The Sceptres have another late night game tonight, this time in Vancouver:

Sceptres Road Trip: Stay up late
Two 10 pm start times this week
PPP LeafsCathy Squires

Various newsy things:

Jones out for Olympics, replaced by LaCombe on Team USA | NHL.com
Ducks defenseman added to roster for Milano Cortina Games
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Chris Cuthbert on the broadcast last night reported that Dakota Joshua should resume skating next week.

About last night...

The Leafs were a very different team to who they were last game. They got the first goal in a fast-paced period:

Easton Cowan did that thing he does too much:

But the Leafs killed it.

Carlo saved a goal:

And, as seems to be a regular thing, a player left the game:

Joe Woll with a big save at the end of the first:

And then a not terribly good job of defending a rush against ended the period with the game tied:

The second was made up of a string of penalties with no scoring on the power plays. Scott Laughton drew a penalty shot (and he and everyone else wishes it had been a power play.)

Benny ended the second with a bang:

After two the Corsi was dead even at five-on-five, but the xG disparity is obvious below.

And even more so in all-situations (each team had two power plays):

None of which matters because the game is as tied as it was at puck drop.

Matt Knies did not appear immediately for the third period which left the leafs 11/5 for six minutes.

The third period involved a lot of playing for the tie late in the game and a dominating performance by Detroit that got them zero goals. The Leafs conceded the field pretty much non-stop in what sure looks like worrying about losing more than trying to win.

Overtime is now an anxious affair without William Nylander and with no OEL, it was even more of a struggle.

Woll had to be great, Morgan Rielly had to save a goal, and Auston Matthews missed an open net.

Dylan Larkin won the game.

2-1 Detroit was the final.

Play of the game, though:

Fifty games and 57 points means the Leafs have to play at .641 the rest of the season to get to 98 points. No one is sure 98 points is enough either, but we have to pick some number. They are currently at .570.

Just to quantify that a little more, a .570 pace gets you 93 points.

Okay, that's all for today, have a great day and we're back at it on Friday.

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