NHL worst PP, 2nd period meltdown, and more: 3 reasons why Toronto Maple Leafs lost 4-2 against St. Louis Blues

The Toronto Maple Leafs dropped their second game against the St. Louis Blues this season, a 4-2 loss on Saturday at the Enterprise Center.

Colton Parayko scored twice for the Blues, with Jordan Kyrou and Pavel Buchnevich adding the other two for St. Louis. Meanwhile, Mitch Marner and Steven Lorentz scored for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

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3 reasons why Toronto Maple Leafs lost against St. Louis Blues

#3. The Leafs got an unlucky bounce

The Leafs played a solid game overall. They dominated the first and poured on the pressure in the third. But during the second period, the Blues took the game over. In particular, an unlucky bounce put the Leafs in a tough spot.

With the game tied at one, the Blues pressured in the Leafs’ zone following a rush chance. Then, Jordan Kyrou threw the puck at the net. The shot would have gone wide. Instead, the puck hit Leafs defender Jake McCabe’s skate and slid behind netminder Joseph Woll.

The unlucky bounce gave the Blues a 2-1 lead and an unassisted goal for Kyrou. The goal killed the momentum for the Leafs, who had strung a couple of good shifts trying to reclaim the lead.

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#2. A disastrous second period

The Leafs controlled much of the first period, outshooting the Blue 12-4. But then, the momentum shifted significantly in the second. It seemed as though the Leafs took their feet off the gas, allowing the Blues to get back into the game.

All told, Colton Parayko scored twice on two rockets from the point. In both goals, the slapshots from the blue line could have been saved. Unfortunately, Woll had to deal with traffic, giving Parayko a chance to put the rockets on goal.

Also, the unlucky Kyrou goal cemented a disastrous second period for the Leafs. The Blues outshot the Leafs 14-8 in the second, marking the turnaround in the game for St. Louis and the win at home.

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#1. League-worst power play went silent

The Toronto Maple Leafs now officially have the league’s worst power play after going 0-4 on the night. The uber-talented Leafs’ power play could not manage to break through against the Blues.

The power play now sits at 7.9%. Considering the amount of talent, it’s a pity that the Leafs could not muster more on Saturday night. Had the Leafs connected at least once with the man advantage, the game would have been completely different.

Instead, the power play went silent and the Leafs lost yet another close game.

The Leafs won’t have much time to regroup as they hit the ice again on Sunday night against the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center. Meanwhile, Toronto will have a chance to bounce back from a disappointing defeat in St. Louis.