Just like everyone else tonight, it looked like the Maple Leafs’ minds were on the Toronto Blue Jays instead of the task at hand.
The tone for this game was set on the very first shift when the Tavares line was promptly dominated. A few shifts later, the Nic Roy line did generate some pushback and dominated a shift of their own in response. The Leafs followed it up with another mess of a shift from the Tavares line that ended with Simon Benoit swatting the puck off the goal line with his glove and narrowly avoiding a penalty shot in the process. When the third line is the only line that shows a pulse early on, though, it’s only a matter of time until the team gives one up. Seven minutes in, the Leafs fell behind.
There’s not much to dissect on the goal. Simon Benoit received a pass from Jake McCabe, had time and space to make an actual play with the puck or attempt a real pass, and tried to flip the puck to the neutral zone. He flubbed the play, Columbus got a piece of it, and it handcuffed Tavares, who also made a poor play, resulting in a turnover at the Leafs‘ blue line that Columbus immediately transitioned and scored off the rush. You can argue there’s some bad luck that Benoit fanned on the flip-out, but it’s a bad process to me. More often than not, the Leafs don’t even try to break out cleanly.
After the goal, the Leafs did pick it up slightly, putting three of the game’s next four shots on the Columbus net, and they started to establish some zone time. That zone time turned into a poor decision by Benoit to pinch on a puck he had no chance of ever getting, and Matthew Knies and Matias Maccelli both did not support him properly as they lost the puck in the air. Mathieu Olivier planted Maccelli when he was attempting to cover for Benoit, and the Jackets pounced on the loose puck, racing up the ice for a 2v1.
The actual goal was a clean look for Werenski on an odd-man rush with speed, but it was also scored short-side low glove on Cayden Primeau. Like many of the Blue Jackets’ goals tonight, there were clear issues leading to the goal, but it’s also okay for Primeau to make a save.
In the second period, the Leafs came out with some purpose. Sammy Blais scored in his first game as a Leaf just under three minutes into the period as he bunted a rebound into the open net. Steven Lorentz did well on the forecheck to win the puck and come around the net, where he found a streaking Jake McCabe, who made a nice stutter play before getting a good shot off. Blais crashed the net well, and suddenly, the Leafs were back in the game.
To the Leafs’ credit — and I’m sure this will get lost in the shuffle of the night — they dominated the next stretch of play. They should have tied it multiple times, most notably on a clean look for Matthew Knies in the slot all alone off a faceoff play. They were credited with nine shots over the next six minutes but had nothing to show for it before Columbus restored their two-goal lead following a comedy of errors by the Leafs.
Once again, the Leafs’ defense possessed the puck with plenty of time and space only to cough it up. This time, Morgan Rielly ripped a crisp pass right up the middle of the ice onto Columbus’ tape. They quickly transitioned into the zone, but even still, the Leafs fended off the rush, and there were four Leafs below the top of the circle to only one Columbus Blue Jacket player. But no Leafs defender boxed out or covered anyone. Columbus centered it, and the puck made its way to a streaking Ivan Provorov, who went forehand-backhand and scored against the grain.
At 3-1, it still didn’t feel over, given the Leafs were starting to control play and pile up shots on net. They recorded a whopping 18 in the second period, but they scored just once. Columbus registered seven shots on net, and they scored three times.
The 4-1 goal came on a 2v1, courtesy of Auston Matthews’ failure to handle a puck that came right at him and was neither too fast nor too hard. It went right through Matthews at the offensive blue line, springing a 2v1 that Columbus easily cashed.
For good measure, the Blue Jackets scored again on yet another odd-man rush to make it 5-1. This time, though, the Leafs at least had an argument to make. Steven Lorentz tried corralling a high pass, and it was a tough play. The Columbus defender got his stick on him, but it’s hard to tell if Lorentz got tripped up or stumbled on his own feet. Either way, he went flying into the end boards, leading to the 4v3 rush where a simple drop pass gave Dante Fabbro a wide-open look that he buried easily past Primeau.
All in all, by the time the second period ended, Columbus scored five goals on 13 shots. Were there too many grade As? Yes. Is the Leafs’ rush defense still a nightmare? Yes. But can their goalie be expected to make a save at some point? Also yes.
The main takeaway of the third period is that John Tavares scored his 500th goal. It’s an amazing accomplishment as he becomes the 49th player in league history to reach the milestone. It’s too bad that the context of the goal was to make it 6-2 for the opposition on the road. Tavares deserved better for #500, and truthfully, it was a little disappointing to see it go down like this. He didn’t get to celebrate or truly enjoy the moment.
Nick Robertson also scored with just under two minutes left, but it was too little, too late. The five-hole finish was nice, though.
Post-Game Notes
– When we step back and take stock of this game, the Leafs generated a ton of chances and generally controlled play. It showed in the shot count and scoring chances; the Leafs owned nearly 70% of the expected goals. But — and it’s a big but — their breakdowns were terrible. Their rush defense is extremely leaky, and they remain near the bottom of the league in goals against per game. They are giving up quality looks, and their goaltending hasn’t been good enough to bail them out, not that they should have to. It is early yet, but I’m still floored at how bad the team looks defensively. It feels like a scoring chance is on the table anytime the other team has the puck.
To compound matters, when any of the Leafs’ defensemen had the puck on their stick, a scoring chance was on the table for Columbus, too.
– The Tavares line followed up their best game against Calgary by getting outscored 3-0 tonight. They weren’t ready to go from puck drop, and while they did create some good chances in the second period, it was a disappointing follow-up to a game that should have been a stepping stone.
– The Dakota Joshua – Nic Roy – Easton Cowan line was good yet again. They didn’t get scored on, and they generated at least three shifts where they hemmed Columbus deep in the offensive zone with their cycling and ability to get to the net. Every player on the line recorded at least a shot on net for a total of six between them, and they won their minutes 16-10 on the shot-attempt counter. It was well earned.
– It was a nice debut for Sammy Blais, who threw some nice hits, scored a goal and an assist, and worked a few nice cycles in just under 11 minutes of ice time. Steven Lorentz did not return after crashing into the boards, and it looked like an injury that could take some time to heal (he was visibly upset afterward). There’s an opportunity either way for Blais, considering how a good chunk of the team’s forwards are playing on a nightly basis.
– I like Bobby McMann, and I understand why he’s playing high in the lineup. He has size, he can skate, and he can shoot. They want a big body to forecheck, and they are spreading out Knies with Tavares and ideally Nylander with Matthews while McMann provides the dirty work. At the same time, McMann is now on a seven-game pointless streak. It simply can’t happen on the top line.
– Of course, McMann might be able to collect some cheap points if his centerman was producing. Auston Matthews is on a three-game pointless streak; in a vacuum, those things will happen. More concerning is the way he’s playing. He has 13 shots on net over the three games, but it’s a deceiving number. He simply doesn’t look dangerous. He’s not taking shifts over, let alone games, let alone looking like the best player on the ice.
11 games into the season, Matthews hasn’t been the best player on the ice — or even close to it, really — once. This isn’t all on Matthews, but he is the leader and the tone setter. Right now, he is setting the tone for the team’s middling and inconsistent play on the ice.
– Cayden Primeau has won two of his three starts, and if anyone told you that’s what would happen during Joseph Woll’s absence, you’d happily take it, no questions asked. But tonight was definitely a night where you really felt Woll’s absence. Woll is easily capable of winning this game, defensive lapses and all. Stolarz has been overworked already, too. It’s great that Woll is back with the team — and we know it will take him some time to get ramped up — but his return can’t come soon enough.
Game Flow: 5v5 Shot Attempts
