Despite Maple Leafs Turmoil, There Are Sunny Spots

The Toronto Maple Leafs faced yet another setback with their recent 6-3 loss to the Ottawa Senators. It was the team’s fifth loss in their last six games. They’ve now given up at least four goals in each of their seven home games on the season. That’s the bad news.

Despite the challenges, the sky is not falling. A closer look reveals a few bright spots amid the chaos.

Related: 3 Takeaways from Senators 6-3 Win Over Maple Leafs

William Nylander Is Showing Great Consistency

Amidst the Maple Leafs struggles, William Nylander continues to shine. Last night, he wasted no time extending his season-opening point streak by sending a wrist shot past the Senators’ goalie. It was his seventh goal of the season to give the Maple Leafs an early lead.

Nylander also contributed an assist on Tyler Bertuzzi’s game-tying goal in the second period. With his performance, Nylander has points in all 13 games this season. Over that span, he has put up a solid 18 points (on seven goals and 11 assists). With Mitch Marner not getting a point during the game, Nylander moves back into second place in Maple Leafs scoring.

John Tavares Joined the Top 100 NHL Scorers

John Tavares is having a solid season. While he’s on the downside of his career, he’s shown a veteran presence this season. Last night, he provided assists on both Nylander and Bertuzzi’s goals. With those assists, Tavares hit 989 career points. That pushes him into the top 100 in all-time NHL scoring.

Related: Sens Score Six, Maple Leafs’ Defense Is In Horrible Trouble

Despite recent struggles, the Tavares-Nylander-Bertuzzi line emerged as the Maple Leafs’ best in last night’s game. Perhaps there’s a potential turnaround? Give credit where credit is due. Tavares has been playing well and is not close to showing his age.

Nick Robertson Is Showing Promise

Nick Robertson’s recent call-up from the Toronto Marlies has proven to be valuable. He scored a goal at 7:42 of the third period, which was the result of his hard work with the team’s third line. The new third line of Max Domi, Calle Jarnkrok, and Robertson has been working well for the past two games they’ve been together.

Last night, Robertson took a well-executed saucer pass from Domi on a two-on-one and skillfully roofed a shot over the goalie’s shoulder. Robertson’s goal tied the game at 3-3 before the team’s unfortunate three-minute collapse. With two points in two games since his call-up from the Marlies, Robertson’s consistent performance suggests that he should have a more secure spot on the roster if he maintains this level of play.

Maple Leafs Have a Chance to Turn Things Around

All day long, I’ve been reading (and I admit) writing dire notes about the level of the Maple Leafs collective play. And, it was that bad. That said, there might always be something to appreciate about the team.

Despite the disappointing overall result – another sloppy defensive effort that resulted in a loss, the team got positive contributions from Nylander, Tavares, and Robertson. Tomorrow will be another day and the Maple Leafs will win another game or two in the future.

Over the next three days, the team will face back-to-back games against the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks. Can they turn the tide and potentially finish the home stand with a winning record? Who knows?

That said, there will be something positive to write about. I’ll try to find it.

Related: Whatever Happened to Ex-Maple Leafs Alex Galchenyuk?