Last night, the Toronto Maple Leafs roared back from a disappointing 4-3 overtime loss to the New York Islanders to beat the crosstown New York Rangers by a score of 7-3. Although in this post I don’t want to do a takeaways post per se, I’d like to offer three random thoughts about the surprising win.
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Random Thought One: The Maple Leafs Were Tired But Gutted Out a Win
The Maple Leafs wasted no time to take a 4-1 lead after a strong first period. Auston Matthews and defenseman Conor Timmins set the tone early with goals just over a minute apart. Although the Rangers got a quick response from Blake Wheeler, the Maple Leafs continued their first-period offensive onslaught. Late goals from Calle Jarnkrok and Mitch Marner, within 21 seconds of each other, extended Toronto’s lead to 4-1.
While the Rangers managed to narrow the deficit to one in the second period, as tired as the team was, in the third period the Maple Leafs came out flying. Marner swiftly dashed any hopes of a comeback by scoring his second goal on a power play. The Maple Leafs then sealed the deal with two late goals, ensuring a triumphant conclusion to their back-to-back games in New York. They held on!
Reflecting on the victory, Matthews acknowledged the emotional intensity of the previous night’s loss against the Islanders. However, he commended the team’s resilience in taking home two crucial points. The Maple Leafs were a tired team. Yet, they gutted out a win when they might have dialled it in.
Random Thought Two: The Maple Leafs Could Have Experienced a Letdown, But Didn’t
Three pivotal events shaped the Maple Leafs’ week. First, Joseph Woll suffered an injury, raising concerns among fans about the team’s goaltending depth. Second, the team delivered a near-flawless performance in front of goalie Ilya Samsonov to post a shutout against the Nashville Predators on Saturday. Finally, on Monday night before the Rangers game, John Tavares achieved a remarkable milestone by reaching 1000 points in his career.
Tuesday’s game posed a potential scenario for a team letdown, considering the emotional highs of Tavares’ milestone, the fatigue from back-to-back games, and the unpredictability following the overtime loss to the Islanders. The Maple Leafs, however, defied my expectations to take home a convincing 7-3 win. The outcome highlighted the team’s resilience and ability to rise above potential pitfalls. The story could have unfolded differently on that Tuesday night in New York, but the Maple Leafs turned it into a memorable win.
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Random Thought Three: The Maple Leafs Can Be a Surprising Team
Examining the broader confluence of factors – from recent milestones to the overtime loss, the presence of players’ fathers with the team, and the use of a new goalie (Martin Jones) was part of the backdrop for Tuesday’s game against the Rangers. It seemed far from a perfect time for a Maple Leafs victory, yet the team won going away.
The Maple Leafs’ response to the week was to win a game they might have easily lost. As a result, the team carried home three points out of a potential four in the two games in New York City. Despite the looming spectre of fatigue, the Maple Leafs came through.
It was a surprise win. What might it show us as fans about this team? It’s likely too early to know. Perhaps, instead of overanalyzing the result (as I tend to do), it’s more fitting to acknowledge the team’s success at navigating complexities to emerge victorious. In the end, it’s just one more of a myriad of stories the Maple Leafs will play out this season.
Good on them!
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