Leafs 3, Bruins 6
Is this a trend now? I start a blog on Toronto teams and a little two-game losing streak out of the gate. First, the Raptors to a team that they should have beaten. And today, the Leafs lost to a patchwork of a Bruins team missing their No. 1 center and No. 1 defenseman and with a backup goalie in net.
Oh well, here are my takes.
1. Of the Leafs' 30 games so far, I reckon I've watched about 20 games, give or take, and efforts-wise, this was probably the worst game of the season. We've given up more goals before, but considering the circumstances, this was a particularly horrible game to watch as a fan. You can lose, but you gotta go down fighting. And I don't even mean just having fights.
If you're ever going to walk into Boston and beat up on the Bruins, this was the prime opportunity. No Bergeron, no Chara, McAvoy just back in action. The Bruins had scored two or fewer goals in nine of their past 10 games. The Buds, meanwhile, had outscored opponents 29-16 while going 5-0-1 in the past six.
But the Bruins deserve credit for playing a hard, physical game and not giving the Leafs much room. They were finishing checks (and they really didn't have a choice because they only had bangers left in their lineup) and Halak made some key saves when he had to. They dominated the neutral zone play. It was a chippy, old-school game.
2. The score was 3-0 after two periods. The Leafs battled back from 4-1 down against the Wings in the third period in the previous game and forced OT. With this offense, anything is possible. Instead, Danton Heinen (DANTON HEINEN!!) got his third of the season on a pretty play 1:47 into the third.
(That's going to be the last time I am putting "Heinen" and "a pretty play" in the same sentence.)
Dermott got one back for us, but then, the Bruins responded with two straight goals in less than two minutes for a 6-1 lead. Freddie was pulled, and I basically stopped watching and started writing.
(HNIC just told me the Bruins scored three goals on their first five shots in the third. Ouch!)
Losing to the B's always stings for me, especially because of some bitter playoff memories. This regular season, Pastrnak killed us the last time, and it was the likes of Heinen (HEINEN!!), Donato and a man they call JFK there this time.
3. Marner is an elite playmaker. With the puck on his stick, he can do some special things. Whenever he has the puck in the O-zone, I feel like something good is going to happen. Matthews is a spectacular player himself, but to me, Marner is the most exciting Leaf to watch.
But Marner has now had back-to-back forgettable games. Though he got an assist against the Wings the last game, he had some shaky moments in the neutral zone that led to Detroit's scoring chances. And he was -3 against the Bruins, and his point streak came to an end at six.
I don't want to bash a guy who's fifth in the league in points but because he's not much of a shooter or a goal scorer, I think the defense and goalies can cheat and just play the pass when Marner is coming in on a rush. It can make him predictable. Marner is putting up a Blake Wheeler type of numbers.
In the FWIW department: Landeskog has 17 goals on 83 shots, which probably isn't sustainable, while Marner has six goals on 82 shots, a pace that could pick up over time.
Anyway, a 20-goal, 70-assist season for Mitch wouldn't be too bad, eh?
Marner will still be 21 at the end of the regular season. And in the NHL history, only eight players have put up at least 20 goals and 70 helpers in a season when they were 21 or younger, Gretzky (three times), Denis Savard (twice), Sid (twice), Mario, Hawerchuk, McDavid, Orr and Trottier.
You're welcome.
4. Much has been said about the Leafs' inability/unwillingness to respond after Kronwall checked Matthews into the boards in the previous game. (My heart just about stopped there.) So why didn't any Leaf take exception to that and "stand up" for Auston?
As annoying as he can be sometimes, Babs gave a pretty good response, I think, saying, “Our toughness is our power play; take all the penalties you want.”
Well, in this one, Rielly took a big hit from Wagner and his D partner Hainsey "stood up" for him and fought Wagner. About a minute before that, Hyman and Grzelcyk also fought and got game misconduct penalties as well.
I'll say this about fighting in hockey. I am not a big fan of it. I see the entertainment value of it. But the game has changed. It rewards speed and skills over brawn. Clearly, hitting and physical play are still very much part of the game. But me, I'd rather see highlight-reel goals than rock 'em sock 'em fights. I just don't like confrontations.
5. In his second game back, Nylander played with Kadri and Marleau. He had a couple of chances in the opening period and certainly showed no ill effects from a a fender bender the other night. Looks like he can be solid as the quarterback on the right half wall on the PP2 unit, the same role that Marner plays for the first unit.
I know he had a fine campaign alongside Matthews last season, but I like Kapanen on that RW spot for now, maybe for as long as Kapanen plays the way he has. I feel that both he and Nylander play a similar style, built on speed and skills. Nylander is obviously far more polished and seasoned. Kapanen may be a faster skater, but Nylander is harder to knock off the puck, and he's a better playmaker.
But Kapanen, plus Johnsson on LW, have played quite well flanking Matthews. Kapanen has really thrived since earning the promotion earlier in the year. Johnsson was in Babs' doghouse for a while but he has turned his season around. Having speed will get you somewhere in this league now. And those two guys use it not just to make fancy plays. They'll go to the corners and dig out pucks, too.
Naz is stuck at eight goals through 30 games. His streak of 30-goal seasons will most likely end this season at two, and he'll be hard pressed to even get to 20. After Tavares signed, Kadri really got the short end of the stick. He was stuck with Brown, Marleau, the early-season version of Johnsson, etc. No coincident that Naz scored a few goals here and there while Matthews was sidelined; he got to play with some skilled guys.
Nylander's signing gives some depth on wings now, and pairing Naz with a skilled W for a change can probably get the center going, too.
6. After a game like this, I often have this question on my mind. Why can't people who get paid to play a game give their 100 percent efforts every time? Don't they know there are thousands of others who'd love to be in their shoes (or skates)?
But I come back to the same answer. They're all humans, just like us, and the NHL is just like any other work place. C'mon, we don't always give our 100 percent every day at work, right? (If you say you do, you're probably lying. I won't believe you.) There are days when we just don't have it in us. I am sure the athletes are the same way.
The biggest difference between them and us common folk is probably the number of zeros in our bank accounts.
Oh well, here are my takes.
1. Of the Leafs' 30 games so far, I reckon I've watched about 20 games, give or take, and efforts-wise, this was probably the worst game of the season. We've given up more goals before, but considering the circumstances, this was a particularly horrible game to watch as a fan. You can lose, but you gotta go down fighting. And I don't even mean just having fights.
If you're ever going to walk into Boston and beat up on the Bruins, this was the prime opportunity. No Bergeron, no Chara, McAvoy just back in action. The Bruins had scored two or fewer goals in nine of their past 10 games. The Buds, meanwhile, had outscored opponents 29-16 while going 5-0-1 in the past six.
But the Bruins deserve credit for playing a hard, physical game and not giving the Leafs much room. They were finishing checks (and they really didn't have a choice because they only had bangers left in their lineup) and Halak made some key saves when he had to. They dominated the neutral zone play. It was a chippy, old-school game.
2. The score was 3-0 after two periods. The Leafs battled back from 4-1 down against the Wings in the third period in the previous game and forced OT. With this offense, anything is possible. Instead, Danton Heinen (DANTON HEINEN!!) got his third of the season on a pretty play 1:47 into the third.
(That's going to be the last time I am putting "Heinen" and "a pretty play" in the same sentence.)
Dermott got one back for us, but then, the Bruins responded with two straight goals in less than two minutes for a 6-1 lead. Freddie was pulled, and I basically stopped watching and started writing.
(HNIC just told me the Bruins scored three goals on their first five shots in the third. Ouch!)
Losing to the B's always stings for me, especially because of some bitter playoff memories. This regular season, Pastrnak killed us the last time, and it was the likes of Heinen (HEINEN!!), Donato and a man they call JFK there this time.
 |
| Nice drawing of one Mitch Marner |
But Marner has now had back-to-back forgettable games. Though he got an assist against the Wings the last game, he had some shaky moments in the neutral zone that led to Detroit's scoring chances. And he was -3 against the Bruins, and his point streak came to an end at six.
I don't want to bash a guy who's fifth in the league in points but because he's not much of a shooter or a goal scorer, I think the defense and goalies can cheat and just play the pass when Marner is coming in on a rush. It can make him predictable. Marner is putting up a Blake Wheeler type of numbers.
In the FWIW department: Landeskog has 17 goals on 83 shots, which probably isn't sustainable, while Marner has six goals on 82 shots, a pace that could pick up over time.
Anyway, a 20-goal, 70-assist season for Mitch wouldn't be too bad, eh?
Marner will still be 21 at the end of the regular season. And in the NHL history, only eight players have put up at least 20 goals and 70 helpers in a season when they were 21 or younger, Gretzky (three times), Denis Savard (twice), Sid (twice), Mario, Hawerchuk, McDavid, Orr and Trottier.
You're welcome.
 |
| That sounds like moi. |
4. Much has been said about the Leafs' inability/unwillingness to respond after Kronwall checked Matthews into the boards in the previous game. (My heart just about stopped there.) So why didn't any Leaf take exception to that and "stand up" for Auston?
As annoying as he can be sometimes, Babs gave a pretty good response, I think, saying, “Our toughness is our power play; take all the penalties you want.”
Well, in this one, Rielly took a big hit from Wagner and his D partner Hainsey "stood up" for him and fought Wagner. About a minute before that, Hyman and Grzelcyk also fought and got game misconduct penalties as well.
I'll say this about fighting in hockey. I am not a big fan of it. I see the entertainment value of it. But the game has changed. It rewards speed and skills over brawn. Clearly, hitting and physical play are still very much part of the game. But me, I'd rather see highlight-reel goals than rock 'em sock 'em fights. I just don't like confrontations.
5. In his second game back, Nylander played with Kadri and Marleau. He had a couple of chances in the opening period and certainly showed no ill effects from a a fender bender the other night. Looks like he can be solid as the quarterback on the right half wall on the PP2 unit, the same role that Marner plays for the first unit.
I know he had a fine campaign alongside Matthews last season, but I like Kapanen on that RW spot for now, maybe for as long as Kapanen plays the way he has. I feel that both he and Nylander play a similar style, built on speed and skills. Nylander is obviously far more polished and seasoned. Kapanen may be a faster skater, but Nylander is harder to knock off the puck, and he's a better playmaker.
But Kapanen, plus Johnsson on LW, have played quite well flanking Matthews. Kapanen has really thrived since earning the promotion earlier in the year. Johnsson was in Babs' doghouse for a while but he has turned his season around. Having speed will get you somewhere in this league now. And those two guys use it not just to make fancy plays. They'll go to the corners and dig out pucks, too.
Naz is stuck at eight goals through 30 games. His streak of 30-goal seasons will most likely end this season at two, and he'll be hard pressed to even get to 20. After Tavares signed, Kadri really got the short end of the stick. He was stuck with Brown, Marleau, the early-season version of Johnsson, etc. No coincident that Naz scored a few goals here and there while Matthews was sidelined; he got to play with some skilled guys.
Nylander's signing gives some depth on wings now, and pairing Naz with a skilled W for a change can probably get the center going, too.
6. After a game like this, I often have this question on my mind. Why can't people who get paid to play a game give their 100 percent efforts every time? Don't they know there are thousands of others who'd love to be in their shoes (or skates)?
But I come back to the same answer. They're all humans, just like us, and the NHL is just like any other work place. C'mon, we don't always give our 100 percent every day at work, right? (If you say you do, you're probably lying. I won't believe you.) There are days when we just don't have it in us. I am sure the athletes are the same way.
The biggest difference between them and us common folk is probably the number of zeros in our bank accounts.
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