Ryan Hamilton Shows Dion How to be a Leader

A. Bates
March 23 2012 08:25PM

Zach Parise playing peek-a-boo with the Maple Leafs

BREAKING NEWS: The Maple Leafs have mailed it in. They do not care. If you need any more proof just watch the highlights. David Steckel played 21 minutes of regulation time while Phil Kessel played 18. We wonder why they only mustered 17 shots through 60 minutes. This is the fourth straight game that the Leafs have failed to hit the 20 shot plateau. I'm all for drafting Grigorenko or Galchenyuk but come on, lets see a little effort.

Nazim Kadri played his first game with the Leafs in a long while. Ryan Hamilton also tagged along for the ride. I thought Kadri played a good game, he scored the Leafs second goal and had the shootout winner. Cody Franson also drew into the line-up with Carlyle running with seven defensemen.

Period by period, Leaf of the Night and the Shame of the Nation after the jump.

The first period went as just about as well as you would have thought. New Jersey outshot the Leafs by a 18-7 margin. Those seven shots for the Leafs marked their highest shot total in a period over a seven period span. James Reimer looked great, as he mostly has since he was given the reins by Carlyle. New Jersey had a powerplay that they didn't do much on. Other then about 5+ quality scoring chances for the Devils it was a fairly boring period.

Bozak opened the scoring in the second period proving hundreds of twitter users right. It was a funny bounce that went right onto Bozak's stick, if Matthew Lombardi was there it would have been a souvenir for sure. Mere seconds after Bozak opened up the scoring, recent call-up Nazim Kadri (who's that guy) had a nice tip on a Gardiner point shot that beat Brodeur. Kadri, upon scoring the goal, channeled his inner Brett Lawrie with a pretty big celebration. Sarcasm aside, it was actually nice to see some energy from an essentially lifeless club.

Other plays of note: Komisarek proved once again that he would struggle to be an ECHL standout taking a man who Luke Schenn already had taken care of, leading to New Jersey's first goal of the night. Jay Rosehill got a penalty for kneeing which hopefully gets him suspended for the rest of the season.

Future Leaf Zach Parise scored mid-way into the third period to make it a 3-2 game, it looked as though Reimer had it and some refs probably would have blown the whistle early there. With five minutes left Adam Henrique tied the game up on a nasty tip. The five thousand fans at the Prudential Centre were actually loud enough for "Let's Go Devils" to be heard through your TV, I wonder if they were Leafs fans.

The Devils were unable to take care of the Leafs in regulation time and the game ended up going to a shootout, where it actually ended up coming down to:

First save wins.

The Leafs went three for three in the shootout with Bozak and Connolly notching nice goals and Nazim, obviously, having the shootout goal of the night. Reimer made a save that he seemed surprised to make and the Leafs take away two points that they, unfortunately, did not need.

Shame of the Nation

Mike Komisarek

12:38

Mike made the worst play of the game, earning him the Shame of the Nation honors. Here it is:

I mean honestly, how the hell does he not see that Schenn already has his man?

Leaf of the Night

James Reimer

.934 3GA

James looked great tonight, he made a few huge stops throughout the game. We can only ask that the rest of the season doesn't destroy his confidence too much for next season. Here's his best stop of the night: