On paper, this set up as one of the Maple Leafs’ more interesting games in weeks, given their place in the standings.

Due to injury, the Leafs were forced to call up four players from the Marlies, so the idea of at least getting a look at some different players offered some intrigue for the sickos still watching. Craig Berube just couldn’t bring himself to play all four, apparently. 

Berube still hadn’t seen enough after Philippe Myers burped up a 2v1 the night before against Washington. Myers maintained his roster spot in this one over William Villeneuve and once again promptly rewarded Berube by taking a penalty that led to a 6v5 goal to start the game. He took another penalty later in the night after his shot was blocked on the point, which would have led to a Mat Barzal breakaway if Myers hadn’t obstructed him.

Look, everyone understands that the team should tank, and so some will look at it all and think “good,” but there is a difference between tanking and malpractice. Myers doesn’t deserve to play on the merits of his performances, and he hasn’t for quite some time now. Yet if Myers plays in two of the team’s three remaining games, he will have played half of the season. There is no clear reason why he’s still a lineup staple while younger options sit and watch.

The Leafs certainly don’t need Myers in the lineup to ensure the tank rolls on, either. They just played on back-to-back nights, and neither William Nylander nor Matthew Knies pissed a single drop tonight. Most of the rest of the lineup wasn’t much better or particularly engaged, either. After the first period, the Islanders recorded 24 shots on net, and they finished with 44. The Leafs finished with just 16 for the entire game. Myers isn’t the difference here. 

It’s almost impossible to evaluate anyone in these conditions, especially when it’s a nearly nightly occurrence right now.

I felt terrible for Artur Akhtyamov in his NHL debut, as the Leafs got tuned up throughout the night and didn’t even remotely give him a fighting chance. It felt like a throwback to Kasimir Kaskisuo’s debut. Kaskisuo never started another NHL game afterward, and hopefully, that isn’t the case for Akhtyamov. Given there are still three games remaining on the schedule, they probably owe him a real start and effort in one of those games.

On the flipside, Luke Haymes, to his credit, put together a pretty good debut. He didn’t pick up a point on Steven Lorentz’s goal in the first period, but he created the opportunity with a determined forecheck and second effort. In the second period, he broke in with some time and space and hit the post. In the third, he grabbed his first point after winning an offensive-zone faceoff before a centering pass deflected in off an Islander. 

Haymes ultimately played 12:47 in his debut, picking up said assist and a shot on net, while winning just 40 percent of his draws. All in all, it was a solid debut, as his 6’1, just under 200-pound frame did not look out of place at all.

The biggest bright spot in the game for the Leafs, as has been the case for roughly a month now, was Easton Cowan. He scored a nice goal in the game and finished at 18:54 TOI, with only Nylander, Tavares, and Knies playing more up front. Cowan has five points in his last six games and is averaging 19:10. In a mess of a final few months, Cowan’s play has been a real positive that can carry forward into next season.

Otherwise, it’s hard to really note any positives or discuss other players in this one. There are a lot of checked-out veterans right now, and the only question is why so many of them continue to play.

OEL has been nursing an injury down the stretch, and really, why bother pushing through at this point? I have no issue wth giving a veteran the option to play — he’s a tenured player and has earned the right to make that call himself — but if he’s genuinely hurt, it is a different story.

Meanwhile, the division-winning Carolina Hurricanes did this on the same night: 

This whole last month would have been significantly easier to stomach if the Leafs had just done what Florida did and sat out NHL players. The Panthers just played a game with one NHL regular defenseman in the lineup.

The Leafs rightfully fired Brad Treliving, and, frankly, even if his job had been secure, there were no indications he would have shown any leadership in this situation, given that he didn’t throughout the season, including when it was still possible to save it. But the clear lack of leadership and organizational vision is on full display right now. Berube is stubbornly playing certain players for no reason, while barely giving younger players real opportunities.

Jacob Quillan once again started on the fourth line in this game between Michael Pezzetta and Calle Jarnkrok. He was leading the Marlies in scoring earlier this season and still has more points than Haymes, but he watched Haymes slot in above him on the depth chart to start this game. Technically, Quillan played more minutes than Haymes tonight, but that was only due to shorthanded time on ice. Haymes played nearly two minutes more than Quillan at even strength and with better linemates.

In the first period, the fourth line had a chance to transition on a 3v2 up ice. Pezzetta tried a cross-ice pass that was at least three feet too far away from Quillan, so the Islanders got the puck back. Those two were teammates on the Marlies, too, but Pezzetta played down the lineup rather than with Quillan. On the right side of the line, Jarnkrok just extended his streak to one point in 22 games.

We’ve now seen Scott Laughton leave and immediately improve, a year after Connor Dewar did the same (he has 30 points this season). It’s tough to watch. 

In the second period, Quillan was on the ice with Easton Cowan during a line change, and they hemmed in the Islanders, leading to Quillan setting up Rielly for a chance that he put off the bar. Quillan is creating a few good sequences each night but probably needs to be more selfish, given he has just 11 shots on net in 20 games. 

The bigger picture, though, is that this is where the Leafs are really missing a proper leader in management to dictate that a) younger players have to play, and b) they are going to receive proper opportunities while playing. Instead, we have Berube deciding, again, that someone is a fourth liner before scratching his head when he doesn’t do much. He’s again playing his guys, and the team is still getting tilted to embarrassing and shameful levels, in front of a rookie goalie making his NHL debut tonight, no less. 

Three more games to go. Go Kraken!

Game Flow: 5v5 Shot Attempts

Heat Map: 5v5 Shot Attempts

Game Highlights: Islanders 5 vs. Maple Leafs 3

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR