Coming into tonight's game, Phil Kessel was obviously on the schneid due to not having scored in 4 games. I mean, it was pretty obvious from the Buffalo, Minnesota, and Boston games that Kessel just isn't a very consistent goal scorer. What's that? He scored two tonight? What do you mean 2 goals in 5 games is a 32 goal pace over 82 games and that Kessel is on pace for 46 goals? Oh, well then I guess it really was Kypreos' motivation all along.
Talking this game specifically, it was a pretty standard affair for the Leafs that perfectly fit their m.o. Get out to an early lead from goals scored on the rush and PP, then sit back in the world's worst defensive shell while your goalie gets shelled. Fortunately the Leafs found a way to score 3 goals on their 10 third period because the Islanders eventually got a second past one of the best goalies in the league.
Trevor Smith buried a nasty feed from Joffrey Lupul for his 3rd goal and 6th point in only 12 games while guys who made the team ahead of him in camp, Orr and McLaren,"fought" and did nothing else of merit.
David Clarkson finally scored his first as a Maple Leaf, and then gave one of the worst goal celebrations I've ever witnessed. Simply pitiful. He should feel ashamed for whatever that was.
On the Islanders side of things, Kevin "Swiss Cheese" Poulin lived up to his nickname, obivously, Casy Cizikas buried a piledriver of a shot on a breakaway with Nielsen scoring the other goal for the Isle.
Thinking beyond this game, you have to be impressed with the play of Peter Holland. He's been a perfect replacement for Bozak. I mean seriously the similarity is uncanny. Holland has zero points, (while his linemates have 4 goals and 1 assist), he's 44.4% in the dot (compared to Bozak's 46.2), he averages 1.50 shots/game (compared to Bozak's 1.09), and Holland is #24 whereas Bozak is #42. Bizarro man. Only way the differ is that Holland counts for $870k against the cap whereas Bozak counts for $4.2M over the next 5 seasons.
Anyways, hooray Leafs!