The Toronto Maple Leafs ruined a perfect opportunity to increase their lead in the Atlantic Division last night against the Florida Panthers. Not only did the Leafs lose, but in a game as important as last night's, they looked disinterested. These two teams could meet in the first round of the NHL playoffs a week from Saturday, so you'd think the Leafs would want to prove they mean business. Instead, they came out flat and could never get much going in terms of offense.
The Toronto Maple Leafs gave up the first goal of the game near the midway point of the first period on a point shot from defenseman Gustav Forsling. There was no screen in front of Joseph Woll, and the point shot was one he should have saved easily. Anton Lundell won the faceoff cleanly in the Leafs zone with the puck going right to Forsling, who wristed the puck to the Leafs net. The puck went under Woll's glove, off the post, and in.
Woll made plenty of good saves later in the first to keep the Leafs in the game, especially some close plays in tight on the Leafs net. The Panthers could have had a 3-0 lead after the first period if it wasn't for Woll's key saves. Instead, the Leafs headed into the locker room down 1-0 after a first period that saw them get outshot 14-5. The second period looked as bad as the first, but at least the Leafs were able to tie the game.
John Tavares tied the game with a wrist shot early in the second period. The goal is his 37th of the year as he inches closer to his second 40-goal season with the Leafs. He scored 47 goals in his first season with the Leafs during the 2018-19 season. This game-tying goal came after Tavares intercepted a pass near center ice, skated into the Panthers zone, and wrist-shot the puck over the blocker of Sergei Bobrovsky into the top of the net. The Tavares goal came just moments after Mitch Marner almost tied the game with a shot that beat Bobrovsky but hit the post and stayed out.
(Stats from hockey-reference.com)
Toronto Maple Leafs lose to Florida Panthers
The Leafs entered the locker room with the game tied 1-1 after two periods but were being outshot 28-14. Unfortunately for the Leafs, their poor play continued into the third period, and the Panthers pounced on their opportunities. Eetu Luostarinen broke the tie for the Panthers with a backhand goal just a minute into the third period. The puck bounced off a skate from behind the net, Woll didn't see it, and Luostarinen was right there beside the glove side of Woll to tuck it into the net with the backhand.
The Leafs had a good chance to tie the game with Panthers defenseman Seth Jones in the penalty box, but the Leafs power play failed once again. Things would only get worse for the Leafs, as Cater Verhaeghe would score with under a minute to play with the Leafs net empty. The Leafs pulled Woll for an extra attacker to try and help them tie the game, but Bobrovsky stood his ground.
The Leafs were outshot 37-18 in the game, and the pair of Marner and Auston Matthews failed to record a shot on goal through two periods, although Marner hit the post in the second, it doesn't count as a shot on goal.
The Panthers also outhit the Leafs 43 -29, and the scoring chances were 25-9 in Florida's favour. Overall, a very poor performance from the Leafs. They will look to get back into the win column tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning.