Maple Leafs can’t stop lesser Penguins from pulling away

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For just the second time in 2024-25, the Maple Leafs have lost consecutive games in regulation after they were beaten 5-2 by the Pittsburgh Penguins on the road on Saturday night.

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The loss followed a 3-1 setback against the Washington Capitals on Friday night at Scotiabank Arena.

Our takeaways from the loss to the Penguins:

FAILURE TO SUSTAIN

The Leafs got out to the kind of start that coach Craig Berube wanted.

There wasn’t much evidence of fatigue in the early going as the Leafs carried the play and gave the Penguins fits in their own end. The Toronto forecheck was effective and resulted in scoring chances.

Berube told the media in Pittsburgh during his pre-game availability that it was crucial that the Leafs got their legs under them. That’s what happened. It turned out, though, that expecting the Leafs to keep it going through 60 minutes was asking for too much.

Having played the night before was no excuse for falling off as the game progressed. The Penguins, a team not nearly as good as the Leafs, also played on Friday night in New York against the Rangers and, like the Leafs, didn’t arrive in Pittsburgh until after midnight.

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Tied 2-2 heading into the third, the game was there for the taking for the Leafs.

The Penguins wanted it a bit more. There’s no question that should be disheartening for a Leafs group, that, for the most part, has been responsible and sharp in Berube’s first couple of months running the bench. These are the Penguins we’re talking about, though. Sure, they’re in a battle for wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, but no one is confusing them with the Stanley Cup-winning Pittsburgh teams of the past.

An uncharacteristic minor penalty by captain Auston Matthews in the third period — he had just four minors in his previous 17 games — gave the Penguins the advantage they needed. As Matthews watched from the box, former Leafs winger Michael Bunting beat Joseph Woll for the winning goal.

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The Leafs couldn’t get it together to tie the game in the final minutes, though they had a chance handed to them when Penguins forward Bryan Rust was called for high-sticking at 17:47. Instead of drawing even, however, with Woll on the bench to make it a 6-on-4, the Leafs couldn’t stop the Penguins from scoring two shorthanded, empty-net goals in the final 40 seconds.

Toronto was charged with 20 giveaways, another indication that their senses were dulled as the minutes ticked past.

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DEPTH DEARTH

After the Leafs beat the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday, they defeated the Nashville Predators on Wednesday before the losses to Washington and Pittsburgh.

In the past three games, including Saturday, all of the Leafs’ six goals were scored by Mitch Marner (one), John Tavares (one), Matthews (two) and William Nylander (two).

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Of course, a team’s best players have to lead, or, at the least, provide a foundation for the rest of the group. Yet secondary scoring has to be part of the deal if you’re going to win hockey games. It’s no coincidence the Leafs will carry a couple of losses into their game in New Jersey on Tuesday against former coach Sheldon Keefe and the Devils.

It’s great to have depth when injuries mount (and in the Leafs’ case, they certainly have), but it can’t boil down to players merely going out for their shifts and making no difference on the scoreboard. Someone, anyone, has to provide a goal or two.

None of Alex Nylander — who played in place of a scratched Nick Robertson — Steven Lorentz, Connor Dewar, Pontus Holmberg or Ryan Reaves had a shot on goal against the Penguins. Fraser Minten had one, as did Max Pacioretty, who returned after recovering from a lower-body injury.

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Nylander hasn’t done much in five games to prove he could be relied upon later in the season.

“We’re missing, still, a lot of guys,” Marner said after the game. “These young guys have done a great job of moving their feet, creating offence.

“But it’s tough to score. They’re doing their best. It will come. That’s the way it goes sometimes, bounces don’t go your way.”

NOTHING SPECIAL

The Leafs scored on one of their three power plays, but for just the third time this season, they gave up two power-play goals in one game as the Penguins connected twice on five chances.

On all three occasions that the opponent has scored a pair with a man-advantage, it happened on the road — in Florida on Nov. 27 (a 5-1 loss) and in Winnipeg on Oct. 28 (a 6-4 win).

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Pacioretty’s discipline could have been better as he took a couple of unnecessary roughing penalties right after each other. We’ve mentioned the Matthews rarity, and Alex Nylander did himself no favours when he was called for holding with nine minutes to play and the Leafs down one goal.

Matthew Knies was in the box when Rickard Rakell scored a power-play goal at 4:39 of the first period.

The Leafs were shorthanded at least five times for just the seventh game this season. Discipline, or lack thereof, has not been a big problem, but they’ll have to tighten up on Tuesday against a Devils team that has the top power play in the NHL.

tkoshan@postmedia.com

X: @koshtorontosun

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