Maple Leafs vs. Penguins observations: No hustle in the game, no points in the standings

After blowing a 3-1 lead to the Chicago Blackhawks the night before, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ attempt at battling back resulted in a 3-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins . Unfortunately, this game was a bingo board of negative Leafsisms

A former player — Noel Acciari — scores the game-winning goal.
The team gives up a goal less than a minute after scoring one for themselves.
The opposition’s goals were given, not earned.
They didn’t look remotely dangerous — and that’s putting it lightly — until they were down a goal and the third period started.

Any of these happening on their own isn’t ideal. All of them happening at once is the perfect recipe for defeat. And by no means was this defeat easy to stomach.

Three stars

The rookie was a focal point of the top line, finishing the game with a goal and five shots on net.

MATTHEW KNIES

— Omar November 26, 2023

Even though Auston Matthews matched the shot total, Knies had the better performance of the trio, and really turned it on with his aggressive forechecking. He also gave Erik Karlsson a quick flashback to Matthews’ second career goal in the NHL with that stick lift in the second period.

The line had the most going for them at 5v5 and were the only ones to muster extended offensive zone pressure. Coach Sheldon Keefe leaned on Nylander heavily in this one as he led all players in ice time with 26:10. Bertuzzi had another good performance tonight. He’s holding onto and skating with the puck more and making himself available as an option, especially in transition. He’s picking risky paths through the neutral zone and getting through uncontested while also reading Nylander and getting to those passing lanes.

TYLER BERTUZZI

Rebound goal, Leafs have the lead pic.twitter.com/B8ltRykixg

— Omar November 26, 2023

Woll was doing his best to match Tristan Jarry at the other end of the rink. I don’t think you can hang any of those goals against on him. In fact, it would probably be a lot worse if he didn’t make the stops he did.

The power of rebounds

Rebounds were the way to go for the Leafs in the goal department. Bertuzzi buried one from Morgan Rielly and Tavares for the team’s first, while Calle Järnkrok created a rebound for Knies off the rush. Knies almost set one up himself for Mitch Marner in the second as well. Games like this prove it’s a viable option. If only the Leafs went to it more often, especially on the power play (I’m looking at you, top unit).

Noticed for the wrong reasons

T.J. Brodie has prided himself on being a defenceman you don’t notice. He’s built a reputation for making small but important defensive plays, so much so that it would be the sprawling shot blocks that we’d get excited for. Tonight, however, was a game where you noticed Brodie for all the wrong reasons.

A number of key mistakes came off Brodie’s stick and his on-ice awareness had the team digging pucks out of their net. Take the first goal against, for example. The Leafs are defending a two-on-two situation with Marner in position to take Drew O’Connor while Brodie could back up and protect the side of the net. Instead, Jake Guentzel has all the room to sneak in across behind Marner and Brodie and score.

Jake Guentzel ties it 28 seconds later

he's all one with an empty cage pic.twitter.com/bmC4GONJ2X

— Omar November 26, 2023

Guentzel did something similar in the second. Brodie had his eyes on Crosby on the left and didn’t check behind him at all. Guentzel’s tap-in went wide, but it’s another unnecessary error, and the hockey gods kept the puck out of the net.

The third goal was a mixed bag of mistakes. Nick Robertson gets the puck back from Brodie along the wall and has the option of bumping it back to Mark Giordano on the point and instead sends it back to Brodie, who is behind the net. Acciari picks off Brodie’s pass attempt and roofs it on Woll.

mixed bag of mistakes

Roberston could probably send the puck up to Giordano at the point

He sends it back to Brodie and his pass is picked off. Then he screens Woll pic.twitter.com/SguBkVVpuA

— Omar November 26, 2023

Was Brodie the only defenceman making mistakes? No, Conor Timmins and Simon Benoit didn’t do themselves any favours either. But Brodie’s mistakes stand out because of who he is and where he plays in the lineup.

Nylander had the most ice time amongst forwards, but Järnkrok had the most shifts after two periods. Keefe leaned on him a lot as the Leafs were running 11-7. Järnkrok had 10 shifts in the first and 17 in the second, playing with the third and fourth lines. While I understand the reasoning — Järnkrok is a responsible player — I wonder if this could’ve been an opportunity to get Matthews and Marner going. The two have not been as explosive lately, and getting either of them out there for an extra shift or two might spark something. Especially with neither of them having a point in the last two games.

No hustle, no possession

Timing and speed are two of the main things responsible for the Leafs’ too-many-men penalties. Although they didn’t get called for one tonight, that lack of hustle didn’t get them enough extended O-zone time. Sure, they’d enter the zone, but after a couple of passing cycles, they’d get one shot, and the puck would go the other way. Puck retrieval was a serious issue tonight. They took what was given to them instead of pushing the intensity. Physical battles along the wall and behind the net are one thing, but the mini-in-zone races were a difference-maker as well. Jarry may have faced 35 shots, but a handful of them were shots he didn’t need to fight too hard for.

Game Score

Final Grade: C-

The Leafs only have five regulation wins. Five. Sample size applies, but only one of their lines has been consistently competitive and productive. What the team is best at is providing moments. One good shift here, one good power play there, one rally here, one great example of pushback there. What they haven’t done yet this season is string those moments together and put a team in a position where they have no answer. The Leafs routinely leave room for an opponent to stay in the game. They routinely slow themselves down and give the opposition time and space to get up to speed and push the game in their favour. Until this routine stops, games such as this loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins will continue.

They need more.