Heading into Wednesday night’s game against the Florida Panthers, the Toronto Maple Leafs finally had some good news. Superstar goal scorer and captain, Auston Matthews, participated in his first full practice since his injury on November 3 on Tuesday. While he did not play in tonight’s game, he will likely play on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Despite all the injuries, the Maple Leafs are 7–1 in this recent stretch. However, those games were largely played against non-playoff teams. Tonight’s matchup, despite the depleted lineup, was a measuring stick game to demonstrate to the fanbase that this team is different from previous years.
Let’s take a look at the storylines coming out of tonight’s game.
The Maple Leafs desperately need Matthews back
The Maple Leafs with their depleted lineup were clearly the underdogs coming into tonight’s game. And it showed. The Maple Leafs went down 2–0 in 50 seconds at the beginning of the period and came out very flat—very reminiscent of the Maple Leafs teams of previous years. To the Panther’s credit, they have lost four in a row and they looked like they wanted to break out of the slump.
While the Maple Leafs were able to score on the power play to get within two in the second period, this was over shadowed by the short handed goal the Panthers scored moments before effectively putting the game out of reach.
The Maple Leafs at times were able to generate offensive zone pressure and create several scoring chances, but the problem was that they could not convert on them. What is clear is that with only nine 5v5 goals in the last nine games, the team needs Matthews’ goal-scoring ability and they need him fast. It appears that the Maple Leafs’ injuries have finally caught up.
One more to vacation at Robidas’ Island
It has been perhaps the most brutal month of injuries for the Maple Leafs in the Matthews era, possibly in decades. Six regular forwards were out, with four being Auston Matthews, Matthew Knies, Max Domi, and Max Pacioretty who play in the top six. Now, there is a new inhabitant on the injury list: Bobby McMann. And it was a rough night for him:
McMann left the game during the second period with a lower-body injury. One would think it could be his ankle, having received a shot off the ankle, and sliding into the boards after the fact. But we will have more information in the coming days.
While McMann has been quiet offensively in the last three games with zero points, he is still on pace for 23 goals, which would be a career-high. It is also hard to get into a rhythm when your lineup is in constant flux and your line-mates change game to game.
With a cross-check by William Nylander to the head of Nate Schmidt, Nylander may face further discipline, and if suspended, would be devastating to this Maple Leafs’ lineup.
The newcomers
Due to injuries, Fraser Minten, Nikita Grebenkin, and Alexander Nylander have forced management’s hand to play them probably more than expected at this juncture in their respective careers. Nevertheless, the newcomers to the Maple Leafs’ roster have done an adequate job heading into tonight’s game.
The line of Nikita Grebenkin – Fraser Minten – Alexander Nylander was the best line in the first period. You can see the chemistry these three have with each other with Minten hitting the post:
However, with the injury to McMann in the second period, this line was split up at times for the remainder of the game. Overall, Minten won 50% of the draws he took, which is what you want to see from a future third-line center. Minten’s line saw a lot of offensive zone time, and made several good plays in the offensive zone to keep the cycle alive.
Grebenkin stood out with his physical play and generated scoring chances with William Nylander in the offensive zone. Grebenkin almost got his first NHL assist to Mitch Marner’s power play goal late in the second to make it 3–1 Panthers. Unfortunately, it went off the Panther’s player instead. Still, you can clearly see the offensive instincts.
With Nicolas Robertson not being able to generate offence, only having one goal for one point in 20 games, perhaps Head Coach Craig Berube will sit Robertson for Minten or Grebenkin as players return to the lineup, who have shown to have a little more offensive flair in the few games they have played.
