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Maple Leaf Square was gearing up to playoff mode on Monday — for the Raptors, not the hockey tenants.
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The last home game of the season for the Maple Leafs was a prime example of why, as two multi-goal leads turned into a 6-5 Dallas Stars win. Good efforts by six rookies, led by goalie Artur Akhtyamov, were foiled by another series of veterans’ mistakes, mostly in their end.
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But with one game remaining Wednesday in Ottawa, many fans weren’t complaining. Toronto’s sixth straight loss (0-5-1) drew it closer to securing a bottom five finish in the National Hockey League standings that would get its first-round pick back from Boston this summer, pending the draft lottery.
The draft order, and whether Toronto gets its pick back from the Boston Bruins this year, must wait a bit longer.
Draft order drama
The Leafs showed a nose for the net on two early chances before cashing in a power play. The Stars fumbled a clearing attempt that William Nylander cut off for John Tavares, his 12th with the extra man, 31st overall.
Celebrating his 30th birthday, Steven Lorentz almost scored on a wraparound, with Jacob Quillan finishing up on the doorstep, his first career goal in 23 games. Another fortunate bounce on a point shot landed on Nylander’s stick, leaving him one shy of 30 goals.
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But Nylander’s egregious giveaway in front of Artur Akhtyamov started the second period, Mavrik Bourque’s first of a hat trick in five minutes. Jason Robertson tied it before the match was half over, the Stars getting an easy corner retrieval
Nylander atoned by setting up Max Domi for a go-ahead goal in the third, with Jason’s brother Nick following for the Leafs, but Wyatt Johnston struck on the power play and Troy Stecher directed a puck in his own net while battling with Arttu Hyry. Bourque then completed his three-goal night.
The Russian Akhtyamov’s load was cut a bit from 44 shots in his first start on Long Island to 32. Quillan and Easton Cowan were joined up front by Luke Haymes in his third NHL game, Ryan Tverberg (NHL debut) and defenceman William Villeneuve in second appearance.
On Fan Appreciation Night and Joe Bowen’s last game at the radio mic after 44 years, players spoke earlier in the day of blocking out the draft pick narrative and trying to get a win for the sake of the kids in the lineup and crowd that’s put up with mediocre hockey much of the season.
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