3 least impressive Toronto Maple Leafs players from 5-3 loss to Nashville Predators ft. Morgan Rielly

The Toronto Maple Leafs fell 5-3 to the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena on Saturday. The Leafs extended their skid to four defeats in five games.

The Predators outshot the Maple Leafs 32-22 and converted one of their power-play opportunities. After entering the third period tied 2-2, Toronto briefly fell behind on Luke Evangelista’s go-ahead goal midway through the period.

The Maple Leafs then pulled their goalie late, allowing Nashville two empty-net goals in the final two minutes, with Toronto scoring once in between to make the final score 5-3. The Leafs are now at the bottom of the Atlantic Division with a 15-14-5 record.

Below are the least impressive Toronto Maple Leafs from the loss to the Nashville Predators.

3 least impressive Toronto Maple Leafs players from loss to Nashville Predators

#3 William Nylander

Nylander went pointless with two shots and a -2 rating, but his play was marred by turnovers, including one that directly led to a Predators goal and another on an empty-netter.

The lack of urgency from Nylander exacerbated Toronto’s sloppy play. In a matchup against a middling Nashville squad, this lack of production was particularly disappointing.

#2 Auston Matthews

The Maple Leafs captain had a frustrating night, registering zero points on three shots while posting a team-worst -3 plus/minus. Matthews was faulted for lacking effort, coasting through shifts, and failing to generate meaningful scoring chances throughout the game.

His minimal impact was a glaring underperformance for the Maple Leafs, who lost back-to-back games.

#1 Morgan Rielly

Rielly had no points, zero shots, and was directly responsible for the game-winning goal, as he was deked around by Luke Evangelista in the third period.

His defensive lapses were evident, and as a top-pair blueliner, his inability to shut down the Predators' rush was a key factor in the defeat.

The Toronto Maple Leafs continue their road trip at American Airlines Center against the Dallas Stars (24-7-5) next on Monday.

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Edited by Abhishek Dilta