Canucks’ struggles continue with a loss to the Maple Leafs

The Buds are expected to finish at or near the bottom of the league standings this season but they have actually looked pretty good of late and if they can follow up last night’s win and escape the Big Apple with a victory against the Metro leading Rangers it would be a huge confidence booster moving forward.

James van Riemsdyk, Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau, Shawn Matthias and Joffrey Lupul scored for the Leafs, who visit the NY Rangers on Sunday night in the second half of their back-to-back. “We’ve got points in five of six games and you’ve got to start feeling better about yourself”. Rangers Cs Brassard and Dominic Moore reached milestones in the win over Ottawa, appearing in their 500th and 700th career games, respectively.2.

“I think if I’m not mistaken we’ve got points in six of seven, ” Babcock said Saturday night after Toronto’s 4-2 victory over Vancouver.

ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (4-8-4): James Reimer has started each of the last six games and has posted a. 943 save percentage in that span while allowing two or fewer tallies five times after struggling in four appearances last month. After Horvat’s penalty had expired, reducing Toronto’s advantage to one, Parenteau scored his fourth goal of the season at 8:51 of the second period and it was 2-0. The Leafs took their first penalty of the game at 14:08 of the second period when they were called for too many men on the ice.It almost worked in Toronto’s favor when right winger Michael Grabner was hauled down in the neutral zone when he was breaking into the open and was awarded a penalty shot.

A Canucks turnover just outside the blue line sparked a 2-on-none chance for the Leafs. The Canucks will play the sixth game of their seven-game trip on Monday in Montreal against the Canadiens. Tyler Bozak fed Matthias for Toronto’s third goal 1:49 into the third.

Burrows scored a power-play goal on a deflection 10:36 into the third period, and the Canucks got another power play with the chance to tie. Canucks centre Brandon Sutter missed his second game with an undisclosed injury. The Canucks challenged that there was goaltender interference on the play but the goal stood.