Letting Tavares Down
Man, I didn't see this one coming.
With the Leafs riding a five-game winning streak, and Tavares facing his old team for the first time since signing with us in July, I fully expected the boys to come out hard and try to win one for their leading goal scorer this season.
Instead, the whole team just laid a goose egg, losing 4-0 on home ice in an utterly uninspiring performance. This was the second shutout we've suffered at Scotiabank Arena this season, and as losses go, probably the most frustrating one I've watched this year since dropping to Boston 5-1 on Nov. 11.
All the more disappointing because this was our last game of the calendar year 2018. I am into this "ending years on a positive note" thing. And more often than not in recent weeks, we've either won pretty convincingly or folded and bowed out meekly without much of a fight. This was a bad case of the latter.
As much as I love hockey, I actually don't mind missing some action on Sunday mornings (Hockey Night in Canada games on my end). I can always go back and watch games later.
But today, I wanted to watch every second of it live. One of those "circle your calendar" kind of game for me, just because Tavares was playing the Isles, even though he was home, not at Nassau.
So I got up nice and early this morning, prepared soup and toasts for the family, made sure everyone was up and eating by 9 a.m. so I wouldn't miss the puck drop, which would come a few minutes past the hour.
The game turned out to be a huge letdown for me. Maybe I should have just slept in. Then something even more annoying happened at home.
My wife started vacuuming the place during the second period. We usually do the cleaning on Sundays anyway, but I hate it when she does it during games. I don't mind the sound so much. It's that nudge and only thinly-veiled message: "I am doing this thing when you're sitting at your desk and watching that damn hockey game."
When the Leafs are leading or the game is tight, I try my best to ignore her. But we were down 4-0 midway through 2nd with Mathew Barzal having scored a natural hat trick. And since we were getting pushed around by the other guys and weren't doing much on either end, I didn't figure a comeback would be in the offing. So I got up from my seat during the 2nd intermission and mopped the floor. (Yes, pun fully intended here.)
Speaking of Barzal, I like this kid a lot, in large part because he helped me win a fantasy league last season. I always have a thing for non-Leafs players who help me in fantasy hockey, unless they play for the Ottawa Senators. But again, I wouldn't really draft or pick up Ottawa players because A) most of those guys aren't that good anyway and B) I can't bring myself to own a Senator on my team. I try not to let my personal feelings get in the way of making fantasy sports decisions, but the only two exceptions are the Senators in hockey and the Baltimore Orioles in baseball. Back to the blog.
With no Leafs goal today, I didn't feel like posting any highlights. But here's the one video from this game that I'd like to post.
If you're into lip-reading, check out Barzal's reaction after his first of three:
Barzal re-directs in a Boychuktee-shot point shot and lets his D-man know. "Great f****** shot!"
Well, it was a great f****** win for them!
Tavares did his part, with a game-high nine shot attempts and winning 15 of his 19 face-offs.
Because he's such a nice, gentle soul who would never throw his teammates under the bus, I am sure Tavares will just shrug this one off and shift his focus to the next one. But maybe, just maybe, deep, deep inside, he was thinking, "Seriously, boys, is this the best you could do for me today?"
Too bad about Freddie Andersen's groin injury. Good thing we get four days off and won't play until Friday my time. The first afternoon game of the season, I believe, and it will be against the Wild at 4 a.m.
I am going to try to get up for that game (or it'd be easier for me to stay up until 4 a.m.), just to have that weird experience of watching the boys that particular hour.
Also on Friday, the Raptors visit San Antonio for the first and only time this season. If I have to explain the significance of that game, you're reading a wrong blog.
Speaking of the Raptors... we'll try to bounce back from that humiliating loss to the Magic and host the Bulls on my New Year's Eve. Hopefully the boys will give me something to write about in my final entry of 2018.
Please, I don't want to end this year with another clunker.
With the Leafs riding a five-game winning streak, and Tavares facing his old team for the first time since signing with us in July, I fully expected the boys to come out hard and try to win one for their leading goal scorer this season.
Instead, the whole team just laid a goose egg, losing 4-0 on home ice in an utterly uninspiring performance. This was the second shutout we've suffered at Scotiabank Arena this season, and as losses go, probably the most frustrating one I've watched this year since dropping to Boston 5-1 on Nov. 11.
All the more disappointing because this was our last game of the calendar year 2018. I am into this "ending years on a positive note" thing. And more often than not in recent weeks, we've either won pretty convincingly or folded and bowed out meekly without much of a fight. This was a bad case of the latter.
As much as I love hockey, I actually don't mind missing some action on Sunday mornings (Hockey Night in Canada games on my end). I can always go back and watch games later.
But today, I wanted to watch every second of it live. One of those "circle your calendar" kind of game for me, just because Tavares was playing the Isles, even though he was home, not at Nassau.
So I got up nice and early this morning, prepared soup and toasts for the family, made sure everyone was up and eating by 9 a.m. so I wouldn't miss the puck drop, which would come a few minutes past the hour.
The game turned out to be a huge letdown for me. Maybe I should have just slept in. Then something even more annoying happened at home.
My wife started vacuuming the place during the second period. We usually do the cleaning on Sundays anyway, but I hate it when she does it during games. I don't mind the sound so much. It's that nudge and only thinly-veiled message: "I am doing this thing when you're sitting at your desk and watching that damn hockey game."
When the Leafs are leading or the game is tight, I try my best to ignore her. But we were down 4-0 midway through 2nd with Mathew Barzal having scored a natural hat trick. And since we were getting pushed around by the other guys and weren't doing much on either end, I didn't figure a comeback would be in the offing. So I got up from my seat during the 2nd intermission and mopped the floor. (Yes, pun fully intended here.)
Speaking of Barzal, I like this kid a lot, in large part because he helped me win a fantasy league last season. I always have a thing for non-Leafs players who help me in fantasy hockey, unless they play for the Ottawa Senators. But again, I wouldn't really draft or pick up Ottawa players because A) most of those guys aren't that good anyway and B) I can't bring myself to own a Senator on my team. I try not to let my personal feelings get in the way of making fantasy sports decisions, but the only two exceptions are the Senators in hockey and the Baltimore Orioles in baseball. Back to the blog.
With no Leafs goal today, I didn't feel like posting any highlights. But here's the one video from this game that I'd like to post.
If you're into lip-reading, check out Barzal's reaction after his first of three:
Barzal re-directs in a Boychuk
Well, it was a great f****** win for them!
Tavares did his part, with a game-high nine shot attempts and winning 15 of his 19 face-offs.
Because he's such a nice, gentle soul who would never throw his teammates under the bus, I am sure Tavares will just shrug this one off and shift his focus to the next one. But maybe, just maybe, deep, deep inside, he was thinking, "Seriously, boys, is this the best you could do for me today?"
Too bad about Freddie Andersen's groin injury. Good thing we get four days off and won't play until Friday my time. The first afternoon game of the season, I believe, and it will be against the Wild at 4 a.m.
I am going to try to get up for that game (or it'd be easier for me to stay up until 4 a.m.), just to have that weird experience of watching the boys that particular hour.
Also on Friday, the Raptors visit San Antonio for the first and only time this season. If I have to explain the significance of that game, you're reading a wrong blog.
Speaking of the Raptors... we'll try to bounce back from that humiliating loss to the Magic and host the Bulls on my New Year's Eve. Hopefully the boys will give me something to write about in my final entry of 2018.
Please, I don't want to end this year with another clunker.
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