Empty Thoughts: Maple Leafs 4, Penguins 0

Observations from the Penguins’ 4-0 loss to the Maple Leafs:

First things first, there was no update on Penguins forward Dominik Kahun who left the game at 14:11 of the third period. He was struck in the left leg by a shot from Maple Leafs forward Denis Malgin and left the game. Kahun was so hobbled, he required some assistance from teammates to leave the ice.

Kahun stays on the ice after blocking this shot from Malgin pic.twitter.com/dALPSBOOw1

— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) February 21, 2020

That was seemingly one of the few displays of teamwork by the Penguins in this clunker.

Aside from a pretty even but bland first period, the Penguins were just dominated in this contest in just about every fashion.

One area which stood out was the faceoffs. The Penguins were trampled in the circle as the Leafs won that specific area of the game, 33-20 (62 percent).

Three of the Maple Leafs’ goals came directly off offensive faceoff wins.

Seemingly for the Penguins, the worst part of getting spanked as badly as they did in the faceoff circle was how feeble their defense was following the faceoff losses.

The Maple Leafs would make a pass or two and it was in the net relatively easily.

“You obviously have to win the draw and give yourself a chance,” forward Sidney Crosby said. “But if you lose it, it’s not a guaranteed goal either. So we’ve got to find a way to win more draws. If we do lose them, try to find a way to defend it. Defending the draw is always the best way to go about it.”

General manager Jim Rutherford has told a few other media outlets he might look at adding another forward before the trade deadline. After this game, a center who can win draws might be on his wish list.

What happened

Toronto struck first 7:45 into the second period. After Maple Leafs forward John Tavares beat Crosby on a draw in the Penguins’ right circle, defenseman Justin Holl controlled the puck at the right point and fed a “D-to-D” pass to defenseman Jake Muzzin, a former Penguins prospect, at the left point. Teeing up a slapper, Muzzin blasted a shot that clanked off the far post and deflected into the cage, beating goaltender Matt Murray’s glove. Malgin had a strong screen in front of Murray. It was Muzzin’s fifth goal of the season. Assists went to Holl and Tavares.

(Video courtesy NHL)

It became a 2-0 game at 10:01 of the second with a five-on-three power-play goal. After Tavares won another faceoff in the right circle — beating Penguins forward Teddy Blueger this time — Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews claimed the puck and slid a cross-ice pass to the left circle for forward William Nylander. With a calendar of time and an acre of ice to work with, Nylander griped and ripped a wrister through Murray’s five hole for his 27th goal. Matthews and Nylander netted assists.

(Video courtesy NHL)

A breakaway by forward Kasperi Kapanen, a Penguins’ first-round pick in 2014, put the Maple Leafs up 3-0 at 13:04 of the second. From behind his own blue line, Maple Leafs forward Alex Kerfoot whipped a puck up the right wing for Kapanen. With Penguins defenseman Juuso Riikola out of position in the neutral zone, Kapanen attacked the net and lifted a wrister past Murray’s blocker for his 12th goal. Kerfoot and Muzzin collected assists.

(Video courtesy NHL)

The Maple Leafs secured victory 3:56 into the third period when forward Zach Hyman scored his 19th goal. After Matthews beat Malkin in the Penguins’ left circle, Hyman flicked a backhand pass to the left point for Muzzin. Criss-crossing with forward Mitch Marner, Muzzin fed a backhand pass back to the right point for Marner, who blasted a one-timer. Murray made the initial save but allowed a rebound. Planted above the crease, Hyman outbattled Penguins defenseman Justin Schultz and shuffled in a forehand shot past Murray’s left skate. Marner and Muzzin recorded assists.

(Video courtesy NHL)

Statistically speaking

• The Maple Leafs lead in shots, 30-24.

• Tavares led the game with seven shots.

• Malkin led the Penguins with five shots.

• Penguins defenseman Kris Letang led the game with 25:17 of ice time on 29 shifts.

• Muzzin led the Maple Leafs with 23:02 of ice time.

• Tavares was 15 for 22 (68 percent).

• Crosby was 9 for 21 (43 percent).

• Penguins defenseman Jack Johnson led the game with five blocked shots.

• Muzzin led the Maple Leafs with four blocked shots.

Historically speaking

• Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen recorded his second shutout of the season. The Maple Leafs’ last shutout of the Penguins was a 5-0 win at PPG Paints Arena on Nov. 3, 2018. Andersen made 31 saves in that contest.

• Muzzin, a fifth-round pick of the Penguins in 2007 who the team never signed, recorded three points and reached the 250-point mark for his career.

• Malgin, acquired in a trade with the Florida Panthers on Wednesday, appeared in his first game with the Maple Leafs.

Randomly speaking

• Malkin returned to the lineup after missing Tuesday’s game and Wednesday’s practice. He logged 16:52 of ice time on 24 shifts.

• The Penguins’ lines were different, to open the game at least, with Malkin back. Before Kahun’s injury, he manned the left wing with Malkin at center and Bryan Rust on the right wing.

Meanwhile, Brandon Tanev was at left wing on another line with Blueger at center and Sam Lafferty at right wing. Forward Andrew Agozzino centered another line with forward Patric Hornqvist at right wing and Jared McCann at left wing.

• There was a pretty fierce fight between two unlikely combatants at 16:05 of the second when Kapanen squared off with McCann. Kapanen took offense to something Penguins forward Patric Hornqvist did then was challenged by McCann. It was a quick bout but very spirited.

• The Penguins were 0 for 1 on the power play and had a five-game streak with at least one power-play goal snapped.

• Murray made 26 saves. He wasn’t particularly sharp but blaming him for this loss wouldn’t be fair. This was a collaborative effort, so to speak.

Publicly speaking

• Even before this ugly setback, Sullivan hasn’t been happy with his team’s defensive play for a few games:

“We have to go back to work. The first thing we have to do is recognize it. Then you’ve got to pay attention to details. We didn’t deserve to win tonight. They played better than us. They outplayed us. They got what they deserved and so did we.”

• Crosby suggested puck possession was lopsided in the Maple Leafs’ favor:

“Unfortunately, we didn’t play enough in their zone and wear them down there. Early in shifts, they had a lot of energy to work and move and do what they do in the offensive zone. Our forecheck and ability to win battles and keep the puck in their end wasn’t good. Because of that, we spent a lot of time in our own end.”

• Sullivan on his team’s poor defense following faceoff losses:

“It’s an important part of the game. What was discouraging was we won a couple of draws and we didn’t get the puck out because we didn’t execute. So we put ourselves in a position to have to take more. Then we just didn’t compete hard enough off the loss. We didn’t defend hard enough. We didn’t defend the net-front nearly as hard as we need to.”

• Kapanen on his fight with McCann:

“Stuff happens on the ice. I think (Maple Leafs defenseman Rasmus Sandin) got hit there. If it wasn’t me out there, I’m sure somebody else would have stood up and kind of defended one another. (McCann) came over and it just happened.”

• Kapanen on how his team rebounded off of Tuesday’s loss:

“The game in Pittsburgh wasn’t a good representation of how we want to be seen as an organization. We took a big step forward today. This how we’ve got to play out day in and day out and keep our foot on the gas.”

Visually speaking

• Game summary.

• Event summary.

• Highlights:

Follow the Penguins all season long.