*******If you are interested in sponsorship or advertising your business in the Greater Toronto / Southern Ontario area on this column, please send a message for more information by clicking on the “Contact” button at the top of the page.
*******
It was deja vu all over again at the UBS Arena for the Toronto Maple Leafs against the New York Islanders. On December 11, the Leafs went to overtime tied 3-3, and lost 4-3 in the opening minute as Noah Dobson and Mathew Barzal combined on Bo Horvat’s game-winner.
Exactly one month later, Toronto in their final visit to the home of the NHL’s most forgiving fanbase went to overtime tied 3-3, and once again lost in the opening minute of the extra frame, as Dobson’s point shot was deflected by Barzal past Martin Jones for the game-winner.
Auston Matthews scored a pair to maintain his lead in pursuit of his third Rocket Richard Trophy and Bobby McMann added his second goal of the season, but the Islanders scored a pair of power-play goals and erased a 3-1 Toronto lead in the second period.
"At five-on-five, we were pretty good in the game — not perfect, but pretty good, and we had a pretty significant advantage in the scoring chances at five-on-five. Special teams were rotten tonight. Power play, penalty kill, overtime… That costs you games.” Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said after the game. “The power play had one chance and did nothing with it. It was as bad as we have looked in any power play. On the penalty kill, it is in our net before we can even blink to start the game. In the second period, we first took a penalty with the careless high stick while we had control of the game. Those are the kinds of mistakes that cost you games and cost you points.”
Jones made 26 saves in the loss that snapped the Leafs four-game winning streak, but the point earned moved Toronto to 21-10-8 and to 50 points. The club returns home for back-to-back weekend games against Colorado and Detroit on Saturday and Sunday.
It is still unknown if Ilya Samsonov will make either start, or if rookie Dennis Hildeby will be recalled after starting for the AHL Marlies on Friday, but the Leafs are hopeful that he can at least serve as a backup until Joseph Woll is healthy enough to return to the lineup sometime in early February.
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»