• There’s a further expansion of these ideas in this post-game essay, but Mitch Marner, John Tavares and Bobby McMann stole the show, while tasked with shutting down the Connor McDavid line. It wasn’t quite a shutdown effort — Marner and Tavares finished with superior expected goals, McDavid boasted greater shot creation but when it came down to what actually matters, McMann scored twice, using his world-class speed to perfection, Marner was excellent in all facets, while Tavares’ strength and hockey intelligence were on full display once again. Marner and Tavares are the primary reasons why the Maple Leafs are 5-1 in Auston Matthews’ six-game injury-related absence, and McMann continues to raise his ceiling when paired with linemates who can actualize his pace and opportunism. It was a terrific performance overall, against the most challenging line in the NHL.
• Ryan Reaves’ match penalty will likely warrant a suspension from the NHL Department of Player Safety, given his reputation and the fact that Darnell Nurse was ruled out almost immediately with an upper-body injury. If Reaves is out of the lineup, it may inadvertently create some space for Alex Steeves to make a permanent dent in the lineup. Toronto lacks depth scoring, Max Pacioretty is still weeks away from recovering from a lower-body ailment, and Craig Berube seems to openly value internal competition. Let the Battle of the Bottom Six begin, or more accurately, continue!
• Chris Tanev does all the small things at an elite level and he’s formed a true shutdown pairing alongside Jake McCabe. You can isolate Tanev’s results independent of McCabe on Saturday, not because McCabe played poorly by any stretch, but rather that Tanev’s game was elevated. Tanev blocked eight shots with six blocks at 5-on-5, he was instrumental in killing the five-minute match penalty assessed to Reaves, he made quiet, clean exits and his communication when paired against McDavid and Zach Hyman was stellar.
• Saturday’s victory didn’t require an immediate look at the underlying numbers, but William Nylander created 14 individual scoring chances in all situations and drove his line with Matthew Knies and Max Domi. He also won 4-of-7 faceoffs, and if you want to re-litigate the Nylander-at-centre argument, winning draws against top competition is a stellar argument, along with the central idea that it’s the easiest pathway to greater ice time. It’s at least something Berube can rely upon situationally, while continuing to optimize and tinker with the roster.
• We don’t want to be unfair to Jani Hakanpaa, as it’s his second NHL game of the season, after working his way back from a knee injury that prematurely ended his 2023-24 season. Hakanpaa simply needs to be better with the puck, he had four giveaways and no takeaways, and they were largely unforced. The game appeared to be moving too quickly for Hakanpaa to make calm decisions and he was quietly bailed out by Morgan Rielly too often. Hakanpaa is a likeable, jovial presence around the team, he’s clearly valued by Berube and Brad Treliving, but his puck management simply needs to be better, with Simon Benoit as an obvious candidate to return.

PRESENTED BY PRIME VIDEO