Leafs Flyers-Round Two-Shoot Out Again? Lets Get Giggy With It!

The Air Canada Centre was alive with anticipation, albeit still pre-season, and the excitement surrounding the previous evenings shootout win against these same Philadelphia Flyers seemed to carry over and would become a theme somewhat.

Jean Sebastian Giguere was to get his first start in the pre-season to shake off some rust and he looked like a well-oiled machine early stopping all 10 shots in the first.

His counter-part Michael Leighton, the feel good story of the year during Philly’s playoff run, would roam the crease for the Flyers and was equal to the task early closing the door on Toronto’s 13 shots in period number one.

The chant of "Go Leafs Go" started up on the first PP of the game early in the opening frame but was silenced quickly as the puck was cleared by Philly.

Head coach Ron Wilson decided to bring new Leaf Kris Versteeg onto a line with sniper Phil Kessel and Toronto’s pencilled in number one center Tyler Bozak. It wasn’t long before they began getting pressure on the Flyers and creating some great scoring chances though they couldn’t finish in the first.

The second power play line consisting of Mikhail Grabovski, Nikolai Kulemin and Clark MacArthur had some pressure and some bouncing puck chances in front of Flyers goalie Michel Leighton.

After Dan Carcillo took a run at Leafs d-man Carl "Uzi" Gunnarsson, Mike Brown and Carcillo dropped the gloves to my delight…but they tied each other up and it turned out to be anticlimactic. The Leafs Brown got the extra two minutes for instigating in the exchange along with a ten minute misconduct while Giguere had to come up big again, which he did.

At the first intermission the sometimes rambunctious Leafs defensman Mike Komisarek spoke about his game saying "I gotta play with intensity every shift…"and added "while being in control" which is certainly a staple while playing in what seems a penalty happy NHL these days.

In first half of the second period and soon after a few great saves again by the Toronto net minder during a Flyers power play, analyst Greg Millen described Giguere as "In mid-season form here". And he continued to stay sharp shutting the door on the Flyers in the second stopping all 25 shots in the first two periods combined.

The bang and crash line of Wayne Primeau, Ryan Hamilton, and Colton Orr were getting some of the better chances throughout the game and continued in the later half of the second period to cause the Flyers defense trouble deep in there zone.

The big line of Versteeg, Bozak, and Kessel just about half way through the second finally clicked on the power play.

Exactly how I’m sure Wilson drew it up.

Bozak won a puck down low, cycled back to Kaberle quickly across to Dion Phaneuf who wired it ON NET (key point). Bozak who moved smartly to the slot picked up the rebound and made a nifty back pass to Versteeg who showed some good patience, waiting for Leighton to go down and then depositing it in the net over the floundering Leighton.

One nil Leafs.

Seemingly the flood gates opened however brief and the Leafs scored twice in just over a minute.

Kessel got a look with two thirds of the bang and crash line of Orr and Primeau who both assisted on the goal. Kessel tapped it in from beside the net and behind the cramped Leighton, with Orr on his doorstep, for his second goal of the pre-season.

After two periods the Leafs were up two nil and out-shooting the Flyers 28-25.

Flyers Note: Nikolai Zherdev is back with the Flyers after playing in the KHL and could become a big part of the Philly offense, and they’ll need to be able to lean on him after Simon Gagne went to Tampa.

Zherdev got going on a lucky goal as Giguere’s Skate seemed to catch on something in the crease as he went to slide across and you could see the frustration as Giguere shot the puck at the glass.

Meh chalk it up to bad luck and wet ice, and as I said of a couple goals last night one on the Monster and the other on James Reimer, better to get it out of the way now.

2-1 Leafs

Kessel stayed dangerous in the third and has been a main focus of pretty much everyone who discusses the Leafs. If these few pre-season games are any indication of what fans are going to see out of this young sniper there will be a lot of highlights to look forward to this year.

People have also mentioned Kessel’s name in the category of a possible 50-goal scorer, though a very difficult plateau to reach, it may be within his grasp sooner in his career, rather than later.

Keith Aulie who is playing in his first game in over eight months and coming off a leg injury, wasn’t really on the radar neither good nor bad until he dragged down a flyers player beside the net and drew himself a penalty.

On the ensuing power play the Flyers defenseman Andre Mezaros snuck in from the point and had a look at a yawning cage but fate would favor Giguere perhaps a little karma for the first goal which seemed like some bad luck.

Philly would then take a penalty and during it Captain Dion Phaneuf got another puck through a bunch of players in front and off Bartulis’ foot and in the back of the net for his first goal of the pre-season and second point of the night.

Wilson mentioned in a game previous how important it was for the Leafs to get pucks on net from the point and the new captain was obviously paying close attention, and it’s working.

Philly would answer back shortly after on a rush when a puck swept at the net bounced off a foot in front and took a crazy change of direction finding the mesh behind Giguere, the goal was given to Zherdev, his second of the game.

In a blink of an eye the four games in four nights seemed to wear on the Buds as Philly scored another on a nice tip in by Danny Briere to tie the game at threes.

Off to overtime for a second night in a row, this time because of some untimely play by the Leafs who just seemed to run into quick sand late in third.

Both teams were back and fourth during the overtime with the chances favoring the Flyers who seemed to find some extra wind contrary to the Leafs who looked more like they were gasping for breath.

The Leafs found a burst of energy when Bozak broke in on the right side and fed a pass over to Kessel who was going to the net. The puck caromed off Kessel’s arm and then in the net. The replay showed Kessel hit it with his stick after his arm, but there is no video replay in the pre-season and the call on the ice was no goal.

Back for a second night in a row to the fan favorite shootout!

Two of the Leafs better shootout players are in the line up as they were absent the night previous in the same situation. Kessel was three of seven last season and Kulemin was three of four.

Back up for the game Brian Boucher came in for the shootout and stood strong, due to an apparent injury to Leighton.

Leafs Shooters (Shot First)

1)Kris Versteeg shot first but had the puck slip off his stick though he had Boucher beaten.

2)Kulemin sped down and snapped it over the glove hand to tie it.

3)Kessel has to score to tie it but to no avail.

Philly Shooters

1)Claude Giroux scored on a really slick move popping the water bottle up over the shoulder of Giguere.

2)Danny Briere used the same move almost and he scored as well.

Philly gets the win 4-3 in a SO.

Not quite the happy ending for Leafs Nation that it was the night previous but certainly some positives with the Kessel and Bozak chemisrty along with the defense getting pucks though from the point. Giguere also looked sharp though letting in a couple he’d like to have back. On special teams they got a couple power play goals while denying Philly while on the penalty kill.

It’s still pre-season and that’s lucky as the Leafs let one slip away late, hopefully a good wake up call that can be a lesson learned.

Jonas Gustavsson will get the start between the pipes as the Leafs will play their fifth game in five nights as they travel down the Q.E.W. to take on the division rival Buffalo Sabres who will be playing their first pre-season game of the year Saturday night.