Maple Leafs Get First Win in What May Be an Exciting Season

The Maple Leafs notched their first win under new head coach Jim Hiller, beating the New York Islanders 2-1 after falling 3-2 to the Montreal Canadiens in their season opener. There is nowhere to go from last season, when the team had the second-fewest points in the Eastern Conference, but with an off-season overhaul, fans may be in for an exciting season.

Maple Leafs Get First Win 

After the loss to the Canadiens in the first game, the Maple Leafs got a win in their last game, 2-1 over the Islanders. Youngster Easton Cowen scored a goal, and the 21-year-old, the 28th pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, also got an assist for the second straight game.

The No. 1 pick in the last draft, Gavin McKenna, logged 15 minutes on the ice and had one shot and two turnovers, saying after the game that he was “not great.” Backup goalie Anthony Stolarz allowed only one goal on 27 shots and had a solid debut after a GAA north of 3.20 last season.

Top netminder Sergei Bobrovsky took the loss in the opener against the Canadiens, giving up three goals, and after winning two Stanley Cups with Florida, he will be tasked with anchoring the defence.

The Defence Has Been There, So Far 

Ok, while it's only two games, the Toronto defense has played well so far, especially in the last game, which is good news for a unit that ranked second-to-last in the NHL last season, giving up an average of 3.60 goals per game.

Home Cooking Before Hitting the Road

The Maple Leafs have their next two games on home ice before a tough three-game road trip against the Colorado Avalanche, who had the most points in the NHL last season, the Vegas Golden Knights, who lost in the Stanley Cup Final last season, and the Utah Mammoth, who also made the playoffs.

Hope Springs Eternal 

The Maple Leafs are 1-1, but hope springs eternal for the team that overhauled its roster for the better, lucked out with the first overall pick in the draft, and has a new head coach.