Toronto Maple Leafs
Three Takeaways from Maple Leafs 5-2 Loss to the Canadiens
Last night the Toronto Maple Leafs lost 5-2 to the Montreal Canadiens. What are three takeaways from the game? How is Jake Muzzin?
It was a great game if you are a Montreal Canadiens fan and a horrid game if you are a Toronto Maple Leafs’ fan. Make no mistake about it, the Maple Leafs were completely outplayed in this game – both in goal and all over the rest of the ice. It wasn’t even close, and the final score of 5-2 was about right. Had the Blue and White not scored two goals by its bottom six, they would have been skunked out.
Given the pedigree of this Maple Leafs’ team, there’s simply no way to explain what happened to a team with so much talent and so many possibilities. After last season’s playoffs, the Maple Leafs should have wanted to beat the Canadiens – badly. They didn’t.
In this edition of Maple Leafs’ takeaways, I’ll share one huge concern (Jake Muzzin) and two of the few positive things that emerged for the Maple Leafs from the game last night.
Related: Maple Leafs Give Up Future Considerations in Trade for Carter Hutton
Takeaway One: Jake Muzzin’s Injury Reminds Us There’s More to Life than Hockey
For as big and strong as he is, Jake Muzzin’s head is no match for rock-hard ice. Muzzin left Monday’s game against the Canadiens with what was called an “undisclosed” injury. He didn’t return. However, disclosure or not, it was pretty clear that Muzzin lost an edge, was part of a nasty on-ice collision during the second period, and when he went down he hit his head off the ice.
Remembering that Muzzin had just come off a concussion injury recently, his injury is cause for concern not just for the Maple Leafs’ season but for his overall health in general. Given his injury and the news that he’s not traveling with the team, the Maple Leafs will be playing without him in the lineup tomorrow.
In fact, the last word I heard was Muzzin would stay in Montreal for additional observation. If he’s able to travel, he’ll likely return to Toronto to await his teammates’ return after their game tonight in Columbus. It’s good news that Muzzin was able to skate off the ice under his own power. However, it does leave us all concerned about his health.
Takeaway Two: Ilya Mikheyev Scores the First Maple Leafs’ Goal of the Game
Watching the game, you got the feeling that if the Maple Leafs were going to mount any kind of a comeback it would be on the shoulders of the bottom six. They seemed to be the only two lines that were functioning well at all.
The team found itself behind 5-0 heading into the third frame. Fortunately, Ilya Mikheyev and his bottom-six teammate Pierre Engvall scored less than one minute apart early in the third period to give the team some hope; however, the minutes frittered away without anything more happening.
For Mikheyev, the 27-year-old has scored eight goals and added three assists (for 11 points) in the 20 games he’s played this season. Although Mikheyev put together a strong January, in February he hasn’t done much on the scoresheet. His goal last night ended a six-game point-scoring drought. In fact, the last point he’d registered was an assist on February 1 against the New Jersey Devils.
He’s still playing well, but that solid play isn’t translating to points.
Takeaway Three: Petr Mrazek Gives Up Five Goals in Loss to Habs
Petr Mrazek was not on his game last night. He faced 24 shots and allowed five of them to go past him into the net. That said, the Canadiens seemed to be breaking in on him without interference all night long. The score would have been something 8-2 if he hadn’t made some marvelous stops. His stop on Josh Anderson late in the second period was highlight-reel material.
Maybe the Canadiens, under new head coach Martin St. Louis, are a transformed team and Mrazek was simply the latest victim of that transformation. However, it might be more to the point that the Canadiens played well and the Maple Leafs didn’t match their effort. As it stands, Mrazek now has a 6-4 record with a goals-against-average of 3.16, but a save percentage of only .890.
Did I hear that the Maple Leafs picked up another goalie in Carter Hutton from Arizona as the game was progressing?
Related: Maple Leafs Refused to Trade First-Round Pick for Rental Defenseman
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getrdone
February 22, 2022 at 7:09 am
by the time it was 4-0 Montreal I decided I had enough frustration for one night so I switched channels. What a pitiful effort from the top talent on this team. When Montreal challenged the Leafs the top 2 lines had nothing. And that is what I have been and continue to be afraid of, that this team does not have the will to fight back in adversity.
Jon Harding
February 22, 2022 at 7:29 am
I also switched channels but at 3-0. This version of the Maple Leafs gets no mulligans from me – ever. Developing the necessary steely collective will to be a champion has been an ongoing issue. It’s been better at times this season but games like the last two make me question their progress.
gfinale
February 22, 2022 at 8:55 am
What I saw was a team of swollen heads thinking they were way better than the other team and so they’d just coast through Most of the core including Marner, Matthews, Nylander and Rielly were one hit wonders out there for 2 periods, not listening to coaching and not at all playing a team game. This is how they lose most of their games including in the playoffs but no more obvious than this pathetic game. 6 years and they still haven’t learned! See all the odd man rushes against?! See Rielly PINCH in the 1st to give up a 2 on 1?! See Holl make blatant errors everywhere and often including his totally out to lunch drop pass?! See an opposition player get 3 swipes at the puck in from of Mrazek finally scoring because he was behind Brodie who was puck staring?! What a pathetic lot. Keefe obviously laid into them before the 3rd and demanded they pretend to play like a team. Surprise, then they scored 2 goals! Still, the top 6 did nothing all game.
gfinale
February 22, 2022 at 9:02 am
I’m thinking the Carter Hutton thing was probably part of a favour the Leafs had promised when they made the Ricthie/Lyubushkin trade. Or maybe after that trade, the Coyote felt cheated so Dubas offered some help with Hutton. Just can’t think of any other reason.