After defeating the red-hot Vancouver Canucks by a 5-2 score on Nov. 11, the Toronto Maple Leafs looked to keep that momentum going in their first Global Series matchup against the Detroit Red Wings on Nov. 17. In the end, they were successful with their goal, as they defeated the Red Wings by a 3-2 final score in Sweden. It was a nice way to start this amazing trip, so let’s discuss three takeaways from the contest now.
Maple Leafs’ Second Line Creates Magic
At the beginning of the third period, the Maple Leafs were losing 2-0 and at a real risk of losing their first Global Series contest because of it. However, the Maple Leafs’ second line of Tyler Bertuzzi, John Tavares, and William Nylander made sure that this did not happen. They each played a huge role in the Maple Leafs’ third-period comeback and helped lead them to victory in the process.
Bertuzzi got the scoring going against his former club with a nice tip-in goal in front from a feed by Nylander. Later on in the third, Nylander tied the game up with assists from Mitch Marner and the Maple Leafs’ captain. Then, just a minute and a half later, Bertuzzi threw a hit on Justin Holl, got the puck, and gave a beautiful feed in front to Tavares for the eventual game-winning goal. It was simply an excellent showing of offence from Nylander, Bertuzzi, and Tavares, and the Maple Leafs got the win because of it.
After this game, it is fair to say that this should be their second line moving forward. Bertuzzi is benefitting from playing with two stars like Nylander and Tavares, and the points are starting to come for him because of it. With that, Nylander also extended his team-record season-opening point streak to 16 games due to this trio’s outstanding chemistry.
Samsonov’s Solid Performance
Another notable reason for the Maple Leafs’ win in this contest was Samsonov’s play. The 2015 first-round pick was busy in this one, but he answered the bell. He saved 27 out of 29 shots and certainly did what the Maple Leafs expected out of him in the process.
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The goals Samsonov let in were not necessarily his fault, either. Daniel Sprong showed great skill with the puck during his penalty shot attempt and deked Samsonov out for his goal. Meanwhile, not too many goalies would have stopped Lucas Raymond’s hard and perfectly placed snapshot in the second. Yet, after these two second-period goals, Samsonov was perfect, and it helped the Maple Leafs in the end.
While Samsonov has had a rough start to the 2023-24 season, his play is starting to noticeably improve. With this win, Samsonov now has a 4-1-2 record, a 3.56 goals-against average (GAA), and a .878 save percentage (SV%). Although his numbers are still not great, if he keeps having performances like these, they will go up in no time.
Maple Leafs Show Heart & Get Rewarded
When the Maple Leafs were losing 2-0 at the start of the third period, they could have simply given up and lost. However, as a collective unit, the Maple Leafs improved immensely in the third. They created several chances besides the three goals from their second line. They also were far more noticeable on the forecheck and more reliable with their defence. In the end, it was a perfect storm, and they were rewarded in the process.
The Maple Leafs will now look to keep this momentum going on Nov. 19 against the Minnesota Wild in their second contest of the Global Series. They certainly have the potential to win if they keep this kind of play up, especially against a struggling Wild club. We will need to wait and see if they can do just that from here.