Maple Leafs Blow Another Lead. Lose In OT Again

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January 18, 2018 (11:03 PM)

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"Stop me if you've heard this one before, but the Toronto Maple Leafs could not hold a third period lead and lost in overtime. This time they entered the third period with a 2-0 lead only to lose to the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 in extra time.
After the game started about an hour after the originally scheduled time due to Eric Lindros getting his number retired at center ice, the Leafs and Flyers treated us to a fast paced, but scoreless opening period.
The goal horn at the Wells Fargo Center had a busy stretch late in the second period. Connor Brown opened the scoring at the 12:57 mark as he got in behind the defense and beat Michal Neuvirth between the legs. Zach Hyman had the lone assist on Brown's 12^th goal of the season.
The Leafs fourth line doubled the lead just 28 second later as Neuvirth's glove save on a Jake Gardiner popped straight up and after Matt Martin's stuff attempt was denied Frederik Gauthier put the puck over the goal line for his first goal of the season. The Leafs looked to be offside on the play, but for whatever reason the Flyers bench did not challenge the goal.
The third period got off to a rough start for the Maple Leafs as Nolan Patrick got the Flyers on the board just 1:33 into the final frame. The 2017 second overall pick stole the puck from Mitch Marner at the side of the net and with the same motion backhanded into the Leafs net.
The Leafs almost immediately went to a power play after the Patrick goal, but they gave up an odd man rush that was finished off by a Wayne Simmonds one-timer from the left, off of a nice saucer pass by Valtterri Filppula, to tie the game at 3:25.
For the fifth time in six games the Maple Leafs headed to overtime and for third straight time they came out on the short end of the stick. The Flyers needed just 18 seconds for Sean Couturier to bury a one-timer while on a 2-on-1 rush with Travis Konecny.
Mke Babcock has a bunch of thoroughbreds on his roster with the likes of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander but he won't let them run. Matthews should not be playing 18 minutes a night so Leo Komarov and Matt Martin can get extra shifts. You are going to win with young guns and it is time to let them loose!"

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