Leafs Stunned in Arizona

 

Photo Courtesy of The Score

If you read my article yesterday, I said that the game against Arizona had potential of being a trap game where Arizona could upset the Leafs and come away with the win, and sadly that’s exactly what has happened. Now this game wasn’t the usual trap game where the team that is expected to win comes out sluggish and flat the entire game, last night the Leafs simply dominated the game. Last night Petr Mrazek who do to injuries and the teams Covid shutdown was appearing in just his fourth start of the season. His last start was December 12^th in a 5-4 win at home against Chicago. For the Arizona Coyotes their starting goalie would be Karel Vajmelka who in twenty career starts has only four wins.

The first period would start like each game had since their shutdown, the Leafs started this one perfectly, they were controlling play right from the opening faceoff. I’ll admit this article is probably going to a little different compared to the usual write up where I break down each goal in the game. Of course, I will mention the goals but there weren’t many scored so this article will probably have me give my thoughts on some opinions given towards the Leafs.

So, as I said the Leafs were controlling play piling up chance after chance, but Matthews would hit the post, William Nylander would be stopped a few times and there would be many point shots that Vajmelka would turn aside. With a lopsided shot clock in favor of the Leafs they would continue to press for the opening goal but again the Arizona netminder continued to stand tall. In the last five minutes of this period, we would have a goal, but it would be from Arizona, and it would all start from a Leafs turnover. Travis Dermott would have the puck behind his net with plenty of time to break the puck out of the Leafs end. Dermott would move the puck to his partner Timothy Liljegren who was finally out of Covid protocol and back in the lineup, but he would lose the puck in his skates losing possession. The puck would come out front to Ryan Dzingel whose shot would go over Mrazek and off the glass, but it would bounce right back in front and Dzingel would grab the rebound and chip it into the net for his 3^rd goal of the season giving the home fans something to cheer about as Arizona opens the scoring leading 1-0. Even though the Leafs were trailing for the first time in their latest stretch of games they looked as mentally they were fine and their play on the ice continued to be positive showing signs that they were going to find the back of the net. The Leafs would see the first period end trailing their opponent 1-0 despite outshooting the Coyotes 20-6.

 

Period two would see Toronto’s strong play continuing but Nylander would be turned aside in close in his bid for his 300^th career point. Ondrej Kase who since becoming a member of the Leafs has performed well putting up a decent number of points but he is also beginning to develop chemistry with Auston Matthews which gives Sheldon Keefe another option throughout the season. Kase would have a great chance to tie the game as he would chip the lose puck towards the net but Vajmelka while sitting down would somehow get his blocker on the puck keeping the Leafs off the board. Another great chance for Toronto would come from Michael Bunting as he would come streaking down the right wing, but he would be turned aside trying to beat Karel Vajmelka on the glove side. In the final minute of this period the Leafs would have a two on one breakaway as Alex Kerfoot would pass to Nylander only to see his shot stopped. The rebound would fall to Auston Matthews coming off the bench, but his attempt would hit the blocker of the Arizona goalie and when it looked like the Leafs were about to finally solve this goalie TJ Brodie’s wrist shot would be robbed by the glove of Vajmelka causing me to use a few four-letter words that rhyme with duck, I am sure you can figure them out. Despite Toronto’s strong play after forty minutes, they would still be searching for answers as they continued to trail 1-0.

In the third period we would see the Leafs finally break through and break the shutout bid for Arizona as just fourteen seconds in Auston Matthews would receive a touch pass from Bunting and then coming off the wing Matthews would fire a wrist shot that would beat Vajmelka high on the blocker side for his 24^th goal of the season. With this goal Auston now moves to within two goals of the league lead but also this goal sets a new franchise record for consecutive road games with a goal. The record of eight consecutive road games was originally held by three Leafs Babe Dye set the record in 1921, the record was then matched by Frank Mahovlich in the 60-61 season, and then finally Daniel Marois would tie the record in 1989. Matthews with his 24^th goal set a new franchise record at nine games with a chance to extend it Saturday in St Louis.

With the game finally tied the Leafs would begin looking for the go-ahead goal but as the period went on you could see the Leafs starting to slow down, they were still playing well but you could see they didn’t have the same level of energy but that is honestly to be expected when you’re on the second game of a back-to-back with travel. This was even brought up by Sheldon Keefe after the game when he mentioned he was becoming concerned with the team’s level of conditioning due to the layoff when the team was recovering from Covid. Sheldon Keefe feels that with the more games the Leafs play their conditioning will come back to what it was, and the guy has more experience coaching then I do and likely more then the entire fanbase and knowing his track record of success whether it was in the junior ranks, the minors, or in the NHL he’s probably 100% correct and knows this team will find their conditioning once again and be just fine.

Midway through the final frame Arizona would gain the lead this time for good as Nick Schmaltz and Ryan Dzingel would come in on a odd man rush Schmaltz would send a pass across to Dzingel and Petr Mrazek would attempt to knock the puck away with a poke check but he would miss, doing this took Mrazek out of the play and Dzingel would send the puck into the Leaf goal for his second of the night and 4^th of the season. Toronto would look to equalize the game but sadly time would run out and the Arizona Coyotes would end up winning this game 2-1 despite being heavily outplayed for most of the game. Toronto’s next action comes Saturday night when they travel to St Louis for a meeting with their one-time Norris Division rivals the Blues.

 

Now I want to give my thoughts on some comments that I saw from fans and media. Yes, everyone is entitled to their opinion obviously but some of the things I read were just head scratching. Anyone who knows me as a person or anyone that follows this blog knows my love for hockey and for the Maple Leafs, I am a fan through and through but the Leaf fanbase is simply one of if not the worst in sports. When this team wins, they are the greatest but when they lose these fans act like it’s the end of the world and they will never win again. Should the Leafs have won this game? Absolutely, your goal is to try and win all eighty-two games of the regular season and then another sixteen in the playoffs. Simply put no team is going to go undefeated in the National Hockey League it has never happened and likely never will happen. The effort the Leafs brought last night was great and nine out of ten times the Leafs win the game in a walk game like this happen. Seeing fans rip Petr Mrazek for the loss was just wrong sure the second goal is one he would like back but he had a very quiet night shot wise facing eighteen, when called upon Mrazek played well and gave his team a chance and that’s all you can ask for from your goalie.

Mike Augello who writes for hockey buzz but is also a Leafs beat reporter for those who don’t know him, Now I have never met this man and don’t know him on a personal level but as far as his takes last night on the game they are questionable for sure. Last night he criticized the Leafs saying this is a game that good teams don’t lose. Yes, again Toronto should have won but Mike seems to forget that the Ottawa Senators a team to likely miss the post season again own wins over two of the best teams in the Atlantic Division. Ottawa earlier this season beat Florida a definite cup contender by a score of 8-2 and then followed it up by shutting out the back-to-back Champs Tampa Bay 4-0. Does this mean the Panthers and Lightning are bad teams? No even good teams lose it happens the New England Patriots went unbeaten untill that years Super Bowl where the Giants would beat them in an upset. Now when yours truly brought this to his attention Mike went on to restrict me from being able to reply to him on Twitter, I guess pointing out a major flaw in someone’s statement with fact is upsetting for some but that’s just the way it goes, I guess.

Lastly, I want to address something that fans have mentioned but something that has been said by a current executive for Pittsburgh and a former General Manager of these Maple Leafs. Brian Burke has insisted that in 2024 Auston Matthews will leave Toronto and sign with Arizona in Free Agency, now yes, the possibility is obviously there but to bet your life savings pretty much this is going to happen is foolish. By 2024 we don’t even know if the Coyotes are going to be in Arizona. I am not saying that as a joke I am serious it is unknown is the team will even be in the state by then. After this season the city of Glendale is terminating the lease agreement with the team and their current home the Gila River Arena. The Coyotes ownership group is meeting with the city of Tempe with a proposal to build a new arena in the city but for the two or three years it would take to build a new arena the team is asking if they can be a tenant at the arena for the Arizona State hockey team starting next season and play there while the new arena is being built. Now at some point today a decision from Tempe city council is to be announced and as of last night there were reports saying that majority of the votes will be no and aside from how much a new arena will cost the city one reason for voting no is because the Arizona Coyotes still owe a ton of money in union fees and unpaid taxes. Also, I don’t care what Commissioner Betman says publicly about Arizona being fine and they won’t be going anywhere because he said the exact same thing about the Atlanta Thrashers and for over a decade now that team has been known as the Winnipeg Jets. Gary wants desperately to keep the team in Arizona as he believes hockey can succeed there, and in some way, it has because Auston Matthews one of the best players in the game is from Scottsdale but financially it hasn’t worked at all. Gary has to be considering his options on relocating this team because if he gives the thumbs up and agrees to let the Coyotes play out of the ASU hockey rink it will look terrible, that rink has a maximum capacity of 3000 seats there are junior arenas with more seats. If Gary has an NHL Franchise play in a building that holds only 3000 fans that will be a massive black eye on the league, and his reputation and approval rating with the owners has taken a hit in recent months.

 

So, with me pointing all of this out to you readers sure it’s always nice to play for your childhood team look at John Tavares leaving the Islanders but if you are Auston Matthews do you really want to leave a successful market for a team that is in financial hell and is without an arena after this current season?

In two years’, time when Matthews is due for a new deal if it isn’t reached next season, I am confident that he will remain a Maple Leaf after this contract is up.

Photo Courtesy of Goalie Archive

Lastly, I want to give a birthday shoutout to legendary Leaf goalie Mike Palmateer this is burned into my brain because my mom reminded me every year when I was a kid that her birthday was the same day as Palmateer’s and for that reason alone, he was her favorite Leaf. So, Happy birthday mom and happy birthday Mike.

 

Thanks as always for reading.