The Toronto Maple Leafs have become something of a pain in the schedule these last few weeks and they played spoiler role well on Thursday night in downing the Anaheim Ducks, 6-5, in extra time.
Despite the loss Anaheim clinched a playoff berth with the loser’s point.
“We didn’t play a good hockey game tonight,” Ryan Getzlaf said. “It’s a concern. I don’t want to say we’re not competing, but we’re not executing and we’re not up to the pace of the play. We’re holding onto the puck too long and we’re giving up four goals, five goals, three goals … way too many goals against to compete in this league.”
Trailing 4-1 in the game, the Ducks rallied to take a 5-4 lead only to see Connor Brown tie it for the Leafs and have Nazem Kadri win it for early in extra time.
“There are a lot of veterans on our team that have been to wars, and the most important thing is the playoffs,” Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said. “Yeah, you want to get up for every game and you hope they get up for every game, but malaise is a good word. We’re going through a funk is another word.”
Down by three goals in the second period Anaheim got markers from Jamie McGinn and Andrew Cogliano nine seconds apart and Ryan Garbutt tied it.
Brandon Pirri gave the Ducks the lead.
“You saw on the goals we executed properly,” Getzlaf said. “We were able to maintain puck control, and you have to against a team like that.”
But the return to the playoffs was the target. And given the starts Anaheim had to its season this result certainly seems sweeter.
“We go through so many things in a year,” Getzlaf said. “Everybody has family; everybody has stuff. We realize that is important. We’re professionals. We deal with stuff all the time. That is part of being a professional athlete. You’ve got to show up and work. [Ryan] had to go and be with his wife and his family, and it should have been an opportunity for some guys to step up. I didn’t feel we did it as a group.”
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