Feb. 21: Leafs 3 vs. Devils 4 (OT)
(Inconsistent Gustavsson gaffes in overtime)
Leafs scorers: Connolly (9), MacArthur (18), Kessel (31)
Devils scorers: Sykora (14), Clarkson (23), Ponikarovsky (11), Fayne (4)
Links: Box Score | Discussion boards
Forward lines:Lupul-Bozak-Kessel, Kulemin-Grabovski-MacArthur, Lombardi-Connolly-Crabb, Boyce-Steckel-Brown
Defence pairings: Phaneuf-Gunnarsson, Liles-Franson, Gardiner-Schenn
Goaltenders: Gustavsson (OT/Loss 61:06 minutes played, 28 saves, 4 GA), Reimer (0:00)
Recap:
Remember when Jonas Gustavsson won 6 out of 9 starts, including three shutouts?
That was so…January.
While neither the Leafs players nor their coach threw their goalie under the bus in their post-game comments after Toronto’s 4-3 overtime loss Saturday, the 19,426 fans who showed up at Air Canada Centre likely weren’t as forgiving at the game’s end.
Gustavsson mishandled a shot from New Jersey defenceman Mark Fayne in overtime, accidentally guiding a puck – that was going wide – into the Toronto net for the winning goal.
“I think it skipped on the ice a little bit, but it’s not supposed to go in anyway, no matter what,” said Gustavsson, who to his credit was the first Leafs player to make himself available to the media to face questions on the loss. “I don’t know if it changed direction on the ice, or what happened.”
For much of the third period, it looked like a weak but not as devastating five-hole goal by ex-Leaf Alexei Ponikarovsky late in the middle stanza would hold up as the game-winner.
Toronto didn’t seem to have an answer to solve Martin Brodeur while Gustavsson actually did well to prevent a Devils’ insurance marker, most notably making a challenging save off dangerous New Jersey sniper Ilya Kovalchuk.
However the Leafs were able to salvage a point when Phil Kessel tied the game in the final minute with the Monster on the bench and Toronto rushing the puck into the offensive zone. Tyler Bozak’s shot towards the Devils net looked like it was going to be inadvertently deflected behind Brodeur by New Jersey winger Patrik Elias. Instead the puck bounced wide, but somehow onto the stick of Kessel, who had enough room to jam home his 31st goal of the year.
The overtime blunder by Gustvasson may not have happened had a shot off the stick by Leafs defenceman Jake Gardiner gone an inch to the left of the goal post that it struck.
As stated in Blue And White Beat columns dating back to October and December, Gustavsson’s inconsistency does nothing to inspire the prospect of starting him in a must-win game for the Maple Leafs.
With the team fighting tooth and nail to secure a playoff spot amidst no margin of error, the “Reimer or bust” mantra from the beginning of the season seems all the more evident.
Notes:
Dion Phaneuf was left to answer a challenge from David Clarkson after the Leafs captain laid a hard but clean hit on Devils star forward Zach Parise. “He’s sticking up for his teammate. It seems like that happens when you do make a hit, but that’s part of the game,” said Phaneuf, who engaged in an animated discussion with Clarkson in the penalty box as both players served fighting majors…Olympic gold medalist and world champion bobsledder Kaillie Humphries was in attendance at Air Canada Centre.
