The Toronto Maple Leafs were sluggish in their return to Air Canada Center after a three-game Western Canada road swing, as defensive miscues gave the Minnesota Wild an early 2-0 lead.
Eric Staal and Tyler Bozak exchanged goals in the middle frame and Toronto bombarded goalie Devan Dubnyk, with 17 shots in the third period, but the Wild netminder stopped all 17 in a 3-2 Minnesota victory over the Leafs on Wednesday.
Dubnyk, who led the NHL with a .946 save percentage entering the game, made 35 stops, including a brilliant right pad save on Connor Brown late in regulation to preserve the victory for Minnesota.
Ben Smith and Bozak scored for the Leafs and Frederik Andersen took the loss, allowing three goals on 20 shots. The loss was Toronto’s third in a row, who remain at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with 25 points, which is not where head coach Mike Babcock wants to be.
“Any way you look at it, you have to crawl back in (the playoff race). We'd like to have 30 points right now after five (five game) segments – 30 points and we've got 25.” Babcock said following the game. “If you keep doing what you're doing that means you end up with around 82 points and you miss. That's not our priority or what we plan on doing so we're going to have to fix that.”
Toronto is currently seven points behind Boston for third place in the Atlantic Division and eight points in back of Philadelphia and Washington for a Eastern Conference wild card spot, which means they will have to rack up points on their five-game home stand beginning on Sunday after playing the Bruins in Boston on Saturday.
Babcock once again singled out rookie William Nylander’s play after the game. The 20-year-old centered the fourth line with Ben Smith and Matt Martin and was on the ice for Chris Stewart’s first period goal, but was elevated later in the game when the Leafs were looking to tie the game.
“The reality is for him to play center in the league, (Nylander)'s going to have to get way better defensively and more competitive.” Babcock said. “It's just a situation where we were behind and he's a guy who can shoot the puck in the net.”
After scoring 11 points (4 goals, 7 assists) and being named rookie of the month in October, Nylander has two goals, three assists and is -4 in his last 15 games.
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Goaltender Karri Ramo played in his first game for the Toronto Marlies in a 3-2 loss to the Utica Comets on Wednesday.
Ramo faced 36 shots in his first live action since injuring his knee last February and allowed three goals, including a weak game-winner to Comets defenseman Jordan Subban late in the third, but stopped a penalty shot from Utica forward Curtis Valk in the second period.
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