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# The Suckiest Bunch of Sucks That Ever Sucked
- URL: https://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/the-suckiest-bunch-of-sucks-that-ever-sucked/
- Published: 2014-01-08T03:43:07.000Z
- Updated: 2014-01-08T03:43:07.000Z
- Author: Colin Odneal
- Tags: #chorus, #Import 2023-04-05 10:50

It's been shown through various studies that teams are more likely to lose on the second half of a back-to-back. The Leafs apparently read those studies incorrectly. The [Islanders](http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/teams/new-york-islanders?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) were stuck on the JFK tarmac until 3am last night due to weather in Toronto and played in tonight's game like a team who had been stuck on the JFK tarmac until 3am. Problem is, so did the Leafs.

The Islanders have the second worst team SV% in the NHL this season (.894\. Edmonto is the worst at .892), and their starting goalie [Kevin Poulin](http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/players/88686/kevin-poulin?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) has a nice little .891 going himself. Yet somehow the gameplan wasn't "Get as much rubber on net as humanly possibly". Or if it was, it went to shit in a hurry because the Leafs only managed to get 26 shots on goals against a team who played the night before, slept on an airport runway, and took fives penalties (for a total of 9:38 of PP time) as tired teams are oft to do. How does that happen to a professional hockey team? The [Toronto Maple Leafs](http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/teams/toronto-maple-leafs?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com), that's how. Kevin Poulin was exactly Kevin Poulinesque as he let in 3 of those 26 shots (Side note: 26 shots is expected for a team on a B2B, not a team that's two days rested) for a .885 sv%, but it didn't really matter because at the other end of the ice [Jonathan Bernier](http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/players/54581/jonathan-bernier?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) was Kevin Pouliner, letting in 4 of the 24 he faced including some absolute stinkers.

There was an unscreened wrister from [Kyle Okposo](http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/players/54146/kyle-okposo?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) 45 feet out that Bernier had to clue on. Then, as he is want to do, Bernier was far to cavalier in handling the puck and gifted [Michael Grabner](http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/players/54484/michael-grabner?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) the easiest goal of his career. Lastly, the game winner, and first of his career, by Calvin de Haan was a nothing shot from outside the blue line that took a deflection five feet inside the blueline and still beat Bernier five-hole. These kind of goals are more and more becoming the hallmark for Bernier and it's not good.

The few bright spots in the game were:

A) the play of [Nazem Kadri](http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/players/71825/nazem-kadri?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) who tallied two assists and whose line dominated in possession with a CF of 63%.

B) [Tim Gleason](http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/players/54235/tim-gleason?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) who was 2nd among D with a CF of 55%. This brings up not a bright spot. [Jake Gardiner](http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/players/130014/jake-gardiner?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) led the defense in CF with 55.2%, had an assist on Raymond's game tying PPG, and was yet again stapled to the bench for the final 10 minutes of the 2nd period, probably because he took a 2 minute 16 second shift even though most of that came on sustained O-zone pressure.

C) [Mason Raymond](http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/players/54470/mason-raymond?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) continues to be the best value player in the entire NHL

City and State of New York - 2\. Maple Leafs - 0.

I gotta go. My damn wiener kids are listening.