Toronto Maple Leafs: 10 Things We Learned After Wild OT Loss in Buffalo

It was a roller-coaster ride, but it was also a very typical effort from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Leafs managed to put three behind Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller in the first period, but the Sabres fought back to force overtime and eventually won it by a score of 6-5.

There were a few positives in the game, and a few of them will be highlighted in this slideshow.

However, there were plenty of negatives as well, all of which should be familiar to Leaf fans by now.

Here is a list of 10 things we can take away from last night's game in Buffalo.

Matt Frattin Is a Beast

Matt Frattin assisted on Tyler Bozak's first first-period goal and fought Marcus Foligno a couple minutes later.

He must've thought: "Hey, might as well get a goal to get the Gordie Howe hat-trick."

His bout against Foligno was his first professional fighting major, and although the fight could have ended better for him, it was a good one.

Bozak got rocked by Foligno, which led to the latter being called for interference, so Frattin stepped in to defend his teammate.

It showed heart, especially for a guy whose role is clearly not to police the ice.

This kid needs to be a regular on the Leafs' top nine next year.

Komisarek Is OK Sometimes

Mike Komisarek gets criticized a lot, and sometimes it's justifiable.

However, in Buffalo, he was physical and got under the skin of opposing players. He wasn't great defensively, but we'll conveniently ignore that. Besides, he wasn't as bad during that game as he is a lot of the time.

Komisarek was signed to be a tough and nasty presence on the blue line.

If he could just play with as much emotion every night as he did last night in Buffalo...could we ignore his defensive shortcomings?

Probably not, but it would be a good start.

Leafs Love Chipping the Puck to Nowhere and Nobody

I don't get it. I really don't.

I get needing to dump the puck if you need a change or if you're desperate and at the tail end of a long shift.

However, I don't get why the Leafs insist on chipping the puck to random spots on the ice when the opportunity to pass it to a teammate is there.

Most of the Leafs are either awful passers or terrible puck-handlers, but you'd think the team as a group would at least try to improve on that area of their game instead of pretending it's not a problem.

It's no wonder the Leafs have been struggling to get shots on net lately, let alone score goals. It's no wonder they have trouble exiting their own zone.

It's definitely no surprise that the Leafs never seem to be able to create any sustained pressure against any team they face.

All you need to do is to get close to a Leaf when he's carrying the puck and he'll quickly chip it away out of panic.

Leafs Can't Give or Take Beatings

Oh sure, Dion Phaneuf and Luke Schenn can lay the occasional big hit. And Mikhail Grabovski can always seem to bounce right back up after getting slammed to the ice.

But really, the Leafs aren't capable of dealing out punishment and are not good at taking it either.

Watching John-Michael Liles, you could see his wariness as he tried to enter the Buffalo zone on Tuesday. He was hit by Paul Gaustad, the former Sabre, a few months ago while carrying the puck over the Buffalo blue line and only returned to action in February.

When you've been hit like that, you watch out the next time you're in a similar situation. He was probably a bit scared—and he played like it.

When Carl Gunnarsson returns to action, he's going to be really nervous behind his own net if an opposing player is rushing toward him.

And you know why Phil Kessel rarely gets hit hard? It's because if he has the puck and he sees an opposing player within five feet of him, he'll hand it straight over to the other guy.

This is a Leafs team that sorely lacks toughness. Not coincidentally, it is a group that sorely lacks heart as well.

Very Few Leafs Able to Step Up

Phil Kessel and linemate Joffrey Lupul have had huge years, statistically speaking. A few other Leafs, such as Joey Crabb, have put up decent numbers as well.

However, in terms of carrying the team, there really isn't anyone in Toronto who's capable of it.

There is no Pominville in Toronto. There's no Spezza, Price or Bergeron.

Or, to look outside the division: Kiprusoff, Talbot, Campbell, Rinne.

The Leafs don't just lack star power—they lack skilled role players as well.

There simply isn't anybody on the team, regardless of their role, who can step up at the right time and win (or steal) the game.

Look at Buffalo. When they were needed most, guys like Tyler Ennis and Derek Roy stepped way up to pull out a victory from the jaws of defeat.

If it had been the Leafs who were down 3-0 during the first period, it would've ended up like the 8-0 debacle against the Boston Bruins.

When He Isn't Giving the Puck Away, Jake Gardiner Is Fun to Watch

Jake Gardiner's defensive game needs a ton of work, but man, is his offensive game exciting to watch.

Inside the Leafs' blue line, he's painful to watch, frankly.

Inside the other team's blue line, he'll make smart little plays and he'll go for long skates if he doesn't like what he sees.

It's surprising to see such patience in young players and it's even better when the puck ends up at the back of the net as a result.

Jake Gardiner is most definitely the next Bobby Orr.

Too soon to tell?

Fine, maybe the next Nick Lidstrom.

OK, the next Erik Karlsson.

John-Michael Liles?

Leafs Couldn't Break out of a Wet Paper Bag

In terms of a break-out strategy, non-Leafs skate hard to the puck or where it's going to be and take it. Then, they'll make a short tape-to-tape to a teammate who will subsequently bring it out past centre ice.

The Leafs' break-out strategy is apparently to repeatedly reverse the puck behind their own net until the opposing player stops trying to chase it.

Of course, the other team usually steals the puck by the second puck reversal.

Cue two or three minutes of sustained pressure in the Leafs' zone.

It's appalling that the Leafs, who consistently fail to exit their own zone properly, haven't changed this aspect of their game.

They either don't know how to do it or they aren't aware of the problem.

There's No Leadership or Experience in Toronto

When the going gets tough, the veterans and leaders of the room step up and give the young guys a good slap, or at least a good talking to.

When the younger Leafs make a mistake or lose confidence, who do they turn to?

Would you really want to ask Tim Connolly or Mike Komisarek for advice if you were struggling?

Would you expect either of these guys (or Colby Armstrong, or Clarke MacArthur, etc.) to take control of a locker room and straighten everyone out after a tough period or a tough loss?

There's a reason this team hasn't been able to win many big games or close games. There's a reason this team can't ever seem to play a full 60 minutes.

This team is good enough to score a lot of goals, but when enough pressure is applied, they'll collapse and let in a boatload of goals to negate the ones they've just scored.

Dion Phaneuf Apparently Leads by Example

Dion Phaneuf acts tough, but is easily dominated during a physical game.

He can lay the occasional big hit, but more often than not, he's on the receiving end.

He's brutal defensively, his shots always get blocked or go high and wide, he lacks intensity in almost every game situation and he seems incapable of stepping up in times of need (such as anytime in the last two months).

The first two lines apply to roughly half the Leafs. The rest of it applies to virtually the entire team.

All of it applies to Dion Phaneuf.

Ben Scrivens Could Replace Reimer or Gustavsson Next Year

I prefer Jonas Gustavsson over James Reimer, but I'm probably in the minority. It's Gustavsson by a hair, really. I don't dislike or love either of them—I just prefer the Monster's aggressiveness and compete level.

That said, most people seem to think Gustavsson will be gone long before Reimer is ever shown the door.

After Ben Scrivens' decent play in his brief time with the Leafs this year and his success in the AHL, you'd think he's ready for more NHL action.

Well, one of Gustavsson or Reimer will have to leave to make room for Scrivens.

It's no time to be sentimental. As much as anyone likes Gustavsson and/or Reimer, and that includes Brian Burke, it's time to evaluate who is or can be the real deal and who will always be too inconsistent to stick around in the NHL.

Looks like Scrivens has earned the opportunity to be evaluated.