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:
The Good
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. Related: Tavares Thanks Keefe for Their Time with the Maple Leafs
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. 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).
The Bad
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.
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 Bad:
Auston Matthews has been held pointless in two games for the Maple Leafs
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
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.
