Maple Leafs report cards: Good effort, but too-close-for-comfort result

By / / Sports / 6 minutes of reading


That was too close for comfort.

Joseph Woll entered play Saturday as the league leader in goals-against average, and by the time the Tampa Bay Lightning found a way to beat him, the Toronto Maple Leafs had already scored four. Just when it looked like this would be a blowout, the Lightning scored three times late in the third to pull the game within one.

William Nylander eventually calmed things down with an empty net goal to end it, and though the Lightning were without Nikita Kucherov, the overall team grade is a B+ for a 5-3 victory.

Player grades

Chris Tanev: A+

Tanev picked up a primary assist on the game’s first goal by firing a point shot that was tipped in by Matthew Knies. He was strong defensively early, as well, as he blocked a shot off a dangerous rush toward the end of the frame. Tanev went back to doing his best Cale Makar impression in the second, firing a perfectly placed shot past Andrei Vasilevskiy to score his first goal as a Leaf.

Joseph Woll: A

Woll was a perfect 10 for 10 in the first, and his biggest save came in the final minute when he stoned Michael Eyssimont on a breakaway. He was just as strong in the second, as he stopped all 13 shots that he faced and refused to give the home fans something to cheer about. He made a key stop on Brandon Hagel early in the frame to maintain the lead, and after his team scored twice, he made numerous saves to bail his team out on the penalty kill.

Woll was beaten three times toward the end of the third, but it didn’t feel like they were on him.

William Nylander: A

Nylander was somehow his team’s best forward even though his only point came on an empty net goal. He deserved an assist on the opening goal, as he started the play by gaining the zone, spinning around to elude a defender and completing a clever no-look pass that caused Tampa Bay’s defence to break down. He made another impressive play toward the end of the first, as he danced around Hagel but couldn’t quite beat Vasilevskiy. Given the feeling of impending doom, his empty net goal was much needed!

Mitch Marner: A-

Marner was quietly effective and picked up two primary assists in the second period. While neither assist was anything special, he also set up a couple of dangerous chances that didn’t end up in the back of the net. He picked up at least a point in 11 of the 12 games that he played in November, and he’s been able to produce without Auston Matthews.

John Tavares: A-

Tavares scored a wicked goal with one minute to go in the second, and it felt like he “called game,” as it put his team up by four. He went to his office in front of the net, outmuscled Jake Guentzel for a loose puck and fired a no-look backhand into the back of the net.

Nick Robertson: A-

It’s been a tough season for Robertson, but it sure was nice to hear him let out an excited scream after beating Vasilevskiy in the second. He scored on an impressive shot, and his goal came just 33 seconds after Tanev scored. Though he needs to score far more often to stick in the lineup, this was a nice reminder of what he’s capable of.

Fraser Minten and Steven Lorentz: B

Minten picked up a primary assist on Robertson’s goal, and while it wasn’t anything special, he deserves some credit for gaining the zone and setting up his teammate. Lorentz was the defensively responsible veteran on the line, and he hasn’t been on the ice for a five-on-five goal against in 16 straight games.

Simon Benoit: B

Benoit spent the bulk of his first-period minutes in the defensive zone, but he found a way to step up his game in the second. He threw a solid hit on Eyssimont about halfway through the middle frame, then picked up a secondary assist by completing a breakout pass ahead of Robertson’s goal. Shortly after, he blocked a shot on the penalty kill and cleared the puck out of the zone.

The reinforcements (Matthew Knies and Auston Matthews): B-

Knies returned to the lineup after missing two games due to injury, and he gave the Leafs an early lead by tipping home a point shot seven minutes in. Matthews picked up a secondary assist on the play, and while this duo was solid defensively, it wasn’t quite as dominant as usual.

The fourth line (Nikita Grebenkin, Connor Dewar, Alex Nylander): C+

Their minutes were incredibly boring, and nothing happened on either end until they were on for a goal against in the third. You’d like to see them create more offensively, but it doesn’t feel like the team is missing David Kämpf and Ryan Reaves.

Morgan Rielly: C

Rielly picked up a secondary assist on Tavares’ goal at the end of the second. However, his pair wasn’t great, and he’s not exactly driving the bus offensively lately.

Conor Timmins: C

The Leafs were outplayed in his minutes, and Tampa’s second goal went off his skate and in. However, he wasn’t overly noticeable.

Pontus Holmberg: C

Holmberg was given an A+ opportunity to play left-wing on a line with Tavares and Marner, and he picked up a secondary assist on Toronto’s second goal. However, I’m ready to see someone else on that line, as he just doesn’t stand out in any particular way.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson: D

He got off to a rough start, making a risky pass in the offensive zone that led to a breakaway the other way. He then made an iffy change in the second that led to an odd-man rush the other way, and couldn’t clear the puck ahead of Tampa’s first goal. To cap off a rough night, he took a completely undisciplined penalty while his team was up by two with over two minutes to play.

Jake McCabe: N/A

An opposing point shot hit him in the side of the head in the second. He left the game and did not return.

Game Score

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What’s Next?

Heading home to play the Chicago Blackhawks at 7:30 p.m. Monday on Prime Video.

(Photo: Kim Klement Neitzel / Imagn Images)





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Ronda Baker is a news writer who specializes in arts, automotive, travel, and fashion. She has been writing since she was a child, and her passion for the written word has only grown since then.

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