Toronto Maple Leafs: Road Trip Ends with Stop in Motown

The three-game round trip for the Toronto Maple Leafs concludes on a back-to-back in Detroit.

After their offense went missing in Minnesota; Toronto faces a Detroit Red Wings that is coming back to earth after a surprising start to their season. Nonetheless, Detroit won’t roll over for their former head coach. In their last game versus the Boston Bruins, they showed they could become a thorn in the side for teams.

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For the early part of the game, Detroit would generate more shot pressure and possess the puck. Then, as most bad teams do, they find a way to lose, which is what they did against Boston. For Toronto, they must avoid playing on their heels. Although Detroit may fizzle out at some point in the game, they will take the fight early on.

In Minnesota, Toronto would control the offense, but they could never find a groove offensively. Their shot pressure came alive in the latter part of the second and third period, but they couldn’t locate the back of the net. Then, with opportunistic chances, Minnesota put two past Frederik Andersen; which is a familiar sight, seeing as Toronto did to Detroit in their first meeting of the season.

Back in October, Detroit would dominate the game, but it was Toronto who would make the most out of their scoring chances leading to 6-3 victory. Fast forward two months and the offensive swagger they once had is becoming a distant memory.

Leafs fall to Wild 2-0. Offence tough to come by as of late. They’ve been held to 2 or fewer goals in 5 of their last 6 games. On to Detroit tomorrow night. #tmltalk
— Paul Hendrick (@HennyTweets) December 15, 2017

Players to Look out for

For Detroit, Anthony Mantha leads the team with 12 goals and 22 points on the season. Mantha is a prototypical power forward who generates most of his shots in front of the net. If Roman Polak will ever live up to the “he clears the crease” slogan, then this is the game he needs to show up. After a rough sophomore season last year, Dylan Larkin is having a bounce-back season. With 24 points, Larkin is the engine behind Detroit’s offense. Here’s a look at the shots produce with him on the ice compared to when he’s off.

If Toronto looks to salvage a victory on this road trip, these two are names they’ll have to contain. On the offensive end, they need to take advantage of Detroit’s old defensive core. William Nylander and Mitch Marner don’t have to dominate, but this game could help build confidence. These two can rely on their speed to help create scoring chances because the entire team needs a boost offensively.

Next: How Seatle Expansion Might Effect the Toronto Maple Leafs

After a few games in which they’ve struggled to spark any offense, can Toronto take advantage of Detroit’s flaws? The road trip hasn’t gone as plan, but a win in Detroit can calm the masses as they head into their 100th anniversary game versus Carolina on Tuesday.

all stats naturalhattrick.com

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