Well la-dee-da. The worst team that the Leafs iced their weakest team but it was strong enough to capitalise on a five minute major with three powerplay goals.
Pittsburgh carried a 2-0 lead into the second period, but right wing Craig Adams was penalized five minutes for elbowing and the Maple Leafs capitalized.
That dry recitation of the facts doesn't do justice to the viciousness of the elbow that Adams laid on Darryl Boyce.
Boyce took one on the chin for Toronto early in the second period when he was felled by a Craig Adams elbow. Adams received a five-minute major and the Leafs, while general manager Brian Burke fumed at the cheapshot, fired in three consecutive power-play goals during the lengthy man advantage to erase a 2-0 Pittsburgh advantage.
Luckily, the Leafs responded by punishing him in the second best fashion. Colton Orr will get him in the best fashion next game.
Maple Leafs centre Jason Allison, in camp on a tryout basis, assisted on the goals from Blake and Mitchell.
Allison made a hell of a nice play and he is slowly getting his legs underneath him. Having said that, he's about 100 miles from cracking the line-up.
Toronto played minus its top four defencemen: free-agent acquisitions Mike Komisarek and Francois Beauchemin, veteran Tomas Kaberle and 2008 first-round pick Luke Schenn.I missed a lot because of this Kessel business but the Leafs were under a lot of pressure. Not too many puck-movers (or successful ones at least) on the back end really make a massive difference.
Lots of hugging tonight but I think that this game did end up under the line of 2.5 fights!
Let me know what you guys thought of the game.
