DETROIT — Missed the net, missed the skate, missed a chance.
In a back-and-forth incident in front of the red and blue crowd, a rhythmic, contradictory narrative erupted “Let’s go, Red Wing! Go! Leaves! Go!” As the chants rang out, the Toronto Maple Leafs were left with two points they should gobble up like a rectangular pizza at Little Caesars Arena.
“Must get better results. We can’t end the game with just 24 shots in the net. Whether it’s missed, blocked, whatever, we have to find a way to get more of them into the net,” coach Ke Reg Berubi said after Saturday’s 4-2 defeat.
“Defensively, we could have done better tonight.”
On this night, Toronto’s alarming trend of incomplete five-on-five chances reared its ugly head, with a series of untimely mistakes leading to a regulation loss that could have easily been converted into a victory.
“This is an interesting team to watch because they’re not the offensive juggernaut they used to be,” Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde commented.
Auston Matthews hit a nice one-timer on the power play, and Matthew Knies executed a smart takedown — both set by Mickey Ma Set by Mitch Marner. But for the fourth time in the past five games, the Maple Leafs failed to score a third goal (although Marner’s goal was ruled out for offside).
That could be concerning in a 3-2 league.
They took 19 shots, but none found the net. Thirteen more were stopped before reaching Detroit goalie Ville Husso.
“We had a lot of time in the ozone zone. But I thought we just didn’t get enough shots at the net, didn’t create a lot of loose puck at the net, and that made his job easy. I think that was the difference.” Kniss said.
“We got some good defense and we just wanted to get the puck through. The more havoc we can create at the net the better. I think we can dominate teams below the goal line and in front of the net.”
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The Red Wings dominated this game as they try to regain their confidence after losing six of their past seven games.
Defenseman Jeff Petry scored the winning goal unscathed off the rebound after a nice save by Joseph Woll, and Moritz Seider scored on With 18 seconds left in the second quarter, Matthews scored on a brilliant tic-tac-toe counterattack after a turnover in the neutral zone. .
“We can’t give up on the goal there. Can’t. Can’t. Sorry,” Berube said. “We have to get better.”
The captain heard the news.
“They took advantage of a glitch that couldn’t have happened on our end,” Matthews said.
Here’s the tricky part: Even if Toronto makes fewer defensive mistakes, they’re amplified on nights like this because the Berubières are unlikely to make up for their mistakes.
Fortunately, Matthews avoided injury on a dangerous play when a hard pass snapped the blade of his right skate off at high speed, sending him crashing into the end boards with just one brake.
“This has never happened to me,” Matthews said. “It was definitely fun. I was a little confused. Luckily, (Jack McCabe) was there to get me back on the bench.
“I knew the blade was out. I just didn’t know what to do after that.”
The missed goals, missed assignments and missed points will quickly fade from the memory as the Maple Leafs fly back to Toronto to take on another lackluster division rival, the Buffalo Sabets, at 5 p.m.
“Junior hockey, I guess,” Marner said with a smile.
Consider this an immediate opportunity to right some of the mistakes of Saturday.
Here’s how Knis sees it: “Ice bath, protein shake, then right back.”
• Berube’s pre-game scouting report against Seidel, whose goal was also his 150th career point:
“He can do it all. He’s a big shot. He’s a very physical player. He does a good job offensively and zone-defensively, getting the job done with his shooting and movement. He’s very difficult to defend. , and he’s also a really good player to beat in the offensive zone because of his size, stick length and skating ability.”
• After a morning skate, a young girl in Detroit gave Fraser Minten a wrapped Christmas gift, about the size of a large ring box, in exchange for one of his hockey sticks.
• Little Caesars Arena erupted into a thunderous “Jar-ed Goff!” chant during the first quarter of action.
There’s a big football game across the street on Sunday, as the Detroit Lions (12-1) host the Buffalo Bills (10-3).
“They have the best goalie in the league, but I think that’s the game in front of them,” Lalonde said. “Both (Wall and Anthony Stolarz) were well above expectations, but if you do good things in front of them, that’s what you get.
• Stolarz (lower body) did travel to Detroit with the Maple Leafs, but did not take part in any ice time. Off-ice work and therapy only.
Rookie Dennis Hilderby (1-1, .869) will make his third NHL start Sunday night against Buffalo.
“He always comes to the ice ready to get better and compete,” Bobby McMahon said.
“Especially in practice, you see that a lot. Every time he goes out there, he doesn’t give up the puck.”
