Leafs Still Winless At Home After Shootout Loss To Habs
Posted October 7, 2006 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Air Canada Centre season ticket holders will have to wait a little longer before seeing their Maple Leafs win a game at home.
The Leafs came close Saturday night but ultimately fell short, losing 3-2 in a shootout to the rival Montreal Canadiens.
Toronto came out with a great deal of energy, but allowed the Habs an early 1-0 lead on a power play goal by defenceman Sheldon Souray in the first.
The Leafs answered a short time later however, when Darcy Tucker was rewarded for his hard work in front of Montreal goalie David Aebischer.
The Buds took the lead in the second when Matt Stajan slid one past the Habs’ backup netminder, and it looked as if Toronto would cruise the rest of the way.
But looks can be deceiving. Ex-Leaf Mike Johnson tied things up for the visitors late in the third, and Aebischer found his rhythm, stopping 36 shots in all, including 15 in the third period and overtime.
The extra frame solved little, though Toronto had a marvelous chance to end things with a 4-3 advantage late. But Aebischer wouldn’t be beaten again, at least not on this night.
The teams traded misses in the shootout, including three in a row that rang off each crossbar. Eventually, Michael Ryder solved Toronto goalie Andrew Raycroft to seal the deal for the Habs and disappoint a sellout crowd at the ACC.
The win was Montreal’s first of the season and they earned it by successfully killing off five of six penalties.
Raycroft played well in net for the Leafs stopping 31 saves, but ultimately needed to stop 32.
He’ll get his chance on Monday, when the Leafs host Todd Bertuzzi and the Florida Panthers.
- The Leafs also made an addition to their roster Saturday, signing unrestricted free agent Boyd Deveraux to a one-year contract, which he will start serving with the team’s American Hockey League affiliate Toronto Marlies. The 28-year-old had 22 points in 78 games with the Phoenix Coyotes in 2005-06.
