LATEST ARTICLES
Maple Leafs Systems – Neutral Zone & Offensive Zone Forechecking
Unlike a singular rigid structure in the defensive zone, neutral and offensive zone systems fluctuate upon game factors including score, time remaining, and game situation (5v5 or 4v4). They also vary line to line and shift to shift. Varying conditions make it difficult to really pin down one specific system being applied as a core philosophy, while personnel and opposition systems further muddy the...
JM Liles called up, expected to play Saturday
Placing Tyler Bozak on Long Term Injured Reserve freed up the cap space to call up defenceman John Michael Liles on Friday. Trying out someone with his puck moving ability and experience on the backend couldn't hurt based on how the team has been struggling to get out of their zone. Liles has 13 points and is a plus-nine in 16 games in the AHL this...
Leafs and the World Juniors: First Thoughts
Team Canada has effectively named their roster for the World Junior Championships to take place in Malmo Sweden starting on Boxing Day. Having had a little bit of time to digest their decisions from a Leafs perspective, here are some of my thoughts. No Matt Finn The biggest surprise on Team Canada's roster from a Leafs perspective is Matt Finn's omission. Finn is an all-situations defenseman whose...
Game in 10: Game #29, Leafs 3 vs. Stars 2
Toronto welcomed the HBO crew with a 3-2 overtime victory at the Air Canada Centre. They came out with the appropriate amount of desperation and effort for a team that has been stumbling significantly. 1. The Leafs certainly came to play tonight. Maybe it was the HBO presence or an unheralded urgency in response to the squad's recent stretch of dismal outings. It could also...
Preview & GDT: Stars at Maple Leafs (7 p.m., Sportsnet)
The Leafs look to pick up their first win in five games tonight against the Dallas Stars. The Stars are 10th in the west with a 13-9-4 record, but some of below-average teams in the West would probably be good teams in the East. I caught parts of a couple of Stars games this season and this is a fast team. Jerry D’Amigo received his...
Morning Mashup: Stars In Town Tonight
The Leafs dropped their first December contest to extend the losing streak to five games, and six of the last seven. San Jose hurled 41 shots on the net and James Reimer was pretty good yet again, but it was another game where a poor first period meant that the Leafs were playing catchup all night. What really stood out on Tuesday night was the...
The NHL Plans to Grow HRR by $1 Billion in 3 Years
How will it happen & what does it mean for the Toronto Maple Leafs? A. Background In a memo released in September of this year, the Chief Operating Officer of the NHL notified all league employees of initiatives and staff changes to take effect during the 2013-2014 season. In the memo the league identified a plan to increase annual gross national revenue by $1 billion...
Randy Carlyle – November 4
Carlyle touches on: - HBO 24/7 started filming at today's practice. - Tyler Bozak injury status update. - Phil Kessel left practice early with a "tweak." - Joffrey Lupul stormed off the practice rink angrily. - Jerred Smithson waived.
Game in 10: Game #28, Sharks 4 vs. Leafs 2
Two vastly different Maple Leaf teams showed up, but neither were enough to muster W, as the Leafs fell to the San Jose Sharks 4 – 2 Tuesday night. Ex-Leaf Mike Brown, Joe Thornton, Brad Stuart and Logan Couture tallied for the Sharks, who won their 19th of the season and sixth straight. Mason Raymond and Phil Kessel replied with power play goals for...
24/7 – Road to the Winter Classic: Maple Leafs vs. Red Wings
HBO hits the ice with the all-new, four part series this winter. 24/7 - Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Detroit Red Wings Road to the NHL Winter Classic premieres Saturday, December 14th at 10PM on HBO. For the full broadcast schedule, click here. Become more impatient by watching these videos below:
GDT: Sharks at Maple Leafs (7 p.m., Sportsnet)
The Sharks enter this game 18-3-5, and are 9-1-2 against fellow Pacific Division opponents, which is easily the strongest division in the NHL. They enter winners of five straight. This is a dominant team with a deeeeep lineup. How can the Leafs beat them? Well, it begins and ends between the pipes with James Reimer, one would think. The Leafs are shorthanded and are the inferior...
Game Preview: Sharks at Leafs
A struggling Leafs team running into a 18-3-4 opponent can go one of two ways - the bloody Jaws-like scene we’re picturing, or the Leafs sensing the urgency of a fin in the water, rising to the level of competition, and icing a respectable showing. The Sharks are obviously on another level personnel wise; they tick all the boxes required...
Maple Leaf Hangout Episode #20
In episode #20 of the Maple Leaf Hangout, Michael Langlois and Michael Stephens discuss the Leafs' recent struggles and the tough month ahead.
Leafs Notebook – December 2
The question for the Leafs right now is pretty simple: Is this the kind of slump that every team goes through over an 82-game season, or is this a sign of things to come? Toronto is 8-9-3 since a 6-1 start and are about to embark on what will likely be their toughest stretch of games this season competition wise. In the next eight games Toronto...
Leafs Prospect Update – December 1
Welcome to North American hockey, Fabrice Herzog. When a player makes the adjustment to the smaller ice, the rougher game, and the tougher competition, you expect there's going to be something of a learning curve. If the last two games are any indication, the Leafs' 5th rounder out of Switzerland is starting to put things together. If you're looking to judge a CHL prospect that you haven't...
Game in 10: Game #27, Habs 4 vs. Leafs 2
Murphy’s Law is gripping this Leafs team at the moment. The performance wasn’t terrible in this one; it wasn’t exactly great, but there is a confluence of bad things happening to this team at the moment, some in their control and some not. The most disconcerting part about the conclusion to this month, as the Leafs enter a brutally tough December - 2 regulation...
Luciano Pavarotti “Nessun Dorma”, HNIC Opening
Luciano Pavarotti "Nessun Dorma", Hockey Night in Canada Opening "Nessun Dorma" by Luciano Pavarotti opens the game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens, the forever rivals, on Hockey Night In Canada on November 30th, 2013.
Preview and GDT: Maple Leafs at Canadiens (7 p.m., CBC)
There’s no such thing as a “must-win” in November, but boy do the Leafs need a win tonight. Through 26 games this season, the Leafs and Habs have an identical 14-9-3 record but Montreal is 6-2-2 in their last 10 while Toronto 3-4-3. Both teams lost after regulation last night (Montreal lost to Washington 3-2 in a shootout), so there’s no “tired” excuse for...
Game in 10: Game #29, Sabres 3 vs. Leafs 2 (OT)
Splitting the points with the Sabres over three games is far from a sign of promise headed into a tough December. Two of the Sabres' 6 wins in 27 games have come against the Leafs. Thanks to Cameron for tonight's Game in 10. 1 - The Leafs came out looking much better to start the game in Buffalo tonight. Granted, the bar wasn't set high...
Carlyle – TOR/BUF Post Game
Randy Carlyle addresses the media following Toronto's 3-2 overtime loss to the Sabres in Buffalo.
