The last two games have been underwhelming to say the least. From a Leafs point of view, watching Buffalo continue their hot streak and beating teams to extend their lead, and even the Florida Panthers win despite their senior team being dismantled on trade deadline day, well...that stings a little bit too.
The Leafs have managed to step up when nobody claimed they could. Probably the team itself didn't believe that it had the gall to turn it up a notch when the most important quarter of the season rolled around. Yet, here they are in the thick of it.
Last night's battle against the Penguins was a chance to get some redemption for the shoot-out loss they suffered on the weekend. In fact, it was also a chance to prove that their defensive game plan isn't a total sham, because allowing five goals doesn't exactly scream 'playoff calibre.'
The game started in typical fashion with the Leafs going a goal behind. It looked as if it may be a death knell at this point in the season, and that the Leafs would fold and start to revert to type. Fortunately for coach Ron Wilson, and for the likes of James Reimer who is attempting to single-handedly keep his team in the playoff picture, the Leafs found a way to win.
The game last night puts us four points back of Carolina, and two points back of 9th placed Buffalo. Unfortunately, and this is the only big 'but' you'll see here, Buffalo does have two games in hand on the Leafs, meaning that when the season ends they could have two final chances to surpass Toronto, should the Leafs occupy a spot.
The West is still a complete mess, with teams 4 through 11 only separated by a few points. It's sad because I think it'll end up meaning that one or two teams that would be far more exciting will be on the sidelines watching from the bar, or the golf course. I would much rather see Anaheim and Nashville in the playoffs than Calgary and Dallas. I don't think the two of them have truly earned a playoff berth, and I'd like to see how far Nashville can go. Regardless, there is still 18-20 games left for each of the teams to stake a claim. If one or two of them get hot they could find themselves as division winners. That's how tight it is at the top.
The cream will always rise, that's for certain.
Other simple notes from last nights game:
Matt Niskanen looks good. I can't believe they got him WITH James Neal. He managed two points last night, increasing his overall point total this season by 20%. I do love the Penguins, so it's nice to see them starting to gel a little bit with Kovalev, Niskanen, and Neal. Neal just needs to find his scoring touch again, and not to be too overwhelmed by the playoffs when they come around.
Reimer. Wow. This kid is the real deal. After a couple of games, I was thinking that this could be shades of JS Aubin, who, if you'll remember, came in to play the final 12 games of the season about four or five years ago. He went something like 10-1-1, and put the Leafs in 9th spot. At the end of the day, it was nice to see some dominant and confident goaltending, despite the fact that it was a series of meaningless games. And that it cost us a likely top eight draft pick.
Back to the kid, though. He's 11-4-3 in his 20 starts. Can you believe that? It's unreal, really. He's a rookie right? Doesn't that mean that he should be up for rookie of the year, if he continues this over the next twenty games? What if he puts up 20 wins, or more, and his save percentage, currently at .929% and his 2.29GAA continue to go up, and down, respectively? Wow. Just think about it.
Two points for Grabovski. He's just about got our second line center position locked up, and as far as I'm concerned his play has earned it. Going into next season, his deal should be extended and his spot on the team is his to lose. With 48 points, and a +11 rating, that's something terrific.
Kessel continues to be hot. His linemates are doing well, too. Maybe that's all he was asking for? Versteeg leaves and suddenly the kid awakes.
Gunnarson with two assists last night, and a strong performance overall. He was a 7th round pick, so does that make him a success story? Let's see if he makes the team next season after Burke enters the UFA sweeps.
Next up: the likely conference winners for this season, or more spectacularly, the Leafs first round opponents in the playoffs -- The Philadelphia Flyers.
If we win this one, it's on. If they expose us as the playoff fodder we are....it could be a long ride home to Toronto.
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