The Toronto Maple Leafs blew a two-goal third-period lead and eventually lost 5-4 in overtime to the Buffalo Sabres at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday night.
Auston Matthews and Kirill Marchenko scored for the Leafs, while Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 29 of 34 shots.
Like the Maple Leafs had this game wrapped up, I had a positive and uplifting article ready to go until there were10 minutes left in the third period. Let's dive into the ** takeaways from the night that was.
Auston Matthews has play of the season
This was a very disappointing ending to what was otherwise a very encouraging game. So, let's start with some positives, and we'll eventually get to the negatives.
As slick as Marchenko's first goal was, and we'll get to it, Matthews maybe had the play of the season, and it happened moments before his goal.
Less than three minutes into the game, Matthews stopped a Buffalo clearing attempt by jumping and catching the puck at the blue line, landing, putting the puck on his stick, and passing it over to Jack Roslovic, before finishing the play with a one-timer at the top of the crease.
I don't know why I was so enamored with this whole sequence, but I must have watched it 20 times. I've said it, and a bunch of our writers have said it as well, but Matthews looks different. It's clear that he's healthy, but it's more than that. He's fired up and ready to go, and plays like this continues to silence anyone who doubted him coming into this season.
Kirill Marchenko has breakout night in the blue and white
At the morning skate on Thursday, the newest member of the Maple Leafs seemed to will tonight into existence.
"Off the ice, everything is awesome for me," Marchenko said. "If I play a little better on the ice, I will be so happy."
In his 300th game in the NHL, Marchenko had his fifth career hat trick in what was his breakout game for the Maple Leafs. On a night that should be celebrated, it's too bad that it had to end on such a sour note.
"I will remember this night for sure, but it's bad when lose the game, and winning is more important," Marchenko said on Thursday night. "I get frustrated too because it's my mistake in overtime. Good goals, but I want to win games more. Just learn from that."
While I personally think the Matthews sequence was nicer, if you told me Marchenko's first goal of the night was better, I wouldn't argue it. At 13:10 of the opening period, the 26-year-old took a pass from Tavares, put the puck between his legs, and lifted it over Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
He went on to score his second at 11:13 and 16:51 of the second to complete the hat trick.
Jim Hiller makes first blunders behind the bench
The big picture story in this game was that the Maple Leafs had a 4-2 lead halfway through the third period and lost the game. However, head coach Jim Hiller's questionable decisions behind the bench will be what is talked about most on Friday morning
It seemed that Hiller's approach to a two-goal lead was to sit back and protect the lead. I don't know how many times we see this every week in the NHL, but a lead of three goals or less is never safe in this league, never mind a lead of two goals against a team that was fifth in scoring last season.
You have the firepower. Use it. There's no need to play on your heels with that much time on the clock.
That topic was still secondary to the inexplicable benching of Gavin McKenna. The 18-year-old's last shift was about halfway through the second period, and he never saw the ice again. He totaled 6:36 for the game. Zack MacEwan also did not see the ice in the third period.
Hiller tried to explain it after the game, but to me, it sounded like a guy who knew he made a mistake and was trying to soften the blow.
"That was my decision," Hiller said. "We had those penalties (two minors in the final five minutes of the second period).
"I wanted to get him out there. He sat through those penalties, and then I didn't get him out there and in the last few minutes, we're just trying to get out of the period.
"Now, as I've sat him for so long, and he sits in the intermission, so I probably should have got him out there early in the third. I didn't, so I'll talk to him about that."
The bottom line is that a mistake was made. With John Tavares' injury, and McKenna and MacEwan being cold, the Leafs were down three forwards in the third period. The Leafs lacked energy as the third period went on, and they obviously could have used both of those guys.
Final thoughts and notes from Thursday's loss
1. John Tavares leaves in third
Tavares left the game at 2:32 of the third period after a collision with Josh Norris. As of Thursday night, there is no update on his status.
2. The big boys are racking up the points early in the season
Through eight games, Toronto's top dogs are racking up the points. Matthews had six goals and 13 points, Nylander has five goals and 12 points, and Marchenko has four goals and nine points.
3. What are the Leafs going to do with Morgan Rielly?
Morgan Rielly has been a lightning rod in Toronto over the last couple of seasons, and it's not getting any better early in this campaign. He was a minus-two again on Thursday and is a minus-five for the season. The Maple Leafs have defensive issues in general, and the play of Rielly is not helping matters at all.
Up next for the Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs will host the New York Islanders on Saturday and the San Jose Sharks on Monday before heading to Columbus to take on the Blue Jackets on Tuesday.
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