Maple Leafs offer little in shutout loss to red-hot Devils

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When Keith Tkachuk was booed during Hockey Hall of Fame introductions on Sunday night, little did we know that would be about the extent of the emotion at Scotiabank Arena.

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The Maple Leafs couldn’t have had much less gumption in the annual hall game, losing 4-0 to a New Jersey Devils club that has won 11 of its last 13 games.

No similar success can be tied to the Leafs. They’re going nowhere fast on this six-game homestand, having lost the first three games in regulation with the Colorado Avalanche next on the docket on Tuesday. The Leafs have lost five of their last six games.

Toronto’s record same as 2025-26

Clad in their cream Hometown Remix sweaters for the first time, the Leafs didn’t have the energy to put consistent heat on Devils goalie Connor Hellebuyck, winner of all five of his starts since he was acquired from the Winnipeg Jets.

Hellebuyck made 23 saves as Toronto was shut out for the first time since April 8 against the Washington Capitals.

Here’s a sobering fact to consider: The Leafs are 8-9-2, the same record they had through 19 games a year ago. They went on to finish last in the Atlantic Division and 21 points out of the second wild card spot, costing Brad Treliving and Craig Berube their jobs.

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Already without veteran defencemen Chris Tanev (load management) and Morgan Rielly (lower body) as well as injured winger Kirill Marchenko, the Leafs didn’t have winger Jack Roslovic.

Leafs coach Jim Hiller hinted during his afternoon availability that there might be a game-time decision on a forward. Sure enough, Roslovic was scratched after taking part in the warmup. He’s listed as day to day with a lower-body injury. Vinni Lettieri was inserted into the lineup.

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What did Hiller do with the Leafs’ lines?

What followed was not one of Hiller’s finest moments and by that we mean his game management as a whole.

There were several changes to his lines as the game progressed, the most bizarre giving fourth-liner Zack MacEwen a longer-than-necessary look with captain Auston Matthews. Needless to say, an abundance of scoring chances did not result.

Colton Sissons, who started on the Matthews line in Roslovic’s spot, departed the game late in the second period after suffering a lower-body injury. He did not return.

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Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz did what he could to keep his teammates in it, stretching across the crease to deny a streaking Jesper Bratt before snaring a Luke Evangelista shot from the slot.

Those two big saves came in the second period before Timo Meier scored at 8:28 on a pass from Declan Chisholm. The Devils made a bang-bang play after John Tavares lost a defensive-zone faceoff against New Jersey captain Nico Hischier.

Tavares had a good view of the second Meier goal as he didn’t do much to impede the Devils forward as the latter re-directed a Jack Hughes shot past Stolarz at 12:44.

Hischier scored on a power play in the third period and Connor Brown later scored into an empty Leafs net.

For the first time in 2026-27, the Leafs did not have one power play.

tkoshan@postmedia.com

X: @koshtorontosun

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