Maple Leafs Lack Offensive Punch And Other Takeaways From Loss To Devils
Toronto got the first goal of the game, but New Jersey came back with four second-period goals and eventually defeated the Maple Leafs 5-2.
Anthony Stolarz spoke up and the Toronto Maple Leafs listened. Early in the game.
After Toronto's 4-3 overtime loss to the Seattle Kraken on Saturday night, Stolarz wanted to see his team get to the net more after he was fallen on twice by Kraken players. Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube agreed a day later that his players could have more of a netfront presence.
So, what did the Maple Leafs do to score their first goal of the game against the New Jersey Devils? They surrounded Jake Allen, and John Tavares knocked in a rebound mid-air for his fourth goal of the season.
Toronto added another goal in the game after the Devils scored three straight. Matias Maccelli tallied his first as a Maple Leaf on a nice passing play with Tavares and William Nylander.
Ultimately, the offense couldn't get going anymore, and the Devils added a couple more goals in a 5-2 win over the Maple Leafs.
Second line finding stride
Berube switched up the lines ahead of Monday's practice, but one trio remained constant: Maccelli, Tavares, and Nylander.
Early this season, you could often notice Maccelli's playmaking skills. He'd make quick, accurate passes that the regular eye wouldn't catch with the speed of the NHL. And after a slow start to the year, it feels like he, Tavares and Nylander are finally clicking together.
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Maccelli was in front with Tavares on the first goal of the game. But where the trio really came to light was in the second period.
After a strong pass by Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Tavares found Nylander as he entered New Jersey's zone. Nylander then, on a two-on-one, made a great feed over to Maccelli, who buried it into the empty net for goal number one of the season.
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You've got to give that trio a bit of runway to see if they can work together, but as of this moment, their success against the Devils was a good sign for the future.
It's just a matter of if they stay together.
Hardworking third line needs more time in offensive zone
Often in Tuesday's game against the Devils, Dakota Joshua, Nicolas Roy, and Bobby McMann would get the puck deep into the offensive zone. But then they wouldn't capitalize on it.
There's a vision for that third line, and everyone can see it. It's a big, hardworking, physical, hit-you-through-the-wall trio. All three players are over 6-foot-2, and each is skilled enough to produce offensively.
It might just take a bit more time to gel.
Joshua is yet to score as a Maple Leaf, but you have to think that once one goes in, his game will start to pick up a bit more. Roy gives you skill and playmaking. McMann wants to be a more consistent player with point production and physicality.
A good sign: the line combined for nine hits against New Jersey.
It's just a matter of if they stay together.
Line blender continues
There's a reason why, at the bottom of each of the two thoughts, I wrote: "It's just a matter of if they stay together."
As I was giving my thoughts on the middle-six, I looked up and saw that McMann, Tavares, and Maccelli were on the ice together. That's all because Nylander was thrown onto the top line with Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies, something Berube has been doing regularly throughout the last couple of games to get a spark.
The question I pose to you is: Should Berube go full-time with that trio?
At the beginning of training camp, Domi was the player they wanted to see with Matthews and Knies. They were strong together before, and the team wanted to see if the trio could have success again.
When you shift one line, the rest of the forward group gets jumbled. Understandably, there likely won't be lineup consistency until Scott Laughton returns from a lower-body injury. However, I wonder if the players want some steadiness at some point.
Other takeaways
- Chris Tanev took a knock to the head from Dawson Mercer's helmet early in the second period. The play was stopped before Tanev skated himself off the ice. Toronto announced at the beginning of the third period that he wouldn't return due to an upper-body injury.
- William Nylander's second-period assist puts him up to 11 on the season. He's assisted on 11 of Toronto's first 24 goals of the season.
- The second period has been a concern early this season. Going into the game, Toronto ranked fifth in second-period goals-against with eight. After Tuesday's loss to New Jersey, Toronto is now up to 12 goals against in the middle frame.
Marco Sturm’s Explosive Comments: Bruins’ Unity in Question After Shocking Sixth Consecutive Loss
"You’re supposed to step on the ice as a unified force, but right now, we’re falling apart at the seams. This is unacceptable, and it has to change NOW."
The Boston Bruins are in a crisis, and head coach Marco Sturm didn’t mince words after their devastating sixth consecutive loss. His comments after the game were a rare, raw admission of just how deep the team's issues run, and they reflect an alarming level of frustration with both the team's play and their commitment to the system.
The Bruins’ struggle to find consistency has now reached a boiling point. After failing to recover from a difficult Western road trip, Sturm made it clear that things are not just bad—they’re falling apart. The team is currently unable to sync their play, and as Sturm explained, it’s not about isolated mistakes anymore. The bigger issue is that everything is coming too easy for the opposition.
"Every time you step onto the ice — you are supposed to be a unified force. Right now, we are not. Let’s face it. This is what we have to change. It’s not just about the mistakes. Right now, everything is too easy for the other teams. This is something we need to understand and fix."
Sturm's frustration was particularly directed at the Bruins' defensive breakdowns in critical moments. He singled out Morgan Geekie for a missed counterattack that led to an easy opponent goal, as well as Charlie McAvoy and Mason Lohrei for defensive lapses that directly resulted in a game-changing goal. These mistakes at key moments are a sign of a larger problem—lack of cohesion and intensity when it matters most.
"Incidents like these in critical moments cannot happen. Losing at home — that cannot happen. And that’s what frustrates me the most." – Marco Sturm【24/10/2025】
The comment about losing at home is particularly telling, as it underscores the Bruins’ failure to capitalize on what should be their strongest advantage—playing in front of their home crowd at TD Garden. The frustration of seeing their season unravel in front of their own fans adds another layer of pressure on the players and coaching staff.
Bruins’ Season Hanging by a Thread
As Boston continues to slide, the road ahead looks increasingly grim. The team seems unable to find the spark it needs to climb back into contention, and with each loss, the belief that they can turn things around grows fainter. It’s hard to imagine how this team, given its current struggles, will overcome this deficit.
The lack of urgency from key players has many questioning the team’s leadership, both on the ice and behind the bench. Fans have already begun to speculate on social media about whether a change at the top could make a difference. Some have suggested that even a coach with the pedigree of Scotty Bowman could struggle with this roster under the current circumstances.
Sturm’s frustration is palpable. He is working with the tools he’s been given by general manager Don Sweeney, but it’s clear that the Bruins' current roster is not meeting expectations. The early season struggles are now becoming a season-long crisis if they don’t find a solution soon.
"I’m stuck with the cards I’ve been dealt, but this is not the way we expected the season to unfold," Sturm admitted, summing up the dire situation. But with only a handful of games to turn things around, can the Bruins find their way out of this mess? Or will their early-season struggles cost them a chance at success?
The next few weeks will be critical for the Bruins. If they don’t quickly fix their issues, the season may already be over before it truly begins. Fans will be watching closely to see if the team can rally and find the chemistry they’ve been sorely lacking. One thing is for certain—the stakes have never been higher.
