The Toronto Maple Leafs Have No Trouble With the Oilers
The Toronto Maple Leafs remain red-hot.
With seven of their last nine games postponed (and an eighth tonight against Montreal also postponed) the Toronto Maple Leafs were playing just their second game in 22 days last night against the Edmonton Oilers.
The Oilers did not have Connor McDavid, and that (obviously) made a pretty big difference as the Leafs beat them easily.
The Leafs, who were on a 15-2 run when Mitch Marner got injured, have won both games since he’s been back. They are now on a 20-4-1 run and are the NHL’s best team, even if they are 3rd by points-percentage and sixth by total points.
Since October 27th, when the Leafs ended their early season slump by beating the Chicago Blackhawks, they are first in the NHL with an .820 points-percentage, which is way, way ahead of anyone else, and they have one less point than Tampa in three less games.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Oilers
The Oilers, who need to fire Ken Holland before Connor McDavid quits hockey, are in a tailspin and were easy picking for the Leafs last night. (All stats naturalstattrick.com).
There were only three power-plays all game (two for Toronto, one on which they scored) and during the 5v5 segment of the game, the Leafs dominated.
55% puck-possession.
55% of the shots.
59% of the scoring chances.
65% of the dangerous chances.
59% of the expected-goals.
Mikheyev had a goal and led the team with six shots. Tavares seems to have been credited with a goal I thought William Nylander scored, and Alex Kerfoot even scored into the empty net to make up for the post he hit.
The win gives the Toronto Maple Leaf an impressive 22-8-2 record, which is good enough for third place in the Atlantic Division, where, bizarrely, four of the NHL’s best teams reside, along with four of the NHL’s worst teams (Buffalo, Montreal, Ottawa, Detroit). To be honest, maybe Detroit no longer deserves that tag, but they’re still pretty bad.
The Leafs have now won four games in a row and another win Saturday vs the Colorado Avalanche will give them their fourth five-game winning streak of the season so far.
Colorado is also one of the NHL’s best teams, so that will be a tough assignment, and definitely a more entertaining game than last night’s.
Next. Time for a New GM. dark
As mentioned, the Toronto Maple Leafs Leafs game vs the Montreal; Canadiens is cancelled tonight and will be made up one day down the road, we assume.