If the Maple Leafs are in the process of finding an identity, it appears to be through the composite drawing of an Identikit.
asserted
it → find → Identikit
The way a cop artist cobbles together the likeness of a criminal suspect.
asserted
artist → cobble → suspect
And if that defence — even more dubious now with the week-to-week status of lionheart Chris Tanev (although he made a solo morning skate appearance) — is an unfixable liability, short term or long, should they not go whole hog with a system that amplifies their goal-scoring brilliance?
asserted
that → make → brilliance
Then they go and muster all of one (1) goal against the Islanders.
asserted
they → go → Islanders
And six games now where Sergei Bobrovsky has allowed at least three goals (five on Thursday against Buffalo).
asserted
Bobrovsky → allow → Buffalo
“I tried to give my best,” the future Hall of Fame goalie said afterward.
asserted
goalie → try → Fame
“I stay patient and I prepare myself for the next shot.
asserted
I → stay → shot
Obviously you could think what if this, what if that, but it is what it is.
uncertain
it → think → that
I’m confident, I feel good about my game and I’m excited for the next opportunity.
asserted
I → ’m → opportunity
The team’s collective persona is very much a work in progress, further disrupted by the injury absence of John Tavares, also week-to-week.
asserted
persona → disrupt → week
Which, in club vernacular, means anywhere from one to six weeks.
asserted
Which → mean → weeks
Cohesion will have to be organic and a slow build.
asserted
Cohesion → have → ?
It’s more entertaining hockey, but entertaining won’t cut the mustard if they fall off the pace early in the hardscrabble Atlantic Division.
asserted
they → ’ → Division
In this contest at Scotiabank Arena, the Leafs managed to not lose a game in which they’d been leading, unlike four of their previous five defeats.
asserted
they → manage → defeats
But they could hardly score a lick.
uncertain
they → score → lick
Which is supposed to be their thing.
asserted
Which → suppose → ?
It should be noted that the Isles are ranked second in goals against per game.
asserted
Isles → note → game
Seventeen days earlier, Toronto had edged them 2-1.
asserted
Toronto → edge → them
“They did a good job of keeping us on the outside, and I think we passed up on a lot of shots,” said captain Auston Matthews.
asserted
Matthews → do → shots
“Made it a little bit easier on them.
asserted
it → make → them
They played hard, but I thought (we were) a little bit too much on the perimeter.
asserted
we → play → perimeter
We could have done a better job of generating more shots on the net.”
uncertain
We → do → net
Twenty-nine shots and Ilya Sorokin turned away 28 of them.
asserted
Sorokin → turn → them
“It’s just a mindset, maybe,” Matthews continued.
asserted
Matthews → ’ → ?
Sometimes the best play is just to shoot the puck on the net and see what happens.”
asserted
what → shoot → net
Forced to re-engineer a roster that had already been extensively retooled, coach Jim Hiller elevated William Nylander to the top line (as he’d road-tested Thursday after Tavares disappeared following a painful collision) alongside Matthews and Jack Roslovic, who led Toronto with five shots.
asserted
who → force → shots
Easton Cowan, about whom Hiller has been effusive, had Nick Paul at centre and Kirill Marchenko on the other wing.
asserted
Hiller → have → wing
Rookie Gavin McKenna, inexplicably benched for the second half of Thursday’s loss, was with Colton Sissons and Bo Groulx.
asserted
McKenna → bench → Sissons
But the teenager also saw action on a regularly rolling fourth line and second power-play unit.
asserted
teenager → see → line
The Islanders couldn’t convert.
asserted
Islanders → convert → ?
More egregious was the misplay that did result in the first goal at 9:18 of the opening period.
asserted
that → result → period
The Leafs had ample opportunity to move the puck out of their end, but typically overcomplicated the situation.
asserted
Leafs → have → situation
Subsequently lost a battle on the boards and Anthony Duclair snapped the puck past Bobrovsky, high glove side.
asserted
Duclair → lose → Bobrovsky
While the Leafs did a mostly decent job of containing Matthew Schaefer — neat to watch the last two No. 1 draft picks, Schaefer and McKenna, go mano-a-mano — Toronto’s play was often disjointed.
asserted
play → do → mano
Late in the second, immediately after McKenna missed the shot on a breakaway, the Islanders responded on a rush the other way.
asserted
Islanders → miss → rush
Troy Stecher’s attempt to force the puck off the boards was blocked and Bo Horvat popped the rebound.
asserted
Horvat → force → rebound
McKenna had Toronto’s best scoring look on the power play early in the third, but was stymied.
asserted
McKenna → have → third
With the penalty just over, Stecher atoned for his earlier gaffe, beating Sorokin on a shot from the point through a screen.
asserted
Stecher → atone → screen
The cushion was restored on a pair by Simon Holmstrom, including the final nail into a vacated net.
asserted
cushion → restore → net
For a while last week, the Leafs looked as if they were humming with good vibes.
asserted
they → look → vibes
…and 5 more, not listed.
The Aporia
