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The Maple Leafs lose 5–2 against the New Jersey Devils in another deflated performance

Originally posted on 6IX ON ICE | By Anthony William | Last updated Oct 22, 2025 12:45 PM ET

The Toronto Maple Leafs were coming off a 4–3 overtime loss against the Seattle Kraken last night. Leafs’ goaltender, Anthony Stolarz, had some spicy comments after the loss, hinting at the things that have plagued this team for a decade. So far this season, it seems like it’s the same old Leafs.

The Leafs hosted the New Jersey Devils last night at Scotiabank Arena. The Leafs’ starting lines had some changes, with Easton Cowan being scratched, and Steven Lorentz centring a third line with Nicholas Robertson and Calle Jarnkrok. Head coach Craig Berube is clearly trying to find some chemistry within the lineup.

Unfortunately, outside of a strong first period, it was more of a continuation of the Kraken game. Let’s take a look at the key takeaways from last night’s 5–2 loss against the Devils.

The Stolarz factor

Stolarz had some words on how the Leafs lost against the Kraken:

“I mean, it’s just playing hard,” Stolarz said of the crease contact. “Maybe we can take a page out of their book and start getting to the net. I mean, for us, we like to go low to high and shoot. But for their goalie, it’s like playing catch in the yard. He’s seeing everything.”

This is not a new idea. Until Berube arrived in Toronto, the Leafs played a perimeter game, looking for the highlight reel goal. However, we know this doesn’t translate to playoff success when the space on the ice to make these plays shrinks, and players need to make quicker decisions.

What do the Leafs do to open the scoring? They go to the net, make life difficult for Jake Allen, and the Leafs finish the first period on a high note with a 1–0 lead.

It makes sense why Stolarz would point this out. After all, Stolarz has a Stanley Cup ring as the backup to Sergei Bobrovsky in 2023–24. He knows what it takes to succeed, and the Leafs need to start doing it consistently.

Stolarz also walks the walk. Last night, the team left him hung out to dry on the four goals that the Devils scored on him (the fifth was an empty-netter). Stolarz made several big saves, especially on the penalty kill, stopping 30 out of 34 shots last night. While Stolarz has single-handedly won the Leafs’ games this season, he couldn’t win it last night.

Second line domination

So far in the season, the second line has been the best line for the Leafs. Last night’s game was no different, with John Tavares and William Nylander picking up two points each.

Tavres is often called the “little things king” because his attention to the small details of hockey is astounding. On the first goal, he anticipated the play perfectly, went to the net, and used his body to gain inside position against the Devils’ defender to tap in the rebound:

https://www.nhl.com/mapleleafs/video/njd-tor-tavares-scores-goal-against-jake-allen-6383484710112

On the Leafs’ second goal, Tavares gains the centre of the ice and slides the puck under the Devils’ player’s stick to Nylander. Nylander rushes into the zone and sells the shot, leaving Matias Maccelli wide open to receive the pass and scores his first goal as a Leaf:

https://nhl.com/video/njd-tor-maccelli-scores-goal-against-jake-allen-6383487243112

Nylander and Tavares lead the team in points with 13 and nine points, respectively, after last night’s game. Between the sweetheart contract Tavares signed and the fact that he consistently produces year after year, it’s no wonder that Tavares is still a fan favourite.

First line and the team identity

The first line did not have a good night last night. They could barely get any sustained offensive zone pressure. The Matthews line directly contributed to the two goals against, either by being hemmed in their own zone or through giveaways.

It is unrealistic for the first line to score every game. From a points perspective, in October, Auston Matthews has four goals and two assists, and Matthew Knies has two goals and six assists. Their third linemate has been rotated between Cowan, Maccelli, and Max Domi.

But it’s not the points that are worrisome; it’s the inability to set the tone and dominate the game more often than not. The first line should be the embodiment of the team identity, and so far, like in seasons past, it’s not.

Down by two goals in the third period, you would expect the Matthews line to come out and dominate. The Leafs didn’t get their first shot in the third period until almost halfway through. And the shot on goal was a drifter on the penalty kill that made it to Jake Allen. Who took the penalty? Auston Matthews for hooking.

Cowan was scratched because, according to Berube, he “needed a reset.” The first line performed so poorly that Robertson got some shifts on the top line in last night’s game. How they play the game should not rest on the shoulders of younger, more inexperienced players. The tone should be set by the captain, and Matthews needs to start leading like one.

On to the next

With the Leafs, it’s always been about how they lose hockey games. As we’ve seen time and time again, they don’t seem to be able to play a full 60 minutes, often deciding to show up in the third period when it’s too little, too late.

The Leafs play next on Friday against the Buffalo Sabres in the first of a back-to-back. Friday’s game is in Buffalo, while Saturday’s game is in Toronto. Chris Tanev took accidental contact to the head early in the second period, after which he left the game. If he is out long-term, then that is a big blow to the Leafs’ defence corps.

This article first appeared on 6IX ON ICE and was syndicated with permission.

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