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Posted at 12:45 PM EST.

7:05 PM EST. Regulation only. In a game against the Red Wings last week, Toronto was a massive favorite and we wrote/noted the following regarding the Leafs:

“Toronto is constantly getting outshot and constantly allowing 40 or more shots against. In fact, they have allowed 41, 41, 41 and 40 shots against in their last four games, got outshot in all of them and won all four. That’s not a Stanley Cup winning model and they’re going to have to start losing some games to learn that”.

Well, here we are two starts later and the Leafs are 0-2 over that span and it’s probably the best thing that happened to them, as the Leafs were getting sloppily complacent because they were winning so often. Losing teaches. In terms of offense and goaltending, this is a mismatch of massive proportions in the Maple Leafs favor and we’re not going to hesitate to get behind them after two straight losses knocked them off their perch a little bit. The Maple Leafs didn’t just lose a close one on Saturday night, they were getting buried 6-1 by the Bruins before they scored a couple of meaningless goals late in the third period to make the final 6-3. The Leafs will now play the second game of a five-game trip and figure to be much sharper.

The Hurricanes return home from a three-game California trip, where they beat the Ducks 4-1 in the finale of said trip after losing to San Jose and Los Angeles prior by a combined scored of 7-1. That’s the Hurricanes we know and love. Anaheim was completely flat and uninterested in its games against Carolina. Petr Mrazek gets the call in goal for the ‘Canes and he remains among the worst goaltenders in the game.

Carolina is a strong possession team and rank highly in that department but you still need to put the puck in the net and these third Carolina rate players have not shown that ability. The ‘Canes have scored two goals or less in 15 of their 28 games. Their 71 goals is by far the worst in the East and a complete disaster in this day and age when scoring is way up. No offense with weak goaltending means the Hurricanes decade of frustration will continue and our attack on the ‘Canes is going to be relentless until they are priced like the rancid team that they are.

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