Last night, the Toronto Maple Leafs lost to the New York Rangers by a score of 5-2. Maybe the Maple Leafs should have lost the game regardless of what happened; however, it was a fluky game with a series of bad bounces for the team.
In the end, goalie Martin Jones suffered his first loss of the season for his new Maple Leafs team. As well, two goals by NHL goal-scoring leader Auston Matthews were not enough to carry his team to the win.
In this post, I’ll take a look at the game in a series of quick hits. Here are three thoughts with my commentary about the game.
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Quick Hit One: 3 Bad Bounces & 1 Bad Choice = 4 Rangers Goals
The Maple Leafs faced a stroke of bad luck with three fluky goals in the second period against the Rangers. Each of the three goals resulted from unfortunate bounces or deflections, leaving goalie Martin Jones unable to make the saves he needed to make. Despite another Auston Matthews’ impressive performance, the odd goals set the tone for an unlucky night for the Maple Leafs.
After the game, Jones expressed disappointment in his play on Braden Schneider’s goal. It’s the only one he would have liked back. In that, he recognized a missed opportunity that could have changed the game’s course. He missed, and the rest is history.
Quick Hit Two: Auston Matthews Continues His Scoring Streak
Auston Matthews showcased his goal-scoring prowess, capitalizing on two really good assists. One assist came from Morgan Rielly in the second period and the second assist came from Jake McCabe early in the third period.
Adding these two goals, Matthews reclaimed the top spot as the NHL’s leading goal-scorer with 25 goals in 28 games. Despite missing a recent game due to the flu, Matthews continues to be a dominant force on the ice. There’s little doubt that he’s the key contributor to the Maple Leafs’ offensive firepower.
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Quick Hit Three: Martin Jones Deserved Better
Goalie Martin Jones faced a challenging game. While he stopped 31 of 35 shots and experienced three issues of bad luck, he couldn’t win. The game was his first loss since being recalled from the AHL Toronto Marlies.
While Jones allowed four goals, only one could be attributed to him. The game was his third in a row and, in those games, he’s shown another solid performance. Four goals or not, he still has put up impressive season statistics and has become a reliable option for the Maple Leafs. Now the big question is about his future with the team, especially when Joseph Woll returns from injury.
Sometimes the Maple Leafs Organization Shows True Class
In a classy pre-game ceremony, the Maple Leafs honoured captain John Tavares for reaching 1,000 career points. Iconic Maple Leafs captain, and himself a 1000-point scorer, presented Tavares and his children with golden sticks – the biggest one was for John.
Last week, Tavares became the 98th player in NHL history to achieve the 1000-point milestone. It was a positive note to an otherwise strange night for the Maple Leafs.