O’Neill comes to the rescue
LEAFS 5 CANADIENS 4 Veteran scores with seconds left to clinch OT win
MONTREAL— The Maple Leafs gave up 30 shots for the 13th straight time, blew a lead for the 16th and 17th time this season and were their typical clueless selves away from the puck and in their own end for the umpteenth time. Anyone trying to solve the mystery of how the Leafs have 20 points will be even more confused by last night’s 5- 4 overtime win over the Montreal Canadiens, their ninth victory of the season.
Friday against Buffalo, the Leafs lost a game they could have won; courtesy of Jeff O’Neill’s slapshot on the power play at 4:13 of overtime last night, they won a game where they had no business being close. Even Leaf coach Pat Quinn was dumbfounded by what he witnessed.
“ I really don’t know what to call it,” Quinn said. “ It’s not a great feeling except to win because that’s what we’re here for, but there were lots of things not to like.” Most importantly, the Maple Leafs were outshot 18- 4 in the first period en route to being outshot 35- 24.
It was the 13th straight game the Leafs have given up at least 30 shots and the 15th time this season. In 18 games, the Leafs have been outshot 14 times and have given up almost 100 more shots ( 579) than they’ve taken ( 484). The Leafs also blew two leads, the 16th and 17th times they’ve done that this season.
Their play away from the puck and in their own end? Don’t even get Quinn started on that. The Leafs were saved by Ed Belfour’s goaltending, something that will have to happen far more regularly if they hope to make the playoffs. Once again, Belfour was equal parts brilliant and brutal, allowing two very stoppable goals and playing the puck like a live hand grenade, but was sharp in the first period when he kept what should have been a rout to a scoreless tie.
“ They probably had to put ice on their arms after the first period from all the shootin’ ’’ Quinn said of the Canadiens.
Kyle Wellwood, who played another terrific game for the Leafs and scored a brilliant goal, had the opposite problem.
After getting just two shifts and 1: 07 in ice time in the first period, he ripped off his skates and jumped on the exercise bike between the first and second because he was seizing up on the bench.
It was also a night of redemption for centre-turned-right winger Jason Allison, who scored a bizarre goal from behind the net to tie the score with 2:28 remaining in regulation time.
It was Allison’s first goal since the last time the Leafs were here Oct. 15, but was only part of what became a very important contribution.
It was Allison who pointed out to the officials that the Canadiens had too many men on the ice in overtime, a penalty which led to O’Neill’s winning goal.
“ I don’t know how ( the officials) couldn’t have seen it,” said Allison, who has nothing if not superior on- ice vision.
“ They had too many guys out there for about 15 seconds.”
It took almost two months, but the first trade rumours surrounding Allison bubbled to the surface this week. Columbus Blue Jackets GM Doug MacLean publicly expressed his need for a big centreman right around the same time that Allison moved to the wing and that started people coming up with some trade speculation.
“ Zero papers, zero radio, zero TV for me so I don’t know what’s going on,” Allison said.
“ There’s probably going to be 150 trade rumours this year and maybe three will come through. We were a little short in the back end and we’ve got a lot of depth at up the middle, so I think people put two and two together. I had no idea until somebody mentioned it to me in Buffalo,” Allison added.
For the record, MacLean and Leafs GM John Ferguson have not spoken specifically about Allison.