Four Leafs-Penguins picks: Matthews, Nylander to the rescue in dramatic third-period comeback

Auston Matthews started the comeback after breaking away from a breakaway by Jake McCabe. William Nylander scored the first of two goals, picking up a ricochet near the net and hitting a backhand past Tristan Jarry.

Nylander then scored the tying goal, firing home from the point, and the Maple Leafs tied the game in a span of three minutes and 24 seconds.

Bobby McMann, who was considered by some to be a scratch candidate, scored the winning goal and registered his first point in eight games. It was a great comeback for the Maple Leafs, although their defensive and power play issues remain real problems, and head coach Craig Berube was unhappy with his team’s performance.

“I didn’t think our first period was that bad,” Berube said after the game. “I made a mistake on the first goal. The second goal is a bounce. What upsets me is that in the second period we are 2-0 down, you think we are going to make a push and we didn’t.”

Berube declined to elaborate on the details of his speech during the second intermission, although Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz implored reporters to use their imaginations.

“I have no idea. I don’t have an answer to that,” Berube said. “In the second period, they took the puck and did whatever they wanted with it, and we didn’t check anyone. We didn’t knock anyone off the puck. And when we got it, we gave it back to them. It’s not good enough.”

Here are four takeaways from the Maple Leafs’ 4-3 win over the Penguins

Knies-Matthews-Nylander comes to the rescue

It was a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency type scenario for the Maple Leafs entering the third period, as Berube stepped up his top line with three of his top four forwards. Matthew Knies, Auston Matthews and William Nylander sparked a comeback in the third period, and the sheer firepower was too much for the Penguins.

Matthews went for a breakaway, coming off Jake McCabe, while a pair of Nylander goals tied the game. You need your best players to be your best players, and that was the case for 20 minutes.

“Obviously the line of Willy, Matthews and Knies did what they were capable of doing, and our goalkeeper was good,” Berube said after the match.

Matthews was awarded the team belt for his efforts, awarded to the best or most impactful player in a win. After the match, Matthews gave an honest self-assessment of the required comeback.

“We’ve been in situations like this before,” Matthews said after the game. “I think the message isn’t so much as it is it was great to come back obviously and get the two points and have a great third period. I think the focus has to be on the first two periods and why we missed all those different things that got us into the game in the first place. So that’s something we’ll figure out. But we’ll get the two points and move on and continue to try to build our game.”

Matthews improved as the period went on, drawing cheers with two huge blocks on the penalty kick later in the third period. It was an ugly 40 minutes, but it speaks to the Leafs’ true talent level, that it can beat opponents with a few moments of brilliance when called upon, even if it’s a long-term recipe for disaster.

Nylander was more blunt in his assessment, believing his team’s efforts were unacceptable, and did not appear to enjoy one strong period despite his leading contributions to the win. It was a strong return to the lineup after missing three of the past four games.

As Berube searches for the ideal line combinations, it’s clear that The Emergency Line can overwhelm opponents when counted on. It can’t be the only answer for the Maple Leafs, and there needs to be better contributions from the bottom six, but Matthews and Nylander did what was expected of franchise players in the third period, and for one night it was enough.

Nick Robertson was the Leafs’ most consistent player through 60 minutes

McMann needed this moment after being held without a point for eight games. Berube indicated that McMann met his expectations to start the year, but his speed and tenacity waned in recent games, so it was a timely goal for a Maple Leafs team that needed this win in early November.

“I just think about the opportunity he has been given by playing in the top six,” Matthews said of Robertson after the match. “He works, he works, he can shoot the puck like few people can. He’s a smaller guy, but he’s not afraid to go to the dirty areas and fight and compete. He’s played great for us the last few weeks and he played great tonight.”

It’s fitting that Robertson finished with a 66 percent share of expected goals at 5-on-5. The goals from Matthews, Nylander and McMann will be what people remember from this game, but he was the Leafs’ most consistent player throughout the game and played excellently on the winner.

The Maple Leafs’ rushing defense remains alarming

We don’t like to be negative in this area, but the Leafs’ rushing defense remains alarming. Okay, Sidney Crosby can scorch anyone with cross-seam passes, so maybe some mercy should be given to Erik Karlsson’s opener. Karlsson took a shot into the top corner that Stolarz had no chance of hitting due to the haste and saved a perfect dish from Crosby. This goal came directly from a turnover: Simon Benoit fumbled the puck in the offensive zone and the Penguins ran away, while Crosby scanned the ice and threw the cross seam to Karlsson. Jake McCabe tied up the crashing man, but Benoit and John Tavares are barely in the picture.

This may be lost in the Leafs’ win, but the team is giving up countless opportunities every game due to the rush, and with Chris Tanev out of the lineup, there must be a concerted effort to catch up and close the gap. Penguins rookie Ben Kindel had second- and third-chance opportunities throughout the game, and the Leafs can’t allow teams to dominate on the counterattack. It will be a work in progress all year round.

Easton Cowan’s promotion to the top power play unit isn’t paying immediate dividends

To be clear, this isn’t entirely on Cowan, as Rielly, Matthews, and Nylander’s input sequences were poor. Cowan should take another look as he executes the short passes he’s quickly gaining traction for. Toronto’s power play is at 12.1 percent, the second-worst total in the league. Maybe Cowan needs another look during Wednesday’s game against the Utah Mammoth.