After suffering a 5-4 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 2, the Toronto Maple Leafs were hungry to bounce back against the Detroit Red Wings on Oct. 5. It’s fair to say that they did just that, as they defeated the Red Wings by a 4-3 final score in overtime. Overall, it was a fun contest to watch, and the Maple Leafs played many of their expected regulars during it. Let’s now dive into three notable takeaways from this Original Six matchup.
Maple Leafs’ Top Guns Show Up
With the regular season rapidly approaching, the Maple Leafs are expecting their stars to be in game shape by now. After last night’s game, it is fair to believe that they are. William Nylander, Auston Matthews, and Mitch Marner all had multi-point nights and were major factors in the Maple Leafs’ win.
Nylander, 27, was the club’s top star of the contest, as he potted two goals – including the overtime winner. The pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) looked immensely confident all game, posting five shots on goal. Both his goals were beauties, and it’s exactly what the Maple Leafs will be hoping for from last season’s 40-goal scorer all season.
Matthews was also on his “A” game against the Red Wings, as he dominated the offensive play. The superstar center scored a goal, added an assist, and recorded five shots on goal. He most notably set up Nylander with a beautiful pass that led to the overtime winner.
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As for Marner, the 99-point man did not score a goal, but he had two assists to go along with five shots on goal. The elite playmaker showed immense confidence with the puck before setting up Nylander’s goal. He then did the same for Matthews’ power-play goal.
Bertuzzi Gets on the Board
Tyler Bertuzzi is arguably the Maple Leafs’ top free-agent addition of the 2023 NHL Offseason. The skilled winger has high expectations heading into the new year, as he will have a spot in the Maple Leafs’ top six. He had a fairly quiet preseason leading up to this game against his former team, but he changed that with his performance. The gritty winger potted his first goal of the preseason, much to the excitement of both himself and the Maple Leafs faithful.
Besides his goal, Bertuzzi looked extra motivated against his former team. He was heavy on the forecheck, quick both with and without the puck, and showed that tenacity he is famous for. The skilled winger will now be looking to translate this kind of play to the regular season for the Maple Leafs from here.
Minten Doing the Little Things Right
It is not a secret that prospect Fraser Minten has been one of the most notable Maple Leafs all preseason. He has gotten rewarded for his strong play on the scoresheet and has played a steady two-way game. In this game against the Red Wings, he did not record a point, but he was once again very noticeable.
First off, Minten was spectacular at the faceoff dot in this one. He won 78% of his faceoffs in the contest, which is quite an accomplishment for a 19-year-old looking to make the Maple Leafs’ roster. Besides his excellent stuff at the dot, he created plenty of offensive chances and was defensively responsible throughout the game.
Minten has been such a bright spot for the Maple Leafs this preseason, and it has been confirmed that he will be in for the Maple Leafs’ final preseason game this weekend. If he has another strong performance against the Red Wings on Oct. 7, perhaps we could see him on the club’s opening night roster against the Canadiens.
Nevertheless, this was an entertaining game between two Original Six rivals. Nylander, Matthews, and Marner were the big stars of the game, but Bertuzzi and Minten were noticeable, too. Let’s see how the Maple Leafs perform against the Red Wings in their preseason finale from here.
