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Game 41: Detroit Red Wings vs Toronto Maple Leafs W4-3

TML fan said:
At the end of the day it doesn't matter if the Leafs win by 1 or 3, but it really serves to illustrate the massive difference between a team like the Leafs and a team that could potentially go very far in the playoffs.
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Sure and the Leafs got a little luck/some goaltending tonight, they aren't defensive stalwarts, and, I should emphasize 'warts' in that word...

They need to get to the playoffs to really know that, but, they're built one way right now, I think they'll have to balance that out a bit to be really successful.
 
huge win, 3 in a row to start 2012.  Great character by the Leafs being able to bounce back from the pressure Detroit put on in the 2nd, score the winning goal and hold on to the lead
 
Propellertop said:
Wow. Held on by the skin of our teeth but it's a win!

I'd really like to know if detroit is just THAT much better than us, if it was the coaching decisions on how we were playing in the 2nd/3rd or just the team as a whole that couldn't figure out how to get outta our zone with the forecheck pressure the Wings were putting on us.
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Oh, I think they are.  Their puck control game is incredible.

Still, for us not to let that one slip away is very big.  A 3-0 to start a long home stand, the home stand that will make or break the season, is huge.
 
Chev-boyar-sky said:
If you mean best 2 way player I agree. However Kessel and Lupul are both better purely offensive players this year, anyways.
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I don't agree. I think that's as much a result of situation as anything.
 
Three games without a PP goal against!  Gus with a huge save in the final minute and 37/40 on the night and not a weak goal among them.  That was a huge victory.

2.00 GAA .932 SV% in his three games.  .903 SV% on the season.

.923 SV% since he took the job back from Scrivens on November 19th (10 starts and 11 appearances).  8-3-0 over that stretch.
 
Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate said:
Propellertop said:
Wow. Held on by the skin of our teeth but it's a win!

I'd really like to know if detroit is just THAT much better than us, if it was the coaching decisions on how we were playing in the 2nd/3rd or just the team as a whole that couldn't figure out how to get outta our zone with the forecheck pressure the Wings were putting on us.
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Oh, I think they are.  Their puck control game is incredible.

Still, for us not to let that one slip away is very big.  A 3-0 to start a long home stand, the home stand that will make or break the season, is huge.
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Sure they dominated us in puck control, but I think the Leafs still had the best of the scoring chances all game.  Detroit threw everything at the net, but Gus played sound positionally and was able to make the stops.

On the other hand, Detroit gave up a whole lot of great chances to us - 3 of the 4 goals were VERY good chances, the other was a blatant giveaway up the middle on a PP.  Then there were at least 2 other 2 on 1 chances where he had to make side to side great saves.

Yes Detroit played their usual great puck possession game - but let's not sell the Leafs short for getting their chances within it and burying them.
 
When you take into account that the Leafs are the youngest team in the league and the Red Wings are the oldest, this was a character win.
 
Busta Reims said:
Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate said:
But give the refs credit -- they have been consistent and let them play.  Outstanding job.
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True. The refs were pretty much a non-factor tonight. Only 2 penalties called all night.
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Leafs won that particular battle too.
 
I agree with you Potvin - Leafs could have easily had a couple more goals with some of the chances they whiffed on...
 
Potvin29 said:
Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate said:
Propellertop said:
Wow. Held on by the skin of our teeth but it's a win!

I'd really like to know if detroit is just THAT much better than us, if it was the coaching decisions on how we were playing in the 2nd/3rd or just the team as a whole that couldn't figure out how to get outta our zone with the forecheck pressure the Wings were putting on us.
Click to expand...

Oh, I think they are.  Their puck control game is incredible.

Still, for us not to let that one slip away is very big.  A 3-0 to start a long home stand, the home stand that will make or break the season, is huge.
Click to expand...

Sure they dominated us in puck control, but I think the Leafs still had the best of the scoring chances all game.  Detroit threw everything at the net, but Gus played sound positionally and was able to make the stops.

On the other hand, Detroit gave up a whole lot of great chances to us - 3 of the 4 goals were VERY good chances, the other was a blatant giveaway up the middle on a PP.  Then there were at least 2 other 2 on 1 chances where he had to make side to side great saves.

Yes Detroit played their usual great puck possession game - but let's not sell the Leafs short for getting their chances within it and burying them.
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Oh, I'm not -- the Leafs deserved that 3-goal lead.  They used their speed to goad the Wings into all kinds of turnovers.  But when the Wings get that cycle going -- it's like the puck just goes from stick to stick to stick like it's hitting velcro.  And they get traffic in front of the net like nobody else, even w/o Holmstrom.  Very formidable.
 
4th Liner said:
Wow - Leafs win, Pens lose, and we jump ahead of them. The East is officially tight...
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Yeah. Leafs in 7th. Washington in 10th and starting to turn things around. However, there are a couple teams ahead of the Leafs I think are due for a slump. The Devils are tied for the 5th least ROWs in the league and have relied fairly heavily on success in the shootout to get where they are right now, and Ottawa has a goal differential of -10. I think both of their records are better than they deserve so far. Pittsburgh is struggling since Crosby went down again, and now, they may have lost Staal long-term as well.
 
Etiam Vultus said:
When you take into account that the Leafs are the youngest team in the league and the Red Wings are the oldest, this was a character win.
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Yep.  And I hope we learned something too.
 
That was a nice win.

You could see the Detroit push-back starting soon after the the Leafs got the 3rd goal. In the last few years, the final score would have been Detroit 5 or 6 to Leafs 3, but the Leafs got the go ahead goal and hung on.

Good job boys. There's still lots to learn for this Leafs team, but that's a nice baby step.
 
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