This is getting ridiculous
November 18th, 2009 | by jays1992 |By Paul Bruno
When you watch a movie, the plotline usually builds to that expected happy ending. It is always disappointing on those occasions when the ending is not a happy one after such a buildup.
That’s what these games on the Leafs current four game losing skid have felt like.
They have played very well for long stretches and seem to get just close enough to tease us with being, oh, so close at the end.
Last night’s 3-2 loss was typical.
A 15 shot barrage in the third period left fans frustrated once again.
Confidence is such a big part of any success for most teams. The Maple Leafs are anything but confident at the moment. You can see it in the play of a number of players. Luke Schenn is not playing anywhere near the level he showed as a rookie. On one shift he gave the puck away three times with tentative clearing attempts in his own zone. It seems as though he can’t take that split second to make a good safe pass, but rather just can’t wait to get the puck off his stick.
Niklas Hagman is another Leaf who showed his frustration after batting a puck out of the air that Pascal Leclaire caught with a quick reflex save. At least he can point to a great wrist shot goal, but he and his teammates blew other chances by looking for the perfect play.
The most glaring example of this came when Jason Blake grabbed a rebound in front of Leclaire and instead of backhanding a shot at the open side of the goal, he chose to take a wide spin move in order to go to his forehand, only to lose possession.
Instinct and natural reactions have given way to tentative play throughout the team and they are mired in yet another slump.
This time you can’t pin the loss on Vesa Toskala, who shone in his third straight appearance.
That’s what this season has been reduced to, for now, as the Leafs can point to a solid goaltending effort and a 32-21 shot advantage in a road game. Usually, that combination is good enough to win.
Too bad for the Leafs, though. On this night, it just added up to another frustrating loss.
