First Period
The crowd thinks the Leafs have scored but Artem Zub flipped it up over the open net.
Zub saved a goal there
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) December 28, 2023
Nylander sent the pass from behind Korpisalo pic.twitter.com/85epE0UESb
Joonas Korpisalo goes down on a save from a good chance from the Max Domi line; he's flopping around a lot so far.
Timothy Liljegren takes a turn missing the open net, but then Auston Matthews tries this shooting thing.
until officially proven otherwise...
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) December 28, 2023
AUSTON MATTHEWS 🚨 pic.twitter.com/5ui3lkvwom
looks like Matthew Knies re-directs Matthews' shot off the toe pic.twitter.com/9vvy7PGdrF
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) December 28, 2023
1-0 Leafs officially a tip by Knies
Tyler Bertuzzi busts a goalless drought by just hanging around the net.
Mo to Bert pic.twitter.com/8R5C54sTiV
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) December 28, 2023
2-0 Leafs
It's Ottawa-style turnovers being served tonight. With a side order of flailing goalie.
The fourth line with the third pair defence just did a classic Leafs zone entry and activated defence cycle, and the Sens just endured. The fourth line.
Brady Tkachuk gets dumped as he's turning the puck over, and TJ Brodie gets to sit for two minutes. The PK was very successful, and fun to watch them do the perfectly executed triangle defence.
Nick Robertson draws a penalty and the Leafs get to try this power play thing.
Leafs fall down twice trying to get the puck up the ice. Not Bertuzzi! But this is not the "how they draw it up" power play like the PK was.
Next Gen goaltender goes Old School pic.twitter.com/yjbT3zq8XJ
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) December 28, 2023
Thoughts
You know when the box of chocolates is down to like six left and you're playing chicken on who is going to take the one really good one and suffer the domestic resentment? This has nothing to do with hockey, but it's what's on my mind.
Oh, Sens bad/Leafs good, btw.
Second Period
The Senators respond aggressively at the start of the second which should help to wake us all up.
Jones just barely makes a save on Tim Stützle . The gods are smiling on Jones right now.
back-to-back Stutzle saves for Jones pic.twitter.com/iTIkSJj5rG
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) December 28, 2023
Josh Norris takes a penalty for an accidental high stick in the offensive zone.
Claude Giroux sets up Parker Kelly for a shorty:
Parker Kelly scores shorthanded pic.twitter.com/gduSZUJi3w
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) December 28, 2023
2-1 Leafs
Giroux gets another shorty rush, as the Leafs are just not quite on the ball on the power play.
Stützle gets the puck, and he shoots at a prepared Jones, who can't freeze the puck (because he just can't do that ever) and no one has the trailing Sens skater who pops it in easy.
Drake Batherson ties it at 2 pic.twitter.com/XQw5t1kGsh
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) December 28, 2023
Tie game
The Leafs get a power play with 27 seconds left.
They promptly give up a shorty break and then can't score on their turn.
the third shorthanded chance against of the period pic.twitter.com/4Gi6YKTCTz
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) December 28, 2023
Thoughts
When you have a goalie like Jones in net, you have to play a certain way. You have to allow for who he is, what he can do.
Massively improved Senators game in the second.
Third Period
We start with most of the power play from last period, but only a few chances come of it, no goals.
Things get chippy as a Brady Tkachuk hit on Jake McCabe riles up Bobby McMann, and then a scrum makes William Lagesson go for Ridley Greig.
Brady Tkachuk sends McCabe into the boards pic.twitter.com/jRc5kRTFOg
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) December 28, 2023
William Lagesson vs. Ridly Greig (2/2) pic.twitter.com/DKu34cH9EY
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) December 28, 2023
Ottawa takes the lead on a goal that bounces off of Jones.
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) December 28, 2023
3-2 Ottawa
Sens are pulling even in SOG and five-on-five Corsi, but the Leafs aren't making it easy.
Leafs somehow miss a wide open net by millimetres again.
John Tavares wills the puck across the crease
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) December 28, 2023
it slides across the line and Bertuzzi (or anything) can't hit it pic.twitter.com/71uPR3ZyW4
Leafs pull Jones early as you should if you like winning.
Tkachuk gets the ENG which is what usually happens (avoid having to pull the goalie with this one neat trick...)
4-2 Ottawa
Leafs can't get a seriously good chance out of the remaining minute and a half.
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