The hockey world is still reeling from the sudden passing of Claude Lemieux, who served as the torchbearer ahead of Game 3 at the Bell Centre on Monday.

Sadly, life doesn’t always make sense. Moments like this serve as a stark reminder of how fragile it can be.

That’s where the conversation started on the Friday edition of Leafs Morning Take. More than anything, it served as a sobering reminder that hockey is just an escape from reality, and that some things are far bigger than the game itself.

Meantime, Montreal heads to Carolina for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final. With a victory, the Hurricanes can punch their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final for just the third time in franchise history. We debated whether the series is effectively over or if the Canadiens have enough left in the tank to stave off elimination and force a return to home ice for Game 6. Furthermore, we also previewed Game 2 of the Marlies’ Eastern Conference Final series against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton as they try to take a 2-0 series lead. Toronto drew first blood on Wednesday night with a 4-2 victory.

Meantime, much like the GM search, there appears to be plenty of smoke and mirrors surrounding the Leafs’ coaching search. On Friday morning, Elliotte Friedman poured a bit of cold water on the growing Jay Woodcroft speculation. According to Friedman, the Leafs haven’t spoken with Woodcroft, and there’s a possibility they never do at any point during the process. Furthermore, Jay McKee is officially off the board after signing on to coach the AHL’s Hamilton Hammers. Meanwhile, Jay Leach is also expected to land a job elsewhere. With names continuing to come off the list, the real question becomes: who’s actually still in the mix for this job? This is bizarre.

After that, Hockey Hall of Famer Phil Housley stopped by to discuss Toronto’s head coaching vacancy, his coaching future, and what he’s looking for in his next opportunity behind the bench. Housley touched on the added intrigue of the Leafs job with the organization holding the first overall pick, outlined his coaching philosophy, and emphasized the importance of building strong relationships with players. He also shared his thoughts on Toronto’s power play, reflected on the pressure that comes with playing in the market, and offered high praise for Jake McCabe, calling courage the first thing that comes to mind when describing the veteran defenceman.

That will do it for another week of Leafs Morning Take. We’ll be back on Monday (11 AM ET) for another episode featuring the fantastic Jack Redmond, who surely will have a lot to say about her beloved Maple Leafs.

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