Toronto Maple Leafs Lose to Hot Goalie

The Toronto Maple Leafs lost 2-1 to the Vancouver Canucks last night.

It was a game the Toronto Maple Leafs should have won easily.

Now, full disclosure, I missed the first period.  A friend of our rented ice time at a local arena and we got to spend two hours with our kids at an empty arena, which was one of the coolest things ever.

Unfortunately, I forgot to set up the DVR to tape the game, and it was 2-0 Canucks when I turned it on.  I saw the puck drop for the second period and I watched the Leafs put on one of the most dominant performances I’ve recently seen.  It really is a shame the lost this game, because the really didn’t deserve to.   I am pretty sure the Leafs took about 10 or 12 shots in the second before Vancouver even touched the puck.

Full props to Jacob Markstrom who played probably the best game of his life to secure the victory for the Canucks.  For the Leafs, it’s fine to file this one under “Oh well”  and move on.  Not much you can do when facing a goalie who is on fire.

Dominance

Every Leaf except for Borgman had a shot on net.  The Leafs ended up controlling 58% of the play, and except for JVR, Marleau and Komarov, every single Leafs player was a positive possession player last night.

Hardly do you ever see such dominance go unrewarded.  Too bad, because the Leafs were looking to go 3-0 on a Western road trip.

The loss finds the Leafs three points back of Tampa, with a record of 17-10-1. That is comfortably in a playoff position, with the seventh best record in the NHL.

What makes this loss sting even more is that if the Leafs had won (they deserved to) and Tampa had lost, the Leafs could have found themselves first overall in the NHL this morning.

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I honestly can’t believe they’re competing for the Presidents Trophy less than two years removed from finishing 30th and drafting first overall.

I just can’t wait until Matthews, Marner and Nylander start to score.  It was a good game (for at least two periods) for all three players and once the pucks start to go in for them, the rest of the NHL is in for a big surprise.

If Andersen continues to play to a Vezina level – which he has since a rough start to the season – then the Leafs will be close to an unbeatable team.  What’s more, they still have cap space, all their draft picks and some tradeable assets with which to improve.

Looks like good times ahead for the Toronto Maple Leafs.  It was a nice game by Markstrum, but if that’s what it takes to beat the Leafs, then look out.

Next: Editor in Leafs Roundtable: Optimal Lineup Edition

Thanks for reading.

Stats from naturalstattrick.com