Leafs Surrender Big Lead In Loss To Vegas

The Toronto Maple Leafs did their best Nashville Predators imitation in the first of a three-game road swing against the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday. Like the Preds in the Leafs 5-4 overtime win on Tuesday, Toronto jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period on goals by Jack Roslovic, Easton Cowan, and Nick Paul, but slowly allowed the Golden Knights to take over play, and for the remaining 50 minutes of regulation and five minutes of overtime, the only thing that prevented the Leafs from losing two points was Sergei Bobrovsky.

Bobrovsky made 40 saves in the shootout loss, and most of that came in the second and third periods, where the Leafs were outshot 32-12. Toronto had very few scoring chances on a shaky Adin Hill after their early outburst, and by the four-minute mark of the middle frame, the three-goal Toronto lead had evaporated.

“He got us a point, for the most part.’ Leafs coach Jim Hiller said after the game. “He gave us a chance to win, and ultimately, in the end, he probably got us a point, right? That’s what great goalies do. The nights when you’re off a little bit, like we were in the second particularly, he was able to hold it for us. You need those saves. When you don’t get them…they could’ve got three or four, and the game’s over.”

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Once again, consistent effort was an issue for the Leafs. Both William Nylander and John Tavares struggled on the night, to the point that Hiller flip-flopped Nylander and Kirill Marchenko on the top two lines, looking for a spark. The old Dr. Nylander and Mr. Willie split performance personality seems to be back with #88. He scored both goals in the loss to Montreal and three points in the win over the Preds, but in the other three games, he has either been a liability or a ghost.

Another concern has to been the ineffective play of some on the fourth line. Brandon Duhaime has provided some of the jam, energy, and penalty killing, but veteran Teddy Blueger has been subpar at five-on-five through five games, and Benoit-Olivier Groulx is currently showing that his performance last season may have been a mirage, as he played just 6:09 against Vegas.

Blueger’s play could improve when linemate Dakota Joshua returns, but Hiller may be looking for some other options, which is why on Friday, the Leafs recalled forward Miles Wood from the AHL Marlies. Wood, 31, was acquired in the Marchenko deal late last month after being placed and clearing waivers by Columbus, and had 14 points (8 goals, 6 assists) in 54 games last season. The veteran winger has speed, and in his best seasons with New Jersey and Colorado, was a disturber who compiled from 75 to 91 points.

Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson left the game in the third period after being checked and dumped behind the Vegas net by Golden Knights defenseman Jeremy Lauzon. OEL did not return for overtime, and Hiller is expected to provide an update on his health on Friday in Las Vegas, where they will practice before traveling to Denver for a Saturday night match against the Avalanche.