The Boston Bruins defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-3 on Saturday night, extending their winning streak to six games and halting Toronto's three-game streak. Despite the loss, there were both positive and negative takeaways for the Maple Leafs.
Three Positives for the Maple Leafs:
- Power Play Improvement: After focusing on special teams during the week, the Maple Leafs' power play showed signs of life. Nicholas Robertson scored on an early power play, assisted by Max Domi and Morgan Rielly. Later in the game, John Tavares added another power-play goal, with an assist from William Nylander. The team went 2 for 5 on the power play, which is a considerable improvement.
- Resilient First Period: The Maple Leafs demonstrated resilience in the first period, tying the game twice after the Bruins took the lead. Matias Maccelli's goal tied the game at 2-2 to end the first period.
- Dennis Hildeby's Relief Performance: After Anthony Stolarz was pulled, Dennis Hildeby stepped in and stopped 19 of 20 shots. Hildeby's performance provided stability in net and prevented the game from getting further out of reach.
Three Negatives for the Maple Leafs:
- Anthony Stolarz's Struggles: Stolarz allowed four goals on 19 shots and was pulled midway through the second period. He allowed goals on the Bruins' first two shots of the game. His save percentage stands at .889 through 12 games. Coach Craig Berube described Stolarz's performance as "inconsistent, like our team".
- Defensive Lapses: The Maple Leafs had defensive breakdowns, contributing to the Bruins' scoring opportunities. Dakota Joshua and Philippe Myers had a turnover in front of the net, leading to one of Boston's goals. The Bruins managed to fire a season-high 39 shots on goal.
- Scott Laughton's Injury: Scott Laughton left the game after a hit from Nikita Zadorov in the second period and a subsequent fight between Zadorov and Bobby McMann. Laughton had just returned from a lower-body injury. Coach Berube confirmed that Laughton would be unavailable for the next game.
The Bruins capitalized on Toronto's mistakes, with Fraser Minten, a former Maple Leaf, scoring against his old team. Jeremy Swayman made 30 saves for Boston. The Maple Leafs will need to address their goaltending and defensive issues as they prepare for their next game against the Carolina Hurricanes.
