Third-period struggles persist as yet another lead slips away from Leafs

“We’ve got to figure out a way to close out these games, figure out a way to put ourselves in a good position like we’ve been able to do and be able to win.”

The Leafs looked to be in a favourable position to pick up their second win in three games when just like that it was gone.

Justin Braun got the Sharks on the board with just over seven minutes to go in regulation, cutting a 2-0 Leafs lead in half. He whipped a backhand shot over the glove of Frederik Andersen for his first goal of the season. Toronto failed to find the 29-year-old defender in transition, rookie Zach Hyman calling blame for the transgression afterward.

Joe Pavelski evened the score a short while later on the power play, redirecting a Brent Burns point shot past Andersen. Pavelski initially beat Ben Smith on the offensive zone draw and then worked his way to the slot, finding just enough room as Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly tussled in front with 37-year-old Joe Thornton.

Matt Hunwick was in the box on the goal, the seventh minor penalty and sixth penalty kill Toronto took in defeat. The Leafs killed off the first five San Jose power plays, but were ultimately burned on the sixth.

Leafs coach Mike Babcock didn’t like all the penalties nor the end result, but was generally pleased with his team’s performance. Even-strength puck possession, to that point, was about even, the Sharks (among the top possession teams in the NHL and the Western Conference champions last season) managing 47 attempts to the Leafs 46.

Still, Babcock couldn’t ignore the fact that his team had salted away another third-period lead.

“The best way to play when you have the lead is like the score is tied,” Babcock said. “And you play like you want to get the next one so you’re on your toes and continue to get after the other team and don’t just try to defend and back in and play careful.”

“But I thought we were in a good situation,” he added.

Third periods have been the Leafs relative weak point all season. They’ve outscored opponents in both the first (29-26) and second period (28-26), outscored 29-23, meanwhile, in the final frame.

They were outscored 2-0 by the Sharks on Tuesday and outshot 13-9, with possession also favouring the visitors.

“I think third period we were waiting for them a little bit too much, maybe let them take over,” Andersen said. “That cost us.”

The Leafs had a goal called back earlier in the evening, one that was still eating at the group in the immediate aftermath. Morgan Rielly appeared to give the group a 2-0 lead early in the second period, but the goal was immediately waved off on account of goaltender interference, Nazem Kadri bumping Martin Jones as he strode to the net. Kadri was also assessed a minor penalty.

Both Kadri and Babcock protested vociferously, Babcock ultimately using his coach’s challenge. The call stood, however, and the goal was denied.

Kadri said he was “shocked that they called it off.”

The two goaltenders were both sterling for their respective teams, Andersen turning aside 40-of-42 shots, Jones stopping 29 in victory. Andersen boasts a .932 save percentage in his last 18 starts for the Leafs.

Toronto is hovering near the bottom of a tightly packed Eastern Conference, the final eight teams all within three points of one another. The Leafs, with 28 points, are only one point up on the New York Islanders for last in the conference, but also only six points back of the Boston Bruins for the final Atlantic Division playoff spot with two games in hand.

Points lost, then, mean that much more.

“We’ve got to be better,” Hyman said. “We’ve got to close out games.”

Jonas Siegel, The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Third-period struggles persist as yet another lead slips away from Leafs

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