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The Edmonton Oilers simply don’t lose hockey games.
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Against a Maple Leafs team that is experiencing some big-time issues, that wasn’t about to change.
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A 2-0 Leafs lead on Tuesday night in Edmonton seemed too good to be true, and sure enough, it was.
When Ryan McLeod beat a screened Martin Jones — by Connor McDavid, no less — at 16:55 of the third period, the Oilers needed no more, scoring their third unanswered goal in a 4-2 win.
An empty-net goal by Evan Bouchard was the exclamation mark as the Oilers turned their winning streak up to 11.
For the second time this season and first since Oct. 24-Nov. 4, the Leafs have lost four consecutive games. We note, though, that it’s the first time the Leafs have lost three in a row in regulation since Oct. 22-25, 2021.
“While the story is us giving up leads, to me, the story is more our inability to execute on these scoring chances and grow our lead and pull away and take away the will of the other team,” coach Sheldon Keefe told media in Edmonton after the game. “My job is to be even-keel about it, really recognize what’s going on, see where we can continue to grow, but continue to show belief in the guys.
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“You don’t find a way to win a game when you have a lead, and that burns especially on a night like this, where I thought our guys played a really good hockey game, played very hard.”
But that’s the point too. If the Leafs played a good game in the way that Keefe implied, then they do execute offensively and make it impossible for Edmonton to come back.
It won’t get any easier as the four-game trip continues in Calgary against the Flames on Thursday. The Flames have won four in a row and seven of their past nine.
As much as the Leafs have played uneven hockey — they’ve won just five times in their past 14 games, and four of those wins have been against San Jose (twice), Anaheim and Columbus — it was just the fourth time they lost in regulation on the road.
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That won’t dampen speculation that it’s time for a coaching change, though it would take some heat off Keefe if the Leafs can pull it together and win a couple before they return home to face the Winnipeg Jets next Wednesday.
If general manager Brad Treliving eventually decides that a new face behind the bench is required, where is the judgment on the players he has added since taking over? Once one gets past the always-present core, Keefe is working with less than what he had last season.
In any event, it was harsh way for the Leafs to start their second half.
Our takeaways:
THE LEAD, AND THEN …
A multiple-goal Leafs lead disappeared, continuing on a theme that has become a worrisome issue for the group.
Toronto had a 3-0 lead on Saturday against the Colorado Avalanche and lost 5-3. Two nights earlier, the Leafs led the New York Islanders by two and lost 4-3 in overtime. The loss on Long Island ended a four-game winning streak.
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Is Keefe concerned that failure to keep third-period leads is a trend?
“It has been eight days,” Keefe said. “That’s the trend? Eight days? The week before that we won four in a row, got leads early, took care of them, played mature games against Anaheim and San Jose, played a great game against the L.A. Kings.”
The Oilers kept Jones on his toes throughout the evening, and finally got to him when Leon Draisaitl scored at 15:41 of the second period on a backhand from a bad angle.
Derek Ryan scored the tying goal at 2:27 of the third, depositing a pass from McLeod into the net. Ryan was left open in front, a development that came when Morgan Rielly went to defend against McLeod and TJ Brodie, who didn’t move with urgency, failed to arrive in time to check Ryan.
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What comes next for the Leafs? How do they respond in Calgary? The lack of killer instinct, and that’s the easiest way to put it, has taken on a life of its own.
What gives the Leafs encouragement that the team can start to win after four losses in a row?
“Because we’re a great hockey team,” a defiant Mitch Marner said.
“And we have to ignore what everyone else says. We know we’re a great hockey team. We show it every night. These last four nights we have had leads, we have played some awesome hockey, some great hockey. Stuff goes your way sometimes, stuff doesn’t.
“We can’t get frustrated at each other. We know we are doing the right things, we are talking a lot, communicating well on the ice, off the ice, and it’s going to come. Stay patient with it. Don’t let anything outside of us frustrate us, or get us angry.”
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So don’t, then. If you’re as good as you think are, start holding leads. Start winning some hockey games.
EARLY OPTIMISM
If you’re going to attempt to settle the jangled nerves of a fanbase full of angst, best to get ahead of it as soon as possible.
And if that’s going to happen, you’re going to need your top players to make it so.
So it went that Auston Matthews scored at 27 seconds of the first, taking a pass from Marner and beating Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner with a quick shot. The Leafs served notice that they weren’t coming with the same listless approach that resulted in a 4-2 loss against Detroit on Sunday.
Just over minute after the Matthews goal — which, by the way, was the 333rd of his career, moving him past Ron Ellis for fourth in Leafs history — Tyler Bertuzzi hit the post.
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Matthews also had an assist, but it was another quiet night for captain John Tavares and William Nylander. It’s five games without a point for Tavares and four pointless games in a row for Nylander. That’s a season-high skid for each. For a team that suddenly can’t score enough to win, the absences of Nylander and Tavares from the scoresheet are unacceptable. While the two combined for 11 shots on goal, the zeros can’t continue. They’re not being paid to almost score.
KNOW WHEN TO GO
Rielly’s offensive instincts set him apart from every other player who earns a living as a Leafs defenceman.
Rielly’s third goal in five games came when he jumped up and past Zach Hyman, taking a touch-pass from Matthews to give the Leafs a 2-0 lead at 10:52 of the second period. As Hyman scrambled to catch up to Rielly, the latter beat Skinner for his seventh goal.
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Soon after, Hyman appeared to have scored a beauty to get the Oilers within one. Keefe challenged for offside and got it right yet again, as the replay showed Hyman was offside.
In a season where the Leafs have endured injuries to various defencemen, Rielly has been the constant presence, playing in all 42 games. He has 35 points and has continued to log major minutes, rarely getting into trouble.
As we’ve said, it’s fitting that Rielly’s first all-star game appearance will come in Toronto, given the service he has provided for the organization since he was picked fifth overall in 2012.
We recently asked Keefe if Rielly is among the more modest players he has coached.
“Yeah, for sure,” Keefe said. “I think that’s why he is so popular. Every teammate who comes through here, he is a guy that pulls people together. I think our fans see those same kind of things. He is very well-respected teammate and player in the league, no doubt.”
tkoshan@postmedia.com
X: @koshtorontosun
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