“It kicked ass when:” is a new series that will be published whenever I feel like it. It’s pretty self-explanatory: going through Leafs moments that kicked ass. It’s not hard to look back fondly on James van Riemsdyk’s career as a Toronto Maple Leaf, at least from an individual standpoint. Though his last game in…
A new fourth-line centre? Don’t mind if I do! Coming in this morning from one Bob McKenzie, the sweetest words one could possibly muster: Jason Spezza is looking to sign a one-year deal as a Toronto Maple Leaf. Expect hometown boy Jason Spezza to sign a one-year contract with TOR today. — Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie)…
Is two seasons enough for #2? Will he make a triumphant return and win another Stanley Cup? Find out next on this edition of Ron Hainsey: Probably not a robot! In all seriousness, Hainsey’s one of the oddest cases of player evaluation we’ve seen in a uniform in recent memory. An aging vet and a…
Plain and simple, you hate to see it: the Boston Bruins are playing in the Stanley Cup Final, and currently hold a 1-0 lead over the St. Louis Blues. It sucks, and if you meet a Leafs fan who tells you otherwise, well, they’re probably lying to you. No one outside of Massachusetts wants another…
It’s no secret that Nazem Kadri didn’t have his best season, and even a worse playoffs. After getting suspended for five games (kind of, you probably know the details) after a tough hit in Game 2, Kadri was a key source of blame for the Leafs’ second consecutive seven-game first round loss to Boston. But…
Well, we’re not going to pretend we know any more than you. But the Leafs made another transaction today, signing 23-year old lefty defenceman Teemu Kivihalme. .SportChek Player Alert: The @MapleLeafs have signed defenceman Teemu Kivihalme to a one-year entry level contract. Details >> https://t.co/HFSLtfICLv#LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/VE4vcudRVS — Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) May 7, 2019 From…
There was probably an article somewhere titled: Zach Hyman? Sink or swim? Boy, he swam this year. I doubt there’s much debate this was his best year as a Leaf of his three full years. I think this was my favourite goal of the season. Not just by Hyman, but by any player. After…
Well, the season is done, the tears have been cried, and the gosh darn Boston Bruins are still playing hockey. There’s nothing you can do about the Toronto Maple Leafs now, who exited with, as we all know, another first round But you know who came to friggin’ play in the playoffs? Auston Matthews. Five…
Let’s get one thing out of the way. Mitch Marner was never supposed to be this good, if you talked to some people. It’s crazy that we’re talking about a 94-point player in his third year in the league, that came into the NHL with doubts about if he could handle the physicality. But if…
Just as we all knew. The Leafs will be playing another game 7 in Boston. They fell apart for long stretches in the game…. and it cost them. Final score 4-2. Here’s how we got there, in the Leafs’ ugliest loss of the playoffs: First period Thing got off to a decent start, with the…
Let’s get one thing out of the way here: Hockey isn’t wrestling. There’s no predetermined heroes and villains and losers and winners. The storylines are fluid and weird and heartbreaking and confusing and emotional. If you want Gary Bettman to be the NHL’s Vince McMahon, it doesn’t work like that. Sure, you can talk about…
OKAY. OKAY OKAY OKAY. Let’s get a couple things out of the way. Auston Matthews is a saint. Best Leafs forward in, well, maybe ever. Without freaking out too much, he’s behind just Rick Vaive and Dave Andreychuk in terms of goals per game by a Leaf (min 100 games) since, well, the 1930s, in…
