The Toronto Maple Leafs were embarrassed by Connor McDavid

The new-look Toronto Maple Leafs made their debut on Wednesday night. After a flurry of moves, there were high hopes for some instant chemistry. Those dreams were shattered as it appears more time is needed for the group to gel.

Not only did the Maple Leafs lose to the tune of 2 – 5, but the referees helped save Toronto from getting completely demolished. The Leafs’ first goal appeared to have come while they were offside. Cody Ceci was so sure the whistle should have sounded that he even stopped playing.

The Oilers didn’t just score five goals, but they also had a goal called back. Not just that, Edmonton scored another while leading by three. It didn’t count since the referee lost sight of the puck and blew the play down just an instant before Warren Foegele put the biscuit into the back of the net.

The Toronto Maple Leafs had no answer for Connor McDavid

The biggest difference maker in the game was the NHL’s leading scorer, Connor McDavid. He scored his 51st and 52nd goals in the campaign. He also had an assist. Incredibly, this was McDavid’s fifth-consecutive multi-goal game.

He made things difficult for the Leafs all night. Not only did McDavid spend a great deal of time controlling the play, but he also pulled a puck off his own goal line, saving a goal. He also drew a tripping penalty on one of the Maple Leafs’ new acquisitions, Sam Lafferty. McDavid took advantage of the Leafs not having the opportunity to practice with their new players as yet and embarrassed the visiting squad.

McDavid’s performance made his coach, Jay Woodcroft’s night even sweeter. That’s because he was behind the bench for his 100th career game. The win was his 59th.

Not only were the Maple Leaf beat up on the scoreboard, but there was worry that Timothy Liljegren may have suffered an injury on the ice. He was absent from the Leafs’ bench for the majority of the third period. The good news is that he returned to finish the contest. It was suspected that he was undergoing concussion protocol in the locker room.

The game also featured a fight with unexpected combatants. After Justin Holl flattened Kailer Yamamoto with a body check behind the Leafs’ net, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins defended his teammate by dropping his gloves for a short tilt. Nugent-Hopkins got the better of Holl before both were sent to the box to serve their fighting penalties.

This was not a pretty game for the Leafs. Hopefully, the players use the loss as a motivator. They know that there is a lot of work to do before the playoffs begin to get themselves on the same page and make the needed adjustments to persevere in difficult games.

The Leafs continue their road trip through Alberta when they take on the Calgary Flames on Thursday night.