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Paul Bissonnette rips Toronto Maple Leafs defense after 6-3 loss to Ottawa
In the aftermath of the Toronto Maple Leafs' 6-3 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night, former NHL enforcer turned analyst Paul Bissonnette didn't mince words in a TNT intermission report. As the Leafs' defensive woes were laid bare on the ice, Bissonnette seized the opportunity to dissect the glaring issues plaguing the team.
"NHL on TNT" studio host Liam McHugh said:
"Time to watch Biz sweat. Ottawa, Toronto. One-One. Thing's going OK right now, Biz."
"It's just ugly," Paul Bissonnette replied. "I mean, you're gonna see the highlights here, and there's not."
Even as McHugh interjected with a nod to a remarkable save, Bissonnette pressed on, outlining a laundry list of defensive shortcomings that had him shaking his head:
"No sticks in lanes, no commitment to blocking shots, us not protecting the most dangerous area of the ice, which, as we call the house, not taking away time and space, awful gaps, which not protecting the defensive blue line ... the list goes on and on.
"I could use any type of verbiage to describe bad defensive play, and you're seeing it here from the Toronto Maple Leafs. It's disgusting."
In a game where the Leafs conceded three goals in just over three minutes during the third period, the gravity of their defensive struggles was undeniable. The veteran analyst underscored the urgency of addressing these issues, predicting a bleak future for the team if improvements weren't swiftly implemented:
"And if they keep playing like this, they're probably going to miss playoffs. This is ugly."
Biz blamed the Toronto Maple Leafs' defense
As the discussion unfolded on the show, statistics were brought into the spotlight, revealing that the Toronto Maple Leafs had surrendered an average of 3.62 goals per game. This alarming statistic positioned them among the league's weakest defenses.
Bissonnette, however, was quick to deflect blame from the goaltending department, asserting that the root cause lay in the team's defensive structure and commitment to playing responsibly on their end.
"Maybe not so much as the Oilers, but everybody always wants to blame goaltending," Paul Bissonnette said. "This is not a goaltending issue. This is a defensive zone, defensive structure, and a team commitment to playing defense issue.
"And if it's not addressed, like I said, it's going to get uglier and uglier and uglier."
Amid the early season, with uncertainties looming over the Toronto Maple Leafs' playoff prospects, the question remains: Can Toronto shore up its defense and reverse the tide? Only time will tell.
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