In the crucial 4-point game against the Boston Bruins, the Toronto Maple Leafs suffered a significant setback, falling 4-1 on Monday night. This defeat not only widened the gap between the teams but also dashed the Maple Leafs’ hopes of being just four points behind the second-place Bruins with two games in hand. Let’s delve into the highlights of the game, examining the good, bad, and ugly aspects that unfolded on the ice.
The Ugly
Let’s begin with the less favorable aspects of the game, which started off poorly for the Toronto Maple Leafs. They conceded a breakaway opportunity in the opening shift, but Joseph Woll made the save. Toronto then struggled to generate shots, managing only two relatively harmless attempts in the following minutes. At 6:22 of the period, Kevin Shattenkirk committed a high sticking penalty against Mitch Marner, leading to a power play for the Maple Leafs. However, it turned out to be an ugly sequence for Toronto as they failed to register a single shot on goal and even surrendered two prime scoring chances to the Bruins.
The Bruins capitalized on the momentum gained from that power play, dominating the next five minutes of play. During this span, they outshot the Maple Leafs 11-0 and scored two goals, ultimately making a significant impact on the game’s outcome.
The Good
Following the second Boston goal, the Maple Leafs seemed to find their stride and responded with a strong push in the final seven minutes of the first period. They outshot the Bruins 9-1 and created several good scoring opportunities. According to Naturalstatrick.com, the High Danger Scoring Chances in the first period favored Toronto by a margin of 9-4.
Toronto carried this momentum into the second period, controlling the game’s tempo and dictating play in the opening five minutes.
The Bad
Unfortunately, the Maple Leafs’ momentum came to a halt just over five minutes into the second period. Bobby McMann came close to scoring for Toronto, but shortly after, the Bruins countered and Jake DeBrusk capitalized on a similar chance to put Boston ahead. This goal deflated the Maple Leafs and the remainder of the period was frustrating to watch for their fans as the Bruins effectively shut down Toronto’s offensive opportunities.
The Maple Leafs briefly sparked some hope early in the third period when John Tavares scored a goal that Boston goalie Jeremy Swayman should have saved. However, any resurgence was short-lived as Pavel Dacha netted his second goal of the game, extending the Bruins’ lead to 4-1. From that point on, the game proceeded at a lackluster pace, with both teams seemingly eager for it to end.
One Point Wonders
In this game, the twelve Toronto forwards collectively contributed to just one goal and assist, which came from John Tavares with assists from Morgan Rielly and Ilya Lyubushkin. The remaining eleven forwards failed to register a single point.
Out-Goalied
Joseph Woll made several good saves throughout the game, with three of the four goals against him being difficult to fault. The third goal scored by DeBrusk was one that Woll should have saved, as it was an unscreened shot to his glove side. However, Jeremy Swayman, the opposing goalie, allowed a similar goal but managed to deny the Maple Leafs on the majority of their good scoring chances.
According to Naturalstattrick, the High Danger Scoring Chances in the game were fairly even at 15-14 in favor of Toronto. This suggests that both teams had comparable opportunities to score, but Swayman proved to be more effective at stopping those chances than Woll.
The Ugly
Let’s begin with the less favorable aspects of the game, which started off poorly for the Toronto Maple Leafs. They conceded a breakaway opportunity in the opening shift, but Joseph Woll made the save. Toronto then struggled to generate shots, managing only two relatively harmless attempts in the following minutes. At 6:22 of the period, Kevin Shattenkirk committed a high sticking penalty against Mitch Marner, leading to a power play for the Maple Leafs. However, it turned out to be an ugly sequence for Toronto as they failed to register a single shot on goal and even surrendered two prime scoring chances to the Bruins.
The Bruins capitalized on the momentum gained from that power play, dominating the next five minutes of play. During this span, they outshot the Maple Leafs 11-0 and scored two goals, ultimately making a significant impact on the game’s outcome.
The Good
Following the second Boston goal, the Maple Leafs seemed to find their stride and responded with a strong push in the final seven minutes of the first period. They outshot the Bruins 9-1 and created several good scoring opportunities. According to Naturalstatrick.com, the High Danger Scoring Chances in the first period favored Toronto by a margin of 9-4.
Toronto carried this momentum into the second period, controlling the game’s tempo and dictating play in the opening five minutes.
The Bad
Unfortunately, the Maple Leafs’ momentum came to a halt just over five minutes into the second period. Bobby McMann came close to scoring for Toronto, but shortly after, the Bruins countered and Jake DeBrusk capitalized on a similar chance to put Boston ahead. This goal deflated the Maple Leafs and the remainder of the period was frustrating to watch for their fans as the Bruins effectively shut down Toronto’s offensive opportunities.
The Maple Leafs briefly sparked some hope early in the third period when John Tavares scored a goal that Boston goalie Jeremy Swayman should have saved. However, any resurgence was short-lived as Pavel Dacha netted his second goal of the game, extending the Bruins’ lead to 4-1. From that point on, the game proceeded at a lackluster pace, with both teams seemingly eager for it to end.
One Point Wonders
In this game, the twelve Toronto forwards collectively contributed to just one goal and assist, which came from John Tavares with assists from Morgan Rielly and Ilya Lyubushkin. The remaining eleven forwards failed to register a single point.
Out-Goalied
Joseph Woll made several good saves throughout the game, with three of the four goals against him being difficult to fault. The third goal scored by DeBrusk was one that Woll should have saved, as it was an unscreened shot to his glove side. However, Jeremy Swayman, the opposing goalie, allowed a similar goal but managed to deny the Maple Leafs on the majority of their good scoring chances.
According to Naturalstattrick, the High Danger Scoring Chances in the game were fairly even at 15-14 in favor of Toronto. This suggests that both teams had comparable opportunities to score, but Swayman proved to be more effective at stopping those chances than Woll.
