Morning-After Recap: Time to go home

I know that no one is particularly keen to relive this one, so just scroll quickly if you need to. The first goal was nice, so we’ll start there.

Yes, that’s Matt Martin carrying the puck in and dishing it for the Borgman wrister. The best part about this goal was probably that the Leafs had a tough time the whole period (the whole game really) getting the puck 1) out of their own end, and 2) close enough to Jake Allen to even get a shot off.

But here! Martin gets *just* across the blue line and sends the puck east-west to Borgman, which it seems like no one was really expecting. All the defenders had their eyes on Mitch Marner (which, fair), and Borgman came out of nowhere to catch the pass and fire off a shot. Good job, team.

Vladimir Tarasenko scored the Blues’ first goal, and he also got his 300th career point in this game, which is cool, I guess, unless you’re the Leafs. Dude was in the right place at the right time, and the Buds…kind of weren’t. You could argue that it looked like Freddy had the puck, but a lot can change in a split second, and Tarasenko was the only guy paying attention. He has scored a goal in each of his last six games against the Leafs, which, again, is cool if you’re not the Leafs.

This was another sucky rebound, but also I keep rewatching it, trying to figure out why Joel Edmundson was all alone there, just waiting for the puck… (Spoiler: It’s because all the Leafs got caught puck watching and Andersen couldn’t quite get over there in time.)

This was the Blues’ third goal, but it was the first one to really get my attention. The other two felt a little fluky, a little lucky. Alex Pietrangelo really earned this one, though. Watch all the way through, because they show several different angles. It’s a little painful, but oh man, I could just watch this all day, the way he slides the puck just behind Freddy’s skate and and then tucks it across the line. Really nice work. Really nice hands.

This was just bad luck for Nazem Kadri, and good work capitalising by Magnus Paajarvi. Hate to see it as a Leafs fan, but have to respect it as a hockey fan. Naz just can’t hold onto the pass, and he fumbles it right in front of his own net, practically serving it up for Paajarvi to tap in.

(Editors note: this GIF. man.)

Tyler Bozak scored a goal! But it was hard for us to really enjoy it, since it was sandwiched right in between two Blues goals. Nice snipe though, off a lovely pass from Mitchell Marner coming around behind the net.

Again, there’s a guy in blue just hanging out in front of the Leafs’ net. Good eyes from Alex Steen to send the puck straight to a wide-open Vladimir Sobotka for the tap-in.

Pietrangelo again. This is one that the Leafs probably should’ve challenged for goalie interference. Frederik Andersen took a good whack to the face, so he didn’t have any chance to stop it.

Down. Town. Connor. Brown. He has three goals in three games.

And what an unexpected move from Zach Hyman! Earlier in this game, he got in close and hesitated trying to choose between shoot and pass, and he really should’ve shot it. But here he sees Brown coming up just behind him and takes the chance on a quick pass. Brownie is already on his knees, but he keeps his head up and his stick down, and we’re back in the game, baby! (Well, sort of.)

Not only is this another goal from Tyler Bozak, it’s another assist from Matt Martin. At this rate, Babs is never going to break up that new fourth line.

Anyway, 6-4 is as good as things got, and while there were a few flashes of “not bad”, the Leafs are going to have to step up their game. And soon, please. This losing thing is no fun.

You know what, though? After checking out the scores from Saturday’s other games, now I’m just thanking the hockey gods we didn’t go to a shootout.

See y’all tomorrow, back at the ACC.