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2012-13 Player Review: Nikolai Kulemin

by on May 25, 2013 in 2012-13 Player Reviews - 157 Comments

2012-13 Player Review: Nikolai Kulemin

MLHS continues its’ Player Reviews with the longest-serving member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, right winger Nikolai Kulemin.  The 26-year-old Magnitogorsk, Russia native had a bounce back season, recording seven goals and 16 assists for 23 points while playing in 48 regular season games.  He struggled through seven playoff games, recording only one assist.  But it was Kulemin’s ability to do yeoman’s work in the defensive zone that made the Leafs a winner.
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2012-13 Player Review: Dion Phaneuf

by on May 24, 2013 in 2012-13 Player Reviews - 500 Comments

2012-13 Player Review: Dion Phaneuf

Let's start this off with a bold proclamation: Dion Phaneuf's 2013 campaign was his best season in the NHL to date. I really believe that. Phaneuf has rounded into the complete, 1A defenseman that Brian Burke and Dave Nonis envisioned when they swindled the Calgary Flames into one of the most lop-sided trades in recent NHL history. [more…]

Friday Morning Mashup: Player Review Preview

by on May 24, 2013 in 2012-13 Player Reviews, Morning Mashup - 181 Comments

Friday Morning Mashup: Player Review Preview

Good news, everyone! Over the next couple of weeks, MLHS will be releasing Player Reviews for the Toronto Maple Leafs 2012-2013 season.  Every day leading up the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, we’ll profile one Leaf player that will reflect upon their peaks, valleys and overall performance this season.  The goals, the hits, the glory and the heartbreak that led to the first post-season berth in nine years.

But these write-ups will be different from years past, for two reasons.  The first will be the frequent use of the word ‘playoffs.’ The second will be the role we need you, the readers, to play.

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2013 NHL Draft Series – Bo Horvat

by on May 23, 2013 in 2013 Entry Draft - 135 Comments

2013 NHL Draft Series – Bo Horvat

It's that time of year again. With the 2013 NHL Draft just over a month away, let's start looking toward the next crop of exciting young stars. Barring any trades, the Maple Leafs are poised to select 21st overall after a successful season and noisy, albeit shortened, playoff run. To achieve any form of sustained success in today's NHL, organizations absolutely have to capitalize on their late first round selections in order to create a constant stream of affordable, quality talent to the big league team. With their strong depth across all levels of the farm system, the Maple Leafs can afford to go any which way with this selection. Let's start with shutdown centre Bo Horvat. [more…]

Thursday Morning Leafs Roundtable (Off-Season Edition) – Realignment, Competitive Landscape & Outlook

by on May 23, 2013 in Morning Mashup - 549 Comments

Thursday Morning Leafs Roundtable (Off-Season Edition) – Realignment, Competitive Landscape & Outlook

It's not often that a tectonic shift like realignment occurs in the NHL, but when it does the competitive landscape is bound to shift, with winners and losers emerging from the rubble. From a scheduling and time-zone perspective, Detroit, Columbus, Winnipeg and Dallas stand to benefit the most.  The new scheduling mandate will also ensure that fans in every city will get to watch every team play in their home building at least once, thereby allowing Coyotes fans to fill half the stadium to watch Sidney Crosby torch their team. All joking aside, this will be great for the game as the league's stars like Stamkos, Tavares, and Giroux will get more exposure around the league, and I'm all for growing the popularity of the game we all love.

Of particular interest to Leafs fans is the renewal of the Detroit-Toronto rivalry, an Original Six tradition that stretches back to the earliest days of the league. I may be too young to remember the battles of days gone by, but I'm not too young to appreciate the wondrous skills of Datsyuk and Zetterberg.  I'm looking forward to the renewal of a storied rivalry and being able to one day tell me kids and grand kids about amazing playoff duels.  However, as I watched the Red Wings dominate the Blackhawks in Game 3, it made me wonder what their introduction into Division C would mean for the Leafs. [more…]

Marlies ousted in Game 6 – Summary and a few thoughts

by on May 22, 2013 in Toronto Marlies - 383 Comments

Marlies ousted in Game 6 – Summary and a few thoughts

Thanks to MLHS user "JVR" for submitting the following report after taking in the Marlies' final game of the season at the Ricoh last night:

I was (un)fortunate enough to be at the Ricoh Coliseum to watch the Marlies take on the Griffins in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals.

Toronto got off to a good start, as Joe Colborne hit Carter Ashton with a pass in the neutral zone and he walked over the blueline, putting a wrist shot between Petr Mrazek's legs 4 minutes and 15 seconds into the game.

Moments later, Drew MacIntyre made two huge saves to preserve the 1 goal lead, as a Griffin player beat Morgan Rielly wide. [more…]

Not the Marlies, too!

by on May 22, 2013 in Morning Mashup - 240 Comments

Not the Marlies, too!

I was just getting back into the playoff swing of things and looking forward to taking in a Marlies game at the Ricoh, hopefully... Then the Marlies gave up three goals with under ten to go in Game 6 last night and lost out to the Grand Rapids Griffins. Meanwhile, the Bruins are walking over the Rangers in their round 2 matchup. I'm sure how to feel about this. It's kind of bittersweet. Sweet in the sense that it's impressive the Leafs did have these Bruins - who are probably the favourite to emerge out of the East at this point - on the ropes, and bitter in the sense that the Leafs would've had a pretty good chance, I think anyway, of advancing to the Conference Finals if they closed. If you are looking to try betting on your favorite nhl team, check out Topbet.eu.

Bahh, back to hockey hibernation. [more…]

A look into Dave Nonis’ General Managing History

by on May 21, 2013 in 2013 Off-Season, Analysis - 582 Comments

A look into Dave Nonis’ General Managing History

While there is said to be continuity between the two managers given their close working relationship for several years in the Leaf front office, Brian Burke was always more transparent and vocal than Dave Nonis when it came to how he ran his hockey team. For that reason, I’ve decided to research Nonis’ time with Vancouver in order to see if I can come up with some logical ideas of what to expect from Nonis in the upcoming months.

Last summer, before the draft, we were able to look at Brian Burke’s own quotes and pretty well nail that Lupul-Kessel would be on the top line to start, Grabovski-Kulemin would be on the shutdown line, and Kadri, along with Frattin eventually, would be on the second scoring line. That’s not exactly how the Leafs ended the year, but if I could tell you how the full season would go I’d be playing the lottery and blogging from a beach in Europe. [more…]

2013 Off-Season

A look into Dave Nonis’ General Managing History

by on May 21, 2013 in 2013 Off-Season, Analysis - 582 Comments

A look into Dave Nonis’ General Managing History

While there is said to be continuity between the two managers given their close working relationship for several years in the Leaf front office, Brian Burke was always more transparent and vocal than Dave Nonis when it came to how he ran his hockey team. For that reason, I’ve decided to research Nonis’ time with Vancouver in order to see if I can come up with some logical ideas of what to expect from Nonis in the upcoming months.

Last summer, before the draft, we were able to look at Brian Burke’s own quotes and pretty well nail that Lupul-Kessel would be on the top line to start, Grabovski-Kulemin would be on the shutdown line, and Kadri, along with Frattin eventually, would be on the second scoring line. That’s not exactly how the Leafs ended the year, but if I could tell you how the full season would go I’d be playing the lottery and blogging from a beach in Europe. [more…]

2013 NHL Entry Draft

2013 NHL Draft Series – Bo Horvat

by on May 23, 2013 in 2013 Entry Draft - 135 Comments

2013 NHL Draft Series – Bo Horvat

It's that time of year again. With the 2013 NHL Draft just over a month away, let's start looking toward the next crop of exciting young stars. Barring any trades, the Maple Leafs are poised to select 21st overall after a successful season and noisy, albeit shortened, playoff run. To achieve any form of sustained success in today's NHL, organizations absolutely have to capitalize on their late first round selections in order to create a constant stream of affordable, quality talent to the big league team. With their strong depth across all levels of the farm system, the Maple Leafs can afford to go any which way with this selection. Let's start with shutdown centre Bo Horvat. [more…]

2012-13 Season

Dave Nonis & Randy Carlyle End of Year Address

by on May 16, 2013 in 2012-13 Season, 2013 Off-Season, Leafs News - 262 Comments

Dave Nonis & Randy Carlyle End of Year Address

In case you missed the end of year interviews today, Dave Nonis and Randy Carlyle's EOY addresses are below. [more…]

Thursday Morning Leafs Roundtable – Playoffs Wrap-Up

by on May 16, 2013 in 2012-13 Season, Morning Mashup - 334 Comments

Thursday Morning Leafs Roundtable – Playoffs Wrap-Up

I hope everyone is starting to feel a little better this morning.  Plenty of eulogies were written and the last couple of days have been brutal to say the least. I haven't seen the Game in 6 or any of the player interviews. I barely have any idea what's going on in the playoffs right now, even as two two-way titans, Toews and Datsyuk, square off in the West.

Two things in my mind were abundantly clear following Monday night. You know that cliche players like to use after a tough loss? "Oh yeah, that was a character building game for our team..." Monday night was a character building game for Leafs Nation. In one game, we were subjected to the highest of highs, and the lowest of lows. The conclusion of the series had us scrambling emotionally, grasping for answers and words that just wouldn't come.

Although we may have experienced heartbreak, they do say that one must know bitter defeat before one can saviour the sweetness of victory, and there's plenty of historical examples across the world of sport that attest to that adage. For a young team like the Maple Leafs to start their comeback from 3-1 down and yet find a way to ultimately throw the series away, it now has a better idea both of what it takes to succeed in the playoffs while being dealt the harsh lesson that it's going to take that little bit more. [more…]

James Reimer: Franchise Goaltender

by on May 4, 2013 in 2012-13 Season, Analysis - 308 Comments

James Reimer: Franchise Goaltender

Reimer, Reimer, gotta be startin’ Reimer. [more…]

Analysis

A look into Dave Nonis’ General Managing History

by on May 21, 2013 in 2013 Off-Season, Analysis - 582 Comments

A look into Dave Nonis’ General Managing History

While there is said to be continuity between the two managers given their close working relationship for several years in the Leaf front office, Brian Burke was always more transparent and vocal than Dave Nonis when it came to how he ran his hockey team. For that reason, I’ve decided to research Nonis’ time with Vancouver in order to see if I can come up with some logical ideas of what to expect from Nonis in the upcoming months.

Last summer, before the draft, we were able to look at Brian Burke’s own quotes and pretty well nail that Lupul-Kessel would be on the top line to start, Grabovski-Kulemin would be on the shutdown line, and Kadri, along with Frattin eventually, would be on the second scoring line. That’s not exactly how the Leafs ended the year, but if I could tell you how the full season would go I’d be playing the lottery and blogging from a beach in Europe. [more…]

James Reimer: Franchise Goaltender

by on May 4, 2013 in 2012-13 Season, Analysis - 308 Comments

James Reimer: Franchise Goaltender

Reimer, Reimer, gotta be startin’ Reimer. [more…]

Tim Leiweke: A ‘meddlesome’ President, but a winning one

by on April 28, 2013 in Analysis - 514 Comments

Tim Leiweke: A ‘meddlesome’ President, but a winning one

In hiring Tim Leiweke, MLSE has brought in a guy who is partly what many fans have always wanted in a President, and partly what they detest.

It is no secret that Leafs fans have always felt slighted within their perception that MLSE cares mainly about making money rather than winning. Leiweke, however, is a guy who most certainly does care about winning. [more…]