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If you are looking for a breakdown of how fantastic the Toronto Maple Leafs third-period comeback in the 6-5 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets was on Thursday, this is not the column for you. This is more of an attempt to determine how a team that beat one of the best teams in the NHL on Tuesday and has not lost in regulation for more than a month can fall behind one of the worst clubs in the league by five goals, putting forth a pretty pathetic effort through 40 minutes, only to turn it on in the third period to earn a point in a losing effort.
The excuses have already been put out there and all fall short because of the five-goal flurry to tie the game in the final frame.
‘They were playing their third game in four nights.’
‘The flu is going through the room.’
‘This was the dreaded trap game.’
The most accurate explanation is that Columbus is in 28th place in the NHL standings, which means that Toronto must take it for granted that the Blue Jackets will just roll over and surrender two points.
ALL 5 LEAFS GOALS FOR THE COMEBACK vs Columbus Blue Jackets courtesy of Joe Bowen and Jim Ralph. #LeafsForever @Bonsie1951 @Jim_Ralph
— LeafsJellyHD (@LeafsJelly) December 15, 2023
12/14/2023 pic.twitter.com/jabVU5Kzea
But if you look at what they have done this season, losing to the league-worst Chicago Blackhawks twice, the East’s three worst records (Columbus, Buffalo, and Ottawa), and what they’ve regularly done in recent memory (losses to bottom dwellers Arizona, Anaheim, San Jose, and Montreal last season), the points lost add up to playing tougher opponents in the playoffs and continue to show a consistent lack of concentration by the Leafs.
“Obviously, a lot of what went on tonight is not acceptable, but we remained positive throughout.… Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said after the game. “We didn’t make a play to get it out (of the defensive zone). We turned it over and didn’t get a chance to defend. When it is on your stick, you’re trying to break out, and all of a sudden, they are shooting it from the slot. On the second goal, it is a similar thing. We win a faceoff. The puck goes from our stick to their stick. Before we have a chance to get into structure, the shot is tipped in.
Quite honestly, as the lead kept building, I stopped watching it back and going back and dwelling from there other than to say: For us defensively, for much of the night, we didn’t defend the neutral zone hard enough or well enough. Our gap control wasn’t good enough.…
The Leafs have been fortunate to keep compiling points with a defensive corps comprised of two borderline NHL defensemen and loading minutes of their top blueliners, but against Columbus, the biggest culprit was goalie Ilya Samsonov. Granted, Toronto was guilty of a number of ridiculous giveaways and defensive miscues (such as Max Domi’s on Patrik Laine’s opening goal), but Samsonov was guilty of netminding malfeasance on Justin Danforth’s goal to make it 3-0 and Johnny Gaudreau’s power-play goal to make it 5-0.
Keefe debated pulling Samsonov after the second, only to be convinced by goalie coach Curtis Sanford that he should stay in.
The concern over Samsonov’s consistency has been building since the start of the season. Ignoring the two disastrous starts against Tampa Bay, the only flashes we have seen of the goaltender who was remarkably stable last season are a 38-save performance against Boston and solid outings against Vancouver and Nashville. Before his injury, Joseph Woll had all but stolen the starting job away, but with him out likely until the All-Star break, the Leafs need Samsonov to find his 2023 form until Woll gets back.
What has to concern Keefe and the club’s tendency of playing down to their opposition is their schedule for the rest of this month. After home games against Pittsburgh and the Rangers, Toronto plays four straight games against the East’s worst (at Buffalo, at Columbus, home against Ottawa, and at Columbus again). We shall see if they are able to shake loose of their persistent trend.
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