Leafs learn lesson: Stay out of the box
Being patient when trailing also a key
Figuring out a way to stop Alexander Ovechkin will have to wait for another day. As it was, the Maple Leafs surrendered two more goals to the splendid Russian rookie last night after he had scored twice on Sunday to help the Washington Capitals upset the Leafs in the District of Columbia.
This time, however, Ovechkin’s one- man show wasn’t enough, mostly because the Leafs managed to outshoot an opponent for only the fourth time in 16 games and, for the most part, managed to avoid the problematic penalties that have frequently caused Pat Quinn headaches this season.
Factor in terrific work from captain Mats Sundin in his third game back and a 6- 4 Leaf win was a reasonably fair indication of the difference between the Leafs and Caps last night. The Caps, you see, are a very young team, and they proved unable to protect an early 2- 0 lead, mostly because they were a step behind the Leafs for much of the night and took far too many penalties. The Leafs, who spent huge chunks of the night on the power play, were patient when behind and opportunistic with the man advantage and thus avoided a second consecutive loss to a Washington team that is expected to finish well out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture. With the game tied 2- 2 going into the final period, the Leafs strung together three goals in a 1: 51 span to pull away and eventually secure their eighth win of the season.
Leaf lineup changes were the hot topic going into the match, with Jason Allison moved to the right wing on the third line alongside Kyle Wellwood in search of more ice time, while Alex Steen jumped on to the No. 1 line beside Mats Sundin and Carlo Colaiacovo was summoned from the minors to fill for the injured Aki Berg. The Caps were a snappy bunch in the opening period and Ben Clymer’s wrist shot from 25 feet through the legs of Ed Belfour in the Leaf net gave the visitors a 1-0 lead midway through the first.
Allison missed an open net with 14 minutes elapsed with the Leafs holding a 5- on- 3 man advantage, and shortly after that Darcy Tucker dumped Brendan Witt in the corner of the Washington zone to nullify the final minute of the extrastrength situation. Less than a minute later, Ovechkin snapped a wrist shot from the right faceoff circle past Belfour’s glove on the short side to make it 2- 0 with the clubs playing four skaters aside. Ken Klee’s giveaway to Ovechkin began the sequence, and the Leaf defensive zone coverage was atrocious as the Russian rookie was left wide open to shoot.
Strangely, the Caps appeared to come out of the gate in the second period determined to sit back in a rope- a- dope strategy, spending most of the opening eight minutes chasing the Leafs around in their own zone.
Kilger broke the ice for the home side at 8: 39 on a spinning shot, and then back-to-back dumb penalties by Dainius Zubrus and Witt of the Caps allowed the Leafs to tie. Zubrus went off for hauling down Matt Stajan in the Leaf zone, then Witt was called for hooking down a Leaf as the speedy Ovechkin raced away on another scoring bid.
Jeff O’Neill, hot of late, onetimed a pass from Bryan McCabe into the open side of the Washington net past a helpless Olaf Kolzig to tie the game 2- 2 heading into the third.
After the three- goal Leaf blitz, Ovechkin potted his 12th goal of the season in the third on another rocket to cut the Leaf lead to 5- 3, but the Caps could get no closer. The Leafs were better defensively for the most part last night, but still surrendered four goals, the ninth time in 16 games they’ve given up four or more. To get points out of road games in Buffalo tomorrow and Montreal on Saturday against the streaking Habs, they’re going to have to keep looking for leaks they can fix.