Dion Phaneuf broke a 33-game goal slump at a highly opportune time, yet it only earned the Toronto Maple Leafs a “charity point” on Friday.
Jakub Kindl spoiled the fun for Toronto with a nice goal just moments after some impressive work by James Reimer, ultimately giving the Detroit Red Wings a 2-1 win in OT.
As close as this was, it may just tell you what separates a bubble team from a possible lottery entry at this point. Consider their streaks at this point.
Red Wings: After a tough run of their own, the Red Wings are now on a three-game winning streak, netting them a 7-5-1 record. They play their next three games at home, too.
Maple Leafs: They’ve won just two games so far, falling to 2-8-3. They’ve lost two in a row and eight of nine. Toronto’s next three games take place on the road.
Toronto keeps showing some fight, exhibited by moments like Phaneuf’s near-last-minute goal. Even so, this must be getting awfully frustrating for Mike Babcock & Co., pain predictions and all.