Game In 10: Game 3, Flames at Leafs

by Mislav Jantoljak on October 15, 2011 in Uncategorized - 871 Comments

We always love a game of traded jerseys. Lee Stempniak, Matt Stajan, Matthew Lombardi, Niklas Hagman, Dion Phaneuf, Lanny McDonald – wait, that’s getting too far back. Anyways, this game was the best example of what one week’s rust can do to a hockey team. The boys in blue gave up numerous turnovers in the first but managed a supreme comeback to remain perfect.

1 – The Leafs are 3-0-0 and that is awesome.

2 – One thing I’ve been saying is for a number of years now is that we don’t do a good job of clearing the crease. Bad play in front of the net, with two D-men covering Curtis Glencross, ended up as a Calgary goal. Nobody got the stick on the ice or cleared him from in front of the net. Also, Reimer could have played that one a little bit better.

3 – Rene Bourque was CLEARLY offside, but that doesn’t change the fact that James Reimer let in a 2^nd bad goal on a shot he really should have had. So far, Scott Hannan has scored 31 goals in 830 NHL games played. That equals 1 goal for each 26.8 games. Charity is admirable, I’m not really glad we helped that average along.

4 – Reimer did bounce back with two huge saves in the second and one in the third period. One such save caused a great rush the other way. Off of it, Kessel dished to Lupul who scored to make it 2-1. Mike Brown and Tom Kostopolous got to it right after, a bout which Brown decisively won.

5 – Phil Kessel is much better defensively and also has a much better work ethic. That’s how you grow as a player. He also scores highlight reel goals. Great defensive work by Tyler Bozak in front of the crease (oh my) on that goal.

6 – Dion Phaneuf and Carl Gunnarsson looked really good tonight. Gunnarsson seems to be evolving into our best utility, all around defenseman.

7 – Niklas Hagman and Phil Kessel are the last two players to score a hattrick in the blue and white. Nobody cares about Hagman.

8 – Phil Kessel scores goals. A lot of goals. Tyler Seguin doesn’t score as many goals. Goals are awesome. Goals. He also had an assist, was +3 and had 5 shots. Counting back to last season, this continues a 13 game point streak for the Thrill.

9 – We all know David Steckel can win faceoffs, but so can Tyler Bozak (74% in the circle). Bozie has been a vastly improved player this season and all his offseason work is showing on the scoresheet.

10 – The win that got Glenn Healy singing the praises… No, but really, it’s a game we would have lost last year, a year before that, etc. That really says it all. 3-2 win by the Leafs. WOOOHHHHOOOOOOOOO.

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