The Leafs are probably the most generous team in the league. They realized that fans haven’t seen a shootout all season and decided to provide two in one game!

Connor Brown and Nazem Kadri score to end some slumps. Then the Philadelphia Flyers get three in a row during the second period including one by Radko Gudas because of course. But it’s alright because Auston Matthews swooped in at the beginning of the third unassisted for his 36th to tie the game. That was until Ryan Hartman busted out his Harry Potter invisibility cloak and reestablished the lead making it 4-3 BUT WAIT because William Nylander decided he was tired of missing the net and scored his sixth of the season.

That wasn’t even the best part. The game goes to OT where the Leafs and Flyers go back and forth until with both Frederik Andersen and Carter Hart making big stops. And then the true shootout began.

This wasn’t any shootout, this was the shootout. Where Babcock tries to make you upset by sending Tyler Ennis out first but everyone else on the team decides they can’t score anymore (that said, Hart was pretty amazing).

So what happens next? Oh yeah. This.

(You scored four goals last game. You scored four goals last game. You scored four goals last game.)

There’s another game on Saturday. Don’t play Freddie. Score. Win. That’s all.

In Case You Missed It

CWHL, SDHL, NCAA, Naisten Liiga crown champions - Nafio and Annie
League play is mostly over — next stop, Worlds.

Maple Leafs draft prospect pipeline: updated with recent signings - Katya
There’s only four players who’s rights expire this summer.

The road to 50 and 100 for the Maple Leafs John Tavares and Mitch Marner - Omar
At least one of them is signed.

Toronto Marlies sign Trey Bradley to AHL contract - Hardev
Toronto acquire possible Tampa Bay Lightning double agent.

Around the Hockey World

As Usual, Blue Jackets Doing Their Best to Pull us Back in - The Cannon
Through an up-and-down March, the Blue Jackets have juggled offensive malaise, tried overcoming the loss of a key member on defense, and are getting hot play from Sergei Bobrovsky.

Goals For and Goals Against Rankings For Stanley Cup Finalists - Arctic Ice Hockey
Does a simple statistic like goals for and goals against ranking predict playoff success?

Columbus Blue Jackets Broadcaster Bill Davidge Announces Retirement - The Cannon
Can they retire the cannon instead?

Injuries Aren’t The Reason the Devils Are Worse This Year - All About The Jersey
Injuries have been a story of the Devils season? Should they be? Hall matters, but this epidemic we’ve seen lately should play very little role in our assessment of the rebuild.

Blackhawks to honor Phil and Tony Esposito with ‘One More Shift’ on April 3 - Second City Hockey
The Esposito brothers will part in a pregame ceremony.

Jeff Gorton Got The Answers He Needed On Defense - Blueshirt Banter
D and a picket fence in the Big Apple

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Starting to think I may have been wrong about what this Penguins team is capable of - PensBurgh
Making a postseason run is looking more possible than it did couple of months ago.

Pittsburgh Penguins playoff outlook: a collision course with the Islanders? - PensBurgh
It looks like the Pens and New York Islanders are on a path to meet in Round 1 of the 2019 NHL playoffs

Winning Play: What does Sharks' Brent Burns do well defensively? - Fear The Fin
Dear Drew Doughty,

Brent Burns does a lot of things well defensively.

Andrei Vasilevskiy’s case for the Vezina Trophy - Raw Charge
Is Vasilevskiy’s performance this season worthy of another Vezina nomination?

I repeat: Don’t play Freddie. Score. Win. That’s all.

Enjoy your Thursday Leafs fans.

From The Branches