Toronto Maple Leafs’ third-period comeback all for naught

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The Maple Leafs lost an ugly one at Scotiabank Arena on Monday.

How bad was it?

Coyotes ugly.

Arizona, which came in with lopsided losses in each of its first two games, beat Toronto 4-2. Shayne Gostisbehere got the game-winner on a power play with 1:33 left.

Karel Vejmelka, who allowed 11 goals in his first two outings, made 26 saves in the victory.

Justin Holl was called for a delay of game for flicking a puck over the glass in his own end and the Maple Leafs bench was assessed a two-minute minor for having too many men on the ice.

Oh, yeah. Toronto also went 1-for-5 on the power play and failed to get a shot off on four of them. What would have been a tying goal by Alexander Kerfoot with 39 seconds remaining was negated when a hand pass was called on Morgan Rielly. Calle Jarnkrok was called twice for interference, the second one setting up the winning goal.

Trailing 2-0 and barely showing a pulse, Toronto was booed down the tunnel at the end of the second period. It got louder and louder in the third when they misfired with a man advantage again and again.

“It is what it is,” Rielly said when asked about the fans’ restlessness. “We all sensed it.”

Defenceman Jake Muzzin left the game with a neck injury and did not return. The club’s defensive corps is already missing Timothy Liljegren and Jordie Benn, both of whom are on long-term injured reserve.

The Maple Leafs turned it on over the last 20 minutes and tied it briefly at 2-2 on goals 24 seconds apart by William Nylander and Mitch Marner.

With Matt Murray sidelined, Ilya Samsonov looks ready for the challenge

Nick Ritchie scored a rare goal in front of Maple Leafs fans – but this one was for Arizona. The big left wing had two in 33 games before Toronto traded him to the Coyotes in February.

Ritchie has scored three times in three games now, including one on a tip-in with 26 seconds left in the first that made it 1-0. It came on a power play with Jarnkrok in the penalty box.

Right wing Christian Fischer jammed one past Erik Kallgren to increase the lead to 2-0 almost midway through the second period.

Kallgren, who was recalled on Saturday from the Marlies of the American Hockey League, got the start in the Maple Leafs’ net. He gave up three goals on 17 shots.

“It was a tough game,” Kallgren said. “It was not my best performance.”

He was 8-4-1 in relief last season when Jack Campbell and Petr Mrazek were hampered by injuries and will be used in the same role now.

Matt Murray, the club’s presumptive starter, suffered an adductor injury on Saturday and is expected to be out for at least four weeks.

Ilya Samsonov will assume the No. 1 position but was given the evening off to prevent him from having to play three games in five nights.

“It’s a combination of Samsonov’s workload needing to be managed and Kallgren needing to be in the net,” head coach Sheldon Keefe said. “We are going to need him on the road trip that is upcoming.”

Toronto’s next game is Thursday at Scotiabank Arena against the Dallas Stars. After that, it will travel to Winnipeg on Saturday and then on to Las Vegas, San Jose, Los Angeles and Anaheim.

By placing Murray on long-time injured reserve, the Maple Leafs were able to clear some salary and on Sunday also recalled forwards Wayne Simmonds and Nicholas Robertson and defenceman Victor Mete from the AHL. None of the three dressed against Arizona.

Simmonds, 34, played 110 games for Toronto over the last two seasons and was among the last players waived at the end of preseason.

“At first you are stunned,” Simmonds, who is from neighbouring Scarborough, said after practice on Sunday.

“I have poured my heart and soul into this team over the last two years and I will do anything within my power to stay in this organization.”

The first period was a snoozefest with the two teams combining for only nine shots. Ritchie scored on Arizona’s fourth and final one.

Toronto controlled the puck for long stretches but came away with a 1-0 deficit.

“We controlled the puck but couldn’t convert our offensive zone time into anything tangible,” Keefe said after his team fell to 2-2. “We overhandled pucks, didn’t get it quick enough to the net, and allowed them to get inside of us.

“As the game went on they gained confidence and our team lost its way.”

The final dagger was the last-minute that was called off.

“We just have to do a better job than put ourselves in that spot,” Keefe said.