The Toronto Maple Leafs had a tumultuous 4-3 shootout victory over the Utah Hockey Club, seeing a comfortable three-goal lead evaporate. Initially dominating the game for 28 minutes with a substantial shot advantage, the Leafs allowed Utah to equalize in a quick four-minute stretch. Despite battling through overtime and ultimately winning in the shootout, the performance left many fans and analysts dissatisfied. The game also marked the debut of new penalty kill forwards Calle Järnkrok and Scott Laughton, aimed at reducing the minutes of key players like Matthews and Marner during penalty situations.
"They all count the same in the win column," the Toronto Maple Leafs must be telling themselves after a nervy 4-3 shootout win over the Utah Hockey Club that included a blown three-goal lead.
Despite the two points, I'm not sure many in Leaf-land will be too satisfied with this 65+ minute performance on the whole.
I like this duo and think they could play an important role for Toronto, as cutting down on Auston Matthews/ Mitch Marner PK time is probably optimal to keep them fresher at five-on-five.
Utah seized complete control of the game, erasing the Maple Leaf lead entirely, and from that point forward, they were decidedly the better team.
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