Toronto Maple Leafs — Nashville Predators: 5:4, NHL

Nashville Predators beat Toronto Maple Leafs 2:0 in the NHL on Tuesday evening. The visitors held firm against the hosts in a match decided by their own moments rather than any sustained pressure. Toronto had looked comfortable in their opening games but found themselves on the wrong side of a result that told a different story.

And here's the thing — the visitors came in with nothing to show for three games and walked out with something real. Nashville had beaten Tampa-Bye earlier in the campaign, lost badly to Carolina twice, and dropped to Dallas. This win changed the shape of things for them, even if the table still showed eleven place with three games played and zero points. The gap between expectation and reality opened up quickly.

Our prediction had given Toronto a 51 per cent chance of victory, but the match ran differently. The hosts had won two of four, including a narrow victory over the Islanders, yet they failed to convert their chances. By then it was clear Nashville had done enough to take all three points, and the visitors kept their nerve throughout.

What the result means is worth noting. Toronto now sit seven place with four games, two wins and two losses, still without a point on the board. Nashville remain eleven place but have moved from defeat to a win in as many days. The hosts will need to find more than they offered here if they want to climb.