The Toronto Maple Leafs aim to avoid matching a season-high losing skid on Tuesday when they visit former head coach Sheldon Keefe and the New Jersey Devils in Newark, N.J.
The Maple Leafs, who lost three in a row (0-2-1) from Oct. 22-26, dropped a 3-1 decision to the Washington Capitals on Friday and a 5-2 setback to the Pittsburgh Penguins the following day.
Mitch Marner scored and set up a goal on Saturday to boost his team-leading total in assists (28) and points (38). Star captain Auston Matthews also recorded a two-point performance after notching a pair of assists versus the Penguins.
Toronto’s third member of the top line struggled to stay out of the penalty box. Max Pacioretty was whistled for a pair of minor roughing penalties during the second period in his return to the lineup following a nearly month-long absence due to a lower-body injury.
“I got to be probably smarter there. But, you know, the right intent is there,” Pacioretty said, per The Hockey News. “I just got to be a bit more disciplined.”
Pittsburgh scored twice on the power play to offset Toronto’s even-strength dominance, much to the chagrin of Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube.
“I thought Max did a good job (Saturday) with them guys,” Berube said. “I thought he kind of maybe died off later on in the game. He hasn’t played in a while.”
William Nylander scored his team-leading 17th goal of the season on Saturday.
Pacioretty scored one of Toronto’s three first-period goals in a 4-2 win in New Jersey on Oct. 10.
Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier tallied for the Devils in that game and both nearly scored a goal for New Jersey in Sunday’s 4-0 setback to the Colorado Avalanche. Bratt’s apparent goal was waved off because of a high stick and Meier’s tally was denied after the play was deemed to be over before the puck crossed the goal line.
New Jersey was unable to solve its former goaltender Scott Wedgewood on Sunday, marking its fifth shutout loss of the season.
“We didn’t skate (on Sunday). We didn’t win enough puck battles,” Keefe said. “They do a good job. They’re up tight on you, the gap is tight. We didn’t play through that well enough.”
Captain Nico Hischier had a stronger take.
“The energy wasn’t there,” Hischier said, per The Hockey News. “It’s an individual thing. You have to find a way to bring life back to your game.
“When teams take our rush away, we have to find other ways to score. When we don’t have an answer, it’s not a good thing.”
The Devils had won six of their previous eight games before falling flat against the Avalanche.
The Maple Leafs, in turn, had won seven of eight games before losing their last two contests.
Bratt paces the Devils with 37 points (13 goals, 24 assists), while Jack Hughes has 35 (11, 24). Nico Hischier has a team-high 15 goals.
–Field Level Media