Yeah, anyone pinning this loss on Sparks or Babcock for the starting order need to give their head a shake.
One thing, though, that's starting to get a bit concerning is the lack of production on the powerplay since Matthews went on IR. The Marner slap-pass has been pretty obviously scouted, and they don't have the same cross-seam weapon that Matthews was to spread out the coverage. Despite all the talent on the team, they really don't have a bunch of guys with an impressive shot that stands a chance of beating a goalie at the hash marks. There's a hell of a dropoff between Matthews and the rest of the group. Probably Nylander would be second in that regard.
The second unit is a straight up disaster. I like Gardiner and Ennis, but they need someone who can be in the slot and fire the puck - ie - not Leivo. I think they should move Kadri to the second unit, and as some have suggested, put Kapenen on there as well.