First Period

Blayre Turnbull scores before the Leafs even start, so Canada leads 1-0.

Most of the excitement in the opening five minutes is seeing the Leafs do smart things defensively.

Matthews steals the puck, but hits the post.

Timothy Liljegren hit hard into the boards, and Nick Robertson (miles of heart in that guy) leads the response.

Joe Veleno not getting a major and Sheldon and I are of one mind on this one. Bullshit call.

Mitch Marner! Makes the Red Wings pay.

1-0 Leafs

Tyler Bertuzzi with a great steal and up ice they go, and you know... the second the pass didn't work in the offensive zone, I just kinda knew. The play roars back the other way, and you'll never guess what happened next.

Tie Game

Two defenders fail to stop the cross-crease pass, but everyone will blame the goalie. As per.

Meanwhile Jocelyne Larocque makes it 2-0 for PWHL Toronto, er sorry, Canada vs Czechia.

No one takes away the passing lanes but the goalie is at fault again!

2-1 Detroit

Lucas Raymond crashes over Ilya Samsonov and Jake McCabe gets down there and discusses it with him.

Matt Knies takes one of those "defending turns into tripping" penalties he is prone to.

Good to see Marner back on the PK first unit, I assume he's amping up his minutes over these last few games.

Well, like I said in the preview, the Detroit PP is their only good event.

3-1 Detroit

It's not Samsonov's fault, but it is according to the broadcast.

Leafs go hard offensively but don't score, and that looks like it for the period, but no. This one is Samsonov's fault. 100%:

4-1 Detroit

That overhead view is damning.

Thoughts

Still time for a shootout.

Canada leads 2-0.

Nope. 3-0 on a goal by Emily Clark, who plays for Ottawa, but we won't hold that against her. Czechia has only two SOG as the second is underway. They aren't rising to this occasion at all.

Second Period

Samsonov stays in. Which I'm fine with because the Leafs played a terrible period in front of him.

Bobby McMann is not in the game to start the second, but Liljegren returned late in the first.

Bertuzzi goes off for an extremely accidental high stick.

Mitch Marner saves a too much man penalty.

NRob! Hypersonic speed rush goal.

4-2 Detroit

Patrick Kane high-sticks Simon Benoit because he's afraid to get checked. Shockingly. It's a double minor.

Great PP from the first unit.

69!

4-3 Detroit

The second unit is almost as good as the first. Good work by Liljegren on this one.

The Leafs first unit comes back out and ends with Matthews crashing into the boards.

He stays out and tries a couple of more time to get another goal. (Maybe a little too obvious.)

Jake McCabe takes a puck to the face. This guy. He's bled so much for this team, he should wear a special red jersey.

JT!

Tie Game

Leafs finish the period with a lot more offence, but no more goals.

Thoughts

Canada makes it 4-0 on a goal from Sarah Fillier. Czechia getting rolled here, but I would back them against Finland tomorrow for bronze.

Leafs 5on5 game still not very spectacular, but their power play has been scorching hot.

Third Period

Leafs finishing this game with 16 skaters, it seems, as McCabe is not out for the third.

Matthews with a tip that didn't work and a spinning shot from the slot that didn't quite turn out right.

But it's not the Matthews solo-show, it's all four lines trying to get the game-winner.

Samsonov proving he's still got it with a great stop as the Leafs let Raymond in close. Again.

I could have accused the Red Wings of playing for the tie here, but they have started to shoot the puck a little in the second half.

Leafs get a power play with three minutes left. Kane again with a high stick.

Matthews tires a cross-ice pass that gets broken up, but that was clearly the plan, for him to pass not shoot.

Matthews one-timer does not win the game and give him 70.

Domi does a dumb and gets a penalty with a few seconds left. The Leafs will start OT on the PK.

A bit of a flourish on the landing there, but nonetheless, defend don't hack at a guy with your stick.

Thoughts

I don't think the Leafs were emphasizing Matthews over the win in that period. But the narrative is too attractive to not try to sell it.

Overtime

Detroit wins almost immediately.

Thoughts

Eh, weak 5on5 offence, great power play, much ado about nothing.

Next Leafs game is Tuesday in Florida.

Team Canada plays for gold tomorrow at 5 pm.