The Maple Leafs took on the NHL’s worst team at home tonight, which also provided Auston Matthews with an opportunity to beat his childhood team. Frederik Andersen went up against Antti Raanta in this one, and Niklas Hjalmarsson returned to action for the Coyotes. This looked to be an easy win on paper, but unfortunately, the game is not won on paper.
First Period
The Leafs failed to start on time. The first few minutes were spent in their own end, and although the Coyotes did not generate many high danger chances, Frederik Andersen was forced to deal with the first handful of shots in this game.