Woll chased, awful first period, and more: 3 reasons why Toronto Maple Leafs lost 5-2 to Vegas Golden Knights

The Toronto Maple Leafs lost the opener of their three-game road trip 5-2 to the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday night at T-Mobile Arena. It was just the second regulation loss for the Leafs in their last 10 games while the Golden Knights extended their winning streak to two games.

Auston Matthews (PPG) and Mitch Marner scored for the Maple Leafs, while the Golden Knights got goals from Tomas Hertl, Brett Howden, Jack Eichel (PPG), Noah Hanifin and Tanner Pearson.

So, here’s a look at the three key reasons why the Toronto Maple Leafs lost to the Vegas Golden Knights:

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Three reasons why the Toronto Maple Leafs lost to the Vegas Golden Knights

#3 Leafs couldn't overcome early deficit

The Toronto Maple Leafs fell into a 3-0 hole in the first period. The three goals in the first 15 minutes by the Golden Knights proved to be a hole too deep to climb out of for the Leafs. It was 5-0 after 40 minutes before the Leafs got on the board.

Between the strong Vegas attack and the seemingly listless Leafs defense, the Golden Knights ran away with the game. While Toronto tried to mount a comeback late on, it was too little, too late.

#2 Awful first period

Speaking of early holes, the Leafs found themselves down 3-0 following a Jack Eichel power play goal. Eichel’s 20th of the season capped off a three-goal burst that started with Vegas opening the score at 4:33.

However,Brett Howden and Eichel scoring four minutes apart put the Toronto Maple Leafs in a tight spot. The Golden Knight added two more goals to put the game out of reach of the Maple Leafs.

#1 Woll chased

Joseph Woll had an uncharacteristic game. He gave up three goals on seven shots, getting the hook following Eichel’s power play goal. Anthony Stolarz came in relief, giving up two more goals on 18 shots the rest of the way.

Wednesday night’s outing was a stark contrast to Woll’s last outing against the Golden Knights, a 31-save shutout on Nov. 20, 2024, in Toronto. Woll will look to shake off the poor game before the next outing.

The Leafs will look to regroup before taking on the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena on Saturday in one of the night’s most interesting matchups.