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The Leafs journey to the first Stanley cup since '67. Joining Maple Leaf fans Worldwide !
Toronto Marlies playoff stats. 3 Moore LW on the way.
As if Toronto didn't have enough wingers, 4 more are on the way, 2 from Sweden. Grundstrom(traded to L.A for J Muzzin), Timashov,Moore and Engvall will likely all be pushing for NHL jobs soon.
Marlies playoff stats
December 2018: LW Trevor Moore gets the first call up as the trade of Leivo and the injury of Ennis forced Toronto to fill their 4th line LW. Moore played well and got an assist in his first game in.
Marlies playoff stats
December 2018: LW Trevor Moore gets the first call up as the trade of Leivo and the injury of Ennis forced Toronto to fill their 4th line LW. Moore played well and got an assist in his first game in.
There is no need for panic, The Maple Leafs have options.
I don't think Lou ever chases anything or McDonaugh wouldn't be playing on Tampa Bay right now. I don't think any one player can win us the Stanley cup anyway. Even if we had beat Boston somehow, we wouldn't have gotten far with Tampa and Pittsburgh waiting. We knew before the series our defense was incomplete and most knew Hainsey wasn't a top 2 guy at 37 or ever for that matter. We got a great lesson and if not for playoff nerves early in Boston and of course, Kadri not leaving for 3 games, we could have won. Coming back from 1 to 3 down isn't easy and Boston is one of the best teams in the NHL right now. Yes, the Leafs need a defenseman or two but I doubt they trade for an elite one... yet.
There will be no panic button move from this management team and they do have some options with Lupul coming off the books now. It won't be Nylander traded but if they do land a good defenseman, someone will have to go to make room for them. It won't be Dermott who is young and cheap or even Hainsey with one year left and can play on the 2nd/3rd pairing. Reilly is staying but Gardiner has one year left before UFA next summer. Should Toronto land a UFA, for example, he would fetch some assets or could be part of a trade to land a RHD. The Leafs may have learned a lesson as both Bozak and JVR could now walk for nothing and so could Plakenac for that matter.
No one is picking on Gardiner, the whole team lost. Was that Gardiner in game 1 and 2 ? No, that was everyone, including Babcock blowing that offside goal. That was Kadri getting suspended for 3 games. The shades and wounds of 2013 caused a flashback and the fans being dismayed looked for a culprit. Then blame the whole defense. Blame management for not seeing it first. Blame Kadri for only getting 2 assists all series. This is all part of a learning curve for the whole team and the coach apparently. The days of trading Courtnall for Kordic or Rask for Raycroft or how about Kurvers for Scott Niedermayer are long gone. Management got the message and have options and assets. The point has been made. This is not a Stanley cup defense and changes will be made but there is no need for panic. No one is picking on Gardiner for the loss but someone will be gone and an upgrade will occur on defense. It just won't be Nylander as chasing isn't Lou's game, nor is overpaying. The whole league knows what we need but why overpay or get in a bidding war? This team is young and needs time and I doubt even Karlsson can lift us to the Lord Stanley cup singlehandedly. Doughty might but he isn't going anywhere nor could we afford $10 to $12 M per year to get him.
Stay patient and this will get resolved and a year or two of growing and maturing won't hurt this very young team either. When the deal is right it will get made. This isn't the time to panic, we weren't going to win it this year anyway. This team is about 2 years away and improvements will be made next season. But if we lose JVR and Bozak for nothing, do we really want Gardiner walking for zero as well?
On a footnote: Lou Lamoriello was relieved of his GM duties by Brendan Shanahan and a new GM/ era will begin...... It looks to me like Shanahan wants to win sooner rather than later.
There will be no panic button move from this management team and they do have some options with Lupul coming off the books now. It won't be Nylander traded but if they do land a good defenseman, someone will have to go to make room for them. It won't be Dermott who is young and cheap or even Hainsey with one year left and can play on the 2nd/3rd pairing. Reilly is staying but Gardiner has one year left before UFA next summer. Should Toronto land a UFA, for example, he would fetch some assets or could be part of a trade to land a RHD. The Leafs may have learned a lesson as both Bozak and JVR could now walk for nothing and so could Plakenac for that matter.
No one is picking on Gardiner, the whole team lost. Was that Gardiner in game 1 and 2 ? No, that was everyone, including Babcock blowing that offside goal. That was Kadri getting suspended for 3 games. The shades and wounds of 2013 caused a flashback and the fans being dismayed looked for a culprit. Then blame the whole defense. Blame management for not seeing it first. Blame Kadri for only getting 2 assists all series. This is all part of a learning curve for the whole team and the coach apparently. The days of trading Courtnall for Kordic or Rask for Raycroft or how about Kurvers for Scott Niedermayer are long gone. Management got the message and have options and assets. The point has been made. This is not a Stanley cup defense and changes will be made but there is no need for panic. No one is picking on Gardiner for the loss but someone will be gone and an upgrade will occur on defense. It just won't be Nylander as chasing isn't Lou's game, nor is overpaying. The whole league knows what we need but why overpay or get in a bidding war? This team is young and needs time and I doubt even Karlsson can lift us to the Lord Stanley cup singlehandedly. Doughty might but he isn't going anywhere nor could we afford $10 to $12 M per year to get him.
Stay patient and this will get resolved and a year or two of growing and maturing won't hurt this very young team either. When the deal is right it will get made. This isn't the time to panic, we weren't going to win it this year anyway. This team is about 2 years away and improvements will be made next season. But if we lose JVR and Bozak for nothing, do we really want Gardiner walking for zero as well?
On a footnote: Lou Lamoriello was relieved of his GM duties by Brendan Shanahan and a new GM/ era will begin...... It looks to me like Shanahan wants to win sooner rather than later.
Is size starting to play a major factor in the Playoffs?
I'm watching game 2 of the Winnipeg Jets versus Minnesota Wild as Zach Parise laments the Wild's inability to penetrate their zone and it occurs to me the Jets have Bifygulen, Laine, Schiefle, Wheeler, Tyler Myers and Trouba. They are mandhandling the Wild and to me look the playoff favorites in the West this year. The Jets truly have it all with skill, grit,size, scoring, defense and goaltending. Now can they resign Laine at $12M/yr.
Underdog to watch : Columbus Blue Jackets. Coming in hot. Highlights---->GM 1 April 12 CBJ vs Washington
Underdog to watch : Columbus Blue Jackets. Coming in hot. Highlights---->GM 1 April 12 CBJ vs Washington
Toronto beat Boston in ot game 7!
Well it appears the hockey godz may smile upon us yet. Tampa Bay may yet claim first place giving the Maple Leafs a rematch with the much hated Boston Bruins, a team Toronto can beat. Boston is what is known as a one line team, albeit a very good first line featuring Bergeron, Pastrnk and Marchand. Beyond that it gets a bit sparse thus Boston acquired aging Rick Nash at the Trade deadline this year. The key to that series is shutting down Boston's top line while Toronto rolls 3 offensive lines. Chara is no longer a spring chicken and McAvoy was recently injured, a lingering injury perhaps?
Toronto fans will no doubt remember being up 4 to 1 in game 7 going into the third and then amazingly losing 5 to 4 in OT as Bergeron scored for Boston.
Home ice advantage: Boston
Being rested : Toronto Maple Leafs. Boston had to play 5 extra games in the final quarter of the season, many high intensity, as they had 5 games on hand.
Defense: With Chara back there: Boston.
Gardiner and Zaitsev are question marks while Hainsey is 37 and may wear down in a long series.
Goaltending : Pick em. You will be hard pressed to find 2 better goalies.
Coaching: Babcock wins, Cassidy will be hard pressed to outwit Mike Babcock and has no NHL playoff experience.
Offense: Toronto has 3 scoring lines and can still put Johnsson and Kapanen on their 4th line with Plakenac.
Intangibles: Boston's players have more playoff experience but the Maple Leafs are young and fast.
There is only one player Marchand hates playing against. Plakenac, let's hope he can shut him down.
Series outcome: I recently put in a call to Nostradamus and he whispered" Kadri in OT game 7." A bitterly fought series will go to 7 games but if Toronto shuts down Boston's top line they will emerge victorious and payback will be complete.
Toronto wins in game 7 OT. The Bruins are tired and as the series goes on Toronto's younger and fresher legs will prevail. Just ask Nostradamus
As of this writing Kadri is out on suspension. The entire series is on the line and the odds are about a hundred to one right now for the Maple Leafs. Nothing to lose and everything to learn. Bring it on.
Toronto fans will no doubt remember being up 4 to 1 in game 7 going into the third and then amazingly losing 5 to 4 in OT as Bergeron scored for Boston.
Home ice advantage: Boston
Being rested : Toronto Maple Leafs. Boston had to play 5 extra games in the final quarter of the season, many high intensity, as they had 5 games on hand.
Defense: With Chara back there: Boston.
Gardiner and Zaitsev are question marks while Hainsey is 37 and may wear down in a long series.
Goaltending : Pick em. You will be hard pressed to find 2 better goalies.
Coaching: Babcock wins, Cassidy will be hard pressed to outwit Mike Babcock and has no NHL playoff experience.
Offense: Toronto has 3 scoring lines and can still put Johnsson and Kapanen on their 4th line with Plakenac.
Intangibles: Boston's players have more playoff experience but the Maple Leafs are young and fast.
There is only one player Marchand hates playing against. Plakenac, let's hope he can shut him down.
Series outcome: I recently put in a call to Nostradamus and he whispered" Kadri in OT game 7." A bitterly fought series will go to 7 games but if Toronto shuts down Boston's top line they will emerge victorious and payback will be complete.
Toronto wins in game 7 OT. The Bruins are tired and as the series goes on Toronto's younger and fresher legs will prevail. Just ask Nostradamus
As of this writing Kadri is out on suspension. The entire series is on the line and the odds are about a hundred to one right now for the Maple Leafs. Nothing to lose and everything to learn. Bring it on.
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