Postgame: Pegged To Win

The Leafs entered tonight’s game looking to snap a two-game losing streak and get back to their scoring ways. They did just that tonight, putting together a group-effort 4-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets.

The game started off with the offense firing from both sides, but with little generated in terms of results. The Jets enjoyed a strong couple of shifts in which the Leafs were hemmed into the defensive zone, but for the most part, it was the Leafs dictating the pace of the game. Turnover after turnover seemed to yield endless chances for the Leafs, with little result, until…

THAT’S KAPPY!

Kasperi Kapanen snipes on Connor Hellebuyk after an impressive first effort was stopped by the Jets netminder. 1-0 good guys.

Side-note: check out that little jump by Auston Matthews for the screen in front of Hellebuyck. Is there anything that boy can’t do?

That’s all the action from the first. The Leafs would go into the first intermission up 1-0, outshooting the Jets 18-14 after the first offense-heavy frame.

If the first period could have been called back-and-forth offensive hockey, the second was where the Leafs really decided they were serious about being the most offensive of them all. If you have any doubts, look no further than this joint effort by noted offensive juggernauts Josh Leivo and Tyler Ennis:

Ennis’ first as a Leaf makes it 2-0.

And in the back half of the frame, our nifty Nazem Kadri finally made it onto the scoresheet:

A beautiful snipe from Nazem. 3-0!

The Leafs would go on to limit the Jets to just 4 shots in the second period, outshooting them 10-4 and carrying their 3-0 lead into the final frame.

Wouldn’t ya know it.

First, Nik Ehlers scores his first goal in TWENTY-SEVEN GAMES. Against the Leafs. Because, of course.

Side note: if Ehlers gets $6,000,000 per year to do that, William Nylander probably deserves 6 billion dollars.

Then, 1:31 later, Mark Scheifele makes it 3-2 on the power play.

Ohhhh boy.

Luckily, while the Leafs are still Leafy, and somehow continue to cave and get their teeth kicked in under the pressure of maintaining leads, they also employ some of the most golden boys around. An example of two of these boys would be Mitchell Marner and John Tavares.

That is an absolutely disgusting move by Marner to get to the front of the net and get a chance while on his knees. Despite failing to score, none other than noted Leaf John Tavares swooped in to tuck the puck in for his 7th of the season. 4-2 Leafs it was, and that was how it would end.

The advanced stats do a good job at illustrating the Leafs’ early dominance but fail to really illustrate how significantly they faltered in the third period. This game was in the bag for the Leafs, and they nearly coughed it up, were it not for the Jets’ complete inability to finish and an outstanding performance by Frederik Andersen.

2 points is 2 points, I guess. We’ll take it.

That’s all she wrote for tonight. The Leafs head back to Scotiabank Arena next, where they’ll host the Jets on the back half of this home-and-home on Hockey Night In Canada.