For the latest Leafs updates or Follow @mikeinbuffalo on Twitter The Toronto Maple Leafs have many reasons to be optimistic at the Christmas break (the unofficial halfway mark of the NHL season), with the NHL’s second-best record at 25-10-2 and a four-game winning streak after a come-from-behind 5-4 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday, as John Tavares tied the game with seven seconds left in regulation and Kasperi Kapanen scored the game winner in overtime. “I like the resiliency when we need it, I wish we didn't have to use it.… Leafs head coach Mike Babcock said after the game. “That's what good teams do. It's not perfect every night, you'd like it to be, but it's not. They worked really hard, I knew they were going to work really hard. We didn't work as hard in the first, I don't know how long you'd say, but in the end we found a way to win.… The game was eerily similar to the meeting between the two clubs earlier this month, as Leafs took an early lead on a Kapanen goal 27 seconds into the first before allowing Detroit to take over the game. The Wings outshot Toronto 13-3 in the opening period and replied with goals from Filip Hronek, Michael Rasmussen and Christopher Ehn to take a 3-1 midway through the second period. Toronto erased the two-goal deficit in just over a minute in the middle frame, with Frederik Gauthier converting for his first goal of the season on a pass from rookie Trevor Moore and Morgan Rielly tallying his 13th of the year. Detroit once again took the lead on a Frans Nielsen with just under eight minutes left in regulation, but the Leafs offense responded with goalie Garret Sparks pulled for the extra attacker, as Tavares tied the game on a deft deflection of a Jake Gardiner point shot. The Leafs was once again the beneficiary of a powerhouse offense (averaging just under six goals per game during their recent winning streak), which continues to cover up for some major gaffes at the other end of the ice. With the pair of tallies, Kapanen is up to 14 goals and has been able to make up for the absence and lack of production of William Nylander. Tavares, who has been everything that Toronto could have hoped for after signing on as a free agent last July, had an assist on Rielly’s tying goal and scored his 24th of the season. The Leafs top blueliner had two points, logged a team-high 26:46 and was +4 on the night, capping a nine point week which earned Rielly the NHL’s second star of the week on Monday. On the negative side, Jake Gardiner proved that Christmas is the season of giving, with a baffling turnover behind his own net on Hronek’s first period goal and failing to get the puck out of the Toronto zone which led to Rasmussen’s go ahead goal, but until GM Kyle Dubas upgrades the Leafs blueline, Babcock is forced to use him almost as much as Gardiner. Nylander had another mixed effort, showing some of his old flash and dash, but went scoreless in his sixth straight game in spite of being moved up on the line with Auston Matthews and Kapanen in the first period. The speedy winger was out of gas and unable to defend on Rasmussen’s late goal, after which he was moved back with Nazem Kadri and Connor Brown. Justin Holl had a difficult night, getting called for a penalty on Rasmussen’s goal and being unable to tie up Ehn on his breakaway goal, but it is tough to expect anything more from someone who has not played in seven weeks. After a subpar performance from Martin Marincin on Saturday and Igor Ozhignov (flu), Calle Rosen(neck), Andreas Borgman(concussion) and Timothy Liljegren(high ankle sprain) unavailable, the Leafs continue to show that their blueline is a major area of need and that more than one addition before the deadline may be needed. Garret Sparks continues to be a concern, after allowing four goals to the Red Wings. While he did make a couple nice saves to keep the score 2-1 in the middle frame, the backup’s inconsistency revealed itself later in the game, as he went down early on Ehn’s backhander, was out of position on other Detroit chances later in the game and gave up a juicy rebound on Nielsen’s go ahead goal. “Your job as the goalie is to out-goaltend (the guy at the other end) too. You've just got to keep getting better and find your confidence.… Babcock said. “The biggest thing and what happens when you're over-playing things, when you're young, when you're first starting is you end up swimming a bit instead of just being poised and calm. He'll get more poised as he goes.… *******
Tavares is life, Gardiner brings strife
— Norman James (@NormanJamesTLC) December 24, 2018
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The Christmas Eve episode is up now on @ApplePodcasts and just about everywhere else. Enjoy. #TMLTalk #TheLeafsConvo @MikeInBuffalo @TheLeafsConvo https://t.co/hHSZPRlNjb