Toronto Maple Leafs v Vegas Golden Knights: 6-2 L

I went to the game with high hopes, since the Leafs had come off a big 7-3 win last week against the same club. I think all Leafs fans knew that Vegas would be coming back with a vengeance and that’s exactly what happened. Both teams came out hot with great scoring chances on both sides, and yet both teams still played great defense. The Matthews line was the best line in the game in the first period, on both ends of the ice. My friend and I were so sure that they’d score in the first period, yet nothing came up. It was deadlocked through the first period, so now we come along to the second.

The second period kicked it up a notch. 4 total goals in the period, but only 1 for our Maple Leafs. The first Knights goal came from Ivan Barbashev, a Golden Knight acquisition at least years’ Trade Deadline. The next one did not come too late after, with a goal from Mason Morelli. After that, the Maple Leafs finally got on the board. Tyler Bertuzzi, who has been red hot ever since the all star break, pots another one to cut the lead in half. The second period was a lot more eventful, and both clubs had great chances on either side. Until the Knights struck again. A goal to end the period is always a heartbreaker for the club that goes down into the second intermission.

Once the third period rolled around, the Maple Leafs really put it to Vegas. Laying the body, throwing shots on net for rebounds, and great scoring chances all period. But of course, in true Maple Leafs fashion, Jon Marchessault scores to make it 4-1. The Leafs did not stop fighting, as they kept pressure on Vegas, and eventually turned a 2-on-1 with Pontus Holmberg and Ryan Reaves. Holmberg passes across to Reaves and he tips it in to cut the lead to 4-2. The Leafs have 5 minutes left in the game, and they are peppering the Golden Knights, until the refs make a boneheaded call. A tripping call on Mitch Marner, which really was not a trip. Sheldon Keefe lost his mind on the bench, leading to an ejection, and later a $25,000 fine. The Maple Leafs kill off the penalty, but not long after does Jon Machessault bury the empty netter for his second of the game. Nic Roy scored again to make it 6-2, and that was the end of the game.

Overall, it was not a horrible game. It was really the penalty late in the third that screwed the Leafs out of this one. This loss ends their 7-game win streak, and keeps them third in the Atlantic division. They could redeem themselves in a couple days against a team that (at the time) is on a 13-game losing streak.

Toronto Maple Leafs v Arizona Coyotes: 4-2 W 

Luckily, I was able to attend this bout as well. This one was a much better showing than they had against Vegas. Same kind of vibe they had against Vegas, they were able to hem Arizona in their zone, and not give them much space to work with. Shot after shot yet save after save, the Maple Leafs couldn’t break the ice. Soon enough, Arizona boy Matthew Knies took a beautiful pass from Marner to make it 1-0 Toronto. We’ve seen Marner make plays like that time and again: skate down the middle of the ice and almost line up with the goaltender to pass it back to the trailing player, for an easy shot into an open net. While Knies doesn’t have the statistics a player usually would playing with 34 and 16, he has provided a solid style of hockey beside the two scoring stars. Now for the moment of the night: Liam O’Brien vs. Ryan Reaves. The fight wasn’t too bad, both guys traded a couple jabs and they went back and forth, until Reaves took down O’Brien. The moment however, was not until Reaves got back up, looked towards the crowd, flexed and pointed to his bicep, and got the fans right up out of their seats.

For the record, I’ve always believed in Ryan Reaves. pic.twitter.com/ThjOQ9Gi6M

— Sports Fan (@PatCSportsFan) March 1, 2024

That ended the first period, and the building was rocking. Come into the second period, the Leafs had the same pressure they had in the first period. Against a bottom feeder team like Arizona, it was not surprising. About a minute into the period, Leaf Land savior Tyler Bertuzzi potted another goal for his 12th of the campaign, continuing his hot streak. Further into the period, the Coyotes are again hemmed in their zone, with the top line of Matthews, Marner, and Knies out there. You had to expect there would be a Matthews goal, right? Well here it is. Marner and Knies had great chances and while missing, the puck just gravitates to 34’s stick and he rips it into the middle of the net for a league-leading 53rd goal. This gives the Maple Leafs a 3-0 lead, the most dreaded number for Maple Leafs fans. About a minute after that, the Maple leafs go on the powerplay, looking to make the game 4-0. Unfortunately, with a turnover from Morgan Rielly at the opponent’s blueline, Alex Kerfoot picks up the puck and buries it shorthanded to make it a 2 goal game.

Heading into the third period, Arizona picked it up a little bit, giving us a hard time. The one problem the Leafs had in the third period, is they somehow were unable to defend the crease. Luckily, we have a goaltender by the name of Joseph Woll. Woller’s first game back since the beginning of December, did not disappoint us. He saved us time and again with great saves and recognition of where the puck was going. Unfortunately, while the Coyotes were pushing us deep in our zone, they got back another goal. At this point the game was 3-2, with a couple minutes left in the final period. The Coyotes pulled their goaltender in the final minutes to give them a 6-on-5 advantage, but that was no help as William Nylander scored in the empty net to make it 4-2. This is the type of game the Leafs needed to have after that game against Vegas a few nights ago. Their final game of the week comes at home against the New York Rangers. Watch out Matt Rempe, Reavo is coming for you.

Toronto Maple Leafs v New York Rangers: 

This game had a couple of new/returning faces: Ilya Lyubushkin, and Calle Jarnkrok. You might remember Lyubushkin from a couple years ago with his first stint with the Maple Leafs, and Jarnkrok came off IR today to make his return. I couldn’t catch much of the game, but from what I did catch, The third line looked really good. With Jarnkrok returning, that pushes Nick Robertson off the team and makes the line a combination of McMann, Tavares, and now Jarnkrok. They looked energized this game, and they capitalized with a goal in the third period that put the Leafs up 3-2.

Obviously, the big talking point of the game is Rempe v Reaves. Two big, heavy hitters who love to fight come together for the biggest bout in hockey.  Reaves and Rempe only met on the ice a handful of times, and Rempe declined each opportunity. Until the third period, when they finally dropped the mitts and got going. Honestly, the fight kind of sucked. Both guys got a couple hits on each other but nothing really substantial. Both guys got an ovation and they shared words of respect once reaching the penalty box.

Other than that, from what I saw it was a great game. The Leafs looked really energized and they were active on and off the puck. The first and third line were the best lines for sure in the game, with great chances and great opportunities. In the first, Knies and Nylander did look a little bit sluggish. This led to Nylander getting benched for the last 8 minutes of the first period, and as he got back in the second period he made the most of it. Samsonov also looked really good in this game, coming up with big saves in big moments as he always does. Then, with the Rangers’ goalie on the bench, they capitalized on a 6-on-5 and tied the game 3-3. Overtime had its chances (and bad line changes) but neither team was able to score the winning goal. We go to a shootout: Zibanejad, Marner, and Domi score to give the Leafs the 4-3 win. It was a solid Leafs win, against a team that they need to beat heading into the playoffs to have some sort of momentum. We start a new week with more games to come.