Strong Rally, and Karma
As detailed in my previous post, I wasn't able to watch DeMar DeRozan's return to Toronto live Saturday morning over here.
On Sunday, the Leafs were hosting the Habs. Just a couple of weeks ago, these two teams gave us a doozy and I wasn't going to miss the re-match in Toronto.
Luckily for me, the wife slept in. Actually, she got up earlier than I did, about 8 a.m., but instead of grabbing coffee as is her morning ritual, she just went back to sleep for a couple more hours. So I didn't have anyone hovering over my shoulder, sending only thinly-veiled signs that there were things I should be doing and that the list didn't include watching a hockey game.
And man, these two teams didn't disappoint, and we rallied for a 6-3 victory. That ended our three-game losing streak. The Bruins have gone ahead of us in the standings and the win allowed us to keep pace (we do have one game in hand).
The bad guys put up a 3-spot on us in the first period but hey, you know what they say about going up 3-0 in the first period. That's the worst lead in hockey.
I have no way of analytically proving that it's really the case, that teams blow 3-0 first-period leads more than any other leads in the game. But at least on this day, our guys came back with six (!!) unanswered goals to prove that theory.
My takeaways:
Matthews at It Again!
What a gorgeou shot! Matthews has now fooled Fleury and Price, only two of the best in the business, with wristers through the five-holes in the past couple of games, and made those stars look pretty bad doing so.
Matthews doesn't just have a lethal shot. He is such an unpredictable shooter. When goalies are expecting something high up, he will go low and get one through the legs. Now goalies have to respect that shot, but they still have to keep his high shots in mind. He doesn't even need much time or space to score.
Even without the goal, Matthews had a strong game today. The Habs, especially when they were leading big, did an effective job controlling the neutral zone and they really weren't giving us much. Matthews stayed patient, battled his way through, and put the team on the board to start the rally.
Nylander Fully Back
I think Nylander has been our best forward in the past handful of games. He finally looks to have his speed back, and in open ice, he's probably our most dangerous skater.
He's been picking up his share of points here and there, and when you're playing well and playing hard, Hockey Gods will reward you with a bounce like the one in the above clip.
And with Kadri out after suffering a concussion the other day, Nylander has been centering our third line between Marleau and Brown. His versatility has come in handy in these tough times. It took him a couple of months to be back on track, but better late than never, of course.
Ennis Scores
I have to get one in for my favourite unsung hero on the Leafs. Ennis was in a really good stretch when he suffered a broken ankle on a friendly fire in December. It was a tough break (yes, pun fully intended) but he has looked just fine in his return.
And with Nylander starting the play, Ennis got his first goal since coming back from the injury.
The second PP unit here scored with a play that took me back to our big, 3 PPG night against the Avs a few days ago. A pass from the point to below the goal line and a quick feed across the crease for an open look on the opposite side. A beauty
Karma?
We were down 3-2 heading into the final period, but I felt confident our superior talent would let us take over the game. We'd only won one game the whole season when trailing after two periods, and only forced OT a couple of times, but if we were to rally in the third, this game was going to be it.
We got that lucky bounce on Nylander's equalizer there. But also during the third, when the game was still tied, this happened.
After the hit, there was some chirping going on. Maybe Domi still thought his team was going to win this game or something. Even though his team has blown a 3-0 lead, Domi looked like he was boasting about the big hit. Earlier in the period, he was yapping with Johnsson before a face-off and it seemed like Domi just made it his personal mission to go after Johnsson, and nothing else.
I am no Don Cherry-school hockey purist, but I thought that was some juvenile stuff. Dude, you just lost your 3-0 lead. A body check to rally your mates is nice and all, but don't go around telling everyone you just had a big hit. Keep your head down and try to get a go-ahead goal, too. You don't win hockey games with hits; you win 'em by scoring goals.
Of course, we piled on three more goals to win handily, and of course, Johnsson got one into the empty net. (Nice work by Kapanen to set him up for the "In Your Face" goal!) And at the end, HNIC camera zoomed in on some dour faces on the Habs' bench, including Domi's.
That was the icing on the cake for me, and I am sure for other Leafs fans. This was a sweet finish!
On Sunday, the Leafs were hosting the Habs. Just a couple of weeks ago, these two teams gave us a doozy and I wasn't going to miss the re-match in Toronto.
Luckily for me, the wife slept in. Actually, she got up earlier than I did, about 8 a.m., but instead of grabbing coffee as is her morning ritual, she just went back to sleep for a couple more hours. So I didn't have anyone hovering over my shoulder, sending only thinly-veiled signs that there were things I should be doing and that the list didn't include watching a hockey game.
And man, these two teams didn't disappoint, and we rallied for a 6-3 victory. That ended our three-game losing streak. The Bruins have gone ahead of us in the standings and the win allowed us to keep pace (we do have one game in hand).
The bad guys put up a 3-spot on us in the first period but hey, you know what they say about going up 3-0 in the first period. That's the worst lead in hockey.
I have no way of analytically proving that it's really the case, that teams blow 3-0 first-period leads more than any other leads in the game. But at least on this day, our guys came back with six (!!) unanswered goals to prove that theory.
My takeaways:
Matthews at It Again!
What a gorgeou shot! Matthews has now fooled Fleury and Price, only two of the best in the business, with wristers through the five-holes in the past couple of games, and made those stars look pretty bad doing so.
Matthews doesn't just have a lethal shot. He is such an unpredictable shooter. When goalies are expecting something high up, he will go low and get one through the legs. Now goalies have to respect that shot, but they still have to keep his high shots in mind. He doesn't even need much time or space to score.
Even without the goal, Matthews had a strong game today. The Habs, especially when they were leading big, did an effective job controlling the neutral zone and they really weren't giving us much. Matthews stayed patient, battled his way through, and put the team on the board to start the rally.
Nylander Fully Back
I think Nylander has been our best forward in the past handful of games. He finally looks to have his speed back, and in open ice, he's probably our most dangerous skater.
He's been picking up his share of points here and there, and when you're playing well and playing hard, Hockey Gods will reward you with a bounce like the one in the above clip.
And with Kadri out after suffering a concussion the other day, Nylander has been centering our third line between Marleau and Brown. His versatility has come in handy in these tough times. It took him a couple of months to be back on track, but better late than never, of course.
Ennis Scores
I have to get one in for my favourite unsung hero on the Leafs. Ennis was in a really good stretch when he suffered a broken ankle on a friendly fire in December. It was a tough break (yes, pun fully intended) but he has looked just fine in his return.
And with Nylander starting the play, Ennis got his first goal since coming back from the injury.
The second PP unit here scored with a play that took me back to our big, 3 PPG night against the Avs a few days ago. A pass from the point to below the goal line and a quick feed across the crease for an open look on the opposite side. A beauty
Karma?
We were down 3-2 heading into the final period, but I felt confident our superior talent would let us take over the game. We'd only won one game the whole season when trailing after two periods, and only forced OT a couple of times, but if we were to rally in the third, this game was going to be it.
We got that lucky bounce on Nylander's equalizer there. But also during the third, when the game was still tied, this happened.
After the hit, there was some chirping going on. Maybe Domi still thought his team was going to win this game or something. Even though his team has blown a 3-0 lead, Domi looked like he was boasting about the big hit. Earlier in the period, he was yapping with Johnsson before a face-off and it seemed like Domi just made it his personal mission to go after Johnsson, and nothing else.
I am no Don Cherry-school hockey purist, but I thought that was some juvenile stuff. Dude, you just lost your 3-0 lead. A body check to rally your mates is nice and all, but don't go around telling everyone you just had a big hit. Keep your head down and try to get a go-ahead goal, too. You don't win hockey games with hits; you win 'em by scoring goals.
Of course, we piled on three more goals to win handily, and of course, Johnsson got one into the empty net. (Nice work by Kapanen to set him up for the "In Your Face" goal!) And at the end, HNIC camera zoomed in on some dour faces on the Habs' bench, including Domi's.
That was the icing on the cake for me, and I am sure for other Leafs fans. This was a sweet finish!
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