The Maple Leafs didn’t exactly put on a clinic Sunday, but they still walked away with a 4-2 win over the Canucks, including an empty-netter.
It was one of those nights where the Leafs could look messy and still end up comfortably on top. Some of their best players had off games.
It barely mattered. Vancouver pushed hard, but the Canucks never really gave the sense they were about to take control, even with the shot total tilting their way overall.
The Leafs’ second period was the best stretch of the night, though they couldn’t quite sustain that level afterward. Still, they did enough. John Chayka’s idea that this team needed to be able to win in multiple ways showed up here, because this one was not pretty.
Chris Tanev barely registered in the game, which, in this case, is probably a compliment. No news on a defenseman usually means he did his job.
Dakota Joshua was another notable presence for Vancouver. He had chances to score three times if he were, uh, not Dakota Joshua, but finishing has never really been the main part of his game. What he did do was keep the puck moving toward the Canucks’ goalie rather than toward Stolarz, and that mattered.
The Leafs also had to deal with a punishing schedule, and several people pointed to Friday’s practice in Vancouver as the longest they’ve had so far this season. That kind of calendar doesn’t leave much room to clean things up, but the coming week looks more open and could help.
Elsewhere, the Ducks signed Jensen, a one-time it-boy who every Leafs fan wanted, to a two-year deal worth $2.25 million. He’s appeared in three games for Anaheim. Betcha he’s still better than Nick Blankenburg though.
And as for any fantasy Leafs trade chatter, even if it technically fits on a 10-team “yes” no-trade list, come on. That would be too silly for words.
In Other News...
Leafs Win Still Came With The Problem Fans Keep Seeing
The win in Vancouver gave the Maple Leafs a clean result to take home, but Jim Hiller still spent much of his postgame talking about the parts of the game that need to settle in. After the 4-2 finish, the coach pointed to the teams uneven play through 16 games, while also noting encouraging signs from Anthony Stolarz in goal and the way Torontos forecheck took over in the second period. With a busy road trip behind them, the Leafs are now looking at practice time as a chance to tighten up some of the details that have kept the group from looking fully connected.
Hiller also touched on the ongoing adjustment for Gavin McKenna, whose transition to the NHL level remains a work in progress, even as the coaching staff keeps searching for the right combinations. The returns of Dakota Joshua and Chris Tanev were part of that broader picture, too, as Toronto continues to sort out how its lineup pieces fit together after time away. For a team that can still bank points while leaving questions on the table, the next stretch may say as much about its growth as the final score did. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Are Waiting On A Kirill Marchenko Recovery Twist
Kirill Marchenkos status has become one of the quieter concerns hanging over the Maple Leafs, with the forward currently sidelined by a lower-body injury and the team still without a clear timeline for his return. For a club trying to keep its forward group intact, the uncertainty matters just as much as the injury itself, especially when a players availability can shape how the lineup is managed night to night.
Marchenko has at least offered a small glimpse of progress away from the rink, appearing on social media in a knee brace while working through stickhandling exercises at home. It is the kind of update that suggests he is staying engaged, but it still leaves Toronto waiting for the next real sign that his recovery is moving toward a return. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Face A Goaltending Decision Fans Wont All Agree On
The Maple Leafs are weighing a familiar kind of early-season question in goal: stick with the hot hand or go back to the veteran who was expected to carry more of the load. Anthony Stolarz has given them a strong start, and the club is also trying to be smart about how it manages workloads with a busy schedule coming up, which makes the decision feel bigger than one game.
Sergei Bobrovskys uneven start has only sharpened the debate, because Toronto knows it cannot afford to let the position become a nightly guessing game. For now, the Leafs are still sorting out whether the safest path is to keep riding Stolarz or give Bobrovsky another chance to settle in, and it is the kind of call that can shape both the short-term rotation and the mood around the crease. [Read more 🡒]