Matthew Knies Sets Career High, Tyler Bertuzzi Finding His Groove, but Maple Leafs Fall 3-2 to Kyle Dubas' Penguins

It was Kyle Dubas and Noel Acciari’s first game against their former team, and yes, they had their revenge.

Acciari scored the game-tying goal in the second period before the Pittsburgh Penguins went up in the game. Once that happened, they never lost the lead.

Erik Karlsson found the back of the net late in the second period after they hemmed the Maple Leafs in their zone multiple times. It was a game they could never grasp back in their hands, ultimately falling to Pittsburgh, leaving Dubas with likely a smile as he leaves the arena.

Here are a few observations from Toronto’s 3-2 loss to the Penguins.

Tyler Bertuzzi finding his groove

With three points in his first 12 games, many wondered if Bertuzzi was a fit with Toronto. Things have changed since then.

The 28-year-old has stepped up his play in the last seven games. He’s found the net three times and has assisted on three goals for six points in his last seven games.

What I’ve noticed most about Bertuzzi, as of late, is that he’s no longer timid. It often seemed like he needed a push or a burst of energy. However, since just before Sweden, Bertuzzi’s looked more engaged, and really, more like the Tyler Bertuzzi we saw last season.

He’s a fit with William Nylander and John Tavares. And if all three can start producing together, it will be a scary line for Toronto’s opponents.

Matthew Knies is all over the ice

Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe had a strong message for Toronto’s top line ahead of their game in Pittsburgh. He said they’re “not making plays” and plays “are dying on their sticks.”

But Knies quieted that talk early in the first, finding the back of the net for his sixth goal of the year.

It was a great shot-pass by Calle Jarnkrok, and Knies buries it. The 21-year-old’s sixth goal of the season comes on only his 21st shot. Keefe also said before the game that Mitch Marner hasn’t been executing at the level he usually is.

Marner, at times during the game, was replaced on the line by Jarnkrok. And with that goal from Knies, maybe we see Jarnkrok remain on the line for the short term.

Going back to Knies, he had a great game. The NHL rookie was involved in several chances, including one where he outsmarted Erik Karlsson, lifting his stick to get the puck before setting up Marner for a scoring chance.

Knies finished the game with a career-high five shots against Pittsburgh.

Other observations

– Joseph Woll had a great game tracking the puck until colleague David Alter posted about it on X. Not even a minute later, Karlsson found the back of the net on a point shot. I’m not saying anything, but it might’ve been a jinx.

In all seriousness, I thought Woll had a tremendous game. He made numerous big stops for Toronto and kept them in the game when Pittsburgh spent time in the offensive zone.

– Calle Jarnkrok’s game has quietly been consistent as of late. Although he hasn’t put up a lot of points (he is on a two-game point streak, though), the 32-year-old is playing well at both ends of the rink. He’s one of Toronto’s most defensively responsible forwards.

– John Tavares is a player who often doesn’t find himself in the observations because he’s so consistent. It’s incredible to see how,  at 33 years old, he can continue to be a point-per-game player in the NHL.

He had the secondary assist on Knies’ goal in the first period, giving him 20 points in the first 19 games of the year. The assist was also his 995th of his career, tying him Penguins assistant GM Jason Spezza for

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