TORONTO — When you’re the better team up 2-0, and you’re at home, and on the power-play halfway through the game, you have the opposition right where you want them.
Right?
Well, um, not so fast.
Especially if you’re the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2023-24, when no lead — either way – is secure, and fans who dare tune out early to catch extra sleep risk awakening the next morning to a surprise winner when they check the scores on their favourite sports app.
Yikes.
The Leafs had the struggling Ottawa Senators on the mat Wednesday, in both teams’ holiday return, thanks to first-period goals by Matthew Knies and Tyler Bertuzzi.
But Toronto’s early dominance failed to deter its provincial rival, which retaliated with four unanswered goals, the final one a Brady Tkachuk empty-netter, to swipe a 4-2 comeback victory.
While it’s debatable that the better team won, the more desperate and deserving one certainly did.
Stop us if you’ve heard this tale before: The Leafs had control early, then eased their collective foot off the gas.
“They obviously picked up their pace,” captain John Tavares told reporters postgame. “They capitalized when they had their chance.”
Yep.
The Leafs, of course, soar and swoon with their well-compensated best players. Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Tavares were each a dash-2. Morgan Rielly was minus-3.
Of all four lines, the Leafs’ third unit of Nick Robertson, Max Domi, and Calle Järnkrok was the only one able to outshoot the Senators at even strength (4-0).
Simply put: The Maple Leafs don’t win with this recipe.
“Ottawa got better and harder as the game went on,” Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe said. “We didn’t respond to that.”
The real response originated from the visitors’ side with Parker Kelly’s shorthanded strike in the second period.
A pair of Drake Batherson goals allowed Ottawa to ride the wave and rally for its first consecutive victories since Dec. 5.
With a 28-save performance, oft-criticized Senators goaltender Joonas Korpisalo settled down to earn player-of-the-game honours.
But we’re certainly not pinning the Leafs’ defeat entirely on goalie Martin Jones.
Strong start, soft finish.
“A tough one to swallow when we had a good start like we did,” Tavares said.
On the bright side, the Maple Leafs will be gifted their fourth consecutive non-playoff opponent Friday in Columbus — the same Blue Jackets that Toronto trounced before Christmas.
This one has bounce-back effort written all over it.
Fox’s Fast Five
• Mark Giordano (broken finger) is “real close” to returning to action, per coach Sheldon Keefe.
Joseph Woll (high-ankle sprain) is not close and has not begun skating since suffering his injury on Dec. 7.
• Nylander has at least a point in 29 of 32 games and is on pace for a career-best 118-point campaign.
• After starting the season pointless in three games, Batherson has been averaging better than a point per game and is on pace for a career-best 36-goal, 71-point campaign.
• Keefe on Fraser Minten being named captain of Team Canada at the world juniors: “You’re not surprised that he is able to make that type of impression on his teammates and coaches.”
Knies: “I’m happy for Mints to become a captain. It’s pretty special. But, yeah, I won’t be cheering for Canada.”
• When Team Canada defeated Sweden at the 2015 world junior championships in Toronto, a young Max Domi sat in Calle Järnkrok’s current locker stall.
“I already told him,” Domi smiled in his scrum. “We beat the Swedes when I was in that locker.”