The Toronto Maple Leafs ended a tumultuous 2014 the way that it began, with a shootout victory over an Atlantic Division rival.
Mike Santorelli and Nazem Kadri scored in the shootout to give Toronto a 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins at TD Garden Wednesday night, ending their two-game losing streak, but the Leafs may have lost winger Joffrey Lupul to injury.
Joffrey Lupul left tonight's game after serving as a landing spot for a falling Milan Lucic. http://t.co/KDUrXFEfvd
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 1, 2015Leo Komarov, James van Riemsdyk and Phil Kessel scored for the Leafs in their 21st victory of the season and Jonathan Bernier made 25 saves in his first appearance since his shutout of Dallas on December 23rd, but once again the Leafs relinquished a significant early lead and squandered a chance to earn a victory in regulation.
Toronto scoring the opening goal midway through the first, as Komarov(in his first game in over a month) fired a quick wrister past Boston’s Tuukka Rask. The Leafs had opportunities to extend their lead in the first, but Daniel Winnik’s was ruled to have kicked in the puck with a distinct kicking motion and Kessel was foiled on a penalty shot after being hooked by behemoth Zdeno Chara.
“It was one of those games where I felt that our hockey club played more to the lines of what is required on a consistent basis.… Leafs coach Randy Carlyle said following the game. “I thought that we had a good first period and we were able to actively recover the puck and move it out of our zone effectively.…
The middle frame started with a flurry, as Boston tied the game 17 seconds in on Carl Soderberg’s power play goal and Toronto responded just 31 seconds later, as Kessel set up van Riemsdyk for his 17th of the season. Kessel ended his six-game goalless streak on the power play midway through the second to increase the lead to 3-1, but that was erased in a span of 2:03 near the end of the period as David Krejci and Torey Krug beat Bernier to tie the game.
The Leafs managed to keep the Bruins under 30 shots on the evening, but Boston appeared to have the better chances in the third and overtime, outshooting Toronto by a combined 13-2.
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“We needed it(the victory). The one thing that we’ve tried to preach to our group is there has to be a stop sign in what was happening. We were playing too loose and we can’t continue to play no touch hockey.… Carlyle said. “We had to move the puck move effectively out the middle of the ice because everybody is shutting the walls down and the forecheck in the NHL is all about putting pressure.…
Toronto did not emerge from the New Year’s Eve contest unscathed, as Lupul and Peter Holland suffered injuries and are being sent back to Toronto for medical evaluation.
Lupul did not return after a second period tangle with Milan Lucic, as the big Bruins forward fell on the Leafs winger. Carlyle indicated following the game that Lupul had a lower body injury and on Thursday the club has placed him on injured reserve. This could be the second significant injury for the 31-year-old veteran this season, who suffered a broken hand in practice in late October and missed over three weeks.
Holland assisted on Komarov’s opening goal and took part in the shootout, but took hard hits from Chara and Lucic in the third period and emerged from the game with an upper body injury. With Carter Ashton the only healthy extra forward and Richard Panik likely not available after getting his bell rung in Florida on Sunday, the Leafs have recalled center Greg McKegg from the AHL Toronto Marlies.
The 22-year-old McKegg has seven goals and eight assists in 23 games for the Leafs AHL affiliate.
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