Tip of the Tower
Fansided

Everything’s Bigger in Texas, Including Toronto Maple Leafs’ 6-3 Loss to Dallas Stars

By Chris Okrainetz

Jan 31, 2017; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Stars center Radek Faksa (12) scores a goal against Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen (31) during the first period at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 31, 2017; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Stars center Radek Faksa (12) scores a goal against Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen (31) during the first period at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Toronto Maple Leafs (23-16-9) were unable to recover from a horrific first period and fell 6-3 to the Dallas Stars (21-20-10) on Tuesday night.

VS.
123T
Stars5106
Maple Leafs1203

Thoughts and Observations

  • Well, this was definitely not how the Toronto Maple Leafs envisioned their first game after the All-Star break would go. The Stars were all over the Leafs following puck drop and they never let up. Dallas’ relentless effort led to a five goal first period and the Leafs were unable to recover.
    • Frederik Andersen

    was chased from the game after giving up three goals on eight shots, but you can’t blame him for tonight’s loss. The defence was brutal from the very beginning.

    Jake Gardiner

    and

    Martin Marincin

    both had terrible turnovers in their own end, which led to Dallas’ goals, and the defence as a whole looked lethargic. It doesn’t matter who’s out there, it’s tough to win games when you’re throwing pizzas into the middle of the ice.

    More from Toronto Maple Leafs

  • Marincin only played 17:03 and was on the ice for three goals against. With Morgan Rielly nearing a return, it will be interesting to see who the odd man out is on defence. Could it be Marincin? Or will the infamous “Hunlak” pairing split up? If Mike Babcock did breakup the pairing, it would likely mean Matt Hunwick will be a healthy scratch.
  • After falling behind 5-1, Babcock fired up his line blender and started to try out new trios. The most interesting line was the combination of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and Zach Hyman. The chemistry between Matthews and Marner is fun to watch, but considering Babcock has said in the past that he feels both players can lead a line, I doubt we’ll see the two play together in the future. Although, I think I’m not the only one who would love to see these two play together during three-on-three overtime.

    • The first goal continues to be extremely important for the Maple Leafs and it generally dictates the outcome of their games. Dallas got on the board first in this contest and the Leafs eventually lost the game. It sounds like such a simple correlation, but the Leafs are now 4-12-4 when they surrender the first goal of the game.

    In case you were wondering about the goal review midway through the third period, here’s an explanation.

    Stat of the Night

    This stat courtesy of Sportsnet Stats sums up the game well. The Leafs were awful in the first period. Plain and simple.

    What’s Next

    It doesn’t get any easier for the Maple Leafs, who will now head to Missouri to take on the St. Louis Blues (24-20-5) at the Scottrade Center on Thursday night. The Blues were reeling prior to the All-Star break, dropping four of their last five games, and they continued that trend on Tuesday night when they lost to the Winnipeg Jets, 4-3.

    The problem for the Blues has been their goaltending. The duo of Jake Allen and Carter Hutton has been wildly inconsistent this month and St. Louis has even tried to start prospect Pheonix Copley. The team has allowed five or more goals six times this month and they’ve compiled an uninspiring 5-8 record.

    The talented Blues’ roster is obviously better than what their record has been this month, but they desperately need to get their goaltending on track. Tuesday’s loss to the Jets likely didn’t help Allen’s confidence, but I’m sure the Blues will be hungry for a win on Thursday night.

    Next: Maple Leafs Working on a Deal with Grundstrom

    What did you think of the Toronto Maple Leafs loss to the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

    Home/Toronto Maple Leafs