Three Takeaways from Maple Leafs 3-2 Win Over Capitals

Last night, the Toronto Maple Leafs got a much-needed win after blowing a game to the lowly Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night. Auston Matthews scored (at first it looked like Mark Giordano’s goal) to break a third-period tie. Ilya Samsonov made 24 saves on his former Washington Capitals’ team.

The final score was Maple Leafs beating the Capitals 3-2. It was a good game, with a nice pace and lots of action.

Takeaway One: Justin Holl and Jake Muzzin Were as Good Last Night as they Were Bad the Night Before

Justin Holl and Jake Muzzin had a really bad Wednesday night’s game. However, they had a complete turnaround game last night. They protected the front of the net really well and didn’t let the Capitals take advantage of the multitude of ticky-tack penalties that were called against the Blue and White. It could have been a different story had the defensive twosome panicked as they did the night before.

In total, the Maple Leafs’ defense was well-positioned and they didn’t make their goalie Samsonov work too much to pull this game out of the fire the team went behind 2-l. Holl, especially, stepped up in last night’s game. He blocked multiple Alex Ovechkin one-timers and effectively iced the game by stepping into John Carlson to knock away a one-timer pass in the dying seconds.

Holl was really good on the penalty kill last night just as he’s often been in the past when he was putting together long stretches of solid play. He totaled 4:25 TOI shorthanded, which placed second among Maple Leafs defensemen on the penalty kill.

Related: Three Maple Leafs Takeaways from 4-3 Loss to Canadiens

Takeaway Two: Ilya Samsonov Good When He Needed to Be

Ilya Samsonov beat his former Capitals team last night by making 24 stops on the 26 shots that were on his net. After he gave up two goals – one that he’d likely want back – he held the Capitals off the scoresheet.

He gave his team a chance to bounce back. After he went behind, he had to know that if his team were going to win he’d have to be almost perfect. He was; and, they did (bounce back).

"Get some smile right now."

Ilya Samsonov got the win in his Maple Leafs debut — against his former team — on a night full of emotion for himself and his teammates. (@lukefoxjukebox)https://t.co/aH5JstqaGs

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 14, 2022

During the second period, Samsonov had some moments where he just didn’t make the stops; but, during the third period, he faced a few tough shots. During one he made a great left-pad save on a rebound that was headed for the back of the net.

Then, when the game got really scrambled at the end when the Capitals were pushing hard to tie the score, Samsonov and the team in front of him just shut the door.

Related: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY IN THE MAPLE LEAFS’ 4-3 LOSS TO THE CANADIENS

Takeaway Three: The Bottom Six Has a Different Job This Season

Two nights ago in Montreal, the team’s third line played well but the fourth line did not. Last night, both bottom-six lines played well and contributed to the win. After that game, Maple Leafs’ head coach Sheldon Keefe was asked if this were the most effective bottom six he’s ever had as a Maple Leafs head coach.

He noted that it was too early to tell; however, insofar as how he’s “deploying the team, it feels different on the bench. It feels like we have a lot more guys that can take on defensive responsibilities, defensive load, and play against anybody. I don’t have to be too concerned about matchups.”

Keefe noted that the team’s bottom-six gave him “a good feeling. There is a good sense of value and togetherness on our bench. Everybody knows they have a part in everything.”

Keefe did hint that the bottom six might get more ice time than in past seasons. It might also help with the issue of load management for the top two lines. He noted that some of the minutes usually given to the “top guys” are “going to come down. Those other lines are going to go up.”

He added that it depended on “the nature of the game, whether the game is close and we are winning or there are a lot of penalty kills.”

Related: Maple Leafs’ Fourth Line Is Key to Team’s Final Success