Hard to tell if we were that good or Toronto, right now, is that bad. Certainly their goaltending reeked something awful. However, give the Canucks credit as some of them are playing better than they have for most of the season.
Good
Holtby - again raising expectations he will be gone in ED. Huge factor in this game was goaltending.
Miller - his play in the middle of the ice has been crucial to any success the team has had going into the break and coming out of it. Whether he should be there on a permanent basis is open to consideration. Another very strong game.
Hughes - best game in a while. Carried the puck a little too much a couple of times early but as game went on started controlling things from the backend. Excellent at the Toronto blue line throughout and especially on the PP. When is skating like this he is so elusive.
Pearson - was thinking he was doing much then popped a couple. (although one of them required assistance of Toronto goaltender)
Sutter - solid both ways and showed that we at least have one player that can hit an open net. Fear is that Benning is starting to write up a long term contract. Give it a few games and history tells us Sutter will start wearing down big time.
Myers - a horse at times. Just play him a lot - obviously a player that needs to keep his engine hot and falters when he begins sitting in a 6 man rotation. Played big around his net.
Schmidt - very good in the late going. Good job of getting puck out of his end and up to the forwards.
Horvat - worked hard in the trenches and helped negate some of the Leafs' offense
Others
Boyd - better. Made a couple of nice set ups and shows he has NHL wheels. Looks a worthwhile pickup
Vesey - can't accomplish enough offensively. Looks very ordinary
Highmore - thought he was effective. Teams needs the kind of energy and intensity he brings. Looks like he can contribute to a good forecheck. Need time to figure out if he brings more than Gaudette (although he doesn't have to do too much to achieve that - at least he wasn't on his butt much of the time)
Chatfield - love the heart and the determination to get up on the offense but he puck watches on defense and when he does screw up, he screws up badly. Hopefully a work in progress who can use the experience he is getting sharpen up aspects of his game. Lots of compete but has fundamental problems on defense
Joulevi - for the first half of the first period though he was looking much better. He was getting open ice and making plays and creating some chances with his shots. But then Toronto started forechecking him hard and the problems began to show up. Started with a feeble back hand pass behind his net to Chatfield. Guy was already on Chatfield and puck immediately turned over leading to an number scrums and scoring chances around the Canuck net. All he needed to do was wheel as hard as could up his side while looking to move the puck. Then as game went on he started giving up the blue line and backing in, giving Leaf players the chance to walk to the top of the circle and shoot or dally with the puck till they wanted to move it. Another problem was his failure to get to the blue line after moving up the puck. Instead he watched the pass and coasted and if the puck got turned over he ended up too deep in his end to play the blueline. Moreover thought he had some very weak shifts around his net. Sometimes you see hope for this player but when you look more closely there are just too many basic problems in his game. Willing to live with that but he needs to push himself much harder both mentally and physically.
Virtanen - hit he lay on Nylander was important since Toronto was beginning to get physical. No major gaffes but no major highlights earlier. Looking back, taking Virtanen over Nylander was a huge mistake.
Hawryluk - doesn't look a NHL player. Kind of pest but really nothing more.
Hoglander - not his best game. However, scored an important goal and certainly was decent throughout.
Roussel - if that same knee or a significant injury to the other knee, you have to wonder about whether he is done permanently. Maybe another LTIR player next season. Also any speculation he was headed to Seattle will likely be ended.
Game made you wonder if, with improved play before the break and the effort since, the team was in a position to make a major late season run. Schedule was beginning to work in their favour after a over taxing early schedule. However, given the condensed schedule ahead it is hard to see them sustaining the pace need to be in the playoffs.
