Matthews and Marner Finally Produce and Samsonov Finds His Groove Despite Maple Leafs' 3-2 Shootout Loss to Bruins
Timothy Liljegren left the game in the first period and didn't return due to a lower-body injury.
Whenever the Maple Leafs and Bruins meet, it's always an extravaganza. And that didn't change on Thursday night.
Boston found the back of the net twice before Toronto came back with two goals of their own. With Liljegren getting injured after going awkwardly into the boards, the Maple Leafs' top players responded.
This felt like a playoff game more than anything else. Some great chances for both teams, but the netminders made some huge saves, making it a very, very close game.
But Boston came away with the win in the end, defeating the Maple Leafs 3-2 in the shootout. Here are some observations from what was an exciting game.
William Nylander continues point streak
The 27-year-old tallied his eighth assist of the season on the Maple Leafs' first goal of the game, continuing his impressive start to the season.
That's now 10 straight games with a point for Nylander to start the year, extending the Maple Leafs record even further. He's been by far the most consistent player on the Maple Leafs since the season opened up.
Contributions from the bottom six needed
The Maple Leafs' bottom-six only has three goals through 10 games this season. And while it's still early in the season, there is some concern about how the lineup is constructed.
Several players — including Max Domi, Noah Gregor, and Pontus Holmberg — need a push in the right direction. Matthew Knies has two of the three goals in Toronto's bottom six, and Gregor, who scored in the season-opener, has the other.
David Kampf and Ryan Reaves won't score goals for the team often, so Toronto needs to find a way for Domi, Gregor, and Holmberg to find the back of the net. Or at least contributing to the scoring.
It's a delicate balance with how close the Maple Leafs are to the cap. Plus, it's not smart to take a player out of the top six for either Gregor or Holmberg. Maybe you place Domi there to see if you can jumpstart his game since he did have 20 goals last season.
Toronto moved Bertuzzi to the fourth line, placed Knies on the second line, and put Gregor on the third line with Domi and Kampf in the third period.
At some point, something needs to fall for a few of those players in Toronto's bottom six. If not, they're going to need to see if they can find contributions from other players. (Maybe Nick Robertson, Alex Steeves, or Bobby McMann, if they were to waive a forward, which seems unlikely.)
Response needed, response gotten
There are two ways a team can respond after one of your teammates goes down with an injury. You can be more physical, or you can fill the opposing team's net with goals.
Toronto decided to go with the latter.
First, it was Mitch Marner finding the back of the net at five-on-five. That's his third goal of the season after admitting he needs to shoot more. Auston Matthews continued the scoring a few minutes later, again at five-on-five.
It wasn't the best start for Toronto, nor did it seem like an appropriate response after Liljegren went to the room with an injury. But instead of having Ryan Reaves fight someone, the Maple Leafs' top players did what they do best: Score.
Other observations
- Ilya Samsonov had a great game, stopping 38 of 40 shots against. The 26-year-old looked calm, cool, and collected in what was an important game against the best team in the NHL at the moment.
When the Maple Leafs needed big saves from Samsonov, they got them. And for Toronto, this is a very good sign that their potential number-one netminder is returning to the form he had last season.
- With another injury on the back end, a couple of Toronto's defensemen need to step up. I think myself, and a number of others, would say that the player who needs to step up most is John Klingberg.
While he has been as advertised in the offensive end, his defensive game continues to lack structure.
Klingberg didn't have Pavel Zacha's stick tied up, nor did he put his body in front of the puck, and that resulted in Boston going up 1-0 early in the first period. The 31-year-old's xGF% in the game was 35.13, per NaturalStatTrick.com.
- I thought Noah Gregor had a strong game. He had a number of scoring chances throughout the game, but couldn't find the back of the net. His speed is a real factor for Toronto as it's something they don't have throughout the lineup.
If Gregor's play is consistent, he could provide some important depth to the Maple Leafs.
- I wonder who Toronto will call up given Liljegren's injury. Max Lajoie has played some big minutes for the Marlies, as has Simon Benoit lately. I believe Benoit has played more on the right side in his career.
So, do you call up the guy who's played more on the right in his career, but has played less to start the season? Or, do you bring up the player who has less experience on that side, but has seen a lot more action to begin the year?
Either way, the Maple Leafs will have two Marlies likely on their bottom pair come Saturday's game vs. the Buffalo Sabres.
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