The matchup was thrilling, but the result was more than frustrating for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ultimately, the Carolina Hurricanes overcame a late deficit to pull out a 5-4 shootout victory over the home team Maple Leafs. Sebastian Aho stood out for the Hurricanes, contributing two goals and an assist. Newcomer Jake Guentzel played the hero in the shootout, scoring the decisive goal to steal the win for Carolina.
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It wasn’t that the Maple Leafs didn’t play well enough. However, they were on the wrong end of two last-second goals that swung momentum in favor of the Hurricanes. Seth Jarvis capitalized on a rebound with just 2.7 seconds remaining in the second period, narrowing Toronto’s lead to 3-1. Then, despite a hard-working penalty kill effort and an empty net for Carolina, Aho scored the game-tying goal with less than six seconds left in regulation.
Both goals were on the goofy puck bounces that could have gone one way or another. On this night, they bounced to the Hurricanes.
Item 1: 3 Reasons the Maple Leafs Lost the Game
The Maple Leafs lost this game for three key reasons. First, too many defensive lapses helped Carolina come back. Second, they missed their chances with the man advantage. Third, as noted, they had some horrible luck with puck bounces this night.
Despite holding leads of 3-0 and even a late 4-2 lead, the Maple Leafs struggled to contain Carolina’s offensive onslaught. Not only were the last-second goals deflating, but Toronto also allowed two goals in the final minutes of regulation. They had a huge chance to capitalize on a power play in overtime, but they could not put the puck in the net.
Item 2: The Maple Leafs Got Balanced Scoring
One good aspect of the game was that the Maple Leafs’ scoring was distributed well throughout the lineup. John Tavares scored a goal and added an assist. William Nylander, Nick Robertson, and David Kampf also scored. Morgan Rielly contributed two assists. Coach Sheldon Keefe commended his team on their effort, even though the final result was frustrating.
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Interestingly, Toronto scored all four goals on clear (or botched) breakaway attempts. However, they couldn’t score in the shootout. Early in the second period, Tavares, Nylander, and Robertson all capitalized on breakaway opportunities to establish a commanding three-goal lead. Robertson was the recipient of a nice pass on Tavares’ failed breakaway. In the third period, David Kampf extended the Maple Leafs’ lead to 4-2 with another breakaway goal.
Item 3: Ilya Samsonov Plays Well But Finally Loses
Ilya Samsonov put up another strong performance, but it wasn’t enough to pull off the win. Despite making 36 saves, he couldn’t preserve Toronto’s lead. The loss was Samsonov’s first in his last five starts, ending his four-game win streak.
In the end, he has won 13 of his past 16 games, becoming a reliable option between the pipes. With two back-to-back games on next week’s schedule, fans should look for Samsonov to share starts with Joseph Woll as the Maple Leafs manage their goalie rotation.
Item 4: John Tavares Can Still Score
John Tavares might not be the fastest player on the ice, but he can still shoot the puck with precision. His breakaway goal, his 21st goal of the season, was perfectly roofed over Hurricanes’ goalie Pyotr Kochetkov. In addition, he set up a streaking Robertson with a perfect one-timer in the second period.
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Tavares’ scoring pace has slowed this season. Last night’s multi-point game was his first in 11 games. He needs just two more points to reach his 14th 50-point season.
Item 5: Morgan Rielly Picks Up a Couple of Helpers
Morgan Rielly picked up two assists in the game on well-timed stretch passes that led to breakaways by Nylander and Kampf. With these two assists, he joined Borje Salming and Tomas Kaberle as the only defensemen in franchise history to put up 500 or more career regular-season and playoff points with the Maple Leafs.
Additionally, Rielly’s offensive output has been impressive this season. He now has put up 49 points in 61 games. That places him in the top 10 for scoring among NHL blueliners.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
The Maple Leafs face some decisions regarding their defensive lineup for upcoming games. Ilya Lyubushkin played against Carolina despite an undisclosed injury suffered Thursday. Simon Benoit was once again a healthy scratch. And Conor Timmins was finally activated from long-term injured reserve (LTIR) after recovering from mononucleosis. Now, the team has some depth options for its defensive unit.
With these developments, competition for starting positions on defense intensifies within the Maple Leafs’ roster. The upcoming schedule should see the team mixing and matching to get all their defensive corps involved as the season winds down.