No John Tavares in the game tonight, so the lines were:

Pays to remember who controls the matchups here.

First Period

The Leafs got outplayed a lot in this period. They had trouble exiting the defensive zone, they had trouble making a pas in uncontested ice, and they got the puck picked off their sticks in the offensive zone a great deal.

It wasn't all bad because at least when they had the puck they were shooting from near the net.

Chasing the play, and in the box he goes.

Letang makes Pontus Holmberg play a little more. Holmberg was one of the least used forwards on the PK last year. Jake McCabe doesn't really know what to do in this situation either, so he does the "I'd block that if I was anywhere near it" curtsey and calls it a day.

That actually started the final few minutes of offensive competence.

Score was 1-0 Pittsburgh.

Second Period

Nice way to open the period.

And the follow-up.

Craig Berube switched up the lines and put Domi with Nylander and Bobby McMann for the second. Seems to be working.

Max Pacioretty takes a penalty and then Pittsburgh gets one right after. They take another at period end on this really terrible call.

Score was 2-1 Leafs.

Pittsburgh really pressed hard between the Toronto goals there, and then it was all Toronto with even a decent minute or two of power play.

Third Period

The third period started on a power play, the less said the better, but I wasn't the only one fired up by how ineffective it is. Right after:

Malkin bats a puck down and tightens this game right up:

Nick Robertson is too fast for the Penguins and draws a very timely penalty with about 5 minutes to go.

Nylander fills the empty net to secure the win.

Final score: 4-2 Toronto.

Third period the best period for the Leafs.

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