And it’s time now for the SEGABABA in Pittsburgh. Timothy Liljegren is in for Travis Dermott, while the Penguins have no Crosby, Malkin or Letang, so this should be simple, right?

First Period

Kasperi Kapanen says how ya doin’ to WilliamNylander by taking the puck away from him and going in on a gentle rush. Evan Rodrigues, who the Leafs wanted and couldn’t keep, is the 1C (really) and he takes the first shot.

[Please stop reading now. This is the entire game in one play. A turnover, and weaker players on the other team outplay the Leafs for a scoring chance. Rinse, repeat.]

The issue in yesterday’s game was that all the early offensive pressure was Perimeter Passing Practice (nice acronym) and nothing dangerous ensued. So far this is going worse as Jason Spezza takes an interference call trying to maintain net-front position, which is how you ensue some dangerousness.

Time for Mitch Marner to shine, at least.

The Leafs continue to play defence and nothing but, but they do — just barely — get their second shot on goal before the period is half over.

The third line gets a good offensive shift, but I bet you can guess if they score or not.

Leafs give up the first goal in Leaf-like fashion to a guy I’ve genuinely never heard of:

1-0 for the team that came to win tonight

The fourth line gets it done on the next shift on some of that net-front play:

Tie Game

Penguins take a penalty, so now it’s time for PP2 to shine, which they do. (To be fair PP1 is actually good, but no goals come from it.)

Another good offensive shift from the third line which does not end in a red light going on.

The Leafs exit the ice with some good average stats that lie about how they played most of the period.

Thoughts

  • Most dominant player was some Portuguese-Canadian guy from Toronto
  • The Leafs seemed to be finding the weakness in the Penguins lineup late in the first — hint: it’s the entire lineup, guys
  • This is not starting on time:/

Second Period

Jack Campbell does not shine early in the second:

Mike Matheson is a defenceman.

The next one is a deflection:

3-1 Penguins

Both goals came from sweet, sweet blueberry turnovers served on Maple Leafs logoed dinnerware.

Kerfoot takes a penalty so dumb, the homer HNIC crew comment on how dumb it is.

Holl pinches, and Kerfoot covers for him about as well as Justin Bieber branded t-shirts in a blizzard. Another deflection is the icing on the... turnover.

4-1 Penguins

I don’t think the Leafs can outplay this Penguins team to win this game at this point even if they manage to go half a game without a turnover. And... nope, it’s done.

5-1 Penguins

“Marcus Pettersson had nine points last year.” Thanks, HNIC. I needed to know that.

Leafs gave up another PP to the Pens and wandered off to the locker room at some point. They should just get on the bus and leave.

Thoughts

  • Broadcast banged on and on and on about the Leafs having a lot of chances, that just aren’t going in, and while that’s been true in part, it seems beside the point in this game or the last one where the chances they gave up were the key to the outcome
  • Since he has two goals: Drew O’Connor is an undrafted NCAA free agent signing who is only 23. He is PPG in the NHL so far this year. /

Third Period

The Zamboni drove back and forth for 20 minutes. The final score was 7-1.

Thoughts

  • The lineblender came out, so did Campbell, and Brian Boyle scored on Hutchinson in the first minute of the period
  • MLSE needs to ask themselves why anyone in Toronto would waste a weekend watching this garbage/

You want heads to roll, so will the Leafs:

Fire someone309
Trade someone252
Waive someone31
Do nothing because it’s only game six527
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