Maple Leafs Cannot Cool Off Scorching Hot Avalanche
"Last season the Colorado Avalanche barely won 10 games all season long and now they have won 10 straight games; a streak that started against the Toronto Maple Leafs and was extended against them tonight.
Like every single game during their current nine-game winning streak, the Colorado Avalanche got off to a fast start and scored the first goal. Gabriel Bourque opened up the scoring just over two minutes into the game with his second goal of the year by being left all alone in front of the net and putting home a rebound off a shot from Tyson Jost.
The Maple Leafs answered 19 seconds into the second period as Leo Komarov entered the zone, hit the breaks and found Patrick Marleau at the top of the left circle where he blasted a one-timer past Jonathan Bernier. Jake Gardiner had the secondary assist on Marleau's 16th goal for the Leafs.
About seven minutes later, it appeared that Auston Matthews had given the Maple Leafs a 2-1 lead, but the play was challenged for goaltender interference and after a lengthy review the goal was taken off of the board.
Matthews made sure he picked up his 21st goal of the season at the 9:17 mark. This time he beat Anton Lindholm to a rebound of a William Nylander shot and blasted it back into the Colorado net. His celebration included an empathic signal that it was indeed a good goal. Andreas Borgman was credited with the secondary assist.
The lead did not last very long as former number overall pick Nail Yakupov tied the game just over a minute and a half later. Borgman whiffed on a pass at center and Alexander Kerfoot picked up the puck, raced into the zone and feed Yakupov on the ride side for a beautiful one-timer past Frederik Andersen.
Blake Comeau gave the Avalanche a 3-2 lead with just under eight minutes to play left in the third period. Carl Soderberg carried the puck up the left boards and flipped the puck towards the net where Comeau beat Matthews and tipped it past Andersen.
The Avs iced the game with an empty net goal by captain Gabriel Landeskog in the final minute of the game.
The Maple Leafs now have just three wins in their last 11 games and thankfully the rest of the Atlantic Division is not putting their playoff spot in danger. They will return to action when they travel to the struggling Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night. "
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