The Toronto Maple Leafs kicked off a heavy work week with a 5-2 loss over the Montreal Canadiens on Monday night.
From the first puck drop the Leafs looked to be playing second fiddle to a Habs team that has more confidence in them right now than at any point in the season so far.
Montreal opened the scoring just three minutes into the game when Josh Anderson was left alone In the Leafs crease and he was able to whack home his 10th goal of the season.
The Leafs fortunes went from bad to worse as Cole Caufield ripped home his 5th goal in his last 6 games under new head coach Martin St. Louis, on a 2 on 1. Mrazek’s positioning on that goal should come into question, but another rush opportunity leading to a goal has been killing this Leafs team all season.
Petr Mrazek had a night he’d love to forget especially when only 38 seconds into the second period any momentum the Leafs might have had coming out of that disastrous first period were quickly extinguished as Mike Hoffman threw a wrist shot on from about 25 feet out which snuck under Mrazek’s arm and in the net to give the Habs a three goal lead.
With about four minutes left in the second period the Habs extended their lead to five with Anderson scoring his second of the night, and his team leading 11th goal on the season. Rem Pitlick made it 5-0 with about two minutes left in the second after the Leafs were caught on the rush after trying to mount some pressure.
Josh Anderson took sole possession of the Habs goal lead this year as he was coming in a three way tie with Rem Pitlick and Mike Hoffman with only nine goals.
Toronto’s comeback would only stop at two as Ilya Mikheyev and Pierre Engvall scored goals 45 seconds apart as this would be the closest the Leafs would come to tying the game.
Play had to be halted with only 2.6 seconds left in the second period as Jake Muzzin lost an edge while trying to go for a check on Habs defensemen Chris Wideman, and as a result of the collision Muzzin sustained a head injury.
He was able to skate off the ice on his own accord but would be sent to the medical room and wouldn’t return for the third period. Following the game Sheldon Keefe announced that Muzzin will remain in Quebec to undergo further testing and most likely won’t join the team in Columbus tomorrow.
With his two goals tonight Anderson has seven goals in 11 games against the Leafs while in La Belle Province.
With their win tonight the Montreal Canadiens extend their season high win streak to a whopping THREE! games and they look to make it four in a row on Wednesday when the Buffalo Sabres come to town.
The Leafs play on the second half of a back to back Tuesday night when they travel to Columbus to take on the Blue Jackets, before games against the Wild and Red Wings on Thursday and Saturday.
BD Sports 