Four Takeaways from Maple Leafs’ 3-1 Loss to Golden Knights

 It was a game that the Toronto Maple Leafs were never really in, at least in the first part of the periods. As a result, they lost to a team that was more ready and quicker off the mark. The end result was 3-1 for the Vegas Golden Knights.

It might have been worse if goalie Ilya Samsonov hadn’t had a good game. The Golden Knights were in behind the Maple Leafs’ defense all night long. It showed in the score. The Maple Leafs had some pushback, but too little too late.

As Golden Knights’ goalie Logan Thompson said after the game. ‘I felt good all night. The guys at the back end and the forward group made my job real easy.”

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Takeaway One: Nick Robertson Continues to Play Well

Nick Robertson registered an assist on William Nylander’s goal. He also put himself in harm’s way by blocking shots. He had three.

If there are two upsides to the game, one is that Robertson looks like the real deal this season. He has played three games and has three points – two goals and an assist. He’s helping the team’s second line prosper. Don’t expect the diminutive forward to be on his way back to the AHL Toronto Marlies any time soon. He’s here to stay.

What a difference this season from last. In two previous attempts over two years, Robertson only registered two points in 16 games. This season, the 21-year-old Robertson – along with his points – also has registered a plus-1 rating with the teams’ second line.

Takeaway Two: John Tavares Dodges a Bullet

John Tavares continued to collect points and, similar to Robertson, had an assist on Nylander’s goal. Tavares also might have gotten lucky during the game. He was hit in the leg by friendly fire (a teammate’s shot) and missed game action. Fortunately, he was able to return. Hopefully, he’s just fine.

The 32-year-old Tavares continues to have a solid season. Thus far, he has three goals and five assists (for eight points). He’s also playing well on the power play, with five points.

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Takeaway Three: William Nylander Still Scoring

William Nylander scored last night again. Unfortunately, it was the only goal his team scored during the loss to the Golden Knights. Nylander is off to a strong start to the season and has gained a point in six of the seven games he’s played.

Over the season, Nylander has scored our goals and added three assists (for a point-a-game average). He’s helping make the team’s second line a force, especially with scoring down from the team’s normally productive first line.

Takeaway Four: Ilya Samsonov Finally Loses

After four perfect games, Ilya Samsonov finally lost a game. It was his first loss of the season. In so many ways, he did a valiant job only letting in only three of the 33 shots he faced. His team was simply outplayed, including on defense.

It was the first game in which Samsonov had allowed more than two goals. In total, he’s now given up 10 goals in almost 150 shots (146 to be exact). That’s a good save percentage. He’s been solid, but in this game, his team let him down.

Look for Samsonov to continue to carry the heavy load of games until he either wears out under the pressure or until Matt Murray returns, which should be sometime in the middle of next month.

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