I should criticize the powerplay more often. The Toronto Maple Leafs seem determined to get the Thrashers back into 8th place tonight via taking as many penalties as possible. So far, the Leafs have been called for six penalties. The Thrashers scored on the first Toronto penalty of the night – Phil Kessel was called for hooking just a minute and four seconds in, and at 2:39 Evander Kane wristed his 14th goal on the season past Toronto goaltender J.S. Giguere.
Dustin Byfuglien scored his seventh powerplay goal of the season and his first goal in fourteen games on the fifth Toronto penalty, His boomer from the circles flew past Giggy’s outstretched blocker. Buff now sits alone on top of the team with seventeen goals.
The first period’s shot totals were fluffed by the six powerplays – the Thrashers netted eighteen shots on goal to Toronto’s eleven.