That includes the last two games as well as four of the previous five, in which the Leafs have won via shootout. They are 3-2 in overtime and 4-1 in shootouts.Given the Leafs’ opponent on Saturday, winning in regulation will become much more difficult. On Thursday, the Boston Bruins defeated the lowly San Jose Sharks 3-0 after losing three straight games in an unusual fashion and being outscored 17-8 in those contests.The Leafs’ three-game home stand will come to an end when the Bruins visit Scotiabank Arena.
The Bruins, who entered Toronto in first place with a 15-4-3 record, continue to set trends in the Atlantic Division despite the retirements of centers David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron. On November 2, the Bruins defeated the Leafs in a shootout in Boston.The Bruins’ success has been “really impressive, not going to lie,” according to Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly. “We were thinking the same thing this time last year, and it’s even more impressive that they’re doing it again this year (without Bergeron and Krejci).”
Though we can commend the Leafs for their 7-3 record in games decided by overtime (3-2) or shootout (4-1), the chances are good that a club as strong as the Bruins will make sure the game doesn’t get close to lasting more than 60 minutes if they don’t play with greater urgency in regulation.Coach Sheldon Keefe finds a silver lining even though his team has only won five games in regulation (only the Montreal Canadiens have won fewer than the Leafs, with four). The Leafs have a 12-6-3 record and have won six of their last eight games. Out of the six victories, just two have occurred in regulation.
Keefe stated, “It’s good to keep piling up the points while we work through it because there are a lot of teams that are not doing that.” It’s not entirely bad. We are aware that we must improve, and we will.The Leafs had a full day off on Friday, so we won’t know until the morning skate on Saturday. However, there aren’t any circumstances where starting Ilya Samsonov in goal instead of Joseph Woll would make sense.
In three of his four starts, Woll has established himself at the top of the net and served as a pillar.Regarding his self-assurance, Woll remarked, “I think it’s pretty steady.” “I try to use the same attitude to every game. I make an effort to maintain the same perspective while making sure I’m growing and learning. I’ve had a few favorable results from this.
BOXING OUT
While Rielly never has beaten a path to the penalty box, there has been an anomaly to a degree.Rielly hasn’t taken a penalty yet this season — and for that matter, neither has Auston Matthews.Rielly’s career-high for one season is 40 penalty minutes in 2021-22, but that was the only year in his first 10 in the NHL that he had more than 28.Given that Rielly is currently playing for a career-high 25 minutes and 8 seconds on the ice, it is even more impressive.
Is it his positioning and hockey brain that have kept him out of the box?
“I believe it’s that,” Rielly remarked. “Feet, too, I believe. I believe my foot movement is good. You can recover from being out of place without receiving a penalty or you can maintain your position a little bit better.
“I’d prefer not to live in a box. There’s a place and a time for physical involvement or accepting a fair punishment. However, I believe that the key to hooking and tripping is positioning yourself well and using your feet.
It’s not pleasant to consider where the Leafs might be without Rielly given the injuries the blue line has sustained; on Saturday, John Klingberg’s status may become clear.
According to Keefe, “the fact that we are using him as much as we are proves that we need and believe in him.” “He responded to the ringing. He is prepared to accomplish anything that we have requested of him.
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