Analytics Darlings Fall to Dregs Led By Brontosaurus Weber, After Leading 4-1

Up 4-1 in the third period, with twelve minutes or so remaining, they fell behind, tied it in the dying seconds, and then lost it in the shootout.  Although, they gave up a lot of juicy chances in OT, also.

So here are some scenarios to discuss.  Feel free take one up.

1.  Kapanen's stupid stick-throwing cost them the game.  It actually only cost one goal, but it was a significant goal.

2.  Rielly's clueless defending cost at least two goals, and that's not counting the one that went off his foot; possibly the only one he takes badly.  It was two or three times every period that you see a dangerous 2 on 1, defended by Ceci, finish off and the number 44 flashes across your screen just after the play is already decided.  And not knowing where to stand and what to do in front of the net doesn't help, either.

3.  It was Hutch's fault.  

4.  It was a case of a possession-driven team that's good at forcing the play to the other end getting tired, and not having a plan B for when they can no longer do that because of fatigue.  Nobody thought to build the team to actually defend, which is passe in today's game.

5.  As Don said, they're just not tough enough.  He said they're not tough enough to win the cup, not to beat the Habs.  But extending point 4, you need to be able to hold your ground, and keep order in front of your net when you don't have possession.  You can't have possession all the time, and the third period of back to backs is always a game of attrition.  Yet you need to make life hard for your opponents, so they can't feast on your vulnerability.  The Leafs lack that entirely.

6.  Another explanation of your own.