:18 mark of the first period. The official record on the goal was Pacioretty from Holmberg and Timmins. Despite not getting an assist, Robertson’s play was key to setting up the goal.
Steven Lorentz Also Shows Up Well
Just 3:11 after that, Steven Lorentz made a similar play to Robertson’s. Lorentz skated through four Devils’ players and got the puck deep into the same corner that Robertson did. He then got to the puck first and ringed it around the boards to the point of Jake McCabe. McCabe, being a lefty playing the right side, spun and fired a backhand pass up the boards to Bobby McMann. With Lorentz and David Kampf creating havoc in front of Markstrom, McMann’s wrist shot from the top of the faceoff circle to the left of Markstrom beat Maskstrom cleanly over his glove.
Then, 3:17 later, Lorentz did it again. This time, he dumped the puck into the same corner, beat two New Jersey players to the puck, passed it to Kampf behind the net, and headed for the front of the goal. Kampf attempted to play the puck but was checked by Dougie Hamilton. The puck squirted off of Kampf’s stick right out front to Lorentz, who sent a perfect backhand shot over Markstrom’s left shoulder and into the net.
Scoring Came Easier in This Game than in Game One
Before Pacriotetty’s goal, Toronto had registered four shots to start the game. They then scored three goals on their next four shots. Two goals were scored by players (Pacioretty and Lorentz) who had begun the season on PTO. The other goal was scored by a healthy scratch player in the first game (McMann).
With the score 3-1 Toronto three-quarters of the way through the second period, John Tavares would round out the Maple Leafs, scoring with a clean wrist shot from the slot after taking a pass from Max Domi just inside the Devils’ blue line and making a nifty move to get past Dawson Mercer.
The third and fourth lines accounted for three of the four Toronto goals, two of which were scored by the fourth line. Collectively, the bottom six had seven points and were plus seven in plus/minus.
The Third Period
With New Jersey being the fresher team and the Maple Leafs on the second of back-to-backs, I was expecting that the Devils would be all over Toronto in the third period and the Maple Leafs would be just trying to hang on to their two-goal lead. Boy, was I wrong? The Maple Leafs played a great shutdown period of hockey. They allowed New Jersey just seven shots on Dennis Hildeby and out-chanced the Devils in High Danger Scoring Chances three to two.
As the games progress, Toronto has gotten better defensively in both the Montreal and New Jersey games. They gave up 23 shots combined in the first periods of the two games and then limited the Canadiens to 13 shots over the last two periods in the first game and the Devils to 15 shots over the last two periods of the second game.
Dennis Hildeby Played Well in His First NHL Start
Speaking of Hildeby, he played a strong game in his first NHL appearance (that counted) and picked up the win in his debut NHL game. He stopped 22 of the 24 shots, giving him a respectable 0.917 SV% in the game. For a big man at 6’7″, Hildeby showed his quickness and ability to move well laterally. He made a couple of huge saves, moving from post to post. I can’t say I remember him giving up any big rebounds. The puck seemed to stick to him.
Lorentz Looks Like a Keeper for the Maple Leafs
Lorentz had a goal and an assist in this game. His hustle was key in both of those he was involved in. The fourth line has been great, and Lorentz is the best player on that line. Not only is Lorentz playing well with the puck, he has been stellar without it. Lorentz has played 6 ½ minutes on the penalty kill in Toronto’s first two games. Berube rewarded him for his defensive play. At the end of the game, he was on the ice with Matthews and Marner when the Devils pulled their goalie and played six-on-five. Lorentz’s ice time went from 9:03 in his first game to 15:07 in this game. He played three seconds more than Tavares in this game.
The Bad for the Maple Leafs
Toronto gave up goals in the dying seconds of each of the first two periods. Jesper Bratt scored with 41 seconds left in the first period on the power play after a questionable interference call on Tavares. The Devils broke up the ice after Simon Benoit broke his stick while playing the puck at the point in the New Jersey zone. Timo Meier finished off a three-way passing play when he fired a shot through Benoit who was attempting to block the shot. The puck went between Benoit’s legs and Hildeby’s legs into the net.
Where Is The Core and the Power Play?
Only one of the Maple Leafs’ five core players has a point after two games. Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and Morgan Rielly were all pointless in Toronto’s first two games. Tavares, with his goal in this game, is the only one of them with a point.
The Maple Leafs’ power play is now zero for six. Toronto only had one shot on two power-play attempts in this game. In six chances with the extra attacker, Toronto has had six shots on goal, five of them on their first PP in Montreal. In their last five power plays, they have had just one shot on the net. Something has to be done to shake their power play up.
The Ugly for the Maple Leafs
The refereeing in this game was horrendous. I would hate to have to explain to a person watching the game for the first time what a penalty is and isn’t, especially interference. Both Tavares and Timmins were called for interference on borderline plays that had no effect on the play. Tavares’ happened half a rink away from the puck, and the player Timmins, hindered by just stepping in front of him, had no chance of reaching the puck before another Leaf player got to it.
Yet the Devils knocked Marner to the ice trying to get back into the play defensively, and two New Jersey players held Holmberg, preventing him from getting to the puck in the neutral zone with no call. Numerous times, players on both teams were hauled down with what looked like flagrant fouls. Some were called, and some weren’t.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
The Maple Leafs return to Toronto and get one day’s rest before taking on the Pittsburgh Penguins at home on Saturday night. After the performance against New Jersey, I would have to think that other than Anthony Stolarz getting the start, the rest of the lineup would be the same unless anyone comes up with any issues.
It would help if you also figured that Matthews, Marner, and Nylander are due for a breakout game.
