Article content material
The Maple Leafs have been handed their second lack of the season, 4-1, by final yr’s Jap Convention finalist New York Rangers on Saturday at Scotiabank Area, the ultimate rating inflated by two empty-net targets. Our takeaways:
Commercial 2
Article content material
TESTING, TESTING
This was going to be the toughest of the primary 5 matches on Toronto’s schedule, with New York but to lose in regulation (now 4-0-1). However Leafs coach Craig Berube needs to be disillusioned that some recurring issues canine his offence at 5-on-5 and energy play, with all due respect to Igor Shesterkin’s 34 saves for the Rangers, together with a spectacular glove save on John Tavares.
“We had alternatives, might have taken (Shesterkin’s) eyes away slightly bit extra,” Berube mentioned. “We had numerous appears to be like. We have now to execute higher on that third-period energy play (certainly one of three the Leafs frittered away) and the 6-on-5 (that surrendered two empty-netters).”
Earlier than this match, any fan aged 19 and over might’ve created a ingesting sport every time they heard Berube or a pissed off Leafs ahead utter the time period “simplify” or “extra direct” in lamenting the workforce’s tendency to over-pass. However the bother Saturday wasn’t an absence of pictures, a lot as hitting the online with them. William Nylander fired large on a breakaway, with Matthew Knies and Jake McCabe additionally going excessive or astray. Auston Matthews led the Leafs with 9 pictures and their solely aim.
Your Noon Solar
Article content material
Commercial 3
Article content material
Final yr’s Presidents Trophy winners have been full marks, nevertheless. The Blueshirts are a workforce the Leafs wish to be by April.
Toronto did maintain a 35-29 edge in pictures on aim and utilized a robust forecheck trailing 2-1 within the third that might’ve paid off in a tying aim.
“An important effort tonight,” mentioned goalie Anthony Stolarz. “A playoff-style sport towards an actual good workforce, one we’re going to see numerous down the street.”
Talking of which, these golf equipment haven’t met in a playoff collection since 1971.
DIALING FOR STOLARZ
Joseph Woll, Matt Murray, Dennis Hildeby, or whoever will get the subsequent task in web for Toronto, may have a troublesome act to comply with in Stolarz.
By means of 4 video games, he’s holding a .937 save share, doing precisely as envisioned when signed from Florida to spell off Woll or push him. Woll’s decrease physique damage has been the 30-year-old’s likelihood to show he’s greater than a backup and that he can maintain this job by way of any damage disaster that has cursed the Leafs secure in current seasons.
Commercial 4
Article content material
“He’s been nice all yr and it’s on us to help him.” mentioned defenceman Morgan Rielly.
Stolarz’s 25 stops Saturday have been sophisticated when he misplaced his skate blade with 40 seconds to go within the second interval. He was compelled to play from his knees till the period-ending buzzer, then wanted to be helped off the ice.
The goalie discovered the laborious means that officers received’t whistle the play lifeless when such gear misfortune happens, as they don’t for a ahead or defenceman in the identical scenario. The Rangers buzzed across the virtually helpless Stolarz for the ultimate few moments of the interval, however didn’t need to make any saves.
“I perceive if there’s an imminent scoring likelihood,” mentioned Stolarz. “However I didn’t do it on goal and, on the finish of the day, it’s about participant security. I’m sitting there, not realizing (the blade is off), I’m kicking out and your groin goes.
Commercial 5
Article content material
“The puck was on the different finish (when the blade fell off), and I don’t actually perceive why they’ll blow it and repair the skate, even when the faceoff is in our zone.”
Within the third interval, Stolarz got here near being by chance lower by teammate Simon Benoit’s skate blade.
“I regarded down and noticed a skate inside my pad,” Stolarz mentioned. “Benny’s sort of obtained up in there and I felt one thing. I put on these cut-proof socks, I had an incident in junior so possibly there was slightly PTSD there, I didn’t know if I felt something or if there was a lower.”
SOUR POWER
Had the Leafs scored on their third and remaining energy play of the night time, Berube and almost 19,000 at Scotiabank Area would’ve been in a extra forgiving temper as they filed house.
Commercial 6
Article content material
The coach did precisely observe that they have been not less than pointed in the fitting path with the additional man to begin the sport, however he — and little doubt assistant coach Marc Savard — have been peeved that the final minor, with Jacob Trouba within the field, didn’t quantity to extra.
“It didn’t appear to be they have been over-thinking it early on,” he mentioned. “They did some good issues, obtained some beauty (John Tavares within the slot) and attacked.
“The one which disillusioned me within the third, we didn’t execute very nicely, our entries. We turned it over a few occasions. When the sport is on the road proper there and you’ve got the chance to tie it up, we now have to have extra.”
This stat can’t be an albatross for Berube or Savard, however the Leafs are actually 3-for-37 going again to final spring’s seven-game playoffs loss to Boston. The Leafs like to talk of “a world-class” energy play with Matthews, Tavares, Nylander, Mitch Marner and now arguably a greater blue-line quarterback in Oliver Ekman-Larsson forward of Rielly.
Sure, it’s early, however this was an issue space thought of simple to repair.
X:@sunhornby
Article content material
