Post-Game Analysis: Leafs Dominant in 5-0 Shutout Vs. Kings

Leafs Auston Matthews Awaits Face-off
Leafs Auston Matthews Awaits Face-off Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski / USA Today

The Toronto Maple Leafs have defeated the Los Angeles Kings, 5-0, at Scotiabank Arena! After a thrilling performance by Matt Murray on Tuesday night for the team’s 4-0 victory in Dallas, the Maple Leafs turned to goaltender Ilya Samsonov for this one, and was it ever a good decision! While being able to give Murray rest, Ilya Samsonov put up a dazzling 29 save shutout! This was now back-to-back shutouts for the Leafs without multiple defensemen! A real top-class performance from the group, improving their record to 17-5-6!

In the opening frame, the Toronto Maple Leafs had the better start out of the two sides, dominating puck possession early. The Leafs sharp start tested Los Angeles goaltender Jonathan Quick early. The Maple Leafs outshot the Kings 15-7 in the first period, A crazy start that even had the blue and white with a 12-3 shots lead at one point before the Kings late resurgence. Despite having a fairly productive first period, the Maple Leafs had a scare. 21-year-old forward Nick Robertson was caught awkwardly by Los Angeles defenseman Matt Roy that sent Nick into the boards. The controversial hit left a bad taste in the Leafs mouths for the remainder of the game. As for Nick Robertson, he did not return. After the game, Maple Leafs Head Coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed that Robertson will miss “significant” time. 

In the second period, things were a lot more entertaining, especially as a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs! Five minutes into the period, Maple Leafs defenseman Conor Timmins played a pass to forward Pierre Engvall on the power-play, who fired one top-shelf on Jonathan Quick. This was Pierre’s 4th-goal of the season and Conor Timmins first point as a Maple Leaf! After Engvall’s game opening goal, the blue and white kept coming. Twenty-six seconds after Pierre’s snipe, Maple Leafs forward David Kampf buried his own! This was David’s 4th-goal of the season as the Maple Leafs went up 2 in twenty-six seconds! As the Kings tried to stop the bleeding for a bit, they couldn’t keep the Maple Leafs off the board! A breakaway chance for William Nylander was finished perfectly for his 15th goal of the season! Nylander went forward to his backhand and slid the puck right through the legs of Jonathan Quick, who had no chance. The Toronto Maple Leafs took a commanding 3-0 lead in just over a minute against Los Angeles! Just when you couldn’t imagine the Maple Leafs second period getting any better, it did! Mitch Marner scored his 11th goal of the season off a slap-shot to capitalize on a Los Angeles turnover. This was Marner’s only point of the night as he extended his point streak to 21 games! The Maple Leafs finished their dominant second period with a 4-0 lead heading into the third.

In the final frame of this one, there certainly wasn’t the same amount of goals as the second, but it was just as entertaining! Kicking off with a bang, Maple Leafs forward Pierre Engvall was given a 5 minute major and was tossed from the game for slashing Los Angeles defenseman Sean Durzi. Sean, the former Maple Leafs prospect, was going back and forth with Pierre in a pretty heated conversation before the slash occurred. All signs pointed to it being a penalty, but further punishment by the league is still undecided. After the blue and white killed off Engvall’s major penalty, they got right back to it! Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews scored his 14th goal of the season! The goal was assisted by Michael Bunting and William Nylander, who both had solid performances tonight! After the Maple Leafs fifth goal of the game and leading 5-0, it was pretty easy going the rest of the way! Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov was able to remain strong, earning himself a 29 save shutout! With the way the Maple Leafs have been playing lately, it’s hard not to be encouraged by this group after this recent stretch. 

Thanks for reading! For more hockey content, follow my Twitter at @ITR_Anselmo

Squashington Napitals Leafs Late Night

WELCOME BACK TO LEAFS LATE NIGHT! Presented by Inside The RinkRoscoe / Suthy / Biehner- Keefe Steps Up- Bertie Bott- Deep On The D- Clearer Matchups- PWHypeLNEW MERCH IS AVAILABLE!JOIN OUR DISCORD!Remember to follow us on Twitter @LeafsLateNight & IG @LeafsLateNightCheck out Mike, Josh, and Nathan's articles on the Leafs + many more! insidetherink.comHow to support us and our sponsors:TicketmasterColumbia Sports ApparelESPN+ SubscriptionFanaticsDraft Kings – CODE ITR
  1. Squashington Napitals
  2. Challenging Coaches and Coaches' Challenges
  3. If Refs Could Turn Back Time
  4. The Art of The Deadline
  5. The Colonization of Robidas Island

Joshua Anselmo

A hockey mind that's always looking at new and insightful ways to bring different perspectives of the game we all love.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Johnny Gaudreau races down the ice towards the Buffalo Sabres goal.

Blue Jackets Showing Frustration Near End of Season, Look To Finish Strong

The Columbus Blue Jackets are in the tail end of their season and it seems nothing is going their way. They lost their sixth consecutive game and are sitting in last place in the Metropolitan Division. The Jackets were also mathematically eliminated from playoff contention earlier this week. In a recent loss, some players showed […]

Read More

Red Wings Fall Out of Playoff Contention During Important Stretch

The Detroit Red Wings lost a pivotal game against the Washington Capitals in overtime in the race to make the Stanley Cup playoffs by a final score of 4-3. There are ten games left in the NHL’s regular season. While this loss does not necessarily guarantee that the team will miss the playoffs for the […]

Read More

Tyler Bertuzzi Scores Twice in 5-1 Victory vs. Washington Capitals | 3/28/2024

The Maple Leafs succeeded in putting an end to their two-game losing streak on Thursday, March 28th when they hosted the Washington Capitals. Tyler Bertuzzi scored two goals in Toronto’s 5-1 win, and Mark Giordano scored his second of the season in his return after missing 12 games due to a concussion. The Capitals had […]

Read More