The Maple Leafs started a little slow, struggling with some of their zone exits and unable to generate much beyond ‘one-and-done’ exploits in the offensive zone (while Patrick Kane ran a clinic in the Leaf zone at times in the first period). The Leafs found their way into the game and began dictating the pace for sustained stretches in the second period and beyond, with the Auston Matthews/William Nylander and Mitch Marner lines giving the Hawks all sorts of trouble. Here is how the unblocked shot attempts shook out:
A fourth relinquished third-period lead in five games will fuel the narrative about a young Leaf team that doesn’t know how to win and can’t hold onto leads, but that wasn’t really the case at all in this game.