After a disappointing end to the season, the Toronto Maples Leafs are looking forward to the future by making some key changes to the team.
The Maple Leafs have had no such luck as other teams who did well earlier on this season, such as the Columbus Blue Jackets, who beat the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second game of the series.
Similarly, the American Hockey League team, the Toronto Marlies, suffered an unfortunate defeat against the Texas Stars on Monday night, following their previous 5-1 victory against the Stars in game 1 of the Western Conference Final last Friday.
The Marlies had previously been victorious in their first eight playoff games, but it seems they were not enough for the Stars’ Brett Ritchie and Scott Glennie, who each scored twice for Texas.
The future
Now the two teams would be wise to look forward to the future with some important team changes. The Leafs have been plagued by a lot of injuries this season, and should look to their farm teams to sign some talent.
There could be at least three roster openings for the NHL 2014-15 season, and with the Marlies’ successful streak up until their unfortunate defeat on Monday, they soon could see some of their players graduating from the American Hockey League to the National Hockey League.
Peter Holland should be the Maple Leafs’ first choice for next year’s season. Standing at 6”2 and weighing in at 210 lbs, the young centerman should be a lock on the 4th line, which should be flanked by both Carter Ashton and Jerry D’Amigo.
Meanwhile, Jerry D’Amigo has had a very impressive season with the Marlies. A PK specialist, he scored a very respectable 20 goals in the 2013-14 season with the Marlies.
The Stanley Cup
While the dream of the Stanley Cup may be over for the Toronto Maple Leafs this year, tensions are high now as the New York Rangers seek to win back their victory against the Montreal Canadiens in Game 6, due to take place on Thursday evening.
The Maple Leafs would do well to take a few tips from the Canadiens’ Rene Bourque, who scored an amazing hat trick in his last game. With so much at stake for game 6, the run up to the playoffs still looks to be exciting, with or without the Toronto Maple Leafs.
