Without Claude Giroux, the Leafs and Flyers were pretty evenly matched. It's nice to be able to say that good coaching could turn a Maple Leafs team without (deep breath) James van Riemsdyk, Leo Komarov, Matt Hunwick, Tyler Bozak, Joffrey Lupul, Josh Leivo, and those two new guys, into a team that could still mostly contend.

In short, the night started off with a fabulous spurt of energy from the third line of Shawn Matthias, Nick Spaling, and Daniel Winnik. After Matthias poked the puck away from Michael Raffl, linemate Spaling picked it up and sent it right back to Matthias, who saw an opening past a sleepy Shayne Gostisbehere and went for it. The puck shot under the pad of Steve Mason, up off the crossbar, and in. The goal was a capsule of all that went well for the Leafs tonight -- a determination to keep possession of the puck actually enabled the Leafs to capitalize on the Flyers' notoriously slow start, and it wouldn't be the last we'd see of the third line.

I'll step quickly past the bad parts. Jonathan Bernier let in three unanswered Flyers goals. The first two (from Sam Gagner and Jakub Voracek) one could argue were high danger, but the third, a goal a mere 52 seconds into the 2nd period, was a soft one from Brayden Schenn, and it got Bernier pulled.

In relief, James Reimer let in one goal in regulation, allowing the Leafs to battle back and answer all three of these goals before the tying tally from Matt Read sent the game into overtime. In OT, the Leafs fell to the Great Narrative Writer in the Sky, because Shayne Gostisbehere had yet to garner a point to keep his streak alive -- and he did it less than a minute in, off a cross-crease pass from Jakub Voracek.

Meh.

What went well?

The third line had a lot of drive, enough that Spaling had a two-point night. At one point, Roman Polak was exiting the ice and sent a long pass to Nazem Kadri along the boards. Kadri, busy fighting off two forecheckers, sent a haphazard shot toward Mason. It's a testament to Spaling's ability to stick with Babcock's system that he was in the right place in front of the crease to deflect Kadri's shot past Mason.

This goal, Spaling's first as a Leaf (and first in 60 games, meep), helped the Leafs climb back out of the hole Bernier dug to get the Leafs within one by the end of the 2nd. The energy of this game reminded me a lot of games earlier in the season, games in which the Leafs battled back to earn at least a point in OT. These came before Reimer got hurt, and made me wonder whether the team plays with a lot more confidence in front of Reimer.

Unfounded speculation aside, you know what else went well? Kadri.

It'll show up as just an assist, and get Kadri just one point (he ended the night with two), but this play was the reason people watch hockey: Kadri was a one-man Corsi machine, driving the puck from the D-zone, past three Flyers, and over to Peter Holland to tie the game at 3. It was beautiful:

Here are a few more interesting notes from various people in Leafs land to think about while watching this gif over and over.

(Can the best rat in the NHL become the next Leafs captain? Wouldn't that be kinda cool?)

Stephen Burtch ‏@SteveBurtch 2h2 hours ago
Kadri + Winnik tonight are at 66% CF
Kadri + Gardiner = 71.43% CF
Marincin + Rielly = 73.3% CF
Marincin still 58.1%, Rielly 56.3%, Gardiner 51.9%
Corrado 45.5%, Loov 44.0% and Polak 34.5% weren't helping much apparently.
Marincin vs Voracek? 90.91% CF. vs Read? 71.43% CF, vs Gostisbehere? 66.67% CF, vs Streit? 75% CF

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Heartening perspective from our leader:

On a more sobering note, a referee got clobbered during play, and had to be escorted off the ice. Best of health to Ian Walsh -- hope he feels better soon.

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