On the last California game, Clifford is in, Liljegren is out, and Campbell faces Gibson. Jason Spezza is playing game 1,200 tonight, so let’s have a win.

First Period

Leafs are taking some time to get used to the new and improved Ducks, now with speed, puck skills and Trevor Zegras.

And Zegras again, contained this time:

Ahhhhhh. So close.

And the buzzer sounds on that period of fruitless play.

Thoughts

  • The Leafs played like it was an afternoon game, which it was.
  • The Ducks carried the play for about 10 minutes, and then the Leafs chipped away at them
  • The Ducks could easily pick off the puck in the Leafs offensive zone, and carry it up ice, where they did something relatively stupid with it: /
  • Leafs had 42% Corsi For (yuck), and 45% Expected Goals For (modestly less yuck)/

Second Period

I could put in even more Zegras gifs here, but suffice it to say the Leafs aren’t containing him well — particularly not with the depth players.

Leafs actually get a legitimately long cycle going, and it sounded like it hit the post for them, but that’s more like the Leafs we know.

YES!!! T.J. Brodie goal. Do not tell me stuff about tips, it’s Brodie. Marner with the excellent Hyman impression on this one.

1-0 Leafs on the BRODIE goal.

Jason Spezza takes a fairly dumb tripping call, and the Ducks go on the PP, which can’t really do much against the Leafs PK. Campbell with a good save to end it.

Woo and Hoo, that is the call of the Toronto Blue Bunting:

2-0 Leafs

Nylander close to making it 3-0. So, during the Kings game, I joked I wanted to see a 15-3 cumulative goal differential on these three games, and we are at 12-3 right now.

Ah, bless him, Sam Carrick gets a breakaway and he looks a bit over his head with it.

The Ritchie line gets pinned for an hour and a half, and the rest of the team, who are having a better night, play out the period.

Thoughts

  • There were goals in this period, so it was 1,000 times more exciting that period one.
  • Marner having a very good game.
  • Leafs let the Ducks back in the game late, but they’ve tipped the scales to 54% CF (adjusted) and 61% xG, just by playing one period decently well.
  • Ducks not getting any sort of quality shooting going, unlike the Sharks who were a bit hard to handle at times for the Leafs. /

Third Period

Well, that was quick.

3-0 Leafs.

Kerfoot gets another chance before the first minute is over.

Ooo, the Simmonds and Ritchie duo draw a penalty, and Simmonds almost scores on the delayed PP, which is the best chance of the whole extra man situation.

Nylander tries to bank the puck off the glass and out, and this is the result:

3-1 Leafs.

The Ducks woke up, and the Leafs looked very panicked. Campbell is all there is at times. Looks more like hiding under their beds than turtling to me.

The last five minutes are more like a nice calm low-risk game from the Leafs. The only excitement is a big emo over a faceoff violation and should it be a penalty, which I’m very shrug over.

Ahh, they do the “You score, no you, no you, no, really I insist!”

4-1 Leafs.

And then for some icing on the cake, Wayne makes it 5-1 Leafs

Thoughts

  • Trevor Zegras is the best player on the Ducks.
  • That means the Ducks aren’t good.
  • The Leafs dropped a bad first period, and quickly got back on track, which is good.
  • Their third period troubles were some them, some the Ducks./

And that’s the roadie! Next game is Wednesday at home.

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