Article content material
One level out of 4.
Commercial 2
Article content material
Not an amazing back-to-back set this weekend for the Maple Leafs, who misplaced 2-1 in extra time in Minnesota on Sunday after falling in regulation in St. Louis 24 hours earlier.
Our takeaways from the loss towards the Wild on the Xcel Power Centre:
STOLARZ STANDS TALL
Anthony Stolarz is the Leafs’ No. 1 goalie. Whether or not coach Craig Berube agrees, we’ll discover out on Tuesday when the Boston Bruins go to Scotiabank Area.
Stolarz must be within the internet towards the Bruins, having had a big hand in getting the Leafs to a single level in Minnesota.
It’s not simply what Stolarz did in St. Paul as Toronto gutted by a tricky third interval to emerge with one thing to indicate for the hassle. The 30-year-old has been rock stable by all of his eight video games in his first season with the Leafs, instilling confidence in his teammates as Joseph Woll recovered from groin tightness and because the teenager returned to the lineup.
Your Noon Solar
Article content material
Commercial 3
Article content material
Towards the Wild, Stolarz made 31 saves, and wasn’t at fault on the extra time winner, as Matt Boldy beat him on a breakaway.
Minnesota went 0-for-3 on the ability play. One purpose was a exceptional glove save by Stolarz on Marcus Johansson as Leafs defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson served a double minor late within the second interval.
Within the third, the Leafs clearly had been coping with fatigue because the Wild outshot them 11-5 and had 23 makes an attempt to the Leafs’ six. Stolarz wasn’t crushed as soon as within the last 20 minutes of regulation.
“Excellent,” Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly advised reporters in St. Paul. “He has been nice all 12 months. Tonight was no totally different. You may argue that he saved us in it for intervals of time.”
The Leafs’ plan was to maybe not essentially rotate Stolarz and Woll, however not go along with one man if each had been taking part in properly. Woll hasn’t been spectacular in three video games.
Commercial 4
Article content material
The sport towards the Bruins is adopted by a back-to-back set towards Detroit and Montreal, on Friday and Saturday respectively, with each video games on residence ice for the Leafs.
Woll will get a type of begins. He shouldn’t begin towards the Bruins, as that might give him two within the Leafs’ subsequent three matches.
A coach will at all times say that the lineup he makes use of is the one which he thinks will give the workforce the perfect likelihood to win that evening. Proper now, that Leafs workforce is the one with Stolarz in purpose.
POWER, TO A POINT
It figured that on the evening the Leafs scored a power-play purpose — their first such purpose on the highway in seven video games — it accounted for all of their offence.
Gamers usually don’t, or shouldn’t, take small victories out of losses. However when your energy play is sputtering at 3-for-38 entering into, sitting final within the Nationwide Hockey League and also you rating with a person benefit, naturally, you’ll take a giant optimistic out of that.
Commercial 5
Article content material
“That’s good for the boldness, to see one go in,” mentioned captain Auston Matthews, who arrange William Nylander within the last minute of the primary interval. “The final couple of video games, we’ve been shifting (the puck) fairly properly. Hopefully that will get us rolling and we proceed to make {that a} large think about our sport.”
Nicely, sure. With the offensive expertise the Leafs, it’s offensive that they’ve been so poor on the ability play.
Determined to get a shot on the ability play to fall, Berube used his high 5 forwards on the No. 1 unit with Matthews, Nylander, Mitch Marner, John Tavares and Matthew Knies. Having Marner on the blue line, and never Rielly or Oliver Ekman-Larsson, was a pleasant contact.
Marner isn’t going to blast away from the purpose, however he has greater than sufficient creativity to get the puck into good areas, and to the online, from that place. Berube shouldn’t go away from the all-forward unit on Tuesday.
Commercial 6
Article content material
These factors by Nylander and Matthews on the purpose represented their solely piece of manufacturing within the two weekend video games. That’s not near adequate for a pair paid to place the Leafs excessive in tight video games.
Nylander’s 9 targets in 13 video games? Tremendous. Matthews’ 5 targets in 13 video games? Not a lot. Extra manufacturing is required from the captain, energy play or not.
OUT OF THEIR DEPTH
The Leafs’ third line, particularly Max Domi and Bobby McMann, has gone bone-dry. Domi has zero factors in his previous seven video games. McMann has matched that futility.
One of the best groups don’t have a big drop-off in manufacturing as soon as they get previous their high six forwards.
Domi and McMann must discover a option to get one thing going, as a result of Berube may not have the urge for food to interrupt up the trio of Tavares between Max Pacioretty and Nylander (although the road had a tough go on Sunday). There’s no offensive punch coming from the fourth line.
Commercial 7
Article content material
Nick Robertson hasn’t held up his finish when he has been within the lineup. One purpose in 11 video games for the 23-year-old, particularly after he had an excellent pre-season, is properly under what we anticipated after he discovered methods to place the puck within the internet with restricted ice time beneath former coach Sheldon Keefe. A glance with Domi and McMann on Sunday had no affect on the scoreboard.
The evening ended badly for Domi, who was on the ice for properly over a minute in extra time when he thought it might be a good suggestion to flip the puck out of the Leafs’ finish and attempt to outrace Wild captain Jared Spurgeon to it.
Didn’t occur, as Spurgeon beat Domi to the puck, wheeled round fed Marco Rossi up the center, who despatched Boldy in for the winner.
X: @koshtorontosun
Article content material
