The Good, Bad & Ugly in the Maple Leafs’ 6-3 Loss to the Islanders

The first game without Auston Matthews since news he re-aggravated his injury was not a pretty one for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

William Nylander and Mitch Marner were a couple of the rares goods in a 6-3 loss that was rife with ugly.

The Ugly (Maple Leafs Poor Start) There are some games where I have to dig deep to find something ugly, but this wasnt one of those games.

The Maple Leafs started off poorly, conceding two goals on the first three shots.

Head Coach Craig Berube calling a timeout less than five minutes into the game? Ugly.

Nick Robertson losing track of his man, resulting in a goal? Ugly.

Joseph Woll, usually so reliable, letting in a soft goal? Ugly.

Add to that the Islanders out-chancing Toronto six to one in high-danger scoring opportunities during the first periodit was a nightmare start.

The Maple Leafs lost 6-3.

Typically, a team playing the second half of a back-to-back has the early edge against a more rested opponent, but the opposite happened here.

The Islanders came out flying, while the Maple Leafs looked sluggish and overwhelmed.

Another ugly storyline is Auston Matthews lingering upper-body injury, which has persisted since training camp.

Over three months into the season, it remains unresolved despite rest, treatment, and a specialist visit in Germany.

If Matthews cant recover soon, his availability for the playoffsthe stage where the Maple Leafs are ultimately judgedcould be in jeopardy.

The organization must prioritize Matthews long-term health, even if it means sitting him until the postseason.

The Good (William Nylander & Mitch Marner) With Matthews out, William Nylander and Mitch Marner once again demonstrated their ability to carry the team offensively.

Nylander was brilliant, scoring two goals that showcased his elite skill.

His firsta backhand with the velocity of a wrist shotleft Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin stunned.

His second, scored while falling after being tripped, was pure determination.

These were Nylanders 22nd and 23rd goals of the season, putting him one behind Leon Draisaitl in the Rocket Richard Trophy race.

Nylander is now on pace for 55 goals and has moved into 10th place in franchise history with 566 points.

Marner, as usual, was dynamic.

He made several impressive plays and earned his 35th assist of the season, setting up Bobby McManns goal.

Marners current pace of 84 assists could place him in elite company, as only Doug Gilmour has surpassed 80 assists in a season for the Maple Leafs.

Marners playmaking ability has kept the team competitive despite Matthews absence.

The Bad (Rookie George Scores Lucky Goal) Despite their poor start, the Maple Leafs entered the third period trailing by just one goal.

However, bad luck and mistakes cost them.

Rookie defenseman Isaiah Georges goal, deflected off Chris Tanevs knee, found its way through Wolls legs to make it 4-2.

Minutes later, Bobby McMann failed to tie up Noah Dobsons stick, allowing a deflection that extended the Islanders lead to 5-2.

McManns goal later pulled the Maple Leafs closer, but a Mathew Barzal empty-netter sealed the game.

Whats Next for the Maple Leafs? The Maple Leafs face a grueling schedule, playing their seventh game in 12 days against the Islanders and heading into their ninth game in 14 days on Monday against the red-hot Winnipeg Jets.

Fatigue seemed evident against New York, and now theyll take on the NHLs top team, which sits first overall with 49 points.

Its going to be a tough test for Toronto, especially with Matthews status still uncertain.

Correction In my last post, I incorrectly stated that Mondays game would air on Prime Video.

Since its a rare afternoon game (2:00 PM), it will instead be broadcast on TSN in the Toronto and Western regions.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission..

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