HEAD SCRATCHER (POST GAME OPINIONS)


Sigh. The Maple Leafs lose a tough one to the Capitals by a score of 4-2. This comes after the Leafs left Death Valley with a 2-1-0 record. It seemed like the Leafs would be playing with confidence after achieving such a feat, but that confidence was no where to be seen in this game.

Does this mean that it is panic time for the Leafs? Absolutely not! But there is no excuses for a lack of effort in the first period especially since two of the goals were questionable thanks to sub-par officiating. If the Leafs are to take anything out of this game, it is that they need to always come prepared to play. Otherwise, the game will go in the other team's favour and two valuable points will be gone. But in the Leaf's defense, they had just returned from California after a long flight east. Still, it is inexcusable not to come prepared to play.

Here are three reasons why the Leafs could not come away with the win:

1) A Slow Start

It was clear from the opening face off that the Leafs looked out of it. Pucks were not bouncing in their favor, and a few questionable penalties, leading to two power play goals against. Not to mention, the SOG totals after the first period were 14-2 in favour of Washington. It turned out to be the turning point of this game as the Leafs were only able to score twice before an empty netter sealed the deal.

2) The Special Teams were sloppy

The penalty kill has always been a problem for the Leafs this year, but two goals against on four penalties is unacceptable. So is zero power play goals on three opportunities. Either way, the special teams let the Leafs down this afternoon in every way possible.

3) Missed opportunities

The second period was all Leafs. They had full control of the puck, they took a majority of the shots, and were given three straight power plays. Unfortunately, the Maple Leafs were only able to find the back of the net once, despite all of the pressure and great opportunities. And by the time the third period was nearly over, it was clear the Leafs wouldn't win.

My prediction for this game was:
"It will be close for most of the game until one team scores late in the third and pop in an empty net goal as well."
It is disappointing that the Leafs could not win this one, but my prediction was right. The score count is now: Right-2 Wrong-0.

The Leafs will conclude their road trip with a visit to Detroit to visit the Red Wings on Tuesday. Hope to see you then!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why Did The Leafs Trade For Grabner?

Image
Most of you have already heard the news by now, but if you haven't, here's what transpired. During the annual Media Day, the Leafs traded forward Taylor Beck and Carter Verhaeghe, defensemen Matt Finn and Tom Nilsson, and goaltender Christopher Gibson to the New York Islanders in exchange for forward Michael Grabner. Upon first glance, the trade comes as a complete shock. It seems weird that the Leafs were ok with giving up a bunch of prospects that seemed to have a future with the Leafs for proven player in the middle of his prime. The trade goes completely against the rebuild, right? Well not exactly. See, prior to this trade, the Leafs were in a jam in terms of the number of players under contract. Under the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), the maximum number of players an NHL team can have under contract  is 50. This includes the main team of 23 players and 27 prospects in the farm system. The Leafs had 49 players before the deal was made and now have 45
Read more

Five takeaways from the Leafs 2017-18 season

Image
Toronto Maple Leafs players leave the ice after losing Game 7 to the Bruins in Boston on Wednesday.   (Charles Krupa/Associated Press) Wednesday's Game 7 loss to the Boston Bruins put a premature end to what was a historic season for the Toronto Maple Leafs.  The team took big leaps, with the young core of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander making strides in their game. Frederik Andersen established new franchise bests in the goaltending category. The defensive core of Morgan Rielly and Jake Gardiner had big seasons offensively. Plus rookie call-ups Travis Dermott, Kasperi Kapanen, and Andreas Johnsson established themselves as lineup staples for the future.  While the Leafs were able to reach franchise highs during the regular season, it's clear the team is not yet ready to reach that next step as they learned some valuable lessons during this year's playoff run. Let's look at five takeaways from this season and where the team need
Read more

A CHANCE OF REDEMPTION (PRE GAMES OPINIONS)

Image
So, will history repeat itself, or will the slump continue? The  desperate Leafs will meet Devils on a Sunday night meeting in New Jersey. The history I was referring to was earlier this season. The Leafs were in a four game slump and met the Devils on a Sunday game. The Leafs ended the slump and went on a six game winning streak. The chances look good, the Leafs have been playing well (even when they lose), and Dave Bolland  is back. But, this is immediately after a disappointing 4-3 loss to the Habs. Like I mentioned in my special blog (http://leafsinmyopinion.blogspot.ca/2014/03/what-is-wrong-with-leafs-special-blog.html), if the Leafs are to get out of the slump they are in, they need to fix. No one else is making the Leafs lose, they are. We shall wait and see what happens. So, here are the three keys to a Leafs win: 1) A fresh face in net No offense to Reimer, I think MacIntyre finally gets the start in this one. It makes the most sense since the Devils ar
Read more