JUST LET THE LEAF PLAYERS PLAY !

This reporter is with the majority of Leafs Nation – just let the players play !

Forget all the “this is what I meant to say, it’s early, second guessing on player personnel, injuries, questioning the coaching, who should or should not be on the roster etc etc”.

Like me, most were looking forward to a solid, end to end hard fought match between two upper echelon hockey teams.

Well travelled Dallas Coach Peter DeBoer has his squad off to a solid start.  The Robertson brothers (Nick #89 in his Toronto season debut) and leading Dallas scorer #21 Jason, the 23 year old possible franchise player) added an interesting twist.  GTA bred goalie Scott Wedgewood got his chance to bury the hometown Leafs.

At the end of a rather flat and uneventful first period, Leaf fans seemed more concerned about a late period cross check to ribs of Austin Mathews from Dallas Captain Jamie Benn.  #34 made it back the bench, but you could feel his pain.  As for the hockey, it was pretty even until the Stars started coming on strong from about  the12 minute mark.  Dallas was trailing on SOG and territorial play but suddenly gained some life over a 4 minute span that seemed to shake them out of their funk.  Luke Glendenning roofed a scramble goal to put the visitors ahead with 4:47 left.

The Toronto squad seemed to come out in the second with some extra juice.  Was it the questionable hit on their Hart Trophy winner, was it a reaction of this past week’s media woes?   Hard to say.  Alex Kerfoot took the bull by the horns with a power play goal in the second minute off a beauty rebound from Rasmus Sandin.  The Leafs continued their tear, outshooting their opponent 9-0 in the first half.  They ended up with a 23-17 SOG advantage by the buzzer.  1-1.  And, Toronto started the period on the PP.

Call up Nick Robertson scored on the ensuing power play on a nice set-up from Michael Bunting, the second time the “second unit” had scored.  He had certainly gained the Stars attention after taking two serious hits immediately following.  Despite a Leafs challenge, it was determined that a goalie interference charge was not valid and the Stars tied things up.  Seguin from Marchment.  2-2.

So, off to overtime we went.  The Leafs started 4 forwards because of the man advantage.  Totally dominated to no avail.  Things settle out at 4 on 4.  You guessed it Nick Roberton pounded in a Matthews feed for a well deserved Leaf win !

HOPPER NOTES:  How did Marchment slip thru our fingers (power forward, team guy, can score etc, etc)…You can’t tell me: that if Wayne Simmonds (or a similar ilk) would possibly allow the TML Hart Trophy winner to take the abuse he did tonight…until he set up that nice goal, I was wondering if Michael Bunting was in a sophomore jinx ? …guys I wish I had on my team: Miro Hysheshkinen (sorry Finnish people)…nice goaltending display from GTA goalie Scott Wedgewood…I hope you watch my “VLOG” on You Tube…please like and subscribe….CHEERS !