The Leafs started the game with pace and control. Most of the opening 10 minutes were spent in the Rangers’ end, and the Leafs were rolling shifts and quickly reloading if the puck was cleared. Despite the start, Alexis Lafrenière put the Rangers on the board first after a bad bounce off the official, an error in structure and a well-placed shot.
New York turned it up in the second as the game opened up. The two teams exchanged rush chances, and the Rangers doubled the lead on a delayed call thanks to Chris Kreider. Auston Matthews put the Leafs on the board in the third period and the team finally started to create havoc and chaos in front of Shesterkin.
The Leafs threw 18 shots at Shesterkin in the third and couldn’t put a second past him to tie the game. Kreider and Artemi Panarin scored with Stolarz out of the net and the team’s three-game winning streak ended.
The Leafs get a B on this one.
The rangers are just going to be a tough team for everyone to beat this year. So take the L on the chin and move on to the next game and don’t let it bother you guys because I really do think Rangers are going to be cup contenders this year.
That was a good early test for us, no offense to the other teams we’ve played so far. Habs/Pens/Kings aren’t the measuring sticks we’d like to use.