Ahh, Sundays in autumn. Perfect for sleeping in, enjoying a nice brunch, stressing out over your fantasy football team, and maybe getting some fresh air before settling down to watch a little Hometown Hockey. For Toronto Maple Leafs fans, though, this Sunday was a day full of frustration and time to ponder why your talented, young team hasn’t been able to put pucks in the back of the net of late.
Coming off an emotional 2-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday, Mike Babcock’s group looked every bit like a fatigued team playing their fourth game in six nights as they fell 5-1 to the New York Islanders.
Full credit to the Islanders, who limited quality scoring chances and blocked 22 shots, but the Leafs were sloppy on too many shifts.They simply weren’t in sync, especially in their own zone.
“D-zone faceoffs and sort-outs cost us two goals tonight. It makes no sense, missed assignments,” Babcock told reporters at the Barclays Center after the game. “Last night, we had all 20 guys on board and working hard and competitive. Tonight I didn’t think we had 20 guys.”
Besides a recent 7-3 blowout loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, Sunday’s effort was perhaps the most disappointing thus far for the Leafs this season.
With that in mind, here are a few takeaways from Sunday’s game:
Slow starts and road games hurting the Leafs
Toronto had opened the scoring in each of their first four games of the season, but they’ve now allowed the opening marker in five straight contests and it took the Islanders a mere 61 seconds to get ahead in this one off a deflection in front.
“Hockey is made of bounces. It sucks when they don’t go your way but that’s all part of the game,” Tyler Bozak said. “You have to suck it up and work hard and get back out there. We just didn’t get the job done tonight.”
The Leafs played their best hockey after they went down 2-0, but despite eventually narrowing the lead to one, they couldn’t tie it up and eventually fell apart.
“I thought we got ourselves in a real good spot,” Babcock said. “I thought we did a lot of good things through two, we got the game to 2-1. We were in a really good position. Then they got the third one and it seemed to break us.”
The Leafs will need to get off to a better start Tuesday when they host Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers because that’s one team you definitely can’t afford to play from behind against.
A trip back home to the Air Canada Centre could do the Leafs some good after managing to score just two goals in two games over the weekend. Babcock also needs his team to tighten up defensively.
“It’s not about the goal scoring, it’s about the goals you give up,” he said. “Everyone is worried about the goal scoring, that’s not our issue on this team. It’s what we give up.”
The Leafs dropped to 0-3-3 on the road this season, which is the first time the team has lost its first six road games since the 1991-92 campaign.
Martin’s return to Brooklyn an emotional one
It must have been an awkward feeling for Matt Martin to see the Islanders go up 2-0 in the first period when Casey Cizikas potted his first of the year off a rebound from a Cal Clutterbuck shot. Martin had been linemates with Cizikas and Clutterbuck for several years on what many considered to be the best fourth line in hockey. Martin, who signed a four-year deal with Toronto in the summer, played his former team for the first time Sunday and he admitted it had a special feel.
The 6-foot-3, 220-pound grinder was selected by the Islanders in the fifth round of the 2008 draft. He registered 42 goals, 46 assists and 680 penalty minutes in 438 career regular season games. They even played a short tribute video during a first period commercial timeout to thank Martin for his time with the organization.
“It’s pretty emotional, it gives you chills,” Martin said. “I spent a lot of time here and got involved in the community here…A lot of friends and people I consider family here so it was a special moment.”
Tribute videos aren’t typically reserved for fourth liners like Martin, but he has earned a great deal of respect around the league for the way he plays. If you look only at his stat line, you might think Martin hasn’t been pulling his weight in Toronto — no goals, no assists, minus-2, a team-leading 16 PIMs — but Babcock loves what the reigning NHL hits leader brings to the table.
“We don’t get our faces washed very much. No one takes advantage of us, so it’s pretty nice if you’re a kid you haven’t had to worry about that one bit,” the Leafs head coach said of Martin prior to the game. “Marty’s a real good leader in the room, does things right, good pro. He’s meant a lot to us.”
Poor ice conditions were an obvious hindrance
No Leafs player would admit the inferior ice quality in Brooklyn contributed to the loss, or at least they weren’t using it as an excuse, but it clearly had an impact. Leafs skaters routinely lost control of the puck, resulting in uncharacteristic giveaways and several blown scoring opportunities.
It’s difficult for a team like the Leafs, one that boasts an abundance of skill and relies on finesse to make plays, to succeed when the puck is bouncing around like a lacrosse ball.
“You’ve got to maybe make the safer play when you know the ice is not going to be as predictable,” James Van Riemsdyk said.
Yes, the ice affected both teams, though the Islanders were clearly able to cope with it better.
Greiss halted any momentum the Leafs generated
In addition to the Leafs not putting forth their best effort, they also faced a hot goalie for the second night in a row. Carey Price made 37 saves Saturday and Thomas Greiss stopped 33 of 34 shots Sunday. His positioning was on point, his lateral movement even more impressive. During a first period Toronto power play, he robbed Connor Carrick with his blocker after a terrific cross-ice pass from Mitch Marner, then stole a wraparound goal away from Zach Hyman in the second period with an outstretched left pad save. Greiss made 17 saves in the second frame alone.
Many felt Jaroslav Halak might get the start since he is 8-3-3 in his career against the Leafs, yet after Saturday’s developments, it looks like Greiss might be the man going forward for the club. A performance like Sunday’s should give Islanders fans some confidence in him.
Austin Powers watches Auston Matthews
Popular Canadian actor Mike Myers is a diehard Leafs fan and he had a front row seat at Sunday’s game. Myers, donning a Dave Keon No. 14 Leafs sweater, spoke briefly with Sportsnet’s Christine Simpson where he admitted he cried when Matthews had his four-goal night. Unfortunately for Myers, he only got to cheer “yeah baby!” once Sunday when Jake Gardiner scored Toronto’s lone goal early in the third. He is still optimistic about the Leafs’ future.
