It sure feels like Spencer Carbery is on his way to a Jack Adams Award.
The Washington Capitals held the Toronto Maple Leafs to one goal and 21 shots, and Scotiabank Arena was kept awfully quiet in a 3-1 Toronto loss. This was a tight-checking game with few scoring chances at both ends, and the game-winning goal came after the puck bounced off an official’s skate and headed right onto Connor McMichael’s stick in the slot.
If you’re looking for positives, the Leafs continue to look like a team that’s incredibly difficult to score against. However, it was a slow night for Toronto’s top line, and its bottom six was dreadful offensively. The overall team grade is a C+.
Player reports
John Tavares: A
Tavares threw a hard hit on Rasmus Sandin early and created a couple of nice chances on Toronto’s early power plays. He was finally rewarded on the scoresheet in the second, as he made a gorgeous breakaway move to beat Charlie Lindgren on the backhand and tied the game at one. Lindgren robbed him on the doorstep in the final minutes as Tavares tried to tie it up again, but he was a clear standout in a game that lacked many of them.
JOHNNY ARE YA KIDDING!
(also what a pass from Tanny) pic.twitter.com/wqnftaI10j
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) December 7, 2024
Chris Tanev: A
Tanev made a beautiful tape-to-tape stretch pass to send Tavares on a breakaway halfway through the second. Toronto’s former captain made a beautiful move to tie the game at one, and Tanev earned himself a well-deserved assist. He also was strong defensively and wasn’t on for a goal against.
William Nylander – B+
Nylander was buzzing around in the first and put his team on the power play after getting slashed on a partial breakaway. He looked dangerous in the Alex Ovechkin spot on the man advantage, but no one could find a way to beat Lindgren. Nylander used his strength to steal the puck and create another breakaway opportunity for himself in the early second, but he went to the backhand and missed the net. He ultimately failed to pick up a point, but his line was Toronto’s best by a mile.
Anthony Stolarz: B+
Stolarz stopped all eight shots that he faced in the first, but he didn’t have to be spectacular. Unfortunately, he didn’t get off to quite the same start in the second, as Nic Dowd deflected home a point shot one minute in. He was perfect for the rest of the second, which allowed his team to tie it up heading into the third.
Washington’s second goal wasn’t on him either, as the Capitals took the lead when the puck hit off the official’s skate and deflected right into the slot. He wasn’t the reason for the loss.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson: B
Ekman-Larsson took two penalties, but the calls were questionable at best. His heavy point shot hit the post seven minutes into the third, and he was just inches away from giving his team the lead. His pair was easily Toronto’s best.
Pontus Holmberg: B
Holmberg took a blatant offensive-zone tripping penalty fifteen minutes in, but his line was Toronto’s best. It’s quite clear that Nylander and Tavares are the play drivers on that line, and I wouldn’t keep him in the top six any longer, but he was noticeable on the forecheck and won his fair share of puck battles.
Mitch Marner: C+
Marner was noticeable in the first and made a clever pass to set up Tavares in the slot on the power play. He looked comfortable manning the point on the five-forward power play, and he later set up Ekman-Larsson for a solid chance during some four-on-four action. He was the best player on his line, but he’s expected to get on the scoresheet.
Matthew Knies: C-
Knies used his strength to create a solid scoring chance for himself on an early power play, but he was pretty quiet at even strength. He made a careless turnover in the offensive zone at the end of the first and had another rough one halfway through the third.
Auston Matthews: C-
Matthews was awfully quiet by his standards. He was on for Washington’s second goal, as he tried to rim the puck around the boards, but it hit off the referee’s skate and went into the slot. It’s tough to blame him for that play, but he certainly didn’t look like a dominant offensive player against a strong Capitals defence.
The third pair (Simon Benoit and Conor Timmins): C
The Leafs were outplayed during their minutes. It’s not like they’re counted on to produce much offence, but it’s tough to give them a strong grade when they barely spent any time in the offensive zone.
Fraser Minten and Steven Lorentz: C-
Lorentz was on for a five-on-five goal for the first time in 19 games, and he had nothing to do with it. However, their line generated nothing at all offensively at even strength, and they spent all of their time in the defensive zone. Toronto’s third line simply isn’t going to cut it offensively.
Phillipe Myers: C
Myers got off to a rough start, as failed to catch a puck in the neutral zone, and the Capitals were handed a three-on-one as a result. He wasn’t overly noticeable apart from that, as he wasn’t on for a goal for or against.
The fourth line (Nikita Grebenkin, Connor Dewar, Ryan Reaves): C-
They generated absolutely nothing offensively. They didn’t get scored on at least, but it feels like the opposing goalie can take a nap when they’re on the ice.
Morgan Rielly: C-
He’s paid a lot of money to create offence from the back end, but he was pretty much invisible until he set up Tavares for a quality chance in the final minute.
Nick Robertson: D+
Robertson danced around Trevor van Riemsdyk in the early first, but he wasn’t able to finish the potential highlight-reel play. He was on for Washington’s first goal, and it looked like he was at least partially at fault, as he had a chance to intercept the puck on the boards seconds before the puck hit the back of the net. He then took an offensive-zone cross-checking penalty at the end of the second.
Game score
What’s Next?
Heading to Pittsburgh to play the Penguins on Saturday at 7 p.m. on Sportsnet.
(Photo: Nick Turchiaro / Imagn Images)
