For the latest Leafs updates or Follow @mikeinbuffalo on Twitter The Toronto Maple Leafs snapped their two-game losing streak with a 5-4 victory against the Anaheim Ducks at Scotiabank Arena on Friday, but in spite of the positives of Auston Matthews tying Alex Ovechkin for the NHL goal-scoring lead with his 40th goal of the season and new Leafs Kyle Clifford and Jack Campbell impressing in their debuts, Toronto once again showed that no lead is safe, surrendering a pair of third period leads before John Tavares game-winner with seven seconds left in overtime. Tavares scored twice, Andreas Johnsson, Matthews and Jason Spezza scored for Toronto, and Campbell made 26 saves for his first victory in Blue and White. Clifford made three hits (most of any Leaf forward) in just over 12 minutes of ice time and tussled with Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf, earning a double-minor for roughing. The Leafs led 3-1 after 40 minutes, but could not play sound defensively as the Ducks rallied to tie the game with a Max Jones short-handed goal and power-play marker by Adam Henrique. Spezza put the Leafs back in the lead on a blast that beat Anaheim’s Ryan Miller with 3:27 left in regulation, but with Miller pulled for the extra attacker, Derek Grant poked the puck past Campbell with 58 seconds left to tie the game. Rickard Rakell took a tripping penalty late in the extra frame to give Toronto the man advantage, and Tavares tipped Marner’s shot past Miller for the winner, but after the game head coach Sheldon Keefe was more concerned about the leads that his club could not hold than the exciting victory. “The fact that you had a chance here today, we're set up again in the third period and right from the drop of the puck in the third we were on our heels.… Keefe said after the game “It seems like we're just lacking some confidence in those situations, almost like we were waiting or expecting something bad to happen. It's not what we want to be about. Clearly, when we play like that, we're not a very good team.… The victory was critical for Toronto, who pulled in front of Florida for third place in the Atlantic and into a tie with Carolina for the second wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference, but it showed that the club in spite of an improvement between the pipes and the addition of a veteran winger still does not have enough buy-in from their forwards and blueline group to play the type of two-way hockey necessary to achieve success in the postseason. “I look back to (the loss to Florida on) Monday and I look at those first two periods, and (they were) probably the two best periods we've played since I've been here, defensively especially. Just took pride in giving the opposition nothing and (we) seemed to be enjoying that.… Keefe said. “Our first parts of the second period (tonight) we were on our way to doing the same kind of thing. We just let it get away. After we get our two points, of course, that's what we need, but we've got to be a whole lot better than that in those situations.… The Leafs traveled to Montreal after the game for Saturday’s contest against the Habs at Bell Centre, but without forward William Nylander. Nylander was a late scratch due to illness against the Ducks and after the game, Keefe indicated that he may travel separate from the club if he felt better. The starting goalie for Saturday was also undetermined, as Keefe had not made up his mind to go with Campbell again or opt for the rested Michael Hutchinson against the Habs, who trail Toronto by six points. Montreal will start Carey Price and may have forward Jonathan Drouin back in the lineup for the first time since mid-November, but will be without team captain Shea Weber (lower body injury).
UPDATE - Campbell is starting against Montreal and Nylander will not be in the lineup. *******
Tempered enthusiasm for this one.
— Norman James (@IamNormanJames) February 6, 2020
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