The Toronto Maple Leafs looked like a team that was without their star player in Saturday night’s loss to the New York Islanders. And not the usual dialled-in iteration of the team that usually shows up to play when Auston Matthews is injured. This time, they looked how people expected they would when held to such a disadvantage.
It was goaltender Joseph Woll’s worst game of the season, but it didn’t matter. The team around him were a step behind the play all night and made far too many mental mistakes. They’ve started games in a similar way more often than not lately, the difference tonight was that Woll didn’t bail them out with those big saves early on. Still, unless you’re getting Vezina goaltending between the pipes, the amount of amateur mental mistakes combined with a team that looked like they were coming off of a back-to-back is a recipe for disaster.
William Nylander was arguably the only forward who showed up to play, scoring two of the Maple Leafs’ three goals and routinely creating chances in the offensive zone. Bobby McMann added a late third-period goal to give the Leafs a fighting chance after the Islanders had already made it 5-2, but that was all the magic they got from their newfound dynamic trio with McMann, Max Domi, and Nick Robertson.
J.G. Pageau restores the Islander’s two-goal lead pic.twitter.com/rsPKWm3NX3
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) December 22, 2024
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
In fairness to the Leafs, it was smart to keep that third line together to start – they had 16 combined points in their last three games, and you don’t want to mess with a line creating that kind of magic. But the result was skating David Kampf in between Matthew Knies and Mitch Marner, which isn’t exactly the best recipe for creating offence.
The lack of a goal scorer like Matthews in the middle is an obvious one, but Kampf especially isn’t somebody who can be that shooter and keep the line’s threat status. He probably isn’t the one who should be under the spotlight here, especially since he picked up a nice assist on Nylander’s second goal, but it puts into perspective what kind of changes they had to make to ensure that third line stayed together.
The Maple Leafs are in action one more time before Christmas, hosting the Winnipeg Jets on December 23. The Maple Leafs are primed to bounce back, considering their success both against the Jets and in day games. We’ll see if they deliver.
Join us for the first-ever TLN Nation Vacation!
Alright, hockey fans, this isn’t just a trip—it’s the Nation Vacation, and we’re heading to the Music City from March 20th to 23rd! Get ready to watch Toronto take on Nashville in their own barn, soak up the honky-tonk vibes, and make unforgettable memories with the Nation crew. Whether you’re all in for a flight package or prefer a non-flight option, we’ve got you covered. Just don’t wait—spots are limited, and this trip is going to be electric. Book your spot NOW at nationgear.ca. Let’s go, Toronto! Nashville is calling!