Talk about a complete shift in momentum within 16 seconds. It reminded me of how it can instantly shift in the NHL playoffs. Three unanswered goals by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second period ruined Jake Oettinger's birthday bash 5-3. The Dallas Stars were taking on the Maple Leafs, the flu, and the turnover bug tonight. Turnovers can quickly ruin a team's performance. I hope Jason Robertson puts coal in Nick Robertson's stocking on Christmas Day. In all seriousness, tip of the cap to the Maple Leafs tonight.
I don't know what happened with the Stars once the second period began. It's like they hit a pothole and spun out of control. The puck handling tonight wasn't as good as it has been. I know Pete DeBoer loves to be aggressive moving the puck up the ice, but some of the goals Toronto scored only had one defenseman back defending. Got to find a fine line of being aggressive while having defensemen back in case of a turnover. Here are the three takeaways from the Maple Leafs win tonight.
Dallas Stars vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Recap: 3. Crappy puck handling
The Maple Leafs capitalized on crappy puck handling by Dallas tonight. I don't know if it's the flu going around the locker room or if fatigue sets in. The Maple Leafs demonstrated they might have a long playoff run this season. If the Maple Leafs capitalize on turnovers in the playoffs, watch out for them. The Stars need to be better with their puck handling moving forward. The New York Rangers will feast on Friday night if the Stars play like they did tonight.
Dallas Stars vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Recap: 2. Overaggressive moving up the ice
The one thing I noticed during the second period was the Stars only had one player back in case there was a turnover by the Maple Leafs. While I applaud the Stars for being aggressive in moving the puck up the ice, they need another guy back on defense. The Stars can aggressively move the puck while having two players back on defense. It's an easy change to make without ruining the aggressive tempo on offense. Just a little thing I saw that needed to be addressed.
Dallas Stars vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Recap: 1. Birthday boy was tired
Jake Oettinger looked off tonight. I think Oettinger might have gotten what's going around the locker room. There were some easy saves that he could have made but wasn't ready. He also has played seven games because Casey DeSmith had the flu. Sometimes, fatigue sets in after playing many games in a row. DeSmith should start with the New York Rangers coming to town on Friday night. Watching Matt Rempe and Lian Bichsel on the ice will be interesting.