Got into a debate this afternoon with a colleague about the state of the Maple Leafs given their most recent performance and thought I'd share my thoughts...
It's easy to get excited about a team when they beat the best team in the league 7-3, but that excitement is tempered when you consider their previous ten games in which they went 2-6-2 and the two wins needed overtime or a shootout…and when they're preparing to take on the best team in the Eastern Conference.
Their 7-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks Saturday night was not a cure-all for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but it certainly helped. As they head into tonight's game against Pittsburgh, they need to reinforce the positive things they did to find success against Chicago…primarily team defense. When they are physical and block shots, they typically win hockey games. When they don't, they typically lose the game because they don't control puck possession and then allow all sorts of shot to get through and their goalie can't stop them all.
With that said, here are my keys to the game tonight:
- Be Physical - Get in Lanes & Block Shots - Take Advantage of Special Teams Opportunities - Shoot the Puck
The real key will be to bring a consistent effort. The Leafs aren't awful all the time and they're not awesome all the time. They have their good and bad moments with a lot of mediocre in between. They just need to string together more good moments than no-so-good moments….just like wins. As Joffrey Lupul said this week, they're looking to be a top their team and go deep into the postseason. They don't want to just sneak into the playoffs and the only way to do that is to bring a consistent, high-energy effort…every game, every shift. As the saying goes, hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard enough. The Leafs have the talent to win more often than not. They just need to work hard enough...especially tonight.
Julie
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