After a fun holiday break, the Toronto Maple Leafs returned to the ice last night (Dec. 27) and faced off against the Ottawa Senators. In the final week before the break, Toronto lost to the New York Rangers 5-2 and the Buffalo Sabres 9-3 before winning their last game by a 4-1 final score against the Columbus Blue Jackets. They hoped they would form a winning streak in their return to the ice against the Senators, but that did not come to fruition.
The Maple Leafs lost to the Senators by a 4-2 final score and have now lost three out of their last four games. Let’s now look at a few takeaways from the latest installment of the Battle of Ontario.
Maple Leafs Start Game Hot
While the Maple Leafs lost this game, it certainly did not seem like they would by how they started it. The Maple Leafs dominated the first period, outshooting the Senators 12-6. With that, they took advantage of their scoring chances, leaving the first with a 2-0 lead.
One common theme from the Maple Leafs this season is that when they score, they often do in bunches. That was again the case against the Senators. Matthew Knies got the Maple Leafs’ first goal at the 5:41 mark of the first period, as an Auston Matthews shot deflected off him and went in. Then, less than a minute later, at the 6:04 mark, winger Tyler Bertuzzi potted his sixth goal of the season, beating Senators goalie Joonas Korpisalo with a backhander in front.
With these two quick goals, it seemed that the Maple Leafs would have their way against the Senators. However, they could not translate this kind of production throughout the rest of the contest, as Korpisalo stood on his head from there.
Senators & Korpisalo Steal Game From Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs’ worst period came in the second, as they had just eight shots on goal, while the Senators had 14. With that, their slow play in the second allowed the Senators to tie the game up at 2-2. Parker Kelly scored a short-handed goal, while Drake Batherson tied it up at the 14:25 mark.
Related: Maple Leafs Should Make a Push for Marc-André Fleury
The Maple Leafs were much more engaged in the third period but could not beat Korpisalo. The Maple Leafs ended the third with an impressive 16 shots on goal, while the Senators had just 10. However, Ottawa took advantage of their chances, as Batherson potted his second of the game at the 3:44 mark, while Brady Tkachuk secured the win with an empty-netter.
Overall, the Senators’ determination, mixed with their impressive goaltending from Korpisalo, allowed them to steal this game from the Maple Leafs. On the other hand, Martin Jones saved 26 out of 29 shots for the Maple Leafs.
Nylander Extends Point Streak to 12 Games
While the Maple Leafs lost this game, superstar winger William Nylander extended his impressive point streak to 12 games with his secondary assist on Bertuzzi’s goal. Over that span, he has recorded 19 points. This is also the pending unrestricted free agent’s (UFA) second notable point streak of the season, as he started the campaign with a franchise-record 17-game point streak.
Seeing this kind of consistency from a player is quite rare, and it is something that warrants a lot of praise. Nylander is continuing to create offence and is showing no signs of slowing down. With this assist, the 27-year-old now has 16 goals, 46 points, and a plus-5 rating in 32 games. That is outstanding production and puts him on pace for the best season of his career.
The Maple Leafs will now look to get back on track in their next game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Dec. 29. This is a winnable game for the Maple Leafs, but we will need to wait and see if they secure two points from here.