Leafs Lay Egg In Home Return

Sputtering near the end of their season long seven game road trip with an overtime loss to the New York Islanders and a convincing trouncing at the hands of the Philadelphia Flyers, many suggested that the Maple Leafs simply needed to get home to more familiar surroundings which would allow them to reenergize their game. On Saturday night in their first game back at Air Canada Centre since defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning by a score of 6-1 on December 10th, a return home proved to be anything but the remedy for the bad habits that have crept back into the Maple Leafs play over the past two weeks.

In fact, the Maple Leafs turned in one of their most embarrassing efforts of the season in this game losing to the New York Rangers without any fight whatsoever. Andrew Raycroft was called on to make his third consecutive start in the absence of Vesa Toskala. Since taking over in goal for the Maple Leafs on Boxing Day against the New York Islanders, his play has progressively declined in three successive games. Against the Rangers, Raycroft allowed a goal that is barely acceptable for netminders in pee wee hockey from New York’s fourth line early in the game. Blair Betts jammed the puck under the Maple Leaf netminder’s pad to give the Rangers an early 1-0 lead after Raycroft was unable to get across the net in time to cover up on the wraparound chance.

That questionable goal sucked out any life that the Maple Leafs may have had coming into this game. Less than three minutes later, Jaromir Jagr scored the first of the Ranger’s five power play goals in the game when the Maple Leafs were unable to clear the puck from the goalmouth after a point shot created a rebound.

The first half of the second period featured an atrocious lack of discipline that saw the Maple Leafs maintain a constant parade to the penalty box. The Rangers would score three power play goals in the second period to make the score 5-0 with only half the game in the books. Martin Straka’s seventh goal of the season at the 10:31 mark of the middle frame spelled the end of the line for Andrew Raycroft. Scott Clemmensen – called up from the Toronto Marlies of the AHL – made his Maple Leaf debut in relief of Raycroft and stopped four of five shots faced over the remaining period and a half.

The Rangers sat back after the Maple Leafs netminding change, rarely pressing the attack unless on the power play. They would add one more goal in the third period when Petr Prucha scored his second of the game to grow the Ranger lead to six. Midway through the final frame, Darcy Tucker managed to spoil the shutout bid of Stephen Valiquette.

The Maple Leafs will attempt to get back on track when they take on the Tampa Bay Lightning on New Year’s Day.