Three Takeaways from Maple Leafs 6-4 Loss to Sabres

The Toronto Maple Leafs had high hopes for this game to kickstart a successful November run. They were facing a Buffalo Sabres team on the second night of back-to-back games. In contrast, the Maple Leafs were well-rested, having played only their third game in seven days.

However, things didn’t go as planned. The Maple Leafs experienced a recurring pattern where their scoring was followed by giving up a goal. Even when they managed to tie the game after falling behind 2-1 early in the second period, they struggled to maintain momentum. Each time they scored a goal, they seemed to give up a goal quickly afterward.

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In the end, leaving the game to the Maple Leafs’ top line to score enough to keep up with all the on-ice errors was a bad plan. The Sabres scored one too many and the team lost.

Takeaway One: There Were Some Standout Maple Leafs Performances

Despite the 6-4 loss, the Maple Leafs got a number of standout offensive performances from their players last night. Auston Matthews continues to shine, scoring his third hat trick of the season. He now leads the NHL in goals with 11 in 11 games. He also has 15 points in these 11 games, tying him for the team lead in scoring with William Nylander.

William Nylander extended his scoring streak to 11 games when he assisted on Matthews’ first goal. Nylander’s streak hits a new high for his franchise record with each game.

Mitch Marner finally had a breakout game, delivering four points on the night. He opened the scoring with a beautiful breakaway goal and assisted on all three of Matthews’ goals. Marner now has totaled 13 points in 11 games. He’s on a six-game point streak of his own. These strong individual performances contributed to the Maple Leafs’ offensive success in the game.

Takeaway Two: The Maple Leafs Top Players Are Struggling Five-on-Five

Despite the impressive offensive contributions from the Maple Leafs’ top players, including Matthews, Marner, Nylander, and John Tavares, their plus-minus ratings reveal an interesting trend. In total, these four players have scored a total of 26 goals and 55 points in the first 11 games of the season. However, their combined plus-minus rating is only minus-4.

Breaking it down by player: William Nylander has a minus-2 rating. Mitch Marner and John Tavares each have minus-1 ratings. And, Auston Matthews is even in plus-minus.

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These numbers suggest that, as a group, the Maple Leafs’ top players are not performing as well at even strength as their scoring stats might imply. Given the importance of the team’s defensive aspects and situational play, perhaps we need to take a new look at how even the top players are impacting the game.

Takeaway Three: Ryan Reaves Is Struggling Big-Time

The Maple Leafs have been facing issues with their bottom six forwards, particularly when it comes to scoring and defensive play. The fourth line, in particular, has struggled. Ryan Reaves specifically is having a tough time.

In this game, Reaves had a minus-2 rating, and his overall plus-minus for the season is minus-8. To put it in perspective, during five-on-five play, Reaves has been on the ice for zero goals for his team and eight goals against his team in 11 games. This shows that, despite his limited ice time (averaging under eight minutes per game), Reaves has had a negative impact on the Maple Leafs. He actually costs them almost a goal per game.

The Bottom Line: Maple Leafs Bottom Six Isn’t Good Enough

Clearly, the Maple Leafs are having challenges finding solutions for their bottom six forwards. All the forward lines are allowing more goals than they let in, and there’s a need for improved defensive play in these lines. Without improvement of the team’s defensive play, for as strong as the team seems on paper, it will have a tough time winning on the ice.

Related: The Good, Bad, & the Ugly in Maple Leafs 6-4 Loss to the Sabres