Former Leaf blames young defenseman for Panthers' late game-tying goal
During last night's Leafs/Panthers game, the Leafs seemed to be in full control until a late penalty on Mark Giordano rendered the Leafs down a man. The Panthers tied the game with just under a minute to go in the third thanks to a high-tip from Sam Reinhart on a 6-o-4 powerplay with the Panthers' net empty.
Giordano's penalty was one of the few occurrences of taking a penalty to prevent a sure goal, with a wide open net. Gio was forced to take the penalty because Timothy Liljegren bobbled the puck and turned it over. Former Leaf and current TSN1050 radio host Carlo Colaiacovo called out Liljegren's play this morning on Twitter, saying that he should not be on the ice to defend a lead late in the game with how he has been playing lately.
The Leafs also had chances to clear the puck on the penalty kill which could have negated the Panthers' ability to tie the game as well, so it cannot be placed entirely on Liljegren. Since the additions of Luke Schenn, Jake McCabe and Erik Gustafsson, Liljegren has been struggling, likely from the pressure of fighting for a spot in the lineup.
If the constant threat of losing his spot is forcing Liljegren to try to do too much instead of sticking with what has worked for him all season, perhaps the best idea for him is to give him a night or two playing in the team's top-4 instead of toiling away as the 6th or 7th defenseman. Boosting the kid's confidence right before the playoffs could be a good idea. The worst that can happen is that he flounders during a couple of meaningless regular season games. Conversely, if the pressure of losing his spot before the playoffs is too much, perhaps there is some cause for concern as to how he'll handle himself if the Leafs do give him a shot in the playoffs.
| POLL | ||
MARS 30 | 387 ANSWERS Former Leaf blames young defenseman for Panthers' late game-tying goal Should Liljegren start for the Leafs in the playoffs? | ||
| Yes | 145 | 37.5 % |
| No | 242 | 62.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
