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Maple Leafs Fall Victim to Ducks’ Power Play, Lose 3-2

By Chris Okrainetz

Dec 19, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock gestures as he speaks to his players during a 3-2 loss to Anaheim Ducks at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 19, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock gestures as he speaks to his players during a 3-2 loss to Anaheim Ducks at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Toronto Maple Leafs (12-12-7) had their chances against the Anaheim Ducks (17-11-5), but penalties and turnovers ultimately cost the Buds.

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Thoughts and Observations

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs played well on Monday night, but five minor penalties cost them as the potent Anaheim power play converted on two of those five opportunities. The officiating wasn’t great, but playing shorthanded against a team who scores on 25 percent of their power plays is never a recipe for success.
  • The absence of Tyler Bozak affected the Leafs, particularly in the faceoff circle where they were dominated by the Ducks, 42-21.
  • Although he didn’t play terrible, Frederik Gauthier lost a key draw on the penalty kill to Ryan Kesler, which setup Cam Fowler‘s goal. Considering how much of an emphasis Mike Babcock puts on faceoffs, Gauthier can only help himself by improving in the circle.
    • William Nylander

    struggled at centre during this game and was only 33 percent on draws. More importantly, though, Nylander had a horrific giveaway early in the third period, which led to Brett Ritchie’s goal. Yes, he’s been playing on the wing all season, but those kind of turnovers in the middle of the ice need to disappear. Given how much he struggled at centre in this contest, I’m curious to see if Babcock will deploy Nylander again.

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  • Two players from this game who deserve a heap of praise are Kesler and Auston Matthews. Kesler was a beast in the faceoff dot, winning 17 of the 25 total draws he took. As for Matthews, you know it’s a good night when both coaches praise you. Carlyle said Matthews is a “dynamic young player” and gushed about his skillset, while Babcock called him the Leafs best player. Keep in mind, too, most of Matthews ice time came against Ryan Getzlaf, which should give you a good indication of how well he played.
  • The last two minutes was an adventure for the Leafs defence. Both Connor Carrick and Nikita Zaitsev couldn’t hold the puck in the offensive zone and it cost Toronto. Overall, the Leafs were too careless with the puck throughout this game and it cost them.
  • Frederik Andersen and John Gibson were excellent and they both bailed their teams out with key saves. Gibson stood on his head in the third period when the Leafs peppered him with 19 shots and he was a big reason the Ducks won this game.

    • Stat of the Night

    35-11

    The duo of Antoine Vermette and Kesler combined to win 35 draws on Monday night, while only losing 11. Vermette handled the defensive zone draws for the Ducks and he won every single one up until the final minutes when he finally lost one to Gauthier. As for Kesler, he played very well and setup Fowler’s game-winning power play goal by beating Gauthier clean on the draw.

    What’s Next

    The Maple Leafs will head west to take on the Colorado Avalanche (11-18-1) Thursday night at the Pepsi Center. The Avalanche have lost 10 of their last 12 games and have struggled to score goals, scoring two or less goals in six of those 10 losses.

    This game is a bit of a “revenge” spot for the Leafs since Colorado recently beat them at home on December 11. The Leafs dominated that game and outshot the Avalanche 52-29, but Avs goalie Semyon Varlamov stood on his head. Varlamov is set to return from injury and could be between the pipes again on Thursday.

    Next: Is Kadri an Elite Centre?

    What did you think of the Maple Leafs 3-2 loss to the Ducks on Monday night? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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