Toronto Maple Leafs Give a Point Away to Golden Knights

The Toronto Maple Leafs played a solid game, but ultimately could not overcome several glaring errors that lead to goals.

The  Toronto Maple Leafs played one of the NHL’s top teams, and outplayed them, only to lose on a late short-handed goal and an overtime coin-flip.

As in so many games this season and in previous years, the Toronto Maple Leafs continue to gift their opposition with easy zone entries.  All of this on the back of too many easy giveaways, sloppy passes , and undisciplined plays.

Tonight was an encouraging game, but also a sloppy one. The Leafs cost themselves a point in a game they would normally win with sloppy plays that led to who even knows how many breakaways.

Toronto Maple Leafs Unbeaten in Five

Sheldon Keefe called his team out on their giveaways versus Vegas. Indeed, their giveaways per 60 minutes rank 6th-worst in the league putting them among the likes of young or rebuilding outfits like Montreal, Arizona and Chicago.

Just as a contrast; last season’s Stanley Cup champions, the Colorado Avalanche have the best record in the league right now, giving up just 4.24 giveaways per 60 minutes as compared to the Toronto Maple Leafs and their 10.34 per 60 minutes.

What’s more; this isn’t just stemming from a lackadaisical bottom-six or from an elite line pushing too hard. It’s coming from the Toronto Maple Leafs blue-line too.

The team’s worst offender is Morgan Rielly with 2.93 per 60 and it’s not wholly hard to understand why; he has a propensity to push up almost to a left-winger position and it backfires.

While it’s great that he can help the team to push offence, it’s critical that he maintains puck possession or at least allows himself a chance in terms of defending the rush.

Pierre Engvall in particular stood out in the Vegas loss with 3 giveaways to his name, which doubled his total coming into the game. In one game against one of the league’s top teams, you can’t give them the puck that easily.

Also among the worst statistical performers across the season thus far are Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, though their appearance near the top of the list is a little more justifiable.

Creating offence certainly induces that extra risk and these are elite producers of offence, so you can argue that they’re obviously at greater risk of turning the puck over.

Of course though, when the puck turnover comes as the result of trying to thread that extra pass instead of taking the shot yourself, you can start arguing otherwise.

What’s more; both players offset their giveaways though in terms of takeaways with Matthews averaging 3.23 and Marner 3.09 per 60 minutes of ice-time (statistics from NHL.com). Perhaps their individual numbers become a little easier to stomach with this in mind.

Looking down the list of those not committing too many giveaways, it’s plain to see that Calle Jarnkrok has been a decent addition in terms of easily giving the puck away.

Likewise, the appearance of William Nylander right down the bottom of the list points to just how well he protects the puck once it’s on his stick and perhaps speaks to an element of his game that people might not notice too often.

Realistically, the Toronto Maple Leafs aren’t going to play too many games like they did last night where the giveaways are so obvious, frequent, and which end up in the back of the net.  The fact that they outplayed a top team and picked up a point is far more important.