tonytalkssports My Take on Sports, particularly the Yankees, Maple Leafs and Browns

Leafs Dominate & Lose In Shoot Out 5-4

For 48 minutes last night the Toronto Maple Leafs dominated the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Console Energy Center and had a 4-1 lead. (which should have been 5-1 but more on that later) Then Jake Gardiner fell at the blue line and Steve Sullivan rushed down the right wing and took a shot from at the top of the circle beating Jonas Gustavsson on his glove side and the Penguins pulled to within 2 goals. Then with just under 5 minutes remaining, Joe Vitale scored off a goal mouth scrum that Gustavsson should have covered and the Penguins made it 4-3. This just after the Leafs had successfully killed off a Penguin power play. The rest is history as Evgeni Malkin scored with 6 seconds remaining in the game to send it to overtime. Malkin's goal was lucky as James Neal shot deflected off Malkin's shoulder and found the back of the net.

The Leafs came out flying and Tyler Bozak scored on a beautiful pass from Phil Kessel which should have made the score 1-0. However, the referees waived the goal off saying that Marc-Andre Fleury was interferred with by Joffrey Lupul. Replays clearly showed that Lupul was no where near Fleury. Even the ridiculously terrible Pittsburgh broadcast team admitted that it was a bad call.

It's really hard to fault anyone for this loss however Jonas Gustavsson has to be better. There has been a disturbing trend with Gustavsson as he seems to allow a terrible goal at least once a game. This can't happen if the Leafs are to make the playoffs and defnitely can't happen once in the playoffs. One can make the argument that the second Penguin goal was simply bad luck as Jake Gardiner blew a tire at the blue line which resulted in Steve Sullivan's breakaway. I maintain that Gustavsson should have stopped Sullivan's shot however I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. But the third goal is inexcusable. Gustavsson had an opportunity to cover that puck and didn't. The Leafs had just killed off a penalty. Should Vitale have been tied up? Yes. But if you watch the replay on that goal, Gustavsson had his glove on the puck and couldn't smother it. Really, no excuse for not covering it up. In the end, Fleury outplayed Gustavsson.

Last night, the NHL Center Ice package only carried the Pittsburgh feed for the game. Without a doubt, these two guys were flat out terrible. They might be bigger homers than Jack Edwards of NESN. In the second period after Mikhail Grabovski's second goal, Paul Steigerwald lamented over a non-call on Grabovski on a supposed hook on Evgeni Malkin. It looked to me like Malkin embellished. Steigerwald was yelling that the reason why the Leafs are not taking many penalties is because the referees aren't calling them. Bob Errey explains to his flabbergasted broadcast partner that this is what happens when the referees acknowledge that they have made a bad call. You see, according to Errey, the refs were told during the intermission that they blew the no goal call in the 1st period and that they had to even things up for the Leafs. Really???? It was at that point that I watched the rest of the game with the mute button on. These guys are the worst. Unfortunately, Center Ice may only have the Pittsburgh feed again. Looks like a no sound game for me once again.

These two teams meet again tonight at the Air Canada Centre. If the Leafs win tonight, last night's loss won't sting as bad as they would have got 3 out of a possible 4 points in this pair against Pittsburgh. A loss tonight and last night's game will sting worse. The Leafs need to take this game to the Penguins once again. A lack lustre performance tonight will be terrible. It will be interesting to see if Coach Ron Wilson comes back with Gustavsson. Personally, I'd consider James Reimer tonight. Last season I can't remember Reimer allowing one stinker a game.

This game is huge as the Capitals and Panthers play each other tonight. The Leafs are one point ahead of Florida however the Panthers have 2 games in hand on the Leafs. Conversely, the Leafs are only 4 points behind Ottawa with 3 games in hand. Tonight is one of those games.

The puck drop is 7:35 at the ACC.