Through two weeks of the regular season, the Toronto Maple Leafs have played with a higher level of effort and improved structural concept under head coach Mike Babcock, but have lost five of their first six games(1-3-2) this season, including a 2-1 shootout loss to the Buffalo Sabres at First Niagara Center on Wednesday, because of an inability to score goals.
The club has a six-goal effort against a Columbus Blue Jackets squad so defensive inept that head coach Todd Richards seven games into the season and a comeback from a 3-0 deficit against the Ottawa Senators, but in the other four games Toronto has scored one goal or less, in spite of improved puck possession numbers and leading the majority of the games in shots on goal.
“We had our little trouble hitting that thing with red around it, we just couldn’t hit the net.… Babcock said on Wednesday. “We just got to keep working on our compete level, we gotta work on our structure and we gotta work on being heavier in the offensive zone and the next thing you know, we’ll be a much better hockey club and winning more often.…
In Buffalo, the Maple Leafs resorted to pre-Babcock traits by being outshot 35-24, outchanced by the Sabres offense and relying primarily on goaltender Jonathan Bernier to keep them in the game. Toronto led 1-0 into the third period on the strength of PA Parenteau’s first goal 88 seconds into the game, but a Nazem Kadri giveaway with 4:29 left in regulation resulted in Evander Kane’s tying goal.
An exciting 3-on-3 overtime produced a number of good offensive chances, including Kadri’s point blank chance that was thwarted by Buffalo goalie Chad Johnson, but the game went to the shootout in which Parenteau was the only one to solve the Sabres backup netminder, while Tyler Ennis and Matt Moulson scored on Bernier for the victory.
“I think we need to generate more second and third opportunities, we’ve had some chances…we’ve had some great looks and we need to capitalize on them more.… forward Brad Boyes said on Wednesday.
Buffalo is 16-1-1 against Toronto in the last 18 games at First Niagara Center.
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Babcock provided an update on the status of injured players Tyler Bozak and Jake Gardiner on Wednesday. The Leafs center skated at the Mastercard Center in Etobicoke, ON after missing the last two games with an lower body injury and could be ready for the club’s first visit to the Bell Centre on Saturday.
Bozak’s absence was felt in Buffalo, especially in the faceoff circle where Toronto lost 58% of their draws, including Peter Holland losing 7 of 11 and Kadri losing 14 of 21.
Gardiner is listed day-to-day with a lower body injury and will not make the trip to La Belle Province for the second meeting with the Habs.
The club also announced that defenseman Frank Corrado has been assigned to the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League on a conditioning stint.
The 22-year-old Corrado was claimed off of waivers by Toronto on October 6, but has not cracked the lineup for any of the club's six games. The Leafs have been carrying eight defensemen on their 23-man roster, but are down to six with Corrado playing in the AHL and Gardiner out due to injury.
The conditioning stint can last up to 10 days and the Marlies will be in action every day this weekend, with road games in Rochester, Binghamton and Lehigh Valley.
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