Last night the Toronto Maple Leafs hosted the Nashville Predators in the second half of a back-to-back.
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It was a match that started like any other match for the club this season. They came out with all the speed and urgency and took an early lead. Then the dreaded second period arrived and within five minutes they were tied 2-2. Luckily, head coach Craig Berube called a timeout, which seemed to calm the group down, and they looked like a different team after that. They scored five goals, two of which came into an empty net. But they looked good in the last 30 minutes of the match achieved a 7-4 victory to move to 2-2 this season.
Now on to the conclusions of the Maple Leafs game.
Blue Line contributes offensively
For a team to find success in the regular season and go far in the playoffs, they need to score from all 18 skaters. When a team’s blue line can put a few past a goalie in a game, it takes some pressure off the attackers. So when Jake McCabe and Oliver Ekman-Larsson opened the scoring for the Maple Leafs last night to give them an early 2-0 lead, it helped. Maybe a bit too much, because in the second the wheels fell off. As mentioned above, Toronto squandered its 2-0 lead in the first five minutes of the second period. After the timeout, however, they refocused and went to work.
Not only did they get two goals from the blue line, but Ekman-Larsson finished with three points and McCabe had two. If the Maple Leafs can get more consistent goals out of their defense while allowing Ekman-Larsson to return to something close to his Arizona Coyotes form, Toronto could become a more complete team.
Nylander responds when called
After the game against the Detroit Red Wings on Thanksgiving Monday, Berube called William Nylander because you have to shoot more. Despite leading the team in points to start the season, the coach needed him to push harder, and last night he did just that. He finished the night with a goal, two assists and four shots in 18:51 of ice time. At times, his line with Mattias Maccelli and John Tavares dominated the Predators, surrounding them in their own goal and cycling the puck to create chances.
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When it comes to Nylander, we all know how he reacts. He is not one to take criticism too harshly; he thrives on it. And when you combine him with Tavares, who has been his linemate for a few years, and the sneaky ability of Maccelli, it feels like this could be one of the team’s most dangerous offensive lines. Tavares is the net frontman with a great vision. Nylander is the shooter and driver of the zone entry. Maccelli is the creative playmaker who can make passes that most players cannot. Together, this trio might be one of the Maple Leafs’ best offensive weapons. Berube should definitely run this line back in their next game.
Knies-Matthews-Cowan looks dangerous
You always save the best for last, right? Let’s talk about how dangerous the line of Matthew Knies, Auston Matthews and Easton Cowan looked. On the Maple Leafs’ fifth goal, they showed how good this group can be. Cowan chipped the puck to Matthews, who made a wonderful tic-tac-toe passing game with Knies. As a line, they combined eight shots and six points, and when they got the puck in the offensive zone, they kept it there.
Outside of Monday’s game against the Red Wings, this is the hungriest Matthews has seen yet. He and his linemates have an undeniable chemistry, and it seems to be helping him establish himself early this season. As a unit they are also more physical. They scored five goals, were involved in a few scrums and consistently battled for pucks in the corners. If they can play a few more games and learn each other’s tendencies, they could become one of Toronto’s most dangerous lines.
Next up for the Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs are back in action on Thursday evening against the New York Rangers. That will be their fourth match against an Original Six opponent in their first six matches.
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