The Toronto Maple Leafs kicked off their 2023-24 regular season against the Montreal Canadiens last night (Oct. 11). Boy, did it not fail to entertain. This game offered a ton of offence, as leads continued to flip-flop throughout the entirety of this contest. The Canadiens, however, notably blew two multi-goal leads in this game. Let’s now discuss three notable takeaways from this Original Six contest.
Matthews Back to 60-Goal Form
This past weekend (Oct. 7), I wrote an article discussing the top five players with 60-goal potential heading into the 2023-24 season. Matthews was included in this list, and he showed signs of recapturing his 60-goal form against Montreal. The superstar put together a clinic, potting a hat trick and recording eight shots on goal. The 2016 first-overall pick was hungry, and he certainly got the results he was looking for in the end.
Matthews’ goals were great ones, too. His first goal, which was the 300th of his career, came with five minutes left in the second period. After the puck deflected off Maple Leafs captain John Tavares, Matthews retrieved it and immediately fired it past Jake Allen. Matthews’ second goal sparked the Maple Leafs’ late third-period comeback, as it made the game 5-4, and it was from a tough angle. Then, with one minute and change left in the game, Matthews recorded his hat trick by showing great patience and stickhandling in front of the net before putting it in.
Related: Maple Leafs: Predicting Top 5 Scorers for 2023-24 Season
Overall, the Maple Leafs would not have won this game without Matthews’ outstanding play. If he continues to be this clutch throughout the season, it should be another memorable year for the superstar.
Samsonov’s Shaky Start
One notable takeaway from this game was Ilya Samsonov’s play. The Maple Leafs’ starting netminder ran into trouble during this contest, and it can be seen with his stats. The 2015 first-round pick allowed five goals on just 24 shots, which equates to a .792 save percentage (SV%). This is certainly far below what the Maple Leafs expect from him, especially after his strong 2022-23 season.
Although it was not the strongest of performances from Samsonov, a big testament to that goes to the Canadiens. Their shot totals were low, yes, but their top players also were effective when chances were presented. Players like Alex Newhook, Cole Caufield, Kirby Dach, and Juraj Slafovsky did not make Samsonov’s night any easier.
When noting how well Samsonov played last season, this start should not bring too much worry moving forward. He should have zero trouble bouncing back from here, but it was clearly not the best way for him to start his 2023-24 campaign.
Great Team Production
Besides Matthews potting a hat trick, many other players were impactful during this game. Tavares notably had himself a wonderful night, as he had three assists and also three shots on goal. Newcomer John Klingberg also provided some offence, as he had two assists. William Nylander was all over the place during this game, having one goal, one assist, and five shots. Mitch Marner and Morgan Rielly each had an assist as well.
Overall, the Maple Leafs’ top guns showed up during this contest, and that is a great sign for the season. With that, recent signing Noah Gregor was impactful, as he scored the first goal of the Maple Leafs’ season. It is hard not to love what we have seen from Gregor thus far, and if he keeps this play up, he will be a steal for their bottom six.
Nevertheless, this game was a wacky one, but the Maple Leafs got the final result that they were looking for. Their offence was great, but goaltending and defence will need to improve moving forward. The Maple Leafs’ next game is on Oct. 14 against the Minnesota Wild. Let’s see how Matthews and the rest of the gang perform in this one.
