Quoting: Jamiepo
Trying to clear it from the front of the net while it was rolling. It was an unlucky play but he had no other option. Not a place where he could blindly back hand it or even try to turn around. This is exactly what is wrong with leaf fans.
@pharrow watch the replay and tell me I’m wrong.
I just watch it.
It happened it a split second. but he played that puck across the front of the net trying to get it out of there. You can't do that as a defenseman high danger way to clear the puck. I think most people would agree with that. It's got to go to the corner, even if it's a blind pass. It's the safer play. Always away from the net. Even if you might lose it in the scrum, it's better than playing it across the goaltender like that.
I'm not going to knock him for it. It was a split second thing, he just whacked it instinctively, panic mode play. Shiznit happens. But you would never teach a young defenseman to do that.
If a team gave up 1 goal on defense, that's not bad. You can't blame the goaltender or the defense for games where you give up 1 goal. I think their frustration is 12 goals in 17 games in 5v5 play. I admit I have not seen them all. So I'm not going to judge.
Even if it was a kind of bone head move. There is 60 minutes in a game. 1 goal is never why a team loses. Toronto won, so it shows they capitalized on some of those other moments.
Now if they coughed up 4 goals or something. That's a different story. Like that 8 minute melt down the Avs exposed last night. That was some chitty defense.