The Flames celebrate a goal (Sergei Belski, USA Today)
An absolute dismantling of the Maple Leafs by the red-hot Calgary Flames left Leafs Nation in a panicked state before the fans eventually realized that they've only lost 7 games in regulation since Halloween.
Here are my 5 takeaways from a 5-2 loss against a raucous Flames team.
1. Rock Beats Scissors
Leafs super-fan Steve Dangle had a really good analogy during his game reaction last night. He called Toronto one of the best "scissors" in the league. Their offense is fourth in the league and their formerly stale offense is firing shots at a rate we haven't seen in decades. It's safe to say that the Leafs possess an incredible offense, as evidenced by their 48 shots on goal against Jakob Markstrom.
However, as we all know rock beats scissors. The Calgary Flames are a "rock" of a team. Playoff hockey is the type of game where elite teams need to find that inner "rock". The problem with the Maple Leafs, and it has been their problem for years, is that they don't know how to play like a "rock" team. It's why they haven't won a playoff series for over 17 years.
Imagine if you entered a rock-paper-scissors tournament for $1 million, but you couldn't play rock during the entire tourney. That's the dilemma that the Leafs are currently experiencing. You may be incredibly efficient with your scissor usage, but if you can never play a rock, you'll never go all the way.
The Leafs can still find their inner "rock", though. Trading for some sandpaper on the blueline is smart. I still think that only adding some third-pairing grit would be a major mistake, but it would be equally silly to only go after a top-4 defenseman.
Maybe the Leafs can trade for some "paper", whatever that might be. Either way, if they can't find a way to use rock in their play style, another first round exit is on the table.
2. Jack Campbell's Inconsistencies
No matter what I say, I can't take away (ha, get it?) from Campbell's season so far. With that being said, his struggles since 2022 began are notable. Via Nick Alberga, "Soupy" has a 3.28 GAA and .893 SV% since December 1. His 9-3-2 record in that span makes those numbers not quite as important, but it's still a worrying trend for the Leafs' golden boy.
It was another tough game for Campbell. Calgary racked up just 1.94 expected goals on Thursday, and he faced only 26 shots. So, allowing 5 goals in the way that he did, was really frustrating. We all know he's better than this; it's about diagnosing the problem.
A couple of the goals he allowed, Oliver Kylington's goal being the lowlight, were just unacceptable. A generally good penalty kill had all their work thrown down the drain after that goal.
Meanwhile, Petr Mrazek is on a 4-game winning streak and was absolutely excellent against Carolina. I've said it a couple of times on these takeaways, but I'm expecting a 50-50 split for the rest of the regular season.
Is it confidence? Is it being outworked? Or maybe he simply caught fire with the Leafs and isn't actually that good of a goalie? (I really hope not...)
3. Cap Space Limitations Hurt the Leafs Again
Look, Nick Ritchie has been a bad signing for the Leafs. But when Wayne Simmonds was ruled out of this game for paternity leave, Ritchie would have been the perfect guy to bring up for a tough matchup against Calgary. He brings some grit and physicality to a Leafs forward corps that is severely lacking in those qualities, even with Simmonds in the lineup.
However, a lack of cap space prevented Dubas from bringing up Ritchie. What's the point in having an expensive, experienced 13th forward if he can't even play? The team is looking for two new defensemen, but how are they going to do that when they don't even have flexibility between call-ups?
I like to think I'm intelligent enough when it comes to sports, but I am not nearly smart enough to find a way to make some cap space from nothing. Luckily, I think Dubas and co. are capable of making some additions and getting rid of some overpaid players.
However, if they can't, this team will not be able to reach their full potential.
4. Is Muzzin Still a Top-4 Defenseman?
We were so excited that Muzzin was back. Although it's been a bad season for the bearded wonder, he is widely thought of as a star on the back end. I still think he has a positive impact on the team, but my skepticism about how Muzzin will hold up in the playoffs is increasing way too often.
I actually suggested to some friends at the start of the year that the Leafs should have gotten rid of Muzzin in the offseason to clear some cap space and bring in a young player to prevent the team from suffering in the case of a Muzzin decline. It was one of those crazy claims that probably made me sound like a fake fan, but it's coming into reality now.
On his return to the lineup, Muzzin was picked apart way too easily in transition. He never looked to use his body to take Flames' players out of the play. On Calgary's fourth goal, Muzzin was made to look like an amateur.
The Leafs don't have enough assets or cap space to replace Muzzin, so he's in it for the long haul. I'm just not sure that the Leafs can ever be a truly elite team if Muzzin continues this form.
5. The Calgary Flames Really are THAT Good
The Pacific Division is a joke, right? The Golden Knights are going to win the division very easily, right? No other team can challenge them, right?
Well, guess what Pacific Divison team has a higher points percentage than the Vegas Golden Knights? Yup, the Calgary Flames.
I didn't have the Sincere Sports blog running at the start of the year, but my prediction for where the Calgary Flames would finish seemed crazy at the time. However, with every Flames game I watch (and I've been watching quite a few lately), the more I think that my prediction was spot-on and that the Flames are a legitimate Cup contender. (For anybody curious as to what I predicted of Calgary, I'll be reviewing my NHL predictions when the season ends.)
This is a team that hits hard, kills off elite power plays, gets great goaltending and has arguably a top-3 line in all of hockey. Tell me with a straight face that you wouldn't favour that team in most playoff series. I'm not sure where the Flames are going to end up on my edition of the power rankings this week. What I can say is that they are going to definitely be higher than 14th place, which they were during my last power rankings.
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