27/82: December 7th @ PIT

Final Score: Leafs 2, Penguins 5

Former Leaf Michael Bunting scored the game-winning goal, a power-play marker at 5:34 of the third period.

The Penguins added two empty-net goals as the Leafs could not find the right dose of offense despite prolonged attacks in Pittsburgh’s zone.

With a second period assist on Bryan Rust’s 2-1 goal, Sidney Crosby pulled within ten assists of Mario Lemieux for players that have spent their entire careers in black-and-gold.

That’s back-to-back games the Leafs could and likely should have won. For a team that was firing on all cylinders without the best goalscorer in the world, it’s surprising to see their offense falter with him back.

Another big sign of this game was the almost two-to-one advantage the Penguins had in the faceoff circle, winning 64.7% of them. For the season, the Leafs are fifth in the NHL with 52.9% of faceoffs going the way of the blue-and-white.

With another power-play goal, William Nylander netted his 17th goal of the season. It’s been a roller-coaster season for the Leafs on the man advantage.

These two last losses could have big implications for the Leafs as they sit two points back of Florida in the Atlantic. The good news? The Leafs have a game in hand.

Question for the Penguins: Will wins like this over teams “better” than them incentivize Pittsburgh to get aggressive closer to the trade deadline? That assumes they’ll keep this momentum going, though, which is an unknown.

The Leafs head to New Jersey for a Tuesday tilt against the Devils. 7pm puck drop.