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4 takeaways from Maple Leafs-Red Wings: Easton Cowan’s strong debut wasted in uninspiring loss

Originally posted on TheLeafsnation | By Arun Srinivasan | Last updated Oct 14, 2025 6:00 AM ET

The sky isn’t falling, but the Toronto Maple Leafs submitted an uninspiring effort Monday, losing 3-2 to the Detroit Red Wings.

Mason Appleton scored with 44.1 seconds left to break the tie. Toronto is now 1-2-0 to start the year. Dylan Larkin and James van Riemsdyk also scored for the Red Wings.

Easton Cowan made his NHL debut and was among the better players for the Maple Leafs on Monday. The 20-year-old was placed on the first line with Matthew Knies and Auston Matthews, outshooting the Red Wings 10-0 at 5-on-5. It was Toronto’s strongest line by a wide margin but it couldn’t generate an actual goal, although Knies opened the scoring for the Maple Leafs, off a great feed from Bobby McMann.

“I felt like I did a good job of getting pucks, stripping guys and making plays and driving to the net hard. So obviously those are two good players. Unfortunately, didn’t come out with the two points tonight, but we’ll learn from it and keep on,” Cowan said post-game.

Calle Jarnkrok tied the game with six minutes and 18 seconds remaining and it appeared that the game would go to overtime, before Appleton sealed the victory for the Red Wings in the dying second of the game.

Here are four takeaways from the Maple Leafs’ 3-2 loss

Easton Cowan makes encouraging debut in an uninspiring loss

Cowan and his teammates will likely try to bury this game from their collective memories, but it was a strong debut for Toronto’s top-ranked prospect. Placed on the first line with Matthew Knies and Auston Matthews, there was an expectation that Cowan would win back pucks for his linemates, where his tenacity, hockey intelligence and processing speed would work seamlessly. Through the opening two periods, you could make a strong argument that Cowan was Toronto’s second-best forward after Matthews.

There wasn’t an immersion period, as Cowan blocked a shot from Red Wings defenceman Simon Edvinsson on the first shift. Later in the frame, Cowan slid the puck towards the net, where Matthews got a clever deflection on it, forcing Cam Talbot into a clever save, a recurring theme throughout the contest.

During the third frame, Cowan sprung Matthews on a breakaway, which forced Talbot to make two outstanding stops. Cowan made several plays to extend possessions within the offensive zone, he won board battles and didn’t appear remotely phased by the circumstances. His teammates certainly agreed.

“I thought he was great. I think he just carries himself with such a good confidence in himself and in the way that he can play and compete,” Matthews said post-game. “I thought he played really well tonight, easy guy to play with. He made smart plays with the puck, and when plays were to be made, he made ’em. When the simple play was there to just get the puck deeper, or whatnot, I thought he made it. Thought he was really good tonight.”

Matthew Knies-Auston Matthews-Easton Cowan: 10-0 on shots, 16-5 shot attempts, 80.3 percent share of the expected goals in 10:07 at 5-on-5. No actual goals —(McMann with assist on Knies' goal) Matthews with a team-high eight shots. https://t.co/Kw0Lxu73lW

— Arun Srinivasan (@Arunthings) October 13, 2025

“I think he did phenomenal with his puck play,” Knies said of Cowan. ‘That pass to Matty for that breakaway, that’s pretty elite. He did a tremendous job in every zone. I think he played simple and made some great plays, yeah he was useful for us today.”

Cowan told reporters he felt good and treated it just like any other game, during his post-game media availability.

“Yeah, well, you know, there’s a lot of good guys on this team, a lot of good leaders,” Cowan said. “So they’re helping you out a lot. They’re always encouraging you. So just went out there, played free and felt like, you know, I created a lot tonight.”

Auston Matthews’ shot creation and velocity evident, but the goals need to start pouring in

The good news: Auston Matthews did all the small things well and finished with a team-high eight shots. He was arguably Toronto’s best forward during the contest and was unlucky at certain points, unable to solve Cam Talbot during a third-period breakaway. Matthews was shooting with his normal velocity again, an encouraging sign after playing through an upper-body injury last season. He positively affected the game on nearly every shift and was a primary reason why Toronto’s top line stood above the rest.

The bad news: the goals need to start pouring in! Matthews has one empty-net goal through three games, and while it’s way too early to panic, all the stellar predictive results eventually don’t mean all that much if there aren’t any actual goals to celebrate. Matthews has generated 1.23 individual expected goals at 5-on-5 via Natural Stat Trick and he’s pushing his way into the high-danger areas. Now let’s see his output and shot activity correlate into some actual goals, as the Maple Leafs desperately need some real offence from their stars.

Maple Leafs simply need more out of William Nylander after first three games

William Nylander is the team’s second-most important skater after Auston Matthews, but for the second consecutive game, he struggled to make an impact. Nylander and Tavares were often invisible for large stretches of the contest, paired with Matias Maccelli. Maccelli was opportunistic, perhaps to a fault, throughout the game, with a brutal giveaway that was nearly punished by Patrick Kane in the first period.

Nylander registered two shots in 19:42 of playing time, with a -2 goal differential. Toronto generated a plus-two shot differential with Nylander on the ice, but the stats are more forgiving to him than the eye test. There have been countless shifts that have amounted to empty possessions during the first three games, and head coach Craig Berube couldn’t single out the problem.

“Well, there are shifts and times where he is skating. We need more out of him,” Berube said of Nylander. “I think it’s just new linemates, too. I don’t know exactly what it is to be honest with you. I’ll have a conversation with him, see where he’s at and what’s going on.”

There’s an immediate chance to get on the right track as the Maple Leafs host the Nashville Predators on Tuesday. It’s very early but Nylander simply needs to do more, if the Maple Leafs are to retain their ambitions and goal of winning a Stanley Cup.

Calle Jarnkrok remains on fire

Calle Jarnkrok scored for the third consecutive game and is as locked in as he’s ever been. Jarnkrok tied the game during the third period, after Knies and Matthews worked to force a turnover. Knies fired a backhand pass over to Jarnkrok after being closely guarded by Axel Sandin-Pellikka. Jarnkrok made no mistake, and it briefly appeared the Maple Leafs would capitalize from the momentum generated.

Jarnkrok can’t come out of the lineup, he’s proven to be far too valuable during the opening three games, and after Cowan’s encouraging debut Monday, the Maple Leafs may be forced to run back the same 12 forwards on Tuesday. Toronto outshot Detroit 7-0 when Jarnkrok was on the ice, and he may be forced up the lineup if the Maple Leafs continue their offensive struggles throughout this upcoming home stretch.