LFR19 – Game 30 – Can’t Handle The Truth – Sharks, 3, Maple Leafs 2 (OT)

LFR19 – Game 30 – Can’t Handle The Truth – Sharks, 3, Maple Leafs 2 (OT)

So, are you still a sharks truther? Well, it’s hard to be a sharks truther anymore. Why is that? Well, when I was a shark’s truther, no one believed the sharks were good, but I did. And that’s why I was the truther cuz I thought they were good. But now, well, everyone accepts that they’re good or going to be good. Okay. So, what you’re saying is tonight the Leafs couldn’t handle the truth. That whole thing was a setup. I hate you. Let’s go. It starts with an A and ends with anxiety. off the sharpest levels of passion. This is the night with you wherever you are. Welcome to Lf. Leafs lose 32 in overtime to the San Jose Sharks. Call the fire department. They just lit a point on fire. Let’s talk about that game. But first, the schedule is out for that big soccer thing that’s happening coming up, which means you know when and which city to be in if you want to watch your favorite team. And that’s where Skyscanner comes in. Flights to all the host cities and their prices are going to change quickly. And Skyscanner is the easiest starting point for planning because it funnels fans directly to travel options for the 2026 host cities. Skyscanner has made it ridiculously easy with their football flight finder. It’s the ultimate one-stop shop. Instead of searching city by city, this tool helps you find the best flight, hotel, and car hire options all in one place. Plus, with price alerts, it’s like having an analyst tracking flight price options to these cities just for you. Don’t waste time searching everywhere. Be the smart fan and start planning your trip now. Go to Skyscanner’s dedicated football flighter URL. That’s www.skyscanner.com/foot-flight-finder skycanner.com/foot-flight-finder and set your price alerts to lock in your trip to the biggest games of 2026. Now, let me yell about this game that the Leafs got one point in, but it should have been two. First of all, why are the San Jose Sharks here, Achilles heel? Why? How come? And poor Qua. They beat you twice in two opportunities last year, and I don’t know if you noticed, they finished last. Like, do you know how last they were? I don’t think you do. Three teams were tied with 76 points at 27th, 28th, and 29th overall in a 32 team league. Then from 76 it goes to 68 and that’s Nashville. Then from 68 it goes to 61, that’s Chicago. Then there’s the Sharks 52. They had 20 wins in 82 games. 10% of them were against the Leafs who won the division last year. The home game. I was part of the Amazon broadcast for that game. The Leafs were up two nothing at home. Blew it. Lost in the shootout. We didn’t get that far tonight. Then I was also in San Jose for that. How did I I went to three Leafs games last year and two of them were losses to the Sharks. There is no way any other Leaf fan on the planet had that experience. I might be the only guy. I might earnestly be the only guy. 66% of the live Leaf games I saw last year were losses to the Sharks. The one win I saw was on New Year’s Eve and the Leaf second line center was David Cap. Stop laughing. He scored. Tina Lorent had the game winner. It was a windmill deak. Ryan Reeves assisted on it. Stop laughing. And actually, I would have to check this. I’m not totally sure. I think that might have been Reeves’s last NHL assist. Going to remind you that was New Year’s Eve. Anyway, where am I going with Oh, right. The Sharks are your Achilles heel. Then next year, you have another two nothing lead against them and you blow it again. And here’s the thing. I am well aware that not everyone who watches these videos actually watches the game. So, let me tell you this. Anyone who tries to tell you, “Yeah, well, once Oliver Ecman Larson went down with an injury, it was just hard to hold on to that lead.” Narrative is one of the most abused words in the English language. I don’t know when it started. It was a few years ago and it’s out of control. Would Oliver Hecman Larson have been out there in that situation instead of Simone Benois, for example? Maybe. Would it have gone differently? Maybe. But it wasn’t because of a defenseman that that goal went in. Well, it’s John Clingberg as a defenseman. It was John Cllingberg, too. That wasn’t even the former Leaf we most expected to do us in. Dude, the end of the game was Willie, who had two assists. He assisted on both Leaf goals. One of them was one of the most attractive things I’ve ever seen. Like legitimately attractive. I want to use different words other than attractive, but I’m worried Santa won’t come to my house. And it’s like outside of those two plays, it looked like he hated hockey. like every moment spent playing hockey was a burden. But we didn’t talk about it. We didn’t worry about it so much because for the first 40 minutes of this game, the Leafs were wonderful. Wonderful. They started the same way they always do. They’re getting outshot into oblivion for the first five minutes. I don’t know why. I don’t know what that is, but they even it out by the end of the first and they dominate the second period. And late in the second period, the Leafs find themselves with a twogoal lead. Why? The Classics. Late in the first period, what do you do? Go to the net. William Knander does a great job creating space. Hands the puck off to Jake McCabe, who puts it on. Dakota Joshua is in a netfront battle with Timothy Lilligran. Respect to Timmy, but you know how that’s going to go. It was never his strength. It’s the reason he’s no longer here. Joshua deflects it. It ends up going off of Timmy and in one- nothing and it felt like the Leafs couldn’t buy a power play tonight. They did end up getting two. Meanwhile, the Sharks are getting penalty shots for like misdemeanors. Dennis Hill to be saved it because he’s enormous. There be a big enormous goalie in the net and he’s like like Yeah, I don’t even think he would say okay. I don’t know what his voice sounds like. That’s not true. I’ve heard it and it’s as deep as you would imagine. Like he went to the voice store and selected giant but like bashful giant. Anyway, where was I going with that? The Leaf Power play, which has been awful, the worst in the league, had a legitimately great night. They didn’t score on the first one. They had four shots. They look real dangerous. Nick Robertson, the first half of this game especially was spectacular. Second opportunity the Leafs get. Knander waits, waits, waits. The Sharks are like, “Ah, we heard Matthews is washed and we’re just going to continue life with that assumption.” Whack. Knander unreal pass. He’s going to get it later, but unreal pass. Matthews vintage finish. You’re up two nothing cuz you deserve to be. But 59 seconds later, you let the Sharks back into the game, which boo and hiss. Hildy was making some big saves. It’s not like the Sharks didn’t have any chances. This isn’t the team from last year that the Leafs still couldn’t beat that 52 points. Before the game, there was a big brew haha that William Knander was demoted to the third line with the Bobby McMahon suspension. That is garbage. By the way, he’s with Wah and Joshua. Tvaris is with Cowan and Robertson. If you watch the game, I’m watching especially for the first two periods like I think he used these lines because they actually just make sense. They were really effective. They were generating chances. You allow two high energy guys, two young guys in Robertson and Cowan to elevate in the lineup against a team that plays that way in the San Jose Sharks. The third line has been playing like the first and a half line. So, of course, they have the one even strength goal. Hey, Willie, we’re going to put you on like the hottest line we have. Oh no, what a demotion. Everything was going well, but this was not one of Eastston Cowan’s finer moments. None of this is good, and I’m not saying this is all on Eastn Cowan. He’s kind of just standing stationary there in the in the slot. And Robertson’s up against the boards. Look at all the space that the Sharks have at the point. None of that is good. How does it get worse? This is how it gets worse. Orlov attacks down low because I mean, geez, why not? It’s wide open for me. Cowan’s got his back turned. Robertson’s like, I don’t know. Should I be over there? I’m not totally sure. It’s a mess. Or is able to walk in and he snipes it. Not the greatest, but at the end of the day, if if you really watch the first 40 minutes, you know what? Leafs, I’m happy. I’m happy. Heading into the third period, I was thinking to myself, this is the most entertained I’ve been by a weekn night regular season Leafs game probably since last season. The Sharks energy that they brought into this game, into this building, it’s like it infected the Leafs and the Leafs matched them there. But then in the third period, disaster strikes. And I Yeah, for as bad as the end of the game was and how it ended, this did legitimately hurt the Leafs chances to hold on to this lead. Adam Goddet goes into the boards. Weird fall. As he’s falling, he lands very oddly on Oliver Ecman Larson’s foot, ankle, question mark. The play continues. Ecman Larson is on his knees. He is not getting up. Has to basically beg the officials to stop play. He is helped off the ice. He doesn’t put an ounce of weight on that foot. Bad. Bad. So bad. No good. Very bad. He has maybe arguably been the Leaf’s best defenseman all season. He’s definitely been their most reliable. And this is the best season of NHL hockey he’s played in Lord knows how long. He won a Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers. I don’t know if he was this good. This might have been his best season of hockey since he was a coyote. On top of his defensive reliability, on top of his ability to play both the left and right, on top of him turning into a reliable partner for Morgan Riley, Oliver Akman Larson has 20 points in 30 games. That’s an 82 game pace of 54.6 points. If you want to round down to 54, it’s a 54 point pace. His careerhigh is 55 and he got it in the 2015 201616 season, which also happened to be his second of back-to-back 20 plus goal seasons. Oliver Ecman Larson was that guy. Oliver Ecman Larson led the Coyotes in scoring that year with 55 points, who was second. He’s also on this team, by the way. I didn’t realize this until I looked it up just now. Max Doi with 52 points. You want to know who was third? He’s on the Leafs right now. I didn’t know this until I looked it up. The answer, it’s a trick question. Shane Don, who’s the assistant GM. That team had a guy born in 1976 on it. Also Shane Don, by the way. All that to say, Oliver Larson has been slightly important to the Leafs. If he’s out for as long as it looks like he’s going to be out, they’re in a lot of trouble. Heading into this game. game. The Leafs already had four defensemen, just defenseman on IR or LTIR. Chris Tanv, Brandon Carlo, Marshall Rafi, and uh who’s the other one? I try to do these all off the top of my head as best I can. Come on, Steve. You’re missing a good one. Oh, Dakota Mermis. I was just yelling about him. Dakota Mermis. Henry Thun became the 10th Dman to play for the Leafs this year. It’s not even Christmas. And for the rest of the game, the Leafs were just not the same. And the forecast going forward is not good either. Legitimately, what are the Leafs deep pairs on Saturday, but the two day 48 hours from now less? Do you keep McCabe Ster together? Okay, you can. But then your most realistic options then are Riley with Meyers, who’s a player he’s played with, who was healthy scratch for a guy who hasn’t played this season tonight, and the third pair of Ben Wis, who has not been good, and Henry Thut Marone. Doesn’t sound like Carlos’s close to coming back. We don’t know. Doesn’t sound like Tanniff’s close to being back. We don’t know. I have no idea. Like Marshall Rafi might be in witness protection and Dakota Mermis is going to be out a month. If you don’t want to play Philip Meyers, which Craig Bubé super does not want to do, what are your options? Who do you call up from the Marlies? Will Villanovv? Well, he’s never played a game in the NHL. Former Shark Matt Benning, maybe. Cade Weber. You need a guy who moves the puck. You lost Oliver Ecman Larson. Dude, I I have no idea what they do. None. They might be the first team that could justify going 135. I I don’t know. Anyway, the game flipped on its head. The Sharks almost tie it and it looked like it was Ryan Reeves. Thank goodness it wasn’t because Adam Goddet, former Leaf in exhibition, he was a Marley, really good player. I was surprised he didn’t make it. And now he makes millions of dollars. Anyway, Godette put himself offside. So, the goal is waved off. Aha. Sharks pull Nadulkovich who they might as well have put at the point. He’s very good at handling the puck. William Knander is out there. And I was asked after the game like why is Knander out there? Here’s the thing. Even though Willie was briefly used on the PK. It was either last year or the year before. He’s not used there anymore. Even though he’s not used there anymore, he’s usually out there in the last two or three minutes of the game to kill it off. John Tvaris is another one of those guys who is never on the penalty kill, but he’s out there in the final moments because he can win faceoffs and if the puck is along the boards, he’s going to win that board battle. Well, what does Willie do? He has an opportunity to get the puck out, loses the board battle. And with the puck going to John Clingberg, Nick Wah, who’s like a really responsible defensive player, is like Willie. You can tell that Baruba has put an extra emphasis on communication with the Leafs because they’re pointing everywhere these days, which kind of helps you identify who knows where they’re supposed to be and who doesn’t. Willie is the reason that Clingberg is open. Clingberg takes a shot and the shot is true. Top corner, tie game. The overtime just bothered me. Everything about it bothered me. The fans booing the Leafs for ragging the puck. Stop. Listen, there are lots of legitimate reasons to boo the Leafs at home. That’s not one of them. You boo the heck out of the other team when they do it. They are actively trying to win the game and also not lose the game by doing that. Please stop. In a game that featured lots of broken sticks and bumbling around on what seemed like terrible ice, the Leafs look so disconnected and awful when they weren’t just ragging the thing. Matthews skates into a situation in the offensive zone late in a shift that I thought made no sense. Very low percentage. It gets picked off. Sharks have a twoon one. And some people were messaging me like, “Why is Doy out there? Doy’s the only one out there doing his job on this play.” the lone guy back on a twoon-one. The Sharks cross unbelievable save from Hill to be and then something that just annoys me. Alex Wenberg kicks the puck nearly directly into the net, but he put a stick on it at the last minute, so it’s fine. And listen, I know that is how the rule works, but like it’s a little silly. If he just kicked it in, no goal. But if he touches his stick on it, that’s goal. I know it’s always been like that, but like why can’t you just kick the puck in then? Well, Steve, you can’t just kick the puck in because then it’s skate blades flying everywhere. But they did that. The only difference is you got a stick on it. It’s weird. I’m coping. The Leafs and some of their biggest guys who otherwise had okay not Matthews was the Leaf’s best player in this game. Knander had two very good moments, but I thought otherwise looked ordinary. Two of their biggest guys in overtime really let them down. And it’s hard to look at that as well, you got a point when it’s a team that also desperately needs the points and you had a two nothing lead at home. Not to mention going forward, you’re going up against Conor Bard and Conor McDavid and you don’t like have defenseman. Not great questions. I’m glad you asked this. Do you miss the version of Ryan Reeves that played tonight? This is going to seem mean and this is going to seem like I’m only saying this because the Leafs lost. I’m not. I was annoyed from the moment Ryan Reeves took the ice tonight. Do I miss this version of Ryan Reeves that played tonight? How do I miss someone I was just introduced to? If Ryan Reeves played like that the way he did tonight, if he played like that every night, he’d still be a Leaf. And it doesn’t sound like he has been playing like that every night. Uh the Sharks are getting grossly outscored when he’s on the ice. Like Chris Johnson quoted him. Ryan Reeves says he holds no grudges against the Leafs, but would have appreciated a little more honesty and communication while in limbo last season. They basically said that I couldn’t play in this league anymore and I’m back. To which Scott Wheeler responds, “The Sharks have been outscored 11-3 with Reeves on the ice. That’s 21.4% of the goals. He’s back in the league by the grace of a young rebuilding team. Brad Troving and Craig Bub have misjudged some players in their time with the Leafs, but this respectfully wasn’t one of them. Like, listen, it’s incredible that Reeves is still in the league, and it’s admirable that he’s still in the league. There are five guys in the entire NHL who are older than Ryan Reeves. It’s crazy. four skaters and one goalie. And if we saw a shift of this Reeves last season, he’d still be a Leaf. They could have buried him just outside of Exhibition Stadium, stuck him with the Marlies, but they found him a landing spot in San Jose. And now he gets to join one of the he gets the cushiest role, dude. Fourthlininer vibes guy for a team that’s excited to get out of bed in the morning because half of them are children in California. Like, are the Leafs kind of stuck up and fuddy duddy and corporate? Yeah, absolutely. Was it maybe kind of dry and cold what the Leafs did to Ryan Reeves last year? Yeah, kind of. But he would have appreciated more communication. Okay. Well, we would have appreciated that version of you who played like it was the Stanley Cup final tonight. He seems like a great guy, but we may never see another game like that out of Ryan Reeves. Everyone gets up to play the Leafs. God, I just wish more guys would get up to be a Leaf. He had the opportunity. He didn’t take advantage of it. We all communicate all of the time. Sometimes it’s with words. Other times it’s with how we perform respectfully. He communicated to the Leafs that he shouldn’t be in the lineup and they obliged. And he couldn’t be in a better spot. Good for him. But that left a bad taste in my mouth. You watched this team last year. We didn’t see that guy. That guy didn’t show up last year. No way. Anyway, I’ve gone on way too long about a Thursday night overtime loss that was like game was that 33? I don’t even Sorry, Drew. Everyone say sorry to producer Drew. Actually, don’t. He cheers for the top team in the league. Boo. Deal with it. Anyway, that is it for this one. Thank you very much for watching. Click like if you like this video. Click subscribe if you really liked it. Tell all your friends you make 11 and a half million. Get the puck out.

Steve Dangle recaps and analyzes Game 30 of the Toronto Maple Leafs season against the San Jose Sharks

⚽ Fan Travel: Use Skyscanner’s Football Flight Finder for 2026

The match schedule is out, and the most efficient way to plan your trip is using Skyscanner’s dedicated Football Flight Finder. This specialized tool shows you the smartest routes and lets you set Price Alerts so you don’t miss savings to the host cities. Start your trip planning right now and use Skyscanner! https://www.skyscanner.ca/football-flight-finder

NEW BOOK!: https://www.harpercollins.ca/9781443469968/hockey-rants-and-raves/
BECOME AN SDP VIP! https://www.youtube.com/sdpn/join
SDPN: https://www.sdpn.ca/
ADVERTISE WITH US! https://sdpn.ca/sales/
SDPN DISCORD: https://discord.com/invite/MtTmw9rrz7
AUDIOBOOK: https://bit.ly/2GIgYya