First Period

Wow.

I don't like this game already.

1-0 Canadiens

Everyone was bad on that one. Top line, Ilya Lyubushkin, Morgan Rielly, Ilya Samsonov. All guilty. Mostly Lyubushkin though.

Matt Knies killed everyone's momentum by smashing Alex Newhook into the glass necessitating a repair. To the glass, not Newhook. Almost 10 minutes later:

Bobby McMann takes the puck and goes, but he couldn't make a good pass to Knies, who was going with him. Signs of life, though!

Thoughts

Leafs turned the slow start around and won the shotshare, but the difference in Expected Goals was negligible.

Second Period

We open with the broadcast talking nonstop about the Habs. Such a treat.

Bobby McMann!

Tie Game

Jake Evans takes the first penalty for high sticking.

That doesn't last, Joel Armia gets a chance seconds in, and Morgan Rielly takes a penalty checking him, and runs his own goalie.

The four-on-four is exciting at least. The rest of the game has been very low event.

Just had a long session of Lyubushkin winning successive board battles, but not one forward can get the puck and move it out. This is getting to be The Problem, and the two new defenders are only half an answer.

McMann clips Evans on the way by, and goes and sits for two minutes.

Connor Dewar gets to show off a little on the PK, so he fits in well there. No shots from the Canadiens.

Whooo hoooo!

Max Domi takes this one and runs.

2-1 Leafs

No thinking required, no pass, just a shot to make, and boy does he make it.

(Find more rush chances for Domi.)

Big scrum at the horn. David Savard all upset that he's not a Leaf, and takes it out on John Tavares.

Thoughts

Finally enough shots to get an idea of this game.

Third Period

Leafs end up with a power play out of the scrum. Somehow the Leafs didn't know Tavares was meant to be in the box, so they have to make a last minute substitution on the power play.

Timothy Liljegren takes a holding call while hemmed in again.

Alex Newhook puts it right past Samsonov.

Tie Game

Dewar not quite on the same page as everyone else there.

JT!

3-2 Leafs

Classic Tavares net-front play. He didn't need to do anything.

The Canadiens come back with pressure, but the Leafs live through it.

Great fourth line shift again. I'm calling this a plausible candidate for Reaves best game. Courtesy of Holmberg and Dewar, of course.

Järnkrok to the box for tripping.

Scary moment where Samsonov has to sit and save after the puck nearly goes in off of Edmundson. There's been a rash of those this game.

TJ Brodie gets away with a slash. But the real story is the Canadiens power play is very bad.

One minute of six-on-five with the power play over.

Leafs Win!

Next game is March 14 in Philadelphia.

Game Coverage