Editor In Leaf
Fansided

Toronto Maple Leafs Look to End Lucky Devils Streak

By James Tanner

NEWARK, NJ - FEBRUARY 01: Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates during the game against the New Jersey Devils on February 1, 2022 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Getty Images)
NEWARK, NJ - FEBRUARY 01: Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates during the game against the New Jersey Devils on February 1, 2022 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The first game without Morgan Rielly – who will not require surgery – is tonight against the ice cold New Jersey Devils.

The Devils won a coin toss last week in overtime, beating the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2.

The Leafs have lost just once in the last 11 games, the Devils haven’t even lost a single time in their last 13.

The difference between the two teams?  The Devils are 3-0 in OT while the Leafs are 1-5.  There is a lot of annoying consternation about the Leafs OT record, but they should complertely ignore it, not talk about it, not practice it more or really, care about it in any way.

OT is mostly random.  And to the degree that it is not, the Leafs will usually win since they have a ridiculous roster.  Nothing to worry about, and the sooner you learn about how results fluctuate, the happier and less stressful your life will be.

Toronto Maple Leafs vs Devils

A rare pressure-free game for the Toronto Maple Leafs?

You know it.

Up against a 13-0 juggernaut, without their “three best defensemen” no one will be expecting anything good, but this is when you get surprised about how much of a different Auston Matthews alone can make.

Talk about Matthews is even more annoying than OT talk.

He is shooting 3% at 5v5, and will be fine.  In fact, he’ll still probably flirt with 70 goals and win the goal scoring title.  The last time I checked, which as Saturday, he was second in the NHL in 5v5 shots per minute, and second in the NHL in scoring chances per minute, behind only the great and mighty Tage Thompson.

Of course, you’d never know this if you got your news exclusively from the Nick Kypreos show, where they are tricked by results into thinking he’s “off.”

He isn’t.

Mac Hollowell will make his NHL debut tonight.

A 24 year-old right-shooting offensive defenseman with nine points in 11 AHL games this year, Hollowell will be the fifth of nine selections the Leafs made in 2018 to make his NHL debut.

Not bad for Kyle Dubas’ first draft, and Semyond Der-Arguchintsov is racking up points with the Marlies and will make his NHL debut this year at some point too.

There is a lot of worry about the Leafs blue-line, but they have two homegrown players bordering on being stars, and they have a whole bunch of viable prospects in Kral, Hollowell, Kokanen and Niemela.

Next. The Ultimate Leafs Team of the Last Decade. dark

At the very least, they’ve got some nice trade chips.  Look for Matt Murray in net and for the Leafs to end the Devils winning ways.

Home/Analysis