"30 seconds to go in the second period, we throw a puck blindly into the slot. First of all, they should've changed, but they don't. We got caught on the wrong side of it and gave up a goal late in the second period after playing pretty well for two periods. It is not smart hockey. In the third period, a lot like the San Jose game, I didn't feel like we came out and took control of the period."
"I don't know. I talked to the team after the game. Our leaders have to take control of it a lot more than they are right now. To me, it is all a mindset, whether you are down a goal or up, like we were in the San Jose game. You have to have more urgency and be more direct in how we want to play. We didn't do it in the third period two games in a row."
Maple Leafs fell 6-3 to the Edmonton Oilers, dropping their record to 14-12-5. A blind puck thrown into the slot with 30 seconds remaining in the second period led to a late goal that shifted momentum. The team played competitively for two periods but failed to control the third period, allowing the Oilers' speed to generate opportunities. The Leafs have produced back-to-back flat third-period performances at home and have not dictated play late. Team leaders must assert more control, increase urgency and be more direct. Goaltender Dennis Hildeby showed fatigue in puck handling but continued to give his team a chance.
Read at Maple Leafs Hotstove
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