First Period
The traditional Tyler Bertuzzi shot that misses is out of the way early in this game, so we can just carry on as normal now.
first scoring chance goes wide pic.twitter.com/sM9Ezozh2u
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) February 18, 2024
And as normal, Auston Matthews scores.
Knies finds Matthews in the slot pic.twitter.com/p5LhOpT6qr
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) February 18, 2024
1-0 Leafs
Take that, Lukas Dostal. Matt Knies with some gritty grindy stuff as well as a pass.
The Ducks almost immediately take a penalty.
Bobby McMann on the power play ... okay that's just genius isn't it?
Max Lajoie gets his first point the season after McMann picks a corner pic.twitter.com/xAzZqz3WCd
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) February 18, 2024
2-0 Leafs
His first ever NHL power play goal.
Noah Gregor tries a tricky shortside shot that fails, and I was just thinking Ryan Reaves should give it a go, and he does. No luck, though.
Now Jake McCabe is scoring? He can't smile because his face hurts too much, poor guy.
it's 3-0, what a shot pic.twitter.com/UjHFBckmtw
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) February 18, 2024
3-0 Leafs
Radko Gudas is not fighting Reaves, he's fighting Max Domi off a William Nylander penalty. Domi had the nerve to hit him into the boards, so I guess that's the weird reason. Ducks power play is the result.
Domi vs. Gudas pic.twitter.com/MAj1uRTiFV
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) February 18, 2024
Frank Vatrano scores pretty easily, and I'm suddenly reminded it's a Martin Jones game.
Frank Vatrano scores on the power play pic.twitter.com/dGS56eWmuF
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) February 18, 2024
3-1 Leafs
William Lagesson is not playing for reasons unknown. He's only played two shifts and is reported to be back in the dressing room. Timothy Liljegren took a high stick but is staying in.
Ducks take another penalty. William Nylander adds another goal.
Willy ripped the puck into the net and it stayed there pic.twitter.com/bfZW7gLXUp
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) February 18, 2024
4-1 Leafs
500th point for Nylander. No one seems to have grabbed the puck.
Thoughts
It's not that they scored all these goals, it's that they let rip all those great shots. Not Bertuzzi, of course.
Second Period
John Gibson, who left two recent games with an injury is in this game now.
Matthews does not want to hear about which goalie it is.
AUSTON MATTHEWS 🚨🚨
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) February 18, 2024
47!!! pic.twitter.com/ZmaFNrTW85
5-1 Leafs
Toronto with another power play as an inadvertent high stick gets called.
Bertuzzi gets a post.
Gooooooooooooal. Tyler Bertuzzi has scored. This is an age of miracles and wonders! No one could ever have expected this goal!
first in 20 for Bertuzzi pic.twitter.com/TVo5xmL9LS
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) February 18, 2024
6-1 Leafs
Auston Matthews with yet another hat trick. So predictable. Call me when he hits a post. Or goes 19 games without scoring.
AUSTON MATTHEWS 🎩🎩🎩
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) February 18, 2024
Back-to-back hat tricks for the second time this season pic.twitter.com/JwmizxDqfr
7-1 Leafs
Auston Matthews now has more hat tricks (6) than 506 skaters in the league have scored goals (5) this season.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) February 18, 2024
Crowd is carrying on because Reaves and Gudas are doing something offscreen.
Oh, sure, big man, tough dude, he goes and hits Nick Robertson. Such a scummy guy. Oh cool, he tried to low bridge Reaves and he discovered he didn't have a lever big enough, nor a fulcrum to move Reaves.
Reaves wants to talk things over with Gudas, but he won't go. They get to sit for two minutes each. The crowd is not happy as they wanted to see the meeting of the debating society.
Two Much Mann again.
McMann will not be stopped by anyone pic.twitter.com/teBYWiCZnP
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) February 18, 2024
8-1 Leafs
Gudas (all hat no cattle) keeps refusing to go with Reaves, so Domi has a go again after Gudas tries to go after McMann.
No Leaf is letting you go after Bobby right now, Gudas. I would fight you over Bobby.
Ducks had a power play, and then they immediately erase it with a high stick on McCabe.
Thoughts
Score 15, guys. No mercy.
Also it's extremely clear the Leafs should just not use defencemen. 18F/ 0D, who says no?
McCabe-Marner pic.twitter.com/SloI56F9Bf
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) February 18, 2024
Third Period
Leafs look like their doing a power play setup drill while hungover. They actually are pretty bad at being dull on purpose.
Leo Carlsson scores andKeefe is going to challenge. (Big rebound given up by Jones here, but the interference is real.) No goal.
Leo Carlsson's goal is called off for goaltender interference pic.twitter.com/bZcdAO9BVe
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) February 18, 2024
I'm using preseason rules, as nothing that happens now matters. The shift chart is interesting. Simon Benoit every other shift until goal five and then that switched to Max Lajoie. So that tells you where Keefe's safe line is.
Ryan Reaves has played more five-on-five minutes than Auston Matthews. There's been a lot of power plays, but not very many PP minutes.
Reaves is trying to get things going after Sam Carrick tries to go after Benoit for a clean hit. Carrick gets 10 minutes, Reaves does not.
Benoit! pic.twitter.com/bBq4iUWuGJ
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) February 18, 2024
This might actually be the only game of hockey I've ever watched where Ryan Reaves as deterrent is kinda valid. And it's not him, it's the other team that just wants to stir the pot and then run when it boils over.
Ryan Strome scores, and this one isn't coming back.
Ryan Strome makes it 8-2 pic.twitter.com/zKouWISgQC
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) February 18, 2024
8-2 Leafs
Not the best defending from, well, everyone there.
Robertson with shot of the evening's standard type.
McMann turns the puck over and finds Roberston pic.twitter.com/oDCwgxrQlT
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) February 18, 2024
9-2 Leafs
Leafs win (three times over).
Next game is Monday at 1PM Toronto time. Don't blame me, wasn't my idea.
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