The Toronto Maple Leafs have a nasty habit of not showing up against an opponent that they should beat on paper. As with listless performances against bottom dwellers Arizona and Buffalo earlier in the season, the Leafs fell behind early and showed only sporadic signs of life in a 5-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils at Air Canada Center on Thursday night.
The defeat ended Toronto’s four-game home winning streak and a peak of five games in which they earned a point, which makes observers wonder whether the loss on Thursday is the beginning of another valley with difficult contests against Vancouver, Calgary and Detroit next on the schedule.
Mike Santorelli, Nazem Kadri and Phil Kessel scored for Toronto, who were constantly playing catch up against New Jersey, who were without top forwards Jaromir Jagr, Patrik Elias and Travis Zajac, but won most of the puck battles and had better scoring opportunities with an undermanned squad.
“Plain and simple, I thought we got outworked tonight.… Leafs coach Randy Carlyle said following the game. “(The Devils) were physically involved in the game to a much higher level than we were.…
Toronto’s top line of James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak and Phil Kessel were ineffective and missing in action for most of the night. After averaging over 20 minutes on Tuesday, the unit did not have any jump against the Devils and generated only three shots on goal midway through the third period, prompting Carlyle to give the other three lines more shifts later in the game.
“I didn’t think our top line was very good and the minutes showed that.… Carlyle said. “They need to simplify on nights like tonight and go into more of a structured game where instead of having to play in their zone for the majority of shift.…
Kessel seemed particularly tentative and disengaged on Thursday, which may be tied to the lingering injury that has plagued him this season(likely a back problem based on footage shown during the TSN broadcast). The Leafs forward was very slow to get up after falling on his back just after scoring his club-leading 13th goal late in the game and has missed time at practice on several occasions to treat the injury.
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Positives
Mike Santorelli - Scored the Leafs first goal deflecting a Joffrey Lupul shot and had a helper on Kadri's short-handed tying goal. Santorelli has five points in his last two games and trails only Kessel, Bozak and van Riemsdyk in club scoring.
Short-Handed Scoring - The Leafs now lead the NHL in short handed goals with six, after Kadri's tying goal in the second period. The penalty kill did not have a good night overall though, allowing two power play goals by Gelinas and Mike Cammalleri on three opportunities.
Negatives
Jonathan Bernier - five goals on 26 shots in his first home loss in two weeks. Bernier kept the Leafs in the game in the first with a great save on Damien Brunner, but the Gionta goal was weak and his rebound control was off on Steve Bernier's game-winner.
Phil Kessel - Scored in his second straight game after a five-game drought, but is clearly not in top form and is hurting the Leafs when he is not operating at 100%. If the unknown injury is something that can be remedied by a game or two of rest, the Leafs should sit Kessel down while they have the benefit of depth at forward.
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Jersey toss at the ACC.......again.
#Leafs jersey was thrown on the ice towards the end of a game against the New Jersey Devils in Toronto pic.twitter.com/77jp4CL0CD
— Ernest Doroszuk (@ernestdoroszuk) December 5, 2014*******
Leo Komarov did not take to the ice at the Mastercard Center in Etobicoke, ON for Leafs practice after skating for the first time on Thursday, which is not a good sign for the winger getting back in the lineup on Saturday vs Vancouver.
"He's not out there, he's getting better at ping-pong" Carlyle quipped
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