Leafs Post-Game: Lather, Rinse, Repeat

The Leafs played a game of hockey tonight and were outplayed and outscored and it was really, really boring to watch.  I don’t even know what to say anymore.  I can’t wait until this season is over so we can get to the fun stuff like trade speculation, the draft, and free agency.

Mike Hoffman scored a little over midway through the first period to give Ottawa a 1-0 lead.  You see, I was busy writing the post about new Leaf Casey Bailey, so I missed the first half of the first period tonight.  As a result, that’s all the detail you’re gonna get from me about the start of this game.

Okay, but then guess what happened?  Ottawa scored again!  And this time, I saw it!  Mika Zibanejad caught Erik Karlsson flying in down the wing and the Sens captain sniped to make it 2-0.  Not looking good for the boys in blue.

Then in the second period, things got weird.

Joakim Lindstrom of all people tipped home a point shot to cut into the lead to just a few minutes in.  Then a few seconds later Ottawa scored yet again and James Reimer got pulled.  Then a few minutes later Leo Komarov snapped home a loose puck to cut into the lead.  And then, Tim Erixon blasted a shot from the blueline past Andrew Hammond to tie the game.  But then as the period was winding down, Kyle Turris scored on the powerplay and Ottawa went into the third period up 4-3.  I don’t know, that was probably as boring a summary of a five-goal period as I could give.  But I’m just so damn apathetic about the season at this point.  I want to tell you I found the second period really exciting, but I didn’t.  The Leafs’ performance the last three months has been incredibly mundane.

Okay, now try and picture a third period in a hockey game where one team is relying on unsustainable goaltending and fighting for their playoff lives.  The other is a perennial loser that is playing for nothing.  Picture a period where the team fighting for a playoff spot is at home and has a one-goal lead.  Picture the small and furious pushes that the losing team makes to tie the game.  But picture it so that those pushes just aren’t quite enough.  They got a few chances, but not enough.  And not enough to finish.  And then picture that team eventually conceding an empty-net goal.

Done?  Alright, good.  That was the third period.  Your final: Senators 5, Maple Leafs 3.

It’s been pretty tough picking an MVP for the Leafs’ games lately and this one was no different.  Jonathan Bernier did stop 21 of 22 shots in relief of James Reimer, which is more than just okay.  In a game where nobody really stood out, I’m gonna go with him.

The Leafs host the Minnesota Wild Monday at 7:30PM Eastern on TSN4.