Fansided

Toronto Maple Leafs Are Caught In Groundhog Day Loop

By James Tanner |
TORONTO,ON - JANUARY 8: Connor Hellebuyck #37 of the Winnipeg Jets stops Mitchell Marner #16 of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the shoot-out during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on January 8, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Jets defeated the Maple Leafs 4-3 in a shootout. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
TORONTO,ON - JANUARY 8: Connor Hellebuyck #37 of the Winnipeg Jets stops Mitchell Marner #16 of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the shoot-out during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on January 8, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Jets defeated the Maple Leafs 4-3 in a shootout. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)

The Toronto Maple Leafs will play the Winnipeg Jets tonight.

The Toronto Maple Leafs will play the Winnipeg Jets tonight. The Toronto Mapl……

Yes, for the tenth time in a row, the Leafs will play the Jets (oh what? It’s only the third? Seems like more. I miss playing other teams).  Still, hockey is hockey and complaining seems lame when at least we get watch something.  We could easily have no hockey, so no matter if the Leafs still have to play the Jets 400 more times this year.

The Jets aren’t very good and the Leafs are excellent, so it’s at least  a favorable matchup. It’s gonna be a doozie!

Toronto Maple Leafs vs Winnipeg Jets!

In their first game against the Jets, the Leafs won and had a 60% puck possession rating.  It was a total beatdown that should have seen some crooked numbers go up on the scoreboard.

In their second game against Winnipeg, the Leafs had 62% of the puck possession and somehow lost despite playing one of their best games all year.

In their third meeting, the one in which Auston Matthews usurped Matt  Barzal for the goal of the year trophy, the Leafs yet again dominated, this time to the tune of a 64% CF.

Whatever it is about the Jets that allows them to compete against other teams, they just can’t handle the Leafs, who, statistically, don’t consider them any better than the Senators. (all stats naturalstattrick.com).

The Leafs lead the NHL in points, but have dropped to fifth in points-percentage after getting goalied three games in a row before Thursday’s win.  That’s how hockey works, so no point in worrying about it.  The Leafs are on fire right now, probably playing their best stretch of the year, despite the wonky results.

Tonight’s game will feature the exact same lineup as Thursday, with just one fourth line exception. Travis Boyd is back in after Kenny Agostino got a brief cameo.  And when I say brief, I mean brief – Agostino played just four minutes.

Agostino crushes the AHL and should definitely be an NHL player, and I just felt bad for him finally getting an opportunity and then only getting four minutes. I was hoping he’d play again tonight, but Boyd is back.  I like Boyd too, and it doesn’t really matter who plays right wing for between four and 10 minutes on the fourth line, but I just would like to see Agostino get more than four minutes of action.

Next. Available and Untouchable at the Trade Deadline. dark

Anyways, I will predict that the Toronto Maple Leafs will finally get some puck luck vs the Jets and win 11 to 1. I mean, it’s just a joke that the Jets have three of a possible four points this week while playing like sub-Senators garbage and being completely dominated by the Leafs.

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