He was on final. The engine was providing little more than idle thrust. If he were taking off some serious rudder input would have been required.

Engine failure is the most important thing you are trained for when you transition from flying single-engine airplanes to multi-engine.

Most multi-engine airplanes can even take-off and climb with only a single engine functioning. You would never do it intentionally, but sometimes engines fail shortly after takeoff when you are 50 feet above the runway.