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# Recap: Leafs lose to the Pinball Wizard (and themselves)
- URL: https://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/recap-leafs-rangers-december-19/
- Published: 2023-12-20T02:37:35.000Z
- Updated: 2023-12-20T02:37:35.000Z
- Description: Jones was good, just not good enough to carry a team unable to counter the Rangers defence.
- Author: Cathy Squires
- Tags: Game Coverage

> his name is John Tavares [pic.twitter.com/mhex5t2XTP](https://t.co/mhex5t2XTP?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)
> 
> — Omar (@TicTacTOmar) [December 20, 2023](https://twitter.com/TicTacTOmar/status/1737265261063868771?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

### First Period

Leafs come out of the long ceremony decently quick. All four lines get a shift, and the defence looks good. 

Max Domi hits Will Cuylle hard – and he doesn't seem to have had the puck and yet no call.

> Domi drops Cuylle  
>  
> (this is interference lol) [pic.twitter.com/wOrqZvxIpe](https://t.co/wOrqZvxIpe?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)
> 
> — Omar (@TicTacTOmar) [December 20, 2023](https://twitter.com/TicTacTOmar/status/1737269088781578481?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

Jones has to make a save on Jimmy Vesey and then on the rebound too.

> Jones used his pad and the paddle on the rebound [pic.twitter.com/Z2rA7BW3eG](https://t.co/Z2rA7BW3eG?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)
> 
> — Omar (@TicTacTOmar) [December 20, 2023](https://twitter.com/TicTacTOmar/status/1737268972863561786?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

The Leafs have a nice flurry in front of Igor Shesterkin.

And the rest of the period was a very fast-skating much ado about nothing.

#### Thoughts

### Second Period

Leafs stuck on six SOG for a long time in the first, but it ticks up to seven decently quickly.

Ah man, that's tough. Jones has been great, and he gets beat by a pinball wizard puck.

> lol [pic.twitter.com/cUGHmfgG8G](https://t.co/cUGHmfgG8G?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)
> 
> — Omar (@TicTacTOmar) [December 20, 2023](https://twitter.com/TicTacTOmar/status/1737280991339639199?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

**1-0 Rangers**

Oh gorgeous. Matthews throws up a great shot over the glove. (What?) 

> Morgan Rielly made Matthews disappear [pic.twitter.com/OXKGYFAdOO](https://t.co/OXKGYFAdOO?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)
> 
> — Omar (@TicTacTOmar) [December 20, 2023](https://twitter.com/TicTacTOmar/status/1737281515967381645?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

**Tie Game**

Mo makes the play happen.

And now, finally, they've figured out who scored the Rangers goal, so it gets announced first along with William Lagesson going off for holding. 

Leafs created chaos for most of the power play and then Jones gets a glove save on Panarin. Jones has to make quite a few more saves. Once the Rangers get setup their power play is scary.

And Blake Wheeler proves that by taking the lead.

> Alexis Lafreniere scores on the power play   
>  
> the shot goes off Rielly and in [pic.twitter.com/EyK7JIbyvT](https://t.co/EyK7JIbyvT?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)
> 
> — Omar (@TicTacTOmar) [December 20, 2023](https://twitter.com/TicTacTOmar/status/1737283273879937262?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

**2-1 Rangers**

Scratch that, it bounces in off of Morgan Rielly. 

Leafs get two offensive chances and both of them go awry. The luck is all on the other side tonight.

Marner gets squished between two guys, but there is no penalty on the elbow to the face. 

#### Thoughts

### Third Period

LOL. About time the Leafs get to capitalize on a defensive breakdown.

> McCabe uses all the time the Rangers give him and finds Matthews [pic.twitter.com/Oiufuil3Hh](https://t.co/Oiufuil3Hh?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)
> 
> — Omar (@TicTacTOmar) [December 20, 2023](https://twitter.com/TicTacTOmar/status/1737293903835869276?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

**Tie Game**

Matthews throws this one up high too. (What? Seriously, what?)

Grrrr, and this was just getting fun. Rangers take the lead.

> clear path off the stand up [pic.twitter.com/gNDpQujUgx](https://t.co/gNDpQujUgx?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)
> 
> — Omar (@TicTacTOmar) [December 20, 2023](https://twitter.com/TicTacTOmar/status/1737297138697076942?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

**3-2 Rangers**

Everyone is bad: Bertuzzi, McCabe, JT, Jones, the whole bunch of them.

Vesey with another chance, and I gotta tell you, Jimmy Vesey was one of the worst players I have ever seen try to play for the Leafs. I guess he just hated the team. 

So this is cool. Rangers to the PP with six minutes left. 

Rangers add another. 

> Artemi Panarin. 4-2  
>  
> His initial shot went off Liljegren then the deflected puck went in off Lagesson [pic.twitter.com/UBtCDLeCoZ](https://t.co/UBtCDLeCoZ?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)
> 
> — Omar (@TicTacTOmar) [December 20, 2023](https://twitter.com/TicTacTOmar/status/1737299512262103333?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

**4-2 Bad Guys**

Ironically, the Leafs try to win it by pulling Jones. 

Zibanejad gets the eng. 

> Mika Zibanejad gets the empty-net goal [pic.twitter.com/eaJEupy29i](https://t.co/eaJEupy29i?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)
> 
> — Omar (@TicTacTOmar) [December 20, 2023](https://twitter.com/TicTacTOmar/status/1737300740631052415?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

**5-2 Rangers**

#### Thoughts

How about some really OTT 80s angst to celebrate that game? 

Or substitute the great tragic scene of Shakespeare of your choice.

Next game is Thursday in Buffalo.