theathleticuk
A troubling sound echoed throughout Scotiabank Arena on Saturday night: “Olé, Olé, Olé!” Typically reserved for Montreal Canadiens fans ushering losing opponents off the ice in Quebec, the chant rang out in Toronto as the Leafs fell 4-2 to their Original Six rivals. A sizable contingent of Canadiens supporters made their presence felt, and the home team gave them plenty to cheer about.
Turnovers, difficulty breaking the puck out of their own zone, a lack of offense, and a key injury combined to produce another concerning loss for Toronto. Two third-period goals in less than a minute provided fleeting hope, but shift after shift, the Leafs looked either sloppy with the puck or overwhelmed by Montreal’s pressure. “We shot ourselves in the foot,” John Tavares said.
The defeat, coupled with an ineffective performance Tuesday against the Utah Mammoth, highlighted the widening gap between the league’s elite teams and the Leafs. Through 18 of 84 games, Toronto has just seven regulation wins, only three of which have come against teams currently in a playoff spot. With American Thanksgiving approaching, the Leafs do not resemble a team capable of dictating play the way their recent opponents have.
Injuries have played a part—Kirill Marchenko has been absent, and Tavares missed more than half of the young season—but inconsistency and mistake-filled performances are more to blame. The NHL’s best teams avoid such pitfalls, and that is precisely what is keeping Toronto out of their class. After losing four of their last five, the Leafs sit at 8-8-2, tied for last in the Atlantic Division in points percentage. Notably, their record after 18 games last season was also 8-8-2.
McKenna’s Turnovers Prove Costly
Even before the second period ended, Gavin McKenna’s game felt like one he would want to forget. It could lead to changes for the high-risk, high-reward forward. Drafted as a playmaker, the No. 1 pick reverted to his junior hockey days against Montreal, making careless passes when safe plays were available. The Canadiens capitalized, scoring goals after two of his turnovers.
On Montreal’s first goal, McKenna made a short pass in his own zone that Oliver Kapanen read easily. Kapanen intercepted it, and eight seconds later, the puck bounced off Jake McCabe and then Sergei Bobrovsky’s skate into the Leafs’ net. The second goal followed a similar script: already out of the defensive zone, Brandon Duhaime launched a pass to no one in particular. The Canadiens recovered in the Leafs’ zone and caught the home team flat-footed. Alex Newhook’s expertly tipped shot was one thing, but Toronto should never have been caught in its own zone to begin with.
The dagger came in the second period. McKenna made a head-scratching cross-ice pass to McCabe in the offensive zone instead of cycling the puck back toward the Canadiens’ goal. Veteran Chris Kreider picked it off and beat Bobrovsky on a breakaway. The pass was so questionable that it won’t need to be shown in video sessions—McKenna’s solemn face on the broadcast immediately after Kreider’s goal might be the video that matters. “That’s what killed us,” McKenna said of his turnovers.
McKenna did not see the ice again in the second period (7:03 of ice time) after the Canadiens’ second goal. “I knew I was going to sit for that one,” he said. The 18-year-old continues to search for a balance between risk and safety. He can change a game for the better when moving with pace and making slick, creative passes, but those opportunities are rare against good teams. There will come a time when McKenna understands the right moment to make such plays; Saturday night was full of the wrong times.
McKenna did score in the third period to pull the Leafs within one, and his forceful celebration looked like catharsis after his errors. Good on coach Jim Hiller for not benching one of his few creative players when offense was needed. McKenna said Hiller pulled him aside during the second intermission, likely to instill confidence. “Honestly, it fired me up,” McKenna said. Hiller could have even more faith in his rookie if McKenna learns from Saturday night. “(McKenna) had a couple of turnovers, and you just can’t do it. You can’t continue to do it, you know what I mean?” Hiller said.
Rielly’s Injury a Major Blow
Morgan Rielly’s stellar run of late has made him one of the Leafs’ best defensemen. After questions about his future in Toronto to start the season, the longest-tenured Leaf is silencing doubters. He entered the game as the league leader among defensemen in five-on-five primary assists (eight), and there is confidence in his game. “I spent time trying to put my finger on it, and I’m at the point now where I’m just trying to roll with it and ride it,” Rielly recently told The Athletic.
Rielly had a decent start against Montreal but played just one shift early in the second period. After a Canadiens two-on-one, he turned and appeared to be hobbling as he skated in his own zone. His shift lasted just 35 seconds. Not long afterward, the Leafs announced he would not return. They did not generate sustained offense through the second period without him. Hiller did not offer a concrete update. “Obviously, (Rielly) didn’t finish; that’s never a good sign,” Hiller said. “It’s a big blow, so hopefully it’s not too long.”
A Leafs team that already struggles to move the puck out of its own zone could miss Rielly dearly if he is out for a lengthy stretch. Reliable defenseman Dakota Mermis has been a healthy scratch, but he is not the answer for missing offense. Of note, the leading scorer among Marlies defensemen is 22-year-old recent NCAA signing Vinny Borgesi. The 5-foot-8 puck mover has 8 points in 10 games and is a daring defender who can easily free the puck from his own zone. However, due to tagging issues, the Leafs cannot call up Borgesi. The only defenders they can summon from the Marlies are those with identical NHL and AHL salaries: Cole McWard and Philippe Myers. Those two have a combined 10 points in 21 games.
Tavares Adjusts to Wing
In his return from a nine-game injury absence, John Tavares was moved to left wing. The longtime center has played wing sparingly for the Leafs but did so for Canada at the last World Championship. Tavares has not been at his best to start the season, with paltry underlying numbers. Moving him to the wing makes sense in theory: he is an aging forward without clear foot speed. But against Montreal, he was not all that noticeable. Dominant shifts were few and far between. One of the Leafs’ best players on faceoffs struggled at the dot, winning just three of 11 draws. Linemate William Nylander scored and hit two posts, looking more engaged than he has of late. But Tavares’ play highlighted how much Hiller is struggling to put together dominant and consistent lines in his middle six. As has been the case for much of the season, nothing Hiller is trying is sticking.
Bobrovsky’s Ongoing Struggles
Sergei Bobrovsky has now made 12 starts for the Leafs and has allowed fewer than three goals in just one. It is a constant talking point, and that is the problem: when the Leafs need to build momentum, Bobrovsky has been unable to batten down the hatches. This loss is not squarely on him the way some on the recent western trip were. Bobrovsky faced shots he probably should not have after multiple unforced errors, and a flurry of saves midway through the second period were crucial. But there was a feeling that with a big, timely save, the Leafs could have swung momentum back in the first period. That save never came. Those kinds of game-swaying saves have not come enough to start the season. Bobrovsky’s history suggests he could turn things around as the temperature drops. He deserves the benefit of the doubt. But on Saturday, the Leafs started the third period in a hole. Even with a dramatic comeback attempt, they could not climb out. A crucial save or two might have made that hole much less steep.
Originally reported by theathleticuk.