It's the second time this season that Toronto has come back against the Lightning and won the game in overtime.
It's the second time this season that Toronto has come back against the Lightning and won the game in overtime.
The Maple Leafs changed their lines, and it paid off — after the opening period.
Whether offensively, defensively, or in the net, Toronto looked out of sorts during the first period. However, they found life after that and were able to come back from a 4-1 deficit.
It was a great response from several Maple Leafs players, and in the end, they found the win in overtime following a rollercoaster in regulation.
Here are a few observations from Toronto's fifth overtime win over the Lightning in six games.
Samsonov's struggling game
After what seemed like a turnaround game against Boston last Thursday, the 26-year-old again revealed by his play that he's struggling. Samsonov allowed four goals — all of which could've been saved had he was still confident.
A few areas of his game need to improve, and I'll begin with the mentality side. You can't be a good goaltender in the NHL if you lack confidence. Confidence can go a long way for a player. There's another level your game can catapult to when you're confident.
Samsonov had that type of mentality last season. He doesn't have it at the moment.
The 26-year-old isn't calm or composed. He's moving all over the place, which makes life in the crease very difficult. The more Samsonov moves around, the more he's out of position and can't make the save.
The Maple Leafs have the luxury of having a strong goaltender like Joseph Woll, who can play while Samsonov works on his game. But it is concerning that one of your netminders, who had a strong year last season, is struggling this much.
I wonder how Samsonov will find his confidence again.
Matthew is a Knies fit with top-line
It took 11 games, but we finally got to see Knies on a line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. And boy, was it impressive.
I'm not entirely sure why it took this long, given how good the 21-year-old was at points during last season. Knies scored Toronto's first goal of the game — giving him three on the year, all against the Lightning.
The 21-year-old controls it out of mid-air before kicking it to his stick and finding the back of the net. It was a strong play from someone struggling to find their game to start the year.
Knies continued to be a pain against the Lightning as he was the screen on Matthews' first goal of the game. That's a play Keefe will love to see from the power forward.
On Toronto's third goal, which again was scored by Matthews, Knies had the no-look pass that went right to the NHL's leading goalscorer. It did just squeeze through the pads of Jonas Johansson, but the new line of Knies, Matthews, and Marner will take it.
Knies, again, was involved in a goal during the third period. And it was a big goal for the Maple Leafs, too.
Eight seconds after Toronto tied the game, Knies received the puck and made a great backhand pass off the boards directly to Marner, who scored his fifth of the season (and fourth point on the evening).
Toronto's top line finished the night with a 61.42 xGF%, per NaturalStatTrick.com.
Matthews on an incredible run
The 26-year-old is continuing to tilt heads with his goalscoring abilities.
He found the back of the net twice against the Lightning, giving him his 12th and 13 goals in just 12 games. Matthews is on a run similar to the one he had in the COVID bubble season, where he scored 41 goals in 52 games.
The 26-year-old was involved in the two goals against Boston last Thursday, which helped tie the game. Although Toronto lost to Buffalo on Saturday, Matthews scored three game-tying goals. He's scoring goals, yes, but he's doing it in big moments for the Maple Leafs.
And that's everything you'd like to see from your top player.
Nick Robertson fits with third-line
It wasn't just Robertson who had a good game. I thought the entire line of him, Max Domi, and Calle Jarnkrok looked strong.
Domi was showing off his speed and hockey IQ, Jarnkrok played strong at both ends of the rink, and Robertson looked very confident in his first NHL game of the year.
The thing with the 22-year-old is that although he's been injured numerous times early in his career, his game is strong wherever he is when he's confident. His shot is his most impressive attribute. But don't forget that Robertson can make plays with the puck, too.
The three had the game-tying goal in the third period. Domi with a great pass, Robertson with a quick release, and Jarnkrok there to bury the rebound.
There was even a sequence in the first period — when the Maple Leafs were getting dominated — where Robertson and Domi were clicking. Domi was using his feet, as was Robertson. Though in a different way.
If you watch the 22-year-old's game closely, his tight turns have improved drastically. With Robertson on the smaller side, having those quick turns allows him to evade defenders more often.
Speaking of the third line, and Jarnkrok specifically, he had another goal to give Toronto the win in overtime. That's his first two-goal game with the Maple Leafs since March 18.
The other observations
- Ryan Reaves didn't play at all in the third period. He didn't take a shift after the 12-minute mark of the second period. The 36-year-old is yet to record a point through 12 games this season.
He had an xGF% of 31.01 against the Lightning, per NaturalStatTrick.com.
- Woll was yet again incredible. Given how strong his game was on Monday, I'd give him more of the starts moving forward. He's improved to a .930 save percentage through seven games. The 25-year-old has now played more games than Samsonov this season.
Don't forget that Woll has another year at $766,667 — a positive in what's been a shaky start to the season by the Maple Leafs.
- William Nylander had a point on Jarnkrok's overtime winner. That's now 12 straight games to start the season with a point. He's taking this Maple Leafs record on a run.
- One last note on Morgan Rielly. After two points against the Lightning, the 29-year-old defenseman now has 10 points in 12 games, while also carrying an increased load defensively. A quietly impressive start to the season.
Related
News from THN.com
Sleepers and Keepers Podcast: How NHL Injuries Affect Fantasy Hockey Teams
Trade Speculation Still Swirling About the Montreal Canadiens
Five NHL Players with Surprisingly Strong Starts 10 Games In