The Toronto Maple Leafs returned home to face the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday night, earning a dominant 6-2 victory and improving their record to 3-1 for the season. How did Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and Anthony Stolarz help carry their team to the win last night? While the final scoreline looked comfortable, the game had many ups and downs. In this post, I’ll look closer at the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of the Maple Leafs’ game.
The Good (Matthews, Marner, Nylander, McMann, Domi, Stolarz)
Toronto’s core players came alive in this game, contributing significantly to the scoreboard. Auston Matthews broke out of his early-season funk with a goal and two assists, while Mitch Marner racked up three assists, reminding everyone of his elite playmaking ability. William Nylander also added a goal and an assist, and John Tavares also found the back of the net. Defenseman Morgan Rielly chipped in with a goal, capping off a night where the top two lines carried the offensive load. Head Coach Craig Berube spread the “Core Four” forwards across three lines, reuniting the Nylander-Max Domi–Bobby McMann combination, which turned out to be the most dominant line of the night. McMann scored twice, and Domi recorded two assists, showing instant chemistry with Nylander.
All three players finished the game at +3 in plus/minus, underlining their effectiveness. Berube credited the team’s special teams and goaltending for the win, and it’s easy to see why. The power play, which had struggled, finally clicked, going 2-for-4, while the penalty kill was flawless, stopping all four of LA’s attempts. In net, Anthony Stolarz was exceptional. He stopped 32 of 34 shots, raising his season record to 2-1 with an impressive .941 save percentage and a 1.74 goals-against average. Stolarz has been a reliable presence in goal, making critical saves at key moments, especially as the Kings pushed hard in the game’s later stages.
The first period, Toronto’s weakest in previous games, was a complete turnaround. The Maple Leafs dominated, outshooting LA 7-0 in the opening minutes and scoring three goals in the first 20 minutes. It was a welcome change, showing that Toronto can start strong and carry momentum through the game.
The Bad (Liljegren, Bottom-Six, Second-Period Struggles)
While the Maple Leafs started well, the second period was more challenging. After such a dominant first period, Toronto struggled, allowing the Kings to fire 11 shots on goal before the Maple Leafs managed even one. Matthews finally registered their first shot of the period at 6:03, but the Maple Leafs were clearly on their heels. A saving grace was that, despite the Kings’ push, Toronto weathered the storm thanks to timely saves by Stolarz. The Maple Leafs regrouped by the end of the period, adding two more goals, including their first power-play tally, to extend their lead to 5-0.
Craig Berube played Timothy Liljegren for the Maple Leafs against the Kings. Liljegren, in his first game of the season after being scratched for the previous three, had a mixed performance. Berube praised Liljegren publicly, but his 14 minutes of ice time suggest his performance was less than convincing. The underlying stats back this up: Liljegren was on the ice for just 21% of the team’s Shots-For at 5-on-5, 11% of the Scoring Chances-For, and zero high-danger chances while being on the ice for four against. He was also significantly behind the other defensemen in terms of ice time, which suggests that Liljegren might have more to prove if he wants to stay in the lineup.
The Ugly (Third-Period Meltdown, Bottom-Six Struggles)
If the second period was “bad,” the first 15 minutes of the third period were downright ugly. Once again, the Kings came out strong, outshooting Toronto 10-1 by the 9:03 mark. This time, Los Angeles made it count, scoring twice and threatening to make a game of it. The Kings had several golden chances, but Stolarz continued to bail out his team. However, the Kings’ Kyle Burroughs took an ill-timed slashing penalty with under five minutes left. Fortunately, Toronto responded by scoring their second power-play goal, effectively killing any momentum the Kings had built and securing the 6-2 win.
Statistically speaking, the Maple Leafs’ bottom six had a night to forget. According to Natural Stat Trick, the third line of John Tavares, Nick Robertson, and Pontus Holmberg had an expected goals (xG) total of zero. That’s right—zero. The fourth line of David Kämpf, Steven Lorentz, and Ryan Reaves fared only marginally better, with an xG total of 0.02. These alarming numbers must be addressed if the Maple Leafs hope to find balance in their forward group.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
The Maple Leafs will look to keep their momentum going on Saturday night as they host the New York Rangers, a team off to a strong 2-0-1 start. Toronto will need to shore up some of its defensive issues and get more from its bottom six if it wants to remain competitive as the season unfolds. While there were some ugly moments, the Maple Leafs’ stars came out to shine, and the special teams are improving. Fans should feel more optimistic.
