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Toronto Maple Leafs Video Analysis: Burmistrov’s GWG

By Tim Bayer|

Hockey is a weird and wonderful game. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets match-up was just that.

A team could play good, near-flawless, systematically sound hockey for 59 minutes, but if they let their foot off the gas pedal for one minute, one bad break, defensive miscue or both at the same time could lead to the goaltender fishing the puck out of the back of the net and the team leaving the ice with zero points in the standings to show for their efforts.

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This unpredictability is what makes hockey so fun and infuriating at the same time. These mixed emotions came to the forefront for Toronto Maple Leafs fans as they watched their team implode for just a few seconds, leading to an Alexander Burmistrov game-winning goal that sent the Winnipeg Jets to a 4-2 (the fourth goal was an empty-netter) victory over the Leafs at the Air Canada Centre last night.

The game seemed destined for overtime until Burmistrov was sent to the penalty box for holding Leo Komarov’s stick with a little over four minutes left in the game. P.A. Parenteau had already scored one power-play goal for the Buds earlier in the game, now they seemed poised to take a crucial late-game lead against a young, strong Jets squad.

And both Leafs’ power-play units lived up to their billing. James van Riemsdyk, Brad Boyes and Daniel Winnik all enjoyed great chances to put their stamp on this game, but the suddenly magnificent Ondrej Pavelec could not be solved.

As the penalty was winding down, van Riemsdyk took the puck hard to the net, trying to sneak one of his trademark bad-angle shots under the crossbar. It bounced off Pavelec’s shoulder and skid to his right, falling for Jets centre Bryan Little.

This seems like a good time to point out the Leafs employ a four-forward power-play unit. The four forwards on the ice here, from left to right, are Nazem Kadri, van Riemsdyk, Joffrey Lupul and Boyes. As you can see, all four forwards are below the hash marks as Little retrieves the puck. Jets winger Blake Wheeler sees this unfolding and starts skating the other direction, while all four Leafs forwards are caught puck watching.

Yup.

You can hear some shouting going on at this moment on the replay. Presumably it’s a player or coach alerting his team that Burmistrov’s penalty is ending. I don’t know if Little picked up on this or he was just clearing the puck out of the zone, but somehow it ends up right on Burmistrov’s stick just as he’s leaving the box.

Jake Gardiner is a fantastic skater, so he doesn’t have a problem catching Burmistrov. The problem is none of the four forwards can catch Wheeler as he joins the rush.

Burmistrov moves to the centre of the ice, pivoting to protect the puck and give Wheeler enough time to join him. He passes off to Wheeler and suddenly we have a two-on-one.

Gardiner doesn’t deserve all the blame on this play. He did the right thing by blocking the pass to allow Reimer a clear line of vision if Wheeler opted to shoot. Unfortunately, he went to the ice a little too early, and Wheeler was patient enough to find the clear passing lane to Burmistrov at the far post. Game, set, match.

The Winnipeg Jets happen to be a good hockey team, and while it’s a cliché, it rings true that good teams find ways to win. More specifically, they capitalize on your errors. The Leafs didn’t make many in this game, but one of the few they did make ended up in the back of the net very late in a tie game.

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This season is about developing a system, developing youth and showing signs of improvement. Burmistrov’s game-winner showed us how Mike Babcock’s four-forward, ultra-aggressive power play can backfire, but the team can learn from this. Of course, if the Leafs had buried one of their many chances on the man advantage, we’d all be singing a much different tune today. Hockey is weird like that.

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