Must see: Tavares ties it up with less than 8 seconds on the clock.

The Toronto Maple Leafs were at risk of heading into the holiday break with their heads held down on Sunday night, but it was not to be. 

The Maple Leafs were facing off what, in theory, was an inferior Detroit Red Wings team in a game that featured 2 squads without some of their key components. For one both team's starters were not in goal for this game with both Detroit Red Wings starting goaltender Jimmy Howard and Maple Leafs starter Frederik Andersen getting the night off. Instead the game featured a duel between Maple Leafs backup Garret Sparks and a former member of the Toronto Maple Leafs in Detroit Red Wings goalie Jonathan Bernier.

By the time the 3rd period was winding down it looked like the Detroit Red Wings would get the better of the duel between these 2 squads but Toronto Maple Leafs star forward John Tavares had other plans. The Red Wings were up 3 - 2 and there was barely any time left on the clock when Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Gardiner fired a shot from the blue line in an attempt to tie the game up and force overtime. Although Gardiner himself did not find the back of the net with his shot, teammate John Tavares had absolutely no problem on his deflection, and that redirection of the puck was enough to beat Bernier, leaving the former Maple Leaf staring back at his open net in disgust. 

This may very well have been Toronto's last game before the holiday break but if there was any doubt about how badly the Maple Leafs wanted this win it was immediately erased when the puck crossed the goal line. The pure elation from every Maple Leafs' player on the ice and those on the bench was a dead giveaway that the Leafs very much wanted this win, and I suspect their head coach may have played some small role in that. 

You have to remember that not only was this the last game before Christmas, and what coach doesn't want his team feeling good headed into the holidays, but Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock was also facing off against his former team. I have no doubt that beating the Red Wings means a great deal to Babcock, and it's probably at least partly why his players do as well.

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