Toronto Maple Leafs: What a Time To Be Alive

The Toronto Maple Leafs have made a huge push forward in their journey of becoming a dynasty, and it just keeps getting better.

The Toronto Maple Leafs head into Tuesday’s game against Claude Giroux and the Philadelphia Flyers with a three-game winning streak. Now, a three-game winning streak isn’t something to freak out over,, but look at the teams it came against and what their “star” players did.

The Week That Was

The Calgary Flames and Johnny “Johnny Hockey” Gaudreau, The Edmonton Oilers and Connor “McJesus” Mcdavid. The Pittsburgh Penguins and Sidney “Sid the Kid” Crosby were all victims of the week that was for the Leafs.

SHUT DOWN is what I must say.

The shut down of these players show me that the Leafs are becoming a team that others hate to play against. Although, to keep it in perspective, we must acknowledge that the amazing goaltending the team has gotten lately played a huge role in this shut-down.

That video was from a season ago, but it goes to show how Kadri plays against the NHL’s elite.

Kadri was put to the task of hovering over both Gaudreau and McDavid, stars of their respective clubs and he did a hell of a job, making sure they didn’t put anything together.

The Not So Good

Now, this wasn’t a good week for advanced stats, mostly aiming towards CF%.

Against the Flames, the Leafs held a 47.86 CF% but then dropped heavily in the game versus the Penguins, a gross 42.55. But wait, it gets worse. A 39.00 Sunday when they faced the Oilers. Somehow, somehow… the Leafs walked away with three victories. Do you want to know how they walked away with three victories? Goaltending.

Oh My, Can It Be True? We Have A Good Goalie, or Two…

Fredrick Andersen has been a rock as of late, after a slow start to the season. The start was, well, shaky to say the least, but lately, wow. Andersen holds a 17-8-1 record with a dazzling .922 SV% and a GAA of 2.67 for the season, but those numbers don’t even show how well he has played as of late. In the month of November, he rocked a .938 SV% and a 2.14 GAA and walked out with the NHL’s second star of the month honours and December has gotten off to a good start as well.

Curtis McElhinney started against the Oilers on Sunday after Andersen got the nod Saturday, and my oh my he was good. I couldn’t believe my eyes, it’s like I was watching myself play back in my goaltending days in minor hockey. (Just kidding, hah), but still, he was good.”

Posting a 41 save shutout, McElhinney looked like a brick wall, and his most notable save came on a McDavid breakaway. He gave the Leafs a shot at winning, even when they didn’t look their greatest.

Now I’m not calling McElhinney a great goalie or anything, because don’t get me wrong, he scares me some games he plays (Almost every game he plays), but go back a look at some of his saves.

There, I did it for you. He was good.

Uh Oh…

Want some bad news from this week? Me neither. But I have to tell you anyways.

More from Editor In Leaf

Auston Matthews was hurt in the final minutes against the Penguins on Saturday night and missed Sunday nights game against the Oilers and is now poised to miss Tuesday’s game against the Flyers.

Not what you wanted to hear on this fine day, I know.

In other news, the Leafs placed Nikita Soshnikov and called up Kasperi Kapanen from the Marlies, and will be a healthy scratch tonight in the game against the Flyers.

Let’s Keep This Going

As the Leafs hope to keep this streak going, they will have to do so without Matthews on Tuesday night. Although, that hasn’t been an issue. The Leafs are winning without Matthews, holding a 5-0-0 record when he isn’t in the line-up, but we all know that can’t hold up.

Philly has been weak as of late, posting a 10 game losing streak this season that just ended last week, but they aren’t a team to be taken lightly.

Next: Soshnikov to IR, Kapanen Back Up

All stats from naturalstattrick.com. Thanks for reading.

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