Toronto Maple Leafs Win Again: Who is This Team?

Well, after a defeat of the first-place Anaheim Ducks, hey hey hey, look at this team called the Toronto Maple Leafs go!! The Leafs took out another perennial juggernaut in the Ducks by a score of 6-2. That’s right – six-two.

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This romp gives the Leafs their sixth straight win. And I called the Ducks a juggernaut eh? Well I wasn’t kidding. They’re in first-place, yes, but coming into this contest, they had won seven straight. Yes, naysayers, Corey Perry, one of the best players in the league is out, but he’s been out for a little while now (five games), and the Ducks haven’t missed a beat.

Until tonight.

Toronto scored first… a pretty great omen. They are 14-0-0 when they net the first puck. Jonathan Bernier preserved the scoreboard until Tyler Bozak could smack home the first.

Dec 16, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs goalie

Jonathan Bernier

(45) turns away a shot against the Anaheim Ducks at Air Canada Centre. The Maple Leafs beat the Ducks 6-2. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

Remember when the Leafs gave up nine goals– yes, nine— to Nashville? That was just a month ago tomorrow. Since that embarrassment, does anyone know their record? I do! I do! They’ve defied that embarrassment and the record is 10-1-1. Isn’t that incredible? Leafs’ fans, thank those almighty Predators for sending your team the best wake-up call you could ever imagine.

Since then, they haven’t even got to play a Toronto Raptors-like schedule, where they can pile up the wins against bad opponents (because the Raps are in a bad conference). The Leafs have had toughies. To give you a small taste: Tampa Bay Lightning sit second in the East, the Detroit Red Wings sit fourth (and they had to play them twice, but went 2-0), the Vancouver Canucks are fourth in the West and the Calgary Flames are currently a playoff team. That’s not to mention the defending Stanley Cup champions in the Los Angeles Kings, and Anaheim tonight. They managed to take a point from the Pittsburgh Penguins in Pittsburgh, the team sitting first in the East. The lone blemish in this stretch since was a fluky game against the New Jersey Devils, when Devils forward Adam Henrique returned to Southern Ontario to seal the loss for the Leafers.

The negative? I’m not necessarily trying to be Slipknot’s latest single– “The Negative One”– but, a lot of these games have come at home. 10/12 actually. This is because the World Junior Tournament (get ready Canada!) is coming to Toronto at the end of the month and will hijack the scene, meaning the Leafs will have to go on the road for seven in a row starting Sunday at Chicago– another really good team.

Bernier had to stand tall in this one, as him and James Reimer have sometimes had to do. But every team needs their goalies to rise up and save the game (that’s what they get paid to do– make saves). Bernier shedded 42 shots tonight. However, the Leafs are highest scoring team in the league (!!!). So I guess it all works out.

The Leafs took the mighty right out of the Anaheim Ducks. Phil Kessel scored two goals and added an assist, while David Booth scoring his first of the season. Nazem Kadri and Joffrey Lupul added the other two goals for the Leafs.

The Leafs look to continue their streak against the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday.

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