The Good<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The first good thing, and maybe the most important one, was that they won. As simple and obvious as that sounds if they would have lost their first two games of the season I could just imagine what social media and the press would have looked like. The negativity this team seems to attract would have been magnified greatly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
After the way the Montreal game ended, the Maple Leafs needed to come out in this game with determination and a degree of desperation. They did that, racking up 21 shots on the net and carrying the play for the majority of the first period.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#1: Special Teams\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The penalty kill continued its excellent play going five for five. They have now killed nine consecutive penalties to start the season. Not only were they successful at killing the penalties, but also one stat that stands out on Naturalstattrick.com is that, while the Maple Leafs gave up just three shots on the five kills, they had three shots of their own on the penalty kill.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/oldprof.nhltradetalk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/mitch-marner.jpeg\")
Even more impressive was they did not give the Capitals a single High Danger Scoring Chance, and had three High Danger chances themselves, two by Mitch Marner and one by Calle Jarnkrok.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The power play came through in this game, scoring the first goal of the game, and going one for three. It also created seven High Danger Scoring Chances. Goaltender Charlie Lindgren made several outstanding saves preventing the Maple Leafs\u2019 power play from doing more damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#2: Calle Jarnkrok<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Speaking of Calle Jarnkrok, he became the first bottom-six player to score a goal for the Maple Leafs this season when he deflected an Alex Kerfoot pass into the net tying the game up 2-2 early in the second period. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
#3: Second-Line Dominance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The only player on the second line to come out of this game with a point was John Tavares. He scored the first goal of last night’s game on the power play in the first period. Neither William Nylander nor Denis Malgin figured in on the scoring in the game. That said, at five on five, they were dominant. The line posted an average Shot Attempts For of 62% and an average Shots For of 71.7%. They also had a combined Expected Goals of 71.6% as well as 69.1% of the Scoring Chances.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#4: Physicality<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
For a team that many fans claim is soft and non-physical, the Maple Leafs matched the Capitals, a team that is known for being a big rough team, hit for hit. According to the stats keepers for the NHL, the Maple Leafs outhit the capitals 37-33.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/oldprof.nhltradetalk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/aube-kubel.jpeg\")
Nicolas Aube-Kubel led the hit parade with six hits, followed by Auston Matthews and Rasmus Sandin with five hits each. Thirteen skaters on the Maple Leafs were credited with at least one hit in the game. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
#5: Holl and Muzzin Bounce Back<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
After having a terrible game and being the worst pairing for the Maple Leafs in Montreal, Jake Muzzin and Justin Holl had a nice bounce-back game against the Capitals. Holl had two shots on the net, two hits, four blocked shots (two on Alex Ovechkin on the penalty kill, which had to hurt), and two takeaways in the game. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Muzzin had three shots on the net and three hits. According to Naturalstattrick.com at five-on-five when the Holl\/Muzzin pair was on the ice, they had 88.1% of the shots and 73.5% of the Expected Goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n