The Toronto Maple Leafs' inability to close out games continued on Friday night, as a third-period meltdown led to a 4-2 defeat against the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena.
Late-Game Breakdown Costs Toronto
Holding a precarious one-goal lead with less than seven minutes remaining, the Leafs saw their advantage vanish. A costly fumble behind the net led to a Washington equalizer, with Alex Ovechkin setting up Anthony Beauvillier for the tying goal. The collapse was cemented less than three minutes later when defenseman Jakob Chychrun blasted a point shot past goaltender Joseph Woll.
Tom Wilson would add an empty-net goal to seal the 4-2 victory for the Capitals. This marked the third time this season the Leafs have lost when leading after two periods, a troubling trend in their sputtering 10-11-3 start to the campaign.
Strong Start Fades Away
The game had begun promisingly for Toronto. Morgan Rielly opened the scoring on a short-side shot after Capitals goalie Logan Thompson was slow to cover the post. This was just the fourth time in 17 games that the Leafs managed to score first.
The lead was extended to 2-0 after a successful penalty kill. Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies broke away on a 2-on-1, with Matthews evading an Ovechkin hit to set up Knies for his first goal since returning from injury. The assist was historically significant for Matthews, as it moved him into fifth place in franchise history with 742 points, surpassing the departed Mitch Marner.
Woll's Heavy Workload
Goaltender Joseph Woll, making his sixth consecutive start, faced another heavy workload, stopping 30 of 33 shots. Despite his efforts, the team in front of him could not hold the lead. The Capitals managed to get on the board in the second period when GTA native Connor McMichael beat Woll during a sustained Washington push.
The Leafs' lineup was also a topic of discussion, as leading scorer William Nylander was a late scratch due to illness. In a surprising coaching decision, the slumping Max Domi was made a healthy scratch, having recorded just six points in 23 games and posting a notable minus-13 rating. Dakota Joshua, who returned to the lineup, started the forecheck that led to Rielly's opening goal.
The Leafs will look to rebound quickly as they continue their road trip Saturday night in Pittsburgh against the Penguins. There is a possibility that both Nylander and Domi could return to the lineup for that contest.
