Maple Leafs report cards: Auston Matthews’ late power-play goal secures comeback win over Devils

No John Tavares, no Ryan O’Reilly, no problem.

The Devils looked dominant in the first period, but Ilya Samsonov kept his team in it, and Toronto came away with an impressive comeback win at the end of a long road trip. Mitch Marner scored a highlight reel short-handed goal in the third, and David Kämpf made a gorgeous pass to set up Michael Bunting for a game-tying goal with five minutes left. The Leafs headed to a power play one minute later, where Auston Matthews scored the winner off his patented wrist shot.

Let’s get to the grades!

First star

Mitch Marner

Marner was Toronto’s best player in the first period other than Samsonov. He set up Kerfoot for a good chance 30 seconds in, and set up Matthews in the slot minutes later. He was in his own end for the majority of the period, but he tested Vanecek with a hard shot on a late power play. He had a decent chance in the slot five minutes into the second, but couldn’t quite find a loose puck ahead of Erik Haula’s second-period goal.

Marner made a superstar play to give the Leafs the lead in the third:

To top it off, he picked up a secondary assist on Matthews’ game-winner.

Second star

David Kämpf

As usual, Kämpf played low event minutes through two periods. He’s not exactly known for his high-end playmaking, but he did his best Marner impression to tie the game up at three with five minutes left:

Third star

Auston Matthews

Matthews had two good scoring chances in the first, both on the same shift. However, he was unable to beat Vanecek on both occasions, and he spent the vast majority of the period in his own end. He made a great play to steal the puck off a defender and set up Marner five minutes into the second, but Vanecek was up for the challenge once again. He came close on a one-timer chance halfway through the third, but made no mistake on the game-winner in the final minutes:

Player reportsA

Jake McCabe

McCabe made a great play in the final seconds to block a pass that may have led to a game-tying goal. He hasn’t been on for a five-on-five goal against since joining the Leafs, and he doesn’t look outmatched by anyone off the rush. His neutral zone steal leads to a chance for Kämpf in the third. He looks excellent defensively.

Sam Lafferty

Lafferty moved to a top-six centre role with both O’Reilly and Tavares out of the lineup, and his line spent most of the first period in their own end. On a positive note, he made a nifty backhand pass to set up Nylander for a chance at the end of the period, and Järnkrok would have had a great chance on the rebound if the puck didn’t bounce. He make his presence known in the second, as he used his speed to back up the opposing defenders, before dropping it back for Nylander for a secondary assist. While secondary assists aren’t always meaningful, the play doesn’t happen without his speed.

Michael Bunting

Bunting played low-event minutes on the Leafs’ fourth line, but found a way to contribute by scoring the game-tying goal with five minutes left. He also made a clever play to leave a pass for Matthews for the game-winner.

William Nylander

Nylander took a slap-shot at the end of the first that left a juicy rebound for Järnkrok, but the puck bounced on him. He also set up Järnkrok in the slot to start the second, but his fellow Swede shot it off the post. The second-line wingers finally connected seven minutes into the second, when Nylander made a beautiful pass to set up Järnkrok for a tap-in:

It wasn’t a perfect night for him, however, as he took a blatant slashing penalty in the third, immediately after the Leafs killed off a four-minute penalty. While Marner scored short-handed, the Devils found a way to score with Nylander in the box as well. However, he made up for it in a big way by setting up Matthews for the game-winner.

A-

Ilya Samsonov

Samsonov kept the Leafs in the game early on, starting with two big saves just a minute in. The Devils owned the first eight shots on goal, and boasted a 15-2 lead heading into the final commercial break. The Leafs headed into the first intermission in a scoreless tie, and Samsonov was the only reason why. He was fine in the second, but looked a bit shaky on a couple of rush chances from Hughes. The Devils finally beat him with three minutes left in the second, as Haula took advantage of a high-danger scoring chance:

Jesper Bratt fired a one-timer off the post at the end of the second, and Samsonov had stopped 23 of 24 heading into the second intermission. The Leafs killed off a four-minute high-sticking penalty to start the third, but Nylander took a penalty seconds later, and the Devils tied it up right after Marner scored a short-handed goal:

Just three minutes later, Haula beat him with a deflection:

He probably could have had that third goal, but he deserves credit for keeping his team in the game early on.

Calle Järnkrok

Järnkrok had an open net at the end of the first, but a rebound took a wicked bounce over his stick. He came close again two minutes into the second, showing off his quick release by firing a rocket off the post. He finally beat Vanecek halfway through the second, capitalizing on a great pass on Nylander for a tap-in.

B+

The second pair (Morgan Rielly and Timothy Liljegren)

They weren’t on for a goal, for or against, and Rielly was the only defenceman who won his minutes by expected goals. Rielly showed good patience ahead of Matthews’ power-play goal, and he was solid defensively. Liljegren had a weak shift at the end of the second when he was exhausted, but this pair didn’t give up a ton.

The third-line wingers (Zach Aston-Reese and Noel Acciari)

This duo won their minutes in terms of expected goals, and not many Leafs players can say that. Neither goaltender was busy when they were on the ice, and their most noticeable play was when Acciari took down Jack Hughes with a hit. Acciari couldn’t convert on a two-on-one ahead of New Jersey’s second goal, and it looked like he was slashed. They did their jobs effectively against a good team.

C+Alex Kerfoot

Kerfoot entered play with no goals in his last 18 games, and he looked a tad hesitant when Marner set him up in the slot 30 seconds in. His line was mostly caved in during the first, but he did set up Brodie in the slot to start the second. He had a great chance halfway through the third, but it feels like he’ll never score again at this point.

The third pair (Mark Giordano and Justin Holl)

Holl had a great view of New Jersey’s first three goals. He swatted the puck into the shins of Palat ahead of New Jersey’s first goal, then Dawson Mercer got a pass through him on the penalty kill. He failed to shutdown Hughes in transition on New Jersey’s third goal, but Samsonov probably could have had it. He did make a wicked pass to set up Kerfoot with an A+ chance halfway through the third, but his teammate couldn’t capitalize. He was then beaten by Jesper Bratt off the rush, but Samsonov stopped the partial breakaway. He saved his grade from being a D by making a nice stretch pass ahead of Bunting’s game-tying goal.

Giordano was far less noticeable, but the Leafs still struggle in his minutes. He blocked a shot on the first penalty kill to earn a clear, but also gave the puck away when protecting a lead in the final minutes.

C

T.J. Brodie

Brodie took a tripping penalty eight minutes in, and the Leafs were completely caved in during his minutes. However, he had a good chance in the high slot six minutes into the second, and made a clever backhand breakout pass ahead of Järnkrok’s goal.

D+

Pontus Holmberg

Holmberg took a four-minute high-sticking penalty at the end of the second, and had a great view of New Jersey’s third goal. The Leafs failed to generate much of anything offensively during his minutes.

MIA

Alex Steeves

He played 6:11, and the Leafs generated next to nothing during his minutes. However, he didn’t do a ton to deserve the rough on-ice results.

Game Score

Final grade: B+

The Devils are a very good team, especially after the addition of Timo Meier, and the Leafs were without both John Tavares and Ryan O’Reilly at the end of a long road trip. However, there’s really no excuse for getting completely caved in during the first period, and I have to knock the final grade down a bit as a result. That being said, this was an impressive road win against a team that looks poised to go on a deep playoff run.

Marner continues to be outstanding, and both McCabe and Lafferty quietly showed why the Leafs acquired them. Acciari continues to be an expected-goals God, and it was nice to get an unexpected assist in a big moment from Kämpf. Nylander showed up in a big way offensively, and given his struggles of late, it was great to see Matthews break a slump with a clutch game-winner. Despite a slow start and a couple of call-ups in the lineup, the Leafs found a way to pick up a big road win.

What’s next for the Leafs?

Heading home to take on the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday at 7 p.m. on HNIC.

(Top photo: Ed Mulholland / USA Today)