"The Sharks started the first period strong and fast, testing the inexperienced Dennis Hildeby in net for Toronto. After about the first 5 minutes, Toronto mostly controlled the play, keeping most of the Sharks' offense to the outside and blocking shots before they even got to their goalie. The Sharks' plethora of turnovers, combined with the Leafs' struggling zone entries, led to a back-and-forth game. The Sharks had a few opportunities on breakaways"
"The Leafs' defense is very focused on not letting anything get into the slot, whether it's a pass, shot, or person. The Sharks, especially Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, love to put passes, shots, and people into the slot. For most of the game, the Leafs' defense was winning the slot battle, causing turnover after turnover on errant cross-ice passes by the young Sharks players."
Pregame storylines included Sam Dickinson drawing a large Toronto crowd and the trade that sent Ryan Reaves to San Jose and Henry Thrun to Toronto. Thrun made his Maple Leafs debut after a season with the AHL Marlies. Former Leafs John Klingberg, Timothy Liljegren, and Ryan Reaves faced their old team for San Jose. The Sharks began the first period strongly, testing Dennis Hildeby, but Toronto gained control after five minutes and kept Sharks' chances to the outside. Multiple Sharks turnovers and Toronto's defensive focus on the slot produced a Leafs rush goal by Dakota Joshua and limited high-danger chances. Second-period momentum favored Toronto.
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