This time in Brooklyn, eventually a 6-5 loss in overtime to the New York Islanders. And there's a lot to unpack, after Toronto's rookies again shined, but the club's poor defensive play and poor goaltending cost it a point.
More than one-third of #leafs games this season have seen at least one of the teams score five goals (19/51).
The last time four different Toronto rookies scored in a game: 1948.
The Islanders deserve some credit, erasing 2-1, 4-2, and 5-4 Maple Leafs leads, the latter with only 90 seconds left in the game.
Meanwhile, Toronto remains one of the worst teams with a lead. Any lead.
Maple Leafs rookies can't stop scoring, but Toronto's allowing goals in bushels right now. Monday's loss was Toronto's third in four games, and Mike Babcock's crew has allowed at least five goals in all of those contests.
Frederik Andersen's struggles continue. After posting back-to-back shutouts on Jan. 23 and 25, he's been absolutely lit up. He stopped five-of-eight shots against Dallas last Tuesday, before being pulled; he gave up five goals to the Blues on Thursday, and another five to the Bruins in a wild 6-5 Toronto win Saturday.
Andersen stopped 28-of-34 shots Monday, marking the fourth straight game he's ended with a save percentage below .880.
Frederik Andersen has an .888 save percentage since the start of January. That's the other side of firewagon hockey.
With games almost every other night the rest of the way, Toronto's got no choice but to give Andersen some rest, likely beginning Tuesday when Dallas visits the Air Canada Centre. Expect Curtis McElhinney to get the start.
Brock Nelson had two goals - including the OT winner - and an assist for New York, while Andrew Ladd scored his fourth goal in five games.
The Edmonton Oilers goaltender was at it again Sunday, earning his fifth shutout of the season in a 1-0 shootout win over the Montreal Canadiens. Talbot stopped all 22 shots he faced in 65 minutes, and didn't allow a goal in the skills competition.
With the clean sheet, Talbot tied his career high for shutouts in a season, matching the five he recorded in just 36 games with the New York Rangers in 2014-15. His strong play that season backing up Henrik Lundqvist - and filling in when The King was injured - changed the trajectory of his career.
Talbot was traded to the Oilers - seemingly forever in search of a No. 1 goalie - ahead of the 2015 draft for three picks (a second, third, and seventh). And, it's safe to say he was worth the price.
The 29-year-old has started 49 of the Oilers' 55 games this season, and along with Connor McDavid is a huge reason why Edmonton's poised for playoff hockey for the first time since 2006. It's been a while.
The forward is the Montreal Canadiens' You Can Play ambassador during February's "Hockey is for Everyone" NHL-run campaign, and he revealed Friday that he volunteered for the position, after being suspended for using a homophobic slur in last year's playoffs.
Andrew Shaw doesn't want this to be about him, but using a slur compelled him to do it: "This is me giving back for a mistake that I made."
"You can look back, I used a word that I never should have," Shaw added, according to TSN 690's Amanda Stein. "It's a word that has been used for years, and people need to know it's not right.
"They brought it to the team and I thought it would be a good opportunity to help out," he added. "What I went through last year, you know I learned from it. Words affect people more than you think. ... With what I learned last year it's a good position to be in. I can take what I learned from my experiences and help others learn the value of words."
Spezza was hurt in the Stars' 4-3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday, during which he saw only 11:49 of ice time. It's probable he was hurt on this play, when Adam Lowry hit Spezza at the blue line.
The 33-year-old was riding a three-game point streak before being hurt, and has eight goals and 23 assists in 51 games. His loss is big for Dallas, which is trying to work itself back into playoff position in the Western Conference.
Only the Winnipeg Jets have played as much hockey as the Boston Bruins.
With four full days off after Saturday's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the club's bye week running Feb. 13 through 18, the Bruins appear to have dodged major injury bullets with respect to stars Tuukka Rask and Patrice Bergeron.
The club announced Rask won't participate in practice Friday, being given a maintenance day instead, after he hurt his groin Wednesday night. Meanwhile, Bergeron won't practice, either, and he's considered day to day with a lower-body injury.
Bergeron blocked a shot off his knee Wednesday, was forced from the game, and was seen limping afterward.
There's no word whether Bergeron and Rask will play Saturday, when the Bruins host the Maple Leafs. Boston's three points up on Toronto for third place in the Atlantic Division, but the Maple Leafs have a ridiculous five games in hand.
The playoff picture will be a lot more clear later this month, since the Bruins play only five games between Saturday and Feb. 20. And for Bruins fans, they're hoping that picture gets a bit better looking, and includes Bergeron and Rask.
The Nashville Predators' top line he centers with Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson accounted for both his team's goals in Thursday's 2-0 win over the Edmonton Oilers, and Johansen let out the secret to the trio's success:
"Well, we're all really good looking," he said, according to The Tennessean's Adam Vingan. "That kind of says it all."
It does, doesn't it?
Nashville's playing inspired hockey at the moment, and Johansen's got two goals and six assists in his past six games, in which the Predators have gone 4-1-1. His 38 points lead the team in scoring.
Forsberg, who's second on the team in scoring, contributed an assist Thursday, after a January that saw him score seven times in 14 games.
Arvidsson's a point behind Forsberg, and he's got two goals and two assists in his last five games. He's already set career highs in goals (13), assists (19), and points (32).
"They're playing really well," head coach Peter Laviolette said. "We put it together and we've stayed with it. It's given us some results."
The Predators are playing their best hockey after dealing with injuries to key players like P.K. Subban and Roman Josi. Things are looking good as they prepare to hit the stretch.
Last year's Atlantic champions aren't going to repeat. They're 22-19-10, four points out of the division's third and final playoff spot, with a few games in hand. They can't score, averaging 2.3 goals per game, 26th in the NHL. Ditto their power play, which ranks 25th.
Help is on the way: Jonathan Huberdeau will make his season debut Friday against the Anaheim Ducks, after Achilles surgery cost him the first half of the season. Aleksander Barkov will be back in the lineup, too, having last played Dec. 28. And he was heating up after a slow start when he went down, with 13 points - including seven goals - in 13 games in the final month of 2016.
No time to settle in
Florida doesn't have luxury to wait for Barkov and Huberdeau to find their legs. While the second wild-card spot is also within Florida's reach, it's third place in the division the Panthers covet. And in order to get there, Florida's going to have to beat some very good competition in February.
After Friday's game, Florida's off until Feb. 9, thanks to its mandated bye week, and then it's off to the races against very stiff competition:
Date
Opponent
Feb. 3
Ducks
Feb. 9
Kings
Feb. 11
@ Predators
Feb. 15
@ Sharks
Feb. 17
@ Ducks
Feb. 18
@ Kings
Feb. 20
@ Blues
Feb. 22
Oilers
Feb. 24
Flames
Feb. 26
Senators
Feb. 28
Hurricanes
In other words, the Panthers' immediate and long-term future will be decided in the coming weeks.
On the surface, things aren't good. Florida hasn't improved since Gerard Gallant took over, and that minus-20 goal differential is very difficult to ignore. And should the Panthers struggle on that upcoming five-game road trip against stiff Western Conference opponents between Feb. 11 and Feb. 20, it's a good chance they're sellers at the March 1 trade deadline.
Who could go?
And that could mean Jaromir Jagr's time in Sunrise may be up. While he's enjoyed his time in Florida, the soon-to-be 45-year-old is playing for a chance at a Stanley Cup - and he's on an expiring contract. If the Panthers aren't going to the dance, they must make sure Jagr does.
Jussi Jokinen, signed through next season at $4 million, is another player who could be made available if the Panthers find themselves on the outside looking in at the playoffs come Feb. 21. Florida can chalk up this season as lost due to injury, take the positives - Vincent Trochek's emergence into an All-Star and finding Jonathan Marchessault - and look to 2017-18 with its young core intact.
On defense, Jakub Kindl will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1, while Mark Pysyk and Alex Petrovic will be restricted. And every playoff team needs depth defenders.
In other words, the Panthers have some assets they can move, should they decide to sell. With an unfavorable schedule, and no more points to waste, it's do-or-die time for Florida as the calendar inches towards deadline day.
Max Pacioretty should have been in Los Angeles over the weekend.
The break did the Montreal Canadiens captain good, though, as he returned to the ice Tuesday and scored the second hat trick of his season, with each tally coming at even strength. He's now up to 24 goals, a mark only five players have hit, with only Sidney Crosby (28) having scored more.
Among the league's top goal-scorers, it's Pacioretty who stands apart with his 5-on-5 play:
Player
Corsi For %
TOI
ES Goals
GP
Pacioretty
54.34%
712.48
17
51
Crosby
53.33%
614.09
18
43
Jeff Carter
52.26%
630.15
15
50
Auston Matthews
52.2%
677.01
20
48
Mark Scheifele
49.4%
748.13
18
50
Alex Ovechkin
48.73%
675.79
15
50
Cam Atkinson
48.1%
606.58
13
49
Patrik Laine
47.33%
638.28
15
45
The majority of the game's contested at 5-on-5, and that's when Pacioretty's been the most adept at driving play. When he's on the ice, the Canadiens have the puck, and he's a major threat to score.
When it comes to power-play goals, Pacioretty's near the bottom among the league's top snipers - because he's too busy dominating at 5-on-5:
Player
PPG
SGH
Crosby
10
0
Atkinson
9
2
Ovechkin
9
0
Carter
8
1
Laine
8
0
Pacioretty
6
1
Scheifele
5
0
Matthews
3
0
Here's a look at power-play ice time, with Pacioretty again near the bottom:
Player
PP TOI
Ovechkin
3:46
Crosby
3:39
Scheifele
3:07
Laine
2:51
Carter
2:50
Pacioretty
2:50
Atkinson
2:42
Matthews
2:31
Auston Matthews and Pacioretty are both dominant at 5-on-5 and deserving of more power-play minutes, but it's hard to argue that Mike Babcock and Michel Therrien must find these two more playing time with the man advantage. The Toronto Maple Leafs rank second in the league on the power play at 23.6 percent, while Montreal's right behind them at 23.4 percent.
May as well save the guys for even strength. Montreal's lineup is one of the more balanced in the league, with Pacioretty leading all forwards in ice time, averaging 19:02 per game. It's probably a sound strategy - by keeping his captain fresh, Therrien can push him over the 20- and 21-minute mark come the spring.
It's harder to score in the playoffs, which means Pacioretty will need a few more minutes per game - at even strength and on the power play - to make sure he does.
The point is: Pacioretty is an elite goal-scorer who does it while everyone's on the ice, when it's hardest to do so. It's hard to believe a hockey universe exists in which the Canadiens' captain is underrated, but it's safe to say that's the case, especially after a Pacioretty-free weekend in Hollywood, where the game's best were celebrated.
Max Pacioretty should have been in Los Angeles over the weekend.
The break did the Montreal Canadiens captain good, though, as he returned to the ice Tuesday and scored the second hat trick of his season, with each tally coming at even strength. He's now up to 24 goals, a mark only five players have hit, with only Sidney Crosby (28) having scored more.
Among the league's top goal-scorers, it's Pacioretty who stands apart with his 5-on-5 play:
Player
Corsi For %
TOI
ES Goals
GP
Pacioretty
54.34%
712.48
17
51
Crosby
53.33%
614.09
18
43
Jeff Carter
52.26%
630.15
15
50
Auston Matthews
52.2%
677.01
20
48
Mark Scheifele
49.4%
748.13
18
50
Alex Ovechkin
48.73%
675.79
15
50
Cam Atkinson
48.1%
606.58
13
49
Patrik Laine
47.33%
638.28
15
45
The majority of the game's contested at 5-on-5, and that's when Pacioretty's been the most adept at driving play. When he's on the ice, the Canadiens have the puck, and he's a major threat to score.
When it comes to power-play goals, Pacioretty's near the bottom among the league's top snipers - because he's too busy dominating at 5-on-5:
Player
PPG
SGH
Crosby
10
0
Atkinson
9
2
Ovechkin
9
0
Carter
8
1
Laine
8
0
Pacioretty
6
1
Scheifele
5
0
Matthews
3
0
Here's a look at power-play ice time, with Pacioretty again near the bottom:
Player
PP TOI
Ovechkin
3:46
Crosby
3:39
Scheifele
3:07
Laine
2:51
Carter
2:50
Pacioretty
2:50
Atkinson
2:42
Matthews
2:31
Auston Matthews and Pacioretty are both dominant at 5-on-5 and deserving of more power-play minutes, but it's hard to argue that Mike Babcock and Michel Therrien must find these two more playing time with the man advantage. The Toronto Maple Leafs rank second in the league on the power play at 23.6 percent, while Montreal's right behind them at 23.4 percent.
May as well save the guys for even strength. Montreal's lineup is one of the more balanced in the league, with Pacioretty leading all forwards in ice time, averaging 19:02 per game. It's probably a sound strategy - by keeping his captain fresh, Therrien can push him over the 20- and 21-minute mark come the spring.
It's harder to score in the playoffs, which means Pacioretty will need a few more minutes per game - at even strength and on the power play - to make sure he does.
The point is: Pacioretty is an elite goal-scorer who does it while everyone's on the ice, when it's hardest to do so. It's hard to believe a hockey universe exists in which the Canadiens' captain is underrated, but it's safe to say that's the case, especially after a Pacioretty-free weekend in Hollywood, where the game's best were celebrated.
NHL All-Star 3-on-3 Tournament When: Sunday, Jan. 29, 3:30 p.m. ET Where: STAPLES Center, Los Angeles, Calif. TV: NBC (U.S.); CBC, Sportsnet, TVA Sports (Canada)
It was so good last year, they're doing it again. And three remains the magic number.
The 2017 All-Star Game will follow in the footsteps of 2016: The world's best players - and its poor, helpless goalies - will decide divisional supremacy in a 3-on-3 three-game tournament.
Three 20-minute games played at 3-on-3 (teams will change ends at the 10-minute mark)
Games tied after 20 minutes will go to a shootout
$1 million goes to the winning team
Remembering 2016
Last year, All-Star weekend in Nashville, Tenn., became The John Scott Show.
The enforcer, with the Arizona Coyotes when the calendar turned to 2016, was voted to the annual showcase by fans online, much to the dismay of the NHL. Scott was traded on Jan. 15, 2016 to the Montreal Canadiens, and sent to the club's AHL affiliate in St. John's. Four days later, with much uncertainty around Scott's status, the NHL announced it would let him participate in All-Star weekend, as captain of the Pacific Division.
In the end, the big man stole the show.
Scott was given a rousing standing ovation during the Skills Competition, the only All-Star wearing his All-Star tournament jersey, since he was technically a member of the Eastern Conference, playing in the AHL, while representing the Pacific Division. (Yeah, only in the NHL.)
The 3-on-3 tournament began with the Atlantic defeating the Metro in the first semifinal, 4-3. Three-on-three at the All-Star Game was born, and it was beautiful.
In the second semifinal, with the Central up 1-0 after 26 seconds, Scott would make his mark only 21 seconds later, tying the game 1-1. The Pacific wouldn't trail in the tournament again.
Scott - who celebrated his first goal with a brilliant fist pump, like a man who'd scored a lot more than five goals in the NHL - finished with two goals, and the Pacific won 9-6.
The final was a tight-checking affair, obviously, with the Pacific prevailing 1-0 on Corey Perry's tally. Goalies Jonathan Quick and John Gibson were stellar and stopped all 17 shots they faced.
Scott, tied for the team lead with two goals in two mini-games, was rightfully named tournament MVP. Sweet justice.
Scott's now retired, and isn't in L.A., but he went out a champion and MVP. His legacy is forever.
