Each week I will dive into team news and notes for the Toronto Maple Leafs. I will highlight the game of the week, the player of the week, and provide some fun quotes and observations as we break the season into weekly segments.
I don’t think Alberta likes the Leafs. We saw the Toronto Maple Leafs earn 8 out of 10 points during 5 games out west, and that includes holding Connor McDavid scoreless in 3 of them. Winning all 3 games in Edmonton vaulted the Leafs to a 9 point lead in the division with an 18-4-2 record. The Oilers are now 10 points back of the Leafs and have fallen to 3rd in the division.
To shut a team out is tough to do. To shut a team out with McDavid and Draisaitl on it, that’s really tough to do. To shut them out in back to back games? That’s really really tough to do. The fact that the Leafs did this without their best player, with their back-up goalie in the first game, then with their 3rd string goalie in the second game, well, maybe it’s time we give this team some credit for their outstanding defensive play.
Oh, and then they buried any doubt about who the best team in the North is by crushing the Oilers 6-1 in the third game of the mini-series. The game that the Oilers absolutely NEEDED to win just to show some pride. Talk about making a statement.
That statement is that Leafs are a contender.