Leafs Postgame: Losenipeg

The Winnipeg Jets are basically playing the rest of the season for fun at this point. They scratched their best forward, presumably because he had a beer while watching a basketball game. They put the worst starting goaltender in the league between the pipes, because their decent and therefore much better backup is injured. This game should be a gimmie en route to continuing the playoff push, right? RIGHT?

“Lets just give their top centre several seconds to decide how to shoot the puck”

Wherein the puck bounces off of James van RIemsdyk and everybody except for Jacob Trouba gets lost

“It’s okay James, we’ll stop it before it gets to you! No, seriously, you don’t have to see i-“

“Oh wow that’s fast I’m getting out of the way now SAVE US JAMES”

“Forget the former 90 point scorer who is still good in the slot, lets ALL of us cover the guy behind the net”

“Wouldn’t it be hilarious if we left him open again?” (This one didn’t go in)

Also, Phil Kessel scored, tying a career high, because he’s awesome. By the way, he’s scored in every single game in every Leafs vs. Jets 2.0 game ever played (9 for 9). Nazem Kadri also added a goal, but that’s because Ondrej went full Pavelec.

4-2 was your final.

As seen above, the Leafs defensive system still likes to leave quality offensive players on their own frequently. As well, this team hasn’t scored more than three goals in regulation since March 1st. As a result, to win any game in regulation since then, Bernier or Reimer has needed a minimum of a 0.933 SV%. 

It’s getting really tiresome to say “the same guys made the same errors and the Leafs got outshot” every single game. This game was a microcosmm of the season. It was a must win because they needed it, and a must win because of their opponent. Instead, they got thoroughly outclassed.

This is the look of a man who is realizing that this is probably the last time he has to attempt to carry around a defensive mess in front of these 19,000 fans who come here hoping for something different, 41 times a year.

There’s a very real chance this was James Reimer’s last game at the Air Canada Centre, as the raise-requiring RFA goaltender that this team doesn’t seem to believe much in. I just want to point that out.

Honorable mention to Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, for distracting the fans by (probably) drunkenly taking selfies.