Things unfortunately have not gotten any better for the Leafs since our last episode. Their record is 4-4-1 after the loss to the L.A. Kings, which oddly enough was the same record they had last season at the end of October. No doubt there’s lots to dissect as we try to make sense of the teams stagnant start.
While LeafsNation laments all the things that are going wrong, we did manage to find some bright spots to discuss in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Considering how nervous the goaltending situation made us at the start of the month, Ilya Samsonov has really taken the puck and skated away with it. Can’t even imagine where we would be right now if our goaltending was still a problem!
The aforementioned goalie also makes his first appearance on the LTL Highlight Reel, sharing the spotlight with a stellar goal, and our one “W” in the win column. Here’s to hoping that he continues to hold the fort, giving his teammates the support they need to dig their way out of this funk.
Finally, in the Third Period, we discuss what seems to be the never-ending narrative about this Leafs team having an issue with its culture and how at least some of this belief is driven by the media. As Leaf fans, we sometimes long for the days when there was no social media, no analytics, and as a fan you just watched the game and could talk to other Leaf fans about what’s happening with the team. It makes us appreciate the experience we had following the Leafs in that ‘93 playoff run all the more!
No doubt the Leafs are going to be very happy to say goodbye to October, but the start of November is not any easier! After the California road trip, they come back home to play a hot Philly team and then they have a back to back on the weekend with the Bruins and Carolina. We know the Buds tend to like a challenge and they’ll get that in spades over the next week or so. Here’s to hoping that its just what they need to right the ship! Go Leafs Go!
https://bleav.com/shows/ladies-talkin-leafs/
https://www.ladiestalkinleafs.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOtMA8vhKUo
https://www.nhl.com/mapleleafs/
https://thehockeywriters.com/maple-leafs-engvall-holl-risk-losing-roster-spots-2022-23/
https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/10-thoughts-on-the-maple-leafs-after-two-bumpy-opening-weeks/
https://thehockeywriters.com/questions-maple-leafs-should-answer-this-week/