Game #67 Mar. 8: Leafs 3 at Islanders 4 (OT)

Leafs scorers: Aulie (1), Brent (8), Kulemin (25)
Islanders scorers: Konopka (2), Nielsen (9), Grabner (27), Comeau (19)
Links: Box Score | Discussion boards

Forward lines:MacArthur-Grabovski-Kulemin, Lupul-Bozak-Kessel, Armstrong-Boyce-Brown, Rosehill-Brent-Crabb
Defence pairings: Aulie-Phaneuf, Gunnarsson-Schenn, Komisarek-Lebda
Goaltenders: Reimer (OT Loss, 64:02 minutes played, 36 saves, 4 GA), Giguere (0:00)
Noteworthy:
-The Leafs missed a chance to fully capitalize on a regulation loss by the Buffalo Sabres in the race for the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. Toronto’s single point moves them to within 4 of Buffalo, with the Sabres holding a game in hand.
-Keith Aulie scored his first career NHL goal.
-Nikolai Kulemin scored his 25th goal of the year, joining teammates Mikhail Grabovski and Phil Kessel as Leafs who have reached the benchmark this season.
-James Reimer appeared to be hurt in the overtime period, taking a puck off the index finger when making a save. But, the Leafs starting goalie remained in the game.

Game #66 Mar. 5: Leafs 3 vs. Blackhawks 5

Leafs scorers: Lupul (8), Crabb (2), Schenn (3)
Flyers scorers: Hossa (18), Frolik (10), Toews (27), Stalberg (10), Bickell (16)
Links: Box Score | Discussion boards

Forward lines:MacArthur-Grabovski-Kulemin, Lupul-Bozak-Kessel, Armstrong-Boyce-Brown, Sjostrom-Brent-Crabb
Defence pairings: Aulie-Phaneuf, Gunnarsson-Schenn, Komisarek-Lebda
Goaltenders: Reimer (Loss, 40:00 minutes played, 14 saves, 5 GA), Giguere (20:00 minutes played, 6 saves, 0 GA)
Noteworthy:
-Blackhawks forward Jonathan Toews extended his goal scoring streak to 5 games (7 goals) and his point streak to 9 games (15 points).
-Ex-Leaf Viktor Stalberg had a goal against his former team.
-Toronto forward Mikhail Grabovski was stopped on a penalty shot by Chicago goalie Corey Crawford. “He made a great save,” said Grabovski. “Maybe I was at the end of my shift and a little bit tired. I think I played a little bit slow.”
-Coach Ron Wilson took a more optimistic view, in spite of the loss. “It’d be awful idiotic to say that we were going to win every game the rest of the way.” This was Toronto’s first regulation loss in 10 games.

Game #65 Mar. 3: Leafs 3 at Flyers 2

Leafs scorers: Kulemin (24), Phaneuf (4), Boyce (4)
Flyers scorers: Versteeg 2 (17)
Links: Box Score | Discussion boards

Forward lines:MacArthur-Grabovski-Kulemin, Lupul-Bozak-Kessel, Armstrong-Boyce-Brown, Sjostrom-Brent-Crabb
Defence pairings: Aulie-Phaneuf, Gunnarsson-Schenn, Komisarek-Lebda
Goaltenders: Reimer (Win, 60:00 minutes played, 28 saves, 2 GA), Giguere (0:00)
Noteworthy:
-Darryl Boyce’s goal at 15:30 of the third period held up as the game-winner.
-James Reimer made 28 stops, including a game-saver with just over 20 seconds remaining in regulation time. He is 7-0-3 in his past 11 starts, and was named the first star on the Rogers Sportsnet broadcast.
-Ex-Leaf Kris Versteeg scored twice against his former team.
-Nikolai Kulemin extended his goal scoring streak to three games.
-Toronto won in Philadelphia for the first time since March 12, 2008.
-The Leafs were 0-for-7 on the power-play; the Flyers were 0-for-3.

Game #64 Mar. 2: Leafs 3 vs. Penguins 2 (OT)

Leafs scorers: Kulemin (23), Kessel (27), Grabovski (25)
Penguins scorers: Niskanen (1), Conner (7)
Links: Box Score | Discussion boards

Forward lines:MacArthur-Grabovski-Kulemin, Lupul-Bozak-Kessel, Armstrong-Boyce-Brown, Sjostrom-Brent-Rosehill
Defence pairings: Aulie-Phaneuf, Gunnarsson-Schenn, Komisarek-Lebda
Goaltenders: Reimer (Win, 60:42 minutes played, 27 saves, 2 GA), Giguere (0:00)
Noteworthy:
-The game-winning goal in overtime was scored by Mikhail Grabovski after Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf carried the puck into the offensive zone, waited for an opportunity to set up a play, then set off a four-way passing play. Carl Gunnarsson and Phil Kessel were also involved in the tic-tac-toe play that ended with Grabovski’s winner.
-Said Phaneuf of the goal: “I knew we were changing and Grabo was coming in off the bench. I just wanted to hold the puck and wait for some help. Grabo came in and went to the front of the net. It brought their forward down, so it opened up Gunner, and he made a great play to Phil and then Phil made a great play.”
-Kessel scored his team-leading 27th goal to tie the game at 2-2 after deflecting a point shot from Gunnarsson in the third period. “I got a break, it hit my pants,” laughed Kessel. “You can use that every once in a while!”
-The Leafs improved to 9-2-4 since the All-Star break.

Game #62 Feb. 26: Leafs 5 vs. Penguins 6 (shootout)

Leafs scorers: Lupul 2 (7), Armstrong (8), MacArthur (19), Phaneuf (3)
Penguins scorers: Kovalev (15), Letetsu (11), Jeffrey (5), Talbot (7), Rupp (6), shootout winner – Kovaelv
Links: Box Score | Discussion boards

Forward lines:MacArthur-Grabovski-Kulemin, Lupul-Bozak-Kessel, Armstrong-Boyce-Brown, Sjostrom-Brent-Rosehill
Defence pairings: Aulie-Phaneuf, Gunnarsson-Schenn, Komisarek-Lebda
Goaltenders: Reimer (Shootout Loss, 65:00 minutes played, 35 saves, 5 GA), Giguere (0:00)
Noteworthy:
-Penguins forward Alex Kovalev scored in regulation in his second game since returning to Pittsburgh, and also scored the shootout winner.
-Joffrey Lupul scored his first two goals in a Leafs uniform.
-Dion Phaneuf’s power-play goal was the first goal by a Leafs defencemen in 249 man advantages this season.
-Clarke MacArthur extended his career high season goal total to 19.
-Paul Henderson dropped the puck for the ceremonial faceoff as his Jersey Homecoming Tour commemorating his winning goal in the 1972 Summit Series came to Air Canada Centre. Coincidentally, the first two goals of the game were scored by Lupul (#19) and Kovalev (#72). The final score was 6-5, the same as the eighth and final game of the ’72 Summit Series.