Jun 12, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Boston Bruins defenseman Dennis Seidenberg (44) reaches for the puck against Chicago Blackhawks center Patrick Sharp (10) during the third period in game one of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Stewart-USA TODAY Sports

There will be quite a few lethargic people in the workplace this morning thanks to Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final that took nearly three overtime periods to complete. Andrew Shaw finally lifted the Blackhawks to victory after deflecting in a Michal Rozsival point shot well into the sixth period of hockey. That goal, however, may not have happened if not for an equipment malfunction by Boston Bruins defenseman Dennis Seidenberg.

Seidenberg was battling with Shaw in the corner when his glove came off and landed on the ice. Instead of following Shaw to the front of the net, Seidenberg turned back to scoop up his mit. In doing so, Shaw was left uncontested in front and capitalized for the winning goal.

There are two schools of thought on this. The first would be that Seidenberg was foolish for thinking more about grabbing his glove than possibly preventing a scoring chance. Shaw was clearly his man and leaving him at a crucial time in the game could only lead to bad things.

Another way to think about it, however, is that Seidenberg could have been easily injured without a glove on. It wouldn’t take much for a shot or a slash to break his hand and Seidenberg has been averaging over 26 minutes a night during these playoffs, only Zdeno Chara has played more on the Bruins. Should he be lost for the remainder of the finals, Boston would be in some trouble.

With that being said, the playoffs are all about desperation and Seidenberg would have been wise to try to survive the rest of his shift with only one glove. The funny thing about the post-season is that a simple thing like dropping a glove can have a major impact on the outcome of the game. If Seidenberg didn’t lose that piece of equipment, we could still be watching overtime hockey right now.

Jan 29, 2013; Buffalo, NY, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Matt Frattin (39) scores the winning goal against Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller (30) in overtime at the First Niagara Center. Leafs beat the Sabres 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

The Toronto Maple Leafs went into Buffalo and beat the Sabres 4-3 tonight in an overtime thriller. The Leafs have been allergic to playing well in Buffalo in recent years, so getting a victory at the First Niagara Center was no easy task. It was mostly a strong effort all around and here are a few things that stood out from the game.

Jay McClement made an impact

It’s one thing when one of your fourth line players gets a goal, but being a difference maker in a game is even better. McClement opened the scoring for the Leafs and he was a force all night. He also posted three shots and three hits, as well as created several scoring chances. Kudos goes to the Leafs for using McClement correctly and in his proper role this season, instead of what they typically do by hoping another team’s fourth liner can magically become a second line player in Toronto.

James Reimer was once again solid

The Leafs were badly out-shot and Reimer was able to keep them in the game. You could hardly fault the Leafs goalie for any of the three goals that beat him and he made several key saves throughout the night. Reimer has now faced 73 shots in his last two starts and has shown he has been up to the task. Ben Scrivens may not see another start until the next back-to-back situation.

Defensive play starting to fall back into old habits

All three Sabres goals came on breakdowns of sorts. Jason Pominville was left unmarked in the high slot after the Leafs failed to clear the puck on Buffalo’s first goal. Then James van Riemsdyk completely lost track of defenseman Andrej Sekera who slid in from the point to make it 2-1. Finally, Mikhail Grigorenko capitalized on a rebound that John-Michael Liles couldn’t clear. Toronto had strong defensive performances in their first three games, but in their last three they have really struggled in that area.

Matt Frattin with timely scoring

After making a downright mess of a 2-on-1 with Cody Franson early in the game, it didn’t look like it was going to be Frattin’s night. However, he came back strong and scored the overtime winner with 1.5 left to play in the extra frame. Although Frattin was the hero, a goal earlier in the game was just as crucial. After the Sabres made it 2-1 thanks to an aforementioned blown coverage by van Riemsdyk, the wheels were in danger of coming off for the Leafs. Just over a minute later, however, Frattin responded with a crucial tying goal to crush any Buffalo momentum.

Please play Cody Franson more!

Franson had a goal, an assist, two shots, three hits, and finished as a plus-3 on the night. All this with just over 13 minutes of ice-time. Could Mike Komisarek just somehow be promoted to a different position in the organization? Preferably one that doesn’t involve skating or playing hockey.