Tough Schedule - Leafs Lose Second Straight

Flyers beat the Leafs 4-3
PHOTO: mapleleafs.com

The Maple Leafs schedule is starting to get the better of them. The team suffered its second consecutive loss after playing their third game in four nights. Things dont get better for Toronto as they have very few rest days over the next handful of games.

The Leafs came out really flat in the first period and for the most part James Reimer held the Leafs in it until Hartnell batted a bouncing puck out of the air and through Reimers legs. The Leafs would answer back several times in the game, but ultimately lose 4-3. Tyler Bozak had a very strong game, he scored twice for the Leafs in the losing effort.

Toronto picked up their game at some points through the second and third periods but ultimately made one too many mistakes in front of James Reimer tonight. When you're playing a quality team like the Flyers, you cannot make as many mistakes as the Leafs did, but you could somewhat justify it with the packed schedule and players being tired.

James Reimer played well again tonight. Unfortunately some crazy bounces and redirected shots made their way behind him asides from Claude Giroux sniping one into the top corner after a giveaway and bad defensive zone coverage.

What I liked about the two loses is that the team didn't stop competing. Sure, they came out flat and didn't really play a good game in either of the loses, but they gave it their all until the final whistle. You can tell that this team really wants to make a playoff run and doesn't take losing lightly.

The worst news came after the Leafs game had finished. All the teams who played today that are around Toronto in the playoff race earned at least a point. The Capitals gave up a late lead on a bad goal from a shot taken by Bogozian from outside the blueline and would lose in a shootout. The Devils would also lose in the shootout to the Blues. Ottawa and Florida won their respective games in regulation.

At the end of the day the Leafs drop to eighth spot as the Sens jump them, but the Sens have played two more games than the Leafs. The win for the Panthers put them back in third and send the Caps to ninth, but the Caps have a game at hand over the Leafs.

The Leafs play the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night in Toronto. Toronto is a much better team at home and hope to get back to the win column as the playoff race intensifies.