The Toronto Maple Leafs will have one last chance to salvage something from a disastrous home stretch when they host the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night.
Toronto tied a franchise record for the fewest points earned during a homestand of at least five games with a 5-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Thursday. The Maple Leafs have lost all five outings since they returned to Scotiabank Arena at the beginning of the month and have been outscored 22-9.
“I think right now we are just shooting ourselves in the foot with mistakes,” goaltender Anthony Stolarz said after the game. “Instead of making tiny mistakes that don’t really hurt us, we are making big ones and they’re ending up in the back of the net.”
The Maple Leafs suffered one seven-game and one eight-game losing streak last season, when they missed the playoffs for the first time in 10 years. A defeat on Saturday would set another unwanted franchise record: most losses in a single homestand (six).
The team had a few things to be pleased about in spite of the ongoing struggles. A resurgent Auston Matthews netted his first goal of the month against Minnesota and is on pace for a career high in points. With two more points against the Wild, Zack MacEwen has brought an unexpected flair to the Maple Leafs’ bottom six.
“I see lots of hope,” head coach Jim Hiller insisted. “I see it all over the place.”
The Pacific Division-leading Oilers secured their third straight victory with a 3-2 overtime win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday. Evan Bouchard, the league’s points leader among defensemen (33), netted the game-winner 47 seconds into overtime.
“What good teams do is they win, and they find ways to win, and they rely on their structure even when it is a disaster,” head coach Mike Babcock said after the game. “You are still five tight, and you are still doing good things.”
Averaging four goals per game nearing the quarter mark of the season, the Oilers are well-stocked with weapons to punish a floundering Toronto blue line. Bouchard’s point tally is the second-highest by a defenseman through 20 games in league history, behind only Bobby Orr.
Connor McDavid is the fourth player in NHL history to record a point in each of his team’s first 20 games of the season after picking up a helper against the Flyers. Team goals leader Leon Draisaitl is one two-goal performance away from becoming the fifth active NHLer with 80 career multi-goal games.
“You don’t have to play high-flash offense,” said Zach Hyman, who scored twice against the Flyers. “You just have to go out there and work and take care of your own end and eventually it’s going to go in. And I think if we continue to do things the right way you’re going to score more of those playoff-type goals.”
The Maple Leafs battered the Oilers 7-2 on Oct. 24 in what might be considered their best performance of a fairly difficult start to the season.
Left wing Isaac Howard (knee) and defenseman Alec Regula remain on injured reserve for Edmonton. Matt Savoie (lower-body injury) will start his season in the AHL.
Chris Tanev (planned maintenance) is likely to return for the Maple Leafs after missing the Wild game. Morgan Rielly (lower-body injury) could also return after a three-game absence. Kirill Marchenko (lower-body injury), Nick Blankenburg (upper-body injury) and Colton Sissons (lower-body injury) remain sidelined.
–Field Level Media
