The Toronto Maple Leafs put forth a noble effort in a 3-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday, coming back from a 2-0 deficit, dominating the second half of the game and overtime, but being unable to earn the victory and extra point in the shootout.
Daniel Sedin and Sven Baertschi gave the Canucks a two-goal cushion, but the much-anticipated bout between Erik Gudbranson and Matt Martin energized the Leafs, who outshot Vancouver 33-15 in the final 45 minutes of the contest.
“I thought we had done lots of good things and (Vancouver) had scored. We just said if we keep doing it right we're going to be fine here.” Leafs coach Mike Babcock said after the game. “I thought we stayed the course and found a way to battle back. I would have liked to – we had lots of open nets and we just didn't shoot it in it. That's life.”
James van Riemsdyk scored midway through the second on the power play and Auston Matthews tied the game early in the third, but noted Leaf killer Ryan Miller held off a Toronto onslaught to get the game to a shootout.
Markus Granlund and Bo Horvat scored past Frederik Andersen, while only Mitch Marner could beat Miller for Toronto.
With the loss, Toronto is 2-6-5 on the road and are winless in three contests that have gone to shootouts.
On October 22, the Leafs surrendered a two-goal lead late in the third to Chicago and in the shootout, Andersen was beaten by Jonathan Toews and Artemi Panarin, while only Auston Matthews succeeded in beating Corey Crawford. On November 23, Jacob Josefson scored past Jhonas Enroth to give New Jersey a 5-4 comeback win, with none of Toronto’s three shooters beating Corey Schnieder.
Shootout percentages – 2016-17
Matthews 1-3 – 33%
Holland 0-1 – 0%
Marner 1-3 – 33%
Soshnikov 0-1 – 0%
Bozak 0-1 – 0%
Goalie shootout save percentage – 2016-17
Andersen – .333 (2 of 6)
Enroth - .666 (2 of 3)
Toronto earned three of a possible six points on their Western Canada road swing and have only two games this week; at home against Minnesota on Wednesday and in Boston on Saturday.
The club’s schedule is very favorable until before Christmas, as the Leafs play six of their next seven at Air Canada Center, where they have gone 8-3-0 this season.
Toronto will have pile up victories during that home stand, as from December 22nd to January 14, they will play eight of 10 games on the road (because the ACC will be the home for the 2017 IIHF World Junior).
After this stretch, the Leafs will be at 41 games (the halfway mark of the season) and in a better position to determine whether they are within range of a playoff spot or considering the possibility of shopping some of their veterans before the trade deadline for future assets.
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