Toronto Maple Leafs Vastly Outplay Another Top Team

The Toronto Maple Leafs were significantly better than the Golden Knights last night, despite a 4-3 overtime loss.

This is the third top-team in a row that the Toronto Maple Leafs played, and for the third straight time their fans should be incredibly happy with the results.

The Leafs came out last Wednesday and put everything on the line, making a statement to the entire NHL that they were not the in need of a coaching chance or anything else.  They beat the Flyers about as badly as one team can beat another in the NHL.  It was a 60 minute effort in which the outcome wasn’t in doubt for a single second.

Then came the 10-1 Bruins, and the Leafs not only won, but were easily the better team.

On Sunday the NHL threw the Leafs a curveball: a back-to-back game, with travel, that started early, against a top team, on the road.

The Leafs were tired, and it showed, but they hung in and with a gutsy effort, stole two points they probably shouldn’t have.

Then last night, back home against a top team for the third time in a row, the Leafs picked up a point, lost an OT coinflip, and made several atrocious unforced errors – but they still had to get unlucky to lose.

Toronto Maple Leafs Thoroughly Beat the Knights

The Leafs had 56% Puck Possession, 56% of the shots, 56% of the scoring chances, and 57% of the dangerous chances.

If they didn’t gift the Knights with several dozen (it seemed like it, at least) breakaways, it would have been an absolute beatdown.

It’s too bad about Rasmus Sandin, the best game he played all year will be overshadowed by one horrible play at the blue-line about a minute into the game.

But it’s not like he was the only one with a brutal play he normally wouldn’t make.  Key emphasis on “normally wouldn’t make” because, sure, the Leafs aren’t perfect and they give the puck away sometimes, but not like that.

That was an unusual game and I don’t think they have to worry about those kinds of monstrous errors going forward.  They happen, but it’s not like Sandin is going to frequently allow breakaways when he bobbles the puck at the offensive blue-line.  It happens to ever single defenseman who has ever played in the NHL at some point, but no one does it all the time.  (stats naturalstattrick.com).

A game like this, you take the positives and ignore the negatives.

Sandin was fantastic.

Liljegren was even better.

Kallgren was $$$$$$$ fantastic.  Amazing even.

Nick Robertson was great.

Other than when Kampf and Reese played, the Leafs  were completely dominant. Those guys had the unenviable task of trying to stop Jack Eichel, and it didn’t work at all.  Oh well, it’s Jack Eichel.

This was a fantastic game for the Toronto Maple Leafs.  They have taken five of six points after playing three of the NHL’s teams in a row.   It’s almost like they are a top team themselves (*obviously!).