Stop The Press! Leafs Win In Shootout

So rare is a Maple Leafs victory in a shootout that when one does occur, it can often obscure the big picture. This team – despite a victory recorded in climatic fashion during the NHL’s built-in skills competition to settle ties – is simply not good enough to be considered a legitimate playoff threat. Remember that until Scott Clemmensen – who picked up his first victory as a Maple Leaf in this game – stopped Martin St. Louis on Tampa Bay’s final shootout attempt, the Maple Leafs were a beleaguered team in the eyes of fans and media types alike. They struggled to scrape together two wins on a season long seven game road trip and then subsequently had their heads served back to them on a silver platter in their return to home ice on Saturday night against the New York Rangers.

The two points which the Maple Leafs collected in their win – a 4-3 victory in a shootout – against the Tampa Bay Lightning were two important points in the Eastern Conference standings but to suggest we saw concrete improvement from the Buds would be remiss. A much more efficient effort was put together over the course of sixty minutes than compared with the game Saturday night against the Rangers; however, the Maple Leafs still suffered from some of the same lingering issues that have plagued them of late: too many trips to the penalty box, costly mistakes in the defensive zone and ineptness in the final minute of the game.

Tampa Bay opened the scoring midway through the first period with a goal from Andreas Karlsson, a member of the Lightning’s fourth line. Jason Blake evened the score early in the second period when he banked his sixth goal of the season off rookie Lightning netminder Karri Ramo from behind the goal line. Just before the halfway point of the middle frame, Mats Sundin put the Maple Leafs in front with his eighteenth tally this season. The lead was short lived though as Martin St. Louis scored less than thirty seconds later to tie the game. Before the second intermission, Hal Gill restored the Maple Leafs’ lead with a goal at 17:27.

The Maple Leafs looked to have the Lightning under control in the third period limiting their quality scoring chances. Scott Clemmensen provided dependable net minding turning aside thirty shots over the course of the game but more importantly he appeared confident in the Maple Leaf net; a trait that was lacking in Andrew Raycroft’s three game tenure as the go-to netminder starting on Boxing Day against the New York Islanders. However, the Maple Leafs suffered another final minute breakdown allowing Paul Ranger to tie the game and salvage a point for Tampa Bay.

Fortunately for the Maple Leafs, they were able to earn the bonus point in the shootout – Mats Sundin and Tomas Kaberle both scored for Toronto – and prevent the Lightning from winning what would have been only their fourth road victory of the season.

A win by the skin of their teeth against by far the league’s worst road team is hardly an effort that should calm the concerned members of Leafs Nation. Affording a team with three top forwards in Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis and Brad Richards five power play opportunities is a risky proposition despite the Maple Leafs penalty killing keeping the Lightning from scoring on the man advantage in this game. Having to go all the way to a shootout against such an inconsistent road team is even more discouraging.

The Maple Leafs will travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Penguins, who are coming off a victory in the Winter Classic in Buffalo on New Year’s Day, on Thursday night.