The fate of the Toronto Maple Leafs season may come down to whether they can capitalize on a home-heavy schedule, with eight of their first nine November games at Scotiabank Arena. The Leafs were outplayed in their return home against the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday, but were still in position to get at least a point, thanks to a two-goal performance by Jack Roslovic and the goaltending of Sergei Bobrovsky, but a penalty to Darren Raddysh provided the Mammoth an opportunity they took advantage of, as Nick Schmaltz’s power-play goal was the difference in a 3-2 Utah victory.
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“That’s a good question. It took a long time for us to get going, no question,” Leafs head coach Jim Hiller said after the game. “(Bobrovsky) kept us in it, and then the stupid penalty — let’s call it what it is…..cost us. I thought we had all the momentum, and it didn’t turn out very well for us.”
Toronto was outshot 36-29 on the night, and gave up a pair of power play goals to Dylan Guenther and Schmaltz. Unlike most of his efforts in October, Bobrovsky was sharp and not the reason for Toronto going down to defeat. As with recent losses to Calgary, Seattle, and the first meeting with the Mammoth, the Leafs only showed up for part of the game and expected that would be enough to earn two points.
This is something that has plagued this club for years, and in a tightly contested Eastern Conference, it has to be pounded into their heads that it is unacceptable. This is especially true of the chronically lazy William Nylander, who seems to coast through long stretches of games and turns it on when he feels like it. Nylander is immensely talented, but his inconsistency has to be maddening to those who coach him, and is nothing that will change. It was the case with him as a youngster playing with the Marlies, and has been the case in over a decade in the NHL.
Especially with John Tavares and Kirill Marchenko out, the Leafs are more reliant on Auston Matthews and Nylander to carry more weight. Matthews assisted on both Roslovic goals, had five shots on goal and was +2 on the night, while Nylander was on the ice for the only Utah even-strength goal and did not seem to turn it on until late in the third period with the club down by a goal.
Toronto is expected to get Tavares back for their next game against Montreal on Saturday.
