Immediate Reaction: Maple Leafs near rock bottom with 5-3 loss to Predators
After a great opening period in Nashville, Craig Berube’s team lost two leads against the Predators and couldn’t come back late. Yes, they seemed much more involved and showed up on time. Yes, Craig Berube made changes to the entire lineup, and early on it worked. Unfortunately, it didn’t last the full 60 minutes, and Leafs Nation is reminded that there are no moral victories in sports. It’s a business and the organization needs to make serious business decisions now.
It’s a tough situation when the Leafs’ few positives start with the return of Matias Maccelli. The shifty winger finally returned to the Berube line-up, his first game since November 28. Maccelli was involved in all three zones and showed great chemistry with William Nylander and John Tavares. Maccelli hasn’t been consistent at all as a Leaf, and a big part of that is that he facilitates too much, and doesn’t shoot the puck or make himself a threat offensively. That wasn’t the case against the Preds and he should be back in the lineup on Sunday against the Dallas Stars.
The first period for the Maple Leafs was overall very positive. Berube put the lines in a blender because all four were different from the dismal effort Thursday night in Washington. Toronto came out with some urgency, they played with speed and had a completely different flow to their game. Unfortunately that was only the first 20 minutes. Nick Robertson and Easton Cowan played strong games, Calle Jarnkrok looked out of place.
Evangelista puts Nashville in charge 📽️: Sportsnet | NHL
The Maple Leafs are a mess. With the holiday frost, all eyes are on the Maple Leafs bench. ‘Tis the season for celebration, it’s a shame this hockey team doesn’t give anyone much to cheer about these days.
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