LEAFS POSTGAME – LIGHTNING STRIKES

But let’s be honest, the above tweet is accurate.

Why was it accurate? Well, the Leafs left the first period up 2-0, while being outshot 15-4. For those not doing the #fancystats at home, that means the Leafs shot 50% in the first period. A quick guess by most fans was that that probably wasn’t going to be sustainable. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t. 

That said, their first goal came on the first shot of the night. And it was pretty.

Whew. What a pass by Kadri, who is obviously one of Santo’s little helpers.

The Leafs would add another, and Reimer would hold the fort in the first. He was great tonight. Then, during the first intermission:

Well that nerd loser was right – Tampa stuck with the process and continued their dominance, which led to this:

Hmm and look who scored. They would go on to add one more three minutes later. 

Third period and the game is tied – and it definitely shouldn’t be. This seems like one of those games the Leafs will manage to somehow sneak a victory out of. And actually, the Leafs had their best period, going shot-for-shot with Tampa (both teams with 9) this period. Unfortunately, the percentages caught up with them:

Can’t wait til he’s a Leaf! 

James Reimer. In a season where he hasn’t been his best, he came to play tonight – which is even more impressive because it was a back-to-back. 38 saves. He deserved better. 

The Leafs head to Boston for a New Year’s Eve tilt against the Bruins. Nice to go into 2015 with a loss. 7:00 PM EST, Sportsnet.