As Toronto Maple Leafs fans, we really should have seen this loss coming.
The Toronto Maple Leafs went on the road to face a Metropolitan Division team with a former Maple Leaf making the start in net…there was no way this game was going to turn out well. Frederik Andersen played as well as he could, but it was Curtis McElhinney’s night as his new team, the Carolina Hurricanes, picked up the win at home, 5-2.
The Hurricanes out shot the Maple Leafs 45-32 (29 of their shots coming in the first period alone), and the Leafs once again went down 2-0 in the first period. But unlike their win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday, the Leafs couldn’t find a way to tie the game, trailing 3-1 in the third period and not able to find that tying goal.
But despite the loss, it’s important to remain in a positive spirit today. You see here in the United States today is Thanksgiving. Today is a day where we look at what we have and give thanks to the lives we are living and hopefully enjoying. I believe it’s a good time to look at the Toronto Maple Leafs and think about what Leafs Nation has to be thankful for.
Be Thankful Leafs Nation
First off, we should be thankful for Andersen. Yes he was given the loss last night, but the man stopped 40 shots of the 43 he faced (.930 SV%) and is one of the top goalies in the league right now. Last night was also his first loss on the road all year, showing the prowess him and the rest of the Leafs have had on the road this year. Andersen is now 12-6-0 with a 2.13 GAA and .935 SV%, he’s been unbelievable and hopefully he can continue this kind of play as the season progresses.
The offense may not have been sharp last night, but one bad night does not take away from how the Leafs have been scoring all season. With that in mind, let’s be thankful for the lovely 76 goals (3.45 per game) the Leafs have put on the board this year, good for fourth most in the NHL. But one thing stat that hasn’t been noted as often is the goal allowed by the Leafs. The Leafs have allowed 58 goals this year, or 2.63 per game. That places them fifth in the league, a far cry from how the team was playing at the start of the year.
And finally, we should give thanks to the superstars that grace this lineup on a nightly basis. Mitch Marner has 28 points in 22 games and the $11 million man John Tavares is right behind him with 26 points. Morgan Rielly leads all defensemen in scoring with 26 points (And he’s only making $5 million per year). But most importantly, let’s be thankful that Auston Matthews will be back sooner rather than later and that his injury was not as serious. When he returns, the league will be on high alert for the future captain of the Maple Leafs.
And on this lovely Thanksgiving, look at the Atlantic Division standings see the Toronto Maple Leafs in second place, just one point behind the Tampa Bay Lightning (And nine points ahead of the “other” NHL team in Ontario). Even with the loss, this has been a successful first two months for the Maple Leafs organization. Now only if they can get William Nylander signed today, then we’d have even more to be thankful for.