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[Toronto Maple Leafs]

Stay at home defencemen aren’t exciting but Brandon Carlo can help Morgan Rielly

The Maple Leafs had a very specific need for their blueline. Maybe two specific needs for their blueline. Maybe two specific needs and one very strong preference. On paper, Brandon Carlo checked those boxes. Carlo is a right-shot defenceman that pushes or at least competes with Oliver Ekman-Larsson in the top four, while eliminating the need to rely on a bottom-pairing made up of a combination of Simon Benoit, Philippe Myers, Jani Hakanpaa or the Marlie of the Month. But the goal was to find someone who fits the archetype that Morgan Rielly has had success with throughout his career, and that’s Brandon Carlo.

These are the numbers that Carlo brings to that relationship:

Notably the Maple Leafs are buying in a bit of a low point. And here’s where some context comes in. The Bruins presently sit 23rd in the league. That’s new for them. Their goals against is the 12th worst in the league, whichh is very different from the peak days of the Linus Ullmark/Jeremy Swayman tandem. And the context for the previous two years includes a 7th-best record in the league last year and a mind-blowing 135 point season in 2022-23 to win the President’s Trophy. The mighty have fallen and Leafs fans love to see it, but maybe they don’t see it as much in the numbers of a defenceman they just gave up a 1st-round pick and top prospect for.

Another big piece of context for Carlo’s numbers in the previous two seasons verus the present is that his partner was primarily Hampus Lindholm. Lindholm’s injury this year has resulted in Carlo playing primarily with Nikita Zadorov. Going from one of the most well-rounded two-way defencemen in the game to the Bruins (somewhat out of necessity) doubling up on a stay-at-home pairing is generally going to result in a decline in numbers. (The decline in Carlo’s hitting rate could come from the Bruins leaning more on Zadorov for physical play in that pairing.) You can see where the against numbers stayed decent enough, but the differential percentages declined with a Zadorov and Carlo defensive pairing not being particularly helpful with moving the puck up the ice. You can see how Morgan Rielly would help with that but there also needs to be some acknowledgment that Morgan Rielly will be the worst defensive zone partner Carlo has played with since Mike Reilly.

Using Puck IQ’s breakdown of competition levels, Carlo and Zadorov have seen the opposition’s top line more frequently than any other blueliners since Lindholm’s injury. And combined with middle six competition, that makes up 70% of the 5v5 competition that Carlo has seen, definitely classifying him as 3/4 defenceman who can tackle top pairing assignments with the right partner and it will certainly take some time before declaring if Morgan Rielly is that right partner or not. Thankfully the Leafs have a solid tandem in Jake McCabe and Chris Tanev that takes the pressure off.

Carlo’s icetime has dropped this year from last season but remains in-line with his 2022-23 numbers and has bounced back and forth between the just under 19 and just under 20 minute average throughout his career. The utilization definitely puts him at around that 4/5 defenceman on the depth chart and those numbers are influenced by the fact that Carlo, while a penalty killing go-to, is not someone you want to use on the powerplay or in regular season overtime situations.

Recognizing the grains of salt required when looking at NHL Edge data and what we should take away from it, there are a couple of things worth pointing out. As frequently with stay-at-home defencemen, the speed bursts are down. His role is to always be between the puck and the goal, and there is nothing in Brandon Carlo’s game that says he’s going to pinch offensively and while he is a big hitter, he doesn’t step out of position (at least not excessively) to make those plays.

Seeing the high top speed requires some toning down of enthusiasm as the number of players clustered in that range of speed is more about just checking the box that Carlo can absolutely keep up in the NHL.

The top speed for shot is also somewhat encouraging as the Leafs are light on defencemen who can break that 90 mph barrier and similar to how the Leafs would occasionally tee up Luke Schenn to hammer the puck due to a lack of alternative on the point, Carlo might create some offence and benefit from playing with a net presence like Matthew Knies or a deflection expert like John Tavares. Still, any offence is a bonus not an expectation.

The biggest question around Carlo might be, if it doesn’t work out with Rielly, who is the Plan B partner here? It seems like the two options are fairly obvious.

If it doesn’t work with Rielly, do the Leafs try to revert to their initial plan of having Rielly play with Tanev, in which case McCabe and Carlo seem like an upgraded version of what the Bruins were doing with the Zadorov and Carlo pairing. McCabe is far more capable positionally and even with the puck than Zadorov, but it takes on the feel of a shutdown pairing.

In contrast, Ekman-Larsson, while nowhere near the same class as Hampus Lindholm, is a bit more of a two-way defenceman and there is potential that the duo could thrive together assuming that their workload is focused more around middle competition than elite.

Craig Berube giving the Rielly-Carlo pairing anything less than a 10 game run to see what they have before the playoffs seems unlikely though. That’s why Carlo is here and any attempt to move away from that would just be to give Brandon a bit of time to adjust before throwing him into the competition he plays Rielly against. That’s not to say this will be exclusive and it will be interesting to see what happens in bench shortening and protect a lead/come from behind situations.

Carlo coming in with term is also a plus, as is the cost control and the stability the Leafs look to have with their old-ish blueline. As with Laughton, even if the short term doesn’t yield the results the Leafs are hoping for, Carlo being a planned part of the future is beneficial for the Leafs.

Data from Natural Stat Trick, Puck IQ, and NHL.com current prior to Thursday’s games

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Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/sta...-carlo-help-morgan-rielly-toronto-maple-leafs

 

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

The Leafs need more from Auston Matthews: Leafs Morning Take

Well, it’s back to the drawing board for Craig Berube and company.

Luckily, they still have two games left in the regular season against the Florida Panthers, who just continue to have their number.

Any way you slice, Toronto’s now four points back of Florida for first in the Atlantic Division with one game in hand. Time’s running out to win the division.

At any rate, it was a spicy start to the Friday edition of Leafs Morning Take. After Rosey vented for a few minutes, we discussed the standings and the scoreboard watching this season. It’s a fun time of year to track all this stuff. Believe it or not, the Leafs have just 17 games remaining.

Thanks to Tim Hortons, we broke down the 3-2 loss to the Cats at Scotiabank Arena. Unfortunately, it was a lot of the same old same for the Maple Leafs. Auston Matthews had a pedestrian night, so did Mitch Marner. That game was there for the taking and they couldn’t get the job done. That said, Max Domi was great. He had a big hit, huge fight, and a monster goal. You can’t ask for watch more. Additionally, it was great to see Chris Tanev back in the lineup. Indisputably, it will take the veteran blue liner a few games to get back up to pace. Over and above all that, we dissected why Leafs fans shouldn’t be pulling their hair out after yet another disappointing loss to the Panthers. There’s reason for optimism, folks.

After that, we played another edition of TAKE IT or LEAF IT. We debated whether the Leafs would go further than the Panthers in the playoffs, if Calle Jarnkrok will start the postseason in the top six and if the Morgan Rielly/Brandon Carlo pairing will stay intact for the rest of the year.

To wrap, we previewed the Battle of Ontario as the red-hot Ottawa Senators will invade Scotiabank Arena on Saturday night. Thanks to its five-game win streak, Ottawa’s only six points back of the Maple Leafs in the standings. Linus Ullmark has been on fire.

Carter Hutton will be in the mix for Jay Rosehill on the Monday edition of Leafs Morning Take. Join us at 11 AM ET as we offer up a full recap of Leafs/Sens. Also, we’ll preview Toronto’s tilt on Prime Monday Night Hockey with the Calgary Flames.

You can subscribe to TheLeafsNation (TLN) YouTube channel HERE. Additionally, we’re available in podcast form, too —wherever you get your podcasts. While you’re at it, be sure to leave us a 5-star review!

Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/the-leafs-need-more-from-auston-matthews-leafs-morning-take

 

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

Max Domi on his big hit and fight vs. Panthers: ‘That’s part of the game’

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Max Domi had arguably his best game of the season on Thursday against the Florida Panthers.

On a night that had major implications for the Atlantic Division title race, Domi made his presence felt early on with a big open-ice hit on Carter Verhaeghe and then demolished Nate Schmidt in a fight at centre ice shortly after. He got the crowd pumping early in the third with a breakaway goal that got the Leafs back within one.

Max Domi lays a hit on Carter Verhaeghe, and then Nate Schmidt steps into to defend his teammate! pic.twitter.com/igkrWNceFA

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) March 13, 2025

“ Nothing was really said, but I kind of figured it’s a big hit on one of their big players. I wasn’t sure it was going to come up, but just kind of reacted,” Domi said to reporters after the game. “That’s part of the game.  I think I might have caught him a little bit on the way down, and obviously I don’t like doing that, but it definitely wasn’t my intention.  I’ve got a lot of respect for him. Schmidty hung in there.”

That sequence lit a spark in the 30-year-old who described the night as ‘as close to a playoff game as you’re gonna get.’ He was working hard, engaged defensively, and won a good chunk of the puck battles. You could feel the momentum shift in the Leafs’ favour every time Domi stepped on the ice and he gave them a good chance to claw their way back into the game.

He even got rewarded by head coach Craig Berube with some shifts alongside John Tavares and William Nylander, and was even on the ice with the net empty to try and get the tying marker.

“Had a heck of a game, in my opinion,” he said. “Big hit, fight, scored a goal. He was skating and working. I thought he was good.”

It was the kind of showing that Domi needed badly as it has been a difficult season for him offensively up to this point. At the time of filing, he has only 26 points (five goals and 21 assists) in 57 games played which is a far cry from the 47 points he had a season ago.

While this showing against the Panthers won’t erase all of the struggles that Domi has endured this season, he will surely hope that this is a game he can build off of down the stretch. The Leafs will certainly need all of the help they can get from their secondary contributors to provide the offence, especially when the stars are snakebitten like they were in this one.

“ He came out hot.  A big hit, nice fight, huge goal. He had a great game,” Nylander said. “ It fires everybody up. I think everybody was fired up and that got everybody more fired up.  He did a great job there on the hit and the fight and the goal.”

If they can get performances like this one from Domi more often than not, it will make their bottom six more difficult to play against. This in turn will go a long way to making their ultimate goal a lot more realistic to achieve, especially if he can continue to build chemistry with newly acquired forward Scott Laughton.

“His 200-foot play.  He was making plays in the D zone,” goalie Anthony Stolarz said. “He’s got one hell of a shot. When he can get it off and open space like that, he’s going to beat a lot of goalies. So hopefully this is the start of, a little hot streak for him and he gets a little confidence going forward here.”

Domi and the Leafs will look to get back in the win column when they take on the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, with puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m. EST.

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Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/max-domi-on-his-big-hit-and-fight-vs-panthers-thats-part-of-the-game

 

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

Mitch Marner appreciates public backing from Brad Treliving, remains focused on season

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner feels good to have a public vote of confidence from general manager Brad Treliving.

It’s been a bombshell of a week, after reports emerged that the Leafs asked Marner to waive his no-movement clause in an attempt to acquire Mikko Rantanen, to which he declined citing his desire to stay in Toronto. Marner admitted after their March 8 game against the Colorado Avalanche that he had a feeling something might happen but didn’t disclose if he wanted to remain with the Leafs past this season.

Treliving participated in a quick, impromptu media availability on Sunday, addressing the rumours by stating that he and the Leafs are completely, unreservedly behind the star winger.

“Yeah, it’s great,” Marner said to reporters on Saturday regarding Treliving’s comments. “Like I said, I’m here to play hockey with these guys. I’m excited for that.”

These remarks certainly won’t subside the noise surrounding his future with the team, but he at the very least showed his appreciation to have the support of his GM. Marner is clearly more concerned about the day-to-day grind of the season and helping make sure that the Leafs get back on track.

After a rough travel schedule coming out of the 4 Nations Face-Off, the Leafs were given the day off on Friday despite a tough loss to the Florida Panthers on Thursday. Marner admitted that the past six weeks had been difficult to manage but is happy to be back home for an extended period of time.

“It’s nice to be home, be in your own bed, be in your own house, just relaxing in your own personal space. It is what it is,” he said. “I think our coaches and our team has been pretty understandable  with what has happened the last six weeks. So I’m trying to just get as much rest as I can off the ice.”

With the Leafs mired in a extended run of poor play since the 4 Nations break ened, the reprieve from the gruelling travel should help in getting things back in order. Head coach Craig Berube shuffled the lines at Saturday’s morning skate, which now has Marner slotted with John Tavares and Bobby McMann.

“Bobby brings a lot of speed off the left side. He’s got a quick release, he’s got a great shot,” Marner said about his new linemates. “ Johnny brings just that steadiness of finding quiet ice around the o-zone. Putting himself in good spots. He gets himself around the net. Obviously we all know he’s got a great skill, so you just gotta try and find him in the right areas.”

If the Leafs wish to get things going back in the right direction, they will have their hands full with an Ottawa Senators team that is making a strong push to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017. They come into the contest on a five game win-streak and currently sit six points back of Toronto for second in the Atlantic Division.

Marner says the Leafs cannot take their opponents lightly, especially with this being the first time in ages that the Battle of Ontario has both combatents being competitve at the same time.

“That team has been coming for the last two or three years. You knew they were going to eventually get through that barrier,” he said. “They have a lot of skill over there, they have a lot of work ethic. So  we just got to be ready to match that and do more.  We’re going to play the patient game. We can’t be forcing stuff, we can’t be giving up easy stuff. That’s where our heads got to turn around and our mindsets got to go.”

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Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/mit...-treliving-focused-season-toronto-maple-leafs

 

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

Knee Jerk Reaction: Maple Leafs can’t solve Senators, drop Battle of Ontario 4-2

The Toronto Maple Leafs have a long way to go before they’re playoff ready.

In the latest edition of the Battle of Ontario at Scotiabank Arena, the Ottawa Senators used a physical tight-checking style of play to take down the Maple Leafs 4-2. For what was supposed to be a playoff-like game, the intensity was lacking from the Leafs, and their sense of urgency was non-existent throughout most of the matchup.

Craig Berube put the lines in a blender entering Saturday’s contest, which certainly turned some heads considering he had Toronto’s leading goal scorer William Nylander starting on the third line. Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews and Nylander were split up to start the game, and spent most of the night apart, besides a stretch later in the third period when Marner and Matthews reunited with Matthew Knies on the top line.

Matthews and Nylander both scored, so Berube can hang his hat on that. With just over a month until the start of the playoffs, and with two key additions at the trade deadline, the Leafs have chemistry problems right now, which is becoming slightly concerning.

Scott Laughton tried to spark the Leafs once they were down a goal late in the second period, dropping the gloves with Ridly Greig:

GREIG AND LAUGHTON OFF THE FACE-OFF pic.twitter.com/bNVwcs9crq

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 16, 2025

It was Laughton’s first scrap in blue and white and while it may have given the Leafs some legs to finish the second frame, the crowd’s response generated some ‘noise’, for all the wrong reasons. Take it away, Jay:

A newly acquired local kid fighting the enemy at centre ice on Saturday night.

Sounded like the building was EMPTY.

It’s honestly embarrassing.

— Jay Rosehill (@Jay_D_Rosehill) March 16, 2025

It wasn’t all bad for the Maple Leafs on Saturday night. Matthews got back on the scoresheet, potting his 24th on the season. Nick Robertson was re-inserted on the Leafs’ fourth line, and wound up making his way up the lineup throughout the game, finishing the night with a shot on goal, and two blocks. The Leafs outhit the Senators 39-24, but it was Ottawa’s attention to details defensively, and the strong play of goaltender Linus Ullmark, who is coming into form in a major way for the Sens.

At the end of the day, Game 66 was one to forget. The Senators continue to dominate the Maple Leafs this season, winning their third straight, and they are quickly becoming a problem as the playoffs approach.

It was nice to have a Battle of Ontario this late in the season mean something for once, so let’s give the Senators some credit. Regardless of how Berube structured his lines Saturday night, it wasn’t enough and there was no sustained offensive pressure. Frankly, the Maple Leafs have a long way to go until they’re a finished product.

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Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/knee-jerk-reaction-toronto-maple-leafs-lose-ottawa-senators-4-2

 

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

Maple Leafs’ total team weight bodes well in comparison to previous Stanley Cup winners

The Toronto Maple Leafs have struggled to get much going lately, now 1-4-1 in their last six games despite ponying up for a couple of big additions at the deadline. Between numerous blown leads along that stretch along with their biggest strength in goaltending coming back to earth, the Leafs haven’t inspired much hope as they head into the playoffs searching for their first multi-round win playoff run.

That said, there are still 16 games remaining in the regular season, meaning there’s plenty of time left for the team to string together some wins and get things back on track by the time the playoffs arrive. But since we don’t have much in the realm of positivity to discuss following a loss to the divisional rival Ottawa Senators, let’s take a look at some digging done by Matt Larkin from our sister site, DailyFaceoff.

As part of his annual “Stanley Cup Ingredients” series, Larkin kicked things off by examining where the most recent Stanley Cup winners ranked in the league in terms of heaviness. The skill versus size argument has been ongoing for quite some time, and although it’s tapered off in recent years with the understanding that you can be 5-foot-10 and the most dominant player on the ice, there’s still something to be said about the league’s heaviest teams and how far that’s able to carry them. Here’s a snippet of Larkin’s findings.

Season	Champion	Avg. Weight	League rank
2014-15	Chicago	198 lbs	28th
2015-16	Pittsburgh	195 lbs	30th
2016-17	Pittsburgh	194 lbs	30th
2017-18	Washington	204 lbs	6th
2018-19	St. Louis	203 lbs	5th
2019-20	Tampa Bay	203 lbs	4th
2020-21	Tampa Bay	204 lbs	2nd
2021-22	Colorado	199 lbs	14th
2022-23	Vegas	205 lbs	1st
2023-24	Florida	199 lbs	18th

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving has emphasized the importance of size on his hockey teams, specifically on the blueline, so it should come as no surprise that the Maple Leafs are currently the heaviest team in the NHL with an average weight of 207.7 pounds. With four of the past six Cup winners being top-5 in the league in terms of total team weight, perhaps this is something that will prove to be an advantage for the Leafs that they haven’t had in previous postseasons.

While slightly shocking to see the notoriously heavy-hitting Florida Panthers in the bottom half of the league in terms of total team weight, Larkin notes that they didn’t need the highest number on the scale to be perceived as a heavy team.

“Five of the past seven Stanley Cup champions have ranked among the league’s six heaviest teams, suggesting the overall correlation remains strong. That said, it’s intriguing that two of the past three winners have sat around the middle of the pack. Are we seeing a shift? It’s possible. Then again, while the 2023-24 Panthers didn’t rank among the NHL’s biggest teams, they were the meanest, leading the NHL in hits and penalty minutes. So it appears they punched above their weight class and played heavy hockey even if they were an averaged-sized club.”

While it’s encouraging to see that the Leafs are well-equipped to handle the heavy pace of play in the playoffs, they’re not going to go far without a return to the all-star goaltending they were getting in the first half of the season, and more importantly, without solving their long-lasting issue of not being able to score in crucial moments in the playoffs. Still, if nothing else, this can serve as another element of hope for fans to cling onto when the calendar flips to the postseason.

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Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/toronto-maple-leafs-team-weight-bodes-well-previous-cup-winners

 

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

Anthony Stolarz advises the Maple Leafs to go back to basics amid March slump

With just over a month until the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz knows it’s time to fine tune his game and get locked in for the postseason.

Unfortunately, Stolarz and the Maple Leafs are heading in the wrong direction at the moment, losing five of six, including Saturday night’s 4-2 defeat to the hands of the ascending Ottawa Senators. Stolarz spoke to reporters postgame and took some accountability for being outmatched by Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark.

“It was just a couple of bounces. The margin of error is so small right now, they’re a desperate hockey team, looking to climb the standings. For me, it just have to make a save. Linus made some saves at the end, and that’s what it boils down to.”

Stolarz stopped 21 of 24 shots on Saturday night against the Sens. He’s currently going through his worst stretch of the season, and hasn’t recorded a win since February 28 against the New York Rangers. Stolarz feels a little March reset could help himself snap out of his current funk.

“Go back to the basics, go back to training camp. The way we played the first month or two of the season. Try to re-assess, get back to that mindset, that attitude, tenacity that we were playing with to start the year, and just kind of regroup.”

Stolarz was making back-to-back starts on Saturday night at Scotiabank Arena against the Senators, as it’s obvious head coach Craig Berube was trying to provide his goaltender with a vote of confidence despite the recent struggles. Stolarz is 13-8-3 on the year, posting an impressive .918 save percentage. The 31-year-old is playing career-high minutes this season, and it’s going to be extremely important to keep the towering netminder fresh heading into the playoffs.

“I mean, I feel good. At the end of the day, you’re a professional athlete, your job is to be ready, and be in shape. No fatigue, feeling good out there.”

While Stolarz may be feeling great, the team in front of him can’t seem to find a sustained sense of urgency, and have been lacking tenacity for a complete 60 minutes. This is something that the rising Senators are starting to make a big part of their identity, as they’re heating up at the right time of the season.

“Just their tenacity on the forecheck. The way they rim pucks out, recover pucks in the offensive zone. Just the way they get bodies to the front. They’re just throwing pucks at the net and turning chicken s–t into chicken soup and just getting bounces.”

“Maybe that’s something we can take from them and incorporate into our game because it seems to be working for them.”

With just over a month until the beginning of the playoffs, the Maple Leafs learn another lesson, and could do themselves a favor by taking some of the Senators’ identity, and using it as motivation to become a team that’s tougher to play against.

Sports is all about making adjustments, and Stolarz and his Maple Leaf teammates still have lots of fine-tuning to do before Game 1 of the postseason.

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Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/anthony-stolarz-toronto-maple-leafs-back-to-basics-march-slump

 

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

Matthews & Marner need to be the catalysts for Toronto’s late-season turnaround: Leafs Morning Take

Tough times in Toronto.

For all intents and purposes, the Leafs have looked like a shell of themselves ever since returning from the 4 Nations break.

They haven’t won in regulation in seven games (and counting).

Carter Hutton subbed in for Jay Rosehill on the Monday edition of Leafs Morning Take. For all intents and purposes, this episode of the podcast turned into a full-blown therapy session. Simply put, the majority of Leafs Nation is in shambles right now. That said, we all know that this team will suck us back in once again —because that’s what they do.

Thanks to Tim Hortons, Zack Phillips stopped by the show following his legendary edition of TLN After Dark from over the weekend. We touched on the 4-2 loss to the rival Ottawa Senators. On top of that, we brushed on the bigger picture. Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner have ghosts lately, and that’s very concerning for a team that views themselves as a Stanley Cup contender. In general, we dissected the Core 4 era and if we should all just resign ourselves to the fact that this team just maybe isn’t capable of winning. Thursday and Saturday night’s games were just stern reminders of the past, and honestly, that’s what triggers most fans. Remember all those learning lessons? Well, it appears that the Leafs haven’t. This team’s in rough shape right now.

After letting Zack rant for a while, we bid him farewell and then moved into a Leafs/Flames game preview, courtesy GRETA BAR YYZ. Like Ottawa the other night, Calgary’s in a dogfight to make the playoffs, so you know they will inevitably bring their best. Toronto’s 4-1-0 in five outings on Prime Monday Night Hockey. This is their sixth and final game on the streaming platform. Joseph Woll will get the call. And yes, the Leafs have been jumbled up yet again.

Win or less, Jay Rosehill will be back in the mix for the Tuesday edition of Leafs Morning Take to help break it all down. Additionally, former NHLer and all-round beauty Mike Commodore will stop by the show.

You can subscribe to TheLeafsNation (TLN) YouTube channel HERE. Additionally, we’re available in podcast form, too —wherever you get your podcasts. While you’re at it, be sure to leave us a 5-star review!

Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/mat...tos-late-season-turnaround-leafs-morning-take

 

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

Knee Jerk Reaction: Maple Leafs show up in much-needed statement win over Flames

The Toronto Maple Leafs, for the first time in what felt like forever, showed up and dominated their opponent from start to finish.

Coming off of two straight home losses to divisional rivals in a crucial playoff race, the Leafs bounced back from a 1-4-1 stretch with a 6-2 win over the Calgary Flames. It was the ideal type of win to satisfy a fanbase that’s been sharpening their pitchforks lately, and that kind of mood wasn’t aided by the fact that three of the Leafs’ last five losses have come thanks to a blown lead. After sitting first in the Atlantic Division for much of the past few months, the recent slide has dropped them to a second-place tie with the Tampa Bay Lightning, who picked up a win tonight as well.

But, since they can’t control the outcome of other games, let’s focus on the things they did against Calgary, which was a lot of good. Auston Matthews popped off for two goals and an assist, giving him three goals in his past two games after a lengthy dry spell, Max Domi and Nick Robertson each potted a goal and combined for three points themselves, and Joseph Woll stood tall while the team in front of him gave him a big cushion to work with.

It’s also worth mentioning that the Leafs’ power play went 3-for-3, continuing to be a bright spot despite a rough stretch since the trade deadline. The Leafs have the fifth-best power play in the league since January 1 and have been clicking with the man advantage at the right time. The power play going dry down the final stretch has long been an issue for this team, so if they can keep up the momentum up going into the playoffs, they’ll be giving themselves much better odds at advancing than the 2023-24 team who scored only one goal in the first round.

While the move to reunite Matthews and Mitch Marner today was met with some criticism from the fans, they were buzzing early on and set the tone of the game. It also allowed the line of Domi, Robertson, and Bobby McMann to reunite, and the result was a key opening goal from Domi less than five minutes into the game and a goal for each player on the line. Heading into the playoffs with Domi at third-line centre heading into the playoffs might not be the outcome the Leafs had hoped for, but if this line keeps up the way they’re playing, they may force Craig Berube’s hand.

The Leafs will look to string together some wins when they host the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday night.

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Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/knee-jerk-reaction-toronto-maple-leafs-statement-win-flames

 

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

Mike Commodore gives some serious props to Chris Tanev: Leafs Morning Take

Well, that was more like it.

It was a fantastic St. Patrick’s Day for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

How sweet do those St. Pat’s jerseys look?

Jay Rosehill was back in the mix for the Tuesday edition of Leafs Morning Take. We kicked the show off by giving our initial thoughts on the convincing win over Calgary. In six outings, the Leafs ended up going 5-0-1 on Prime Monday Night Hockey this season. Not too shabby!

Thanks to Tim Hortons, we offered a thorough dissection of the 6-2 win. The big boys were awesome. Auston Matthews notched two goals and one assist, William Nylander chipped in with one and two, and Mitch Marner tallied two apples. They led by example. That’s what you need sometimes. On top of that, the third line of McMann, Domi, and Robertson was superb. If this team’s going to do anything substantial this spring, they will need second/tertiary scoring. It’s a good start. That said, they need to find a way to keep things going. Consistency is the key here. Furthermore, we also gave some love for the special teams as both the PP & PK went 3-for-3 on the night. Without question, the Rosehill turning point in the game happened when the Morgan Frost goal was called back due to an offside. Luck of the Irish?

Then, thanks to Charm Diamond Centres, former NHLer and 2006 Stanley Cup champion Mike Commodore dropped by the show. As per usual, he was very colourful as he weighed in on this Leafs team and if they have what it takes to go far in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Additionally, Commie looked back at his Cup winning season in Carolina and we tried to find some ways to relate it to this Leafs team with the postseason just around the corner. Lastly, after years of sitting on it, Rosey shared his Alex Ovechkin story in Vegas from a few years ago. Funny enough, Commie had a similar one to share. What are the chances?

At any rate, be sure to join us on Wednesday at 11 AM as we tee up the fourth and final game of Toronto’s home stand as Nathan MacKinnon and company invade Scotiabank Arena.

You can subscribe to TheLeafsNation (TLN) YouTube channel HERE. Additionally, we’re available in podcast form, too —wherever you get your podcasts. While you’re at it, be sure to leave us a 5-star review!

Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/mik...rious-props-to-chris-tanev-leafs-morning-take

 

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

Maple Leafs keep winning lines together during team photo day

After submitting a nearly picture-perfect performance in a 6-2 win over the Calgary Flames, the Toronto Maple Leafs are keeping their lines intact on team photo day.

Toronto held its annual team photo day at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday morning, before getting ready for Wednesday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche.

Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube reunited Auston Matthews with Mitch Marner and Matthew Knies, while restoring the third line of Bobby McMann, Max Domi and Nick Robertson. Both units were excellent on Monday, as Matthews scored two power play goals, while the Knies-Matthews-Marner line outshot the Flames 6-1 with a 95 percent share of the expected goals via Natural Stat Trick. As for the third line, McMann, Domi and Robertson all scored, while outshooting the Flames 7-4 in just under nine minutes together.

“The urgency in the way we came out and played, shot pucks, and our temps were way up. We were right on top of them.  There was no room for them, so that was the key start of the game for us,” Berube said following Monday’s victory. “Our power play was very good tonight, obviously, and our PK did a good job.  Those are big parts of the game. The challenge, our video guys did a good job there. It was taking a little longer than I thought. They told me we were 110 percent sure.”

At the time of this filing, Toronto’s starting goaltender hasn’t been confirmed for Wednesday’s game. Anthony Stolarz could start, after Joseph Woll started Monday. Toronto is slated to play a back-to-back, squaring off against the New York Rangers on Thursday.

Maple Leafs’ projected lineup vs. Avalanche​

Matthew Knies-Auston Matthews-Mitch Marner

Pontus Holmberg-John Tavares-William Nylander

Bobby McMann-Max Domi-Nick Robertson

Steven Lorentz-Scott Laughton-Calle Jarnkrok

Morgan Rielly-Brandon Carlo

Jake McCabe-Chris Tanev

Simon Benoit-Philippe Myers

Anthony Stolarz

Joseph Woll

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Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/toronto-maple-leafs-winning-lines-together-photo-day

 

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar expands on his revamped roster, how to defend Mitch Marner

There are few constants in the NHL, but the Colorado Avalanche have operated as a barometer of success under head coach Jared Bardner and president of hockey operations Joe Sakic. Colorado won the Stanley Cup in 2022 and entered the year as a primary contender once again, but made several seismic changes that shook up the landscape of the league.

Colorado traded superstar forward Mikko Rantanen earlier this season in a blockbuster deal with the Carolina Hurricanes, receiving Martin Necas, Jack Drury and two picks in return. Sakic and general manager Chris McFarland were aggressive at the deadline, acquiring Charlie Coyle, Brock Nelson, Ryan Lindgren among others, emerging as one of the clear winners, while becoming more agile during their contention window.

Bednar raved about his new-look lineup ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“There’s nine new guys in the lineup. A lot of key players in the lineup, with strength down the middle, with the addition of (Brock) Nelson and (Charlie) Coyle, something that we felt we needed to improve. On the back end, with (Ryan) Lindgren. And also, (Jack) Drury in the middle of the ice. There’s so many changes. I guess they were steadily saying they were going to do what they could do, to try to help our team. You’ve got players like Nate and Cale, and you don’t want to miss out on opportunities, if you think you have a chance to win, and I think those guys always give you a chance to win. But finding guys and being able to fit them in under the cap, can be a challenge.
“I think they did an outstanding job showing belief in our team and having a real good understanding of what we needed, and trying to fit them in those spots. Because there are some challenges with (captain Gabriel Landeskog) being out, you go into the year and you’re hoping he’s going to make his return, and you can’t spend all this money and that can hamper you in the offseason, which is probably one of the reasons why we started a little bit thin. Some of the injuries had something to do with that. To be able to revamp our roster on the fly has been impressive.”

In some ways, the Avalanche serve as a blueprint for the Maple Leafs, as they’ve maximized their chances at winning a Stanley Cup, built cleverly around their foundational superstars and traded Rantanen when it became clear that both parties were unlikely to reach an extension, despite the fact that the power forward emerged as one of the best players in franchise history. Rantanen and Marner may be inextricably linked beyond their shared draft class, after the Maple Leafs reportedly asked their star winger to waive his no-move trade clause, in a potential deal with the Hurricanes for the power forward.

Bednar was asked about how to defend Marner entering Wednesday’s matchup, as he leads the Maple Leafs with 21 goals and 82 points in 66 games.

“Like most good players, great players in the league, you got to be aware of where he is on the ice. And you also have to really work hard to check the puck back when he has it. Skating to check is something that’s really important. You have to try to take away time and space and playmaking ability every chance you get. He’s willing to hang on to it, he’s willing to make you miss, you have to be really dialled into what you’re doing and make sure you’ve got the right guys out against him.”

Nathan MacKinnon leads the NHL with 103 points and could be in line for his second consecutive Hart Trophy. Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube provided a droll response about how to game plan for the Avalanche superstar, before providing a more expansive answer.

“Well, I don’t know. But if you find out before the game, you can let me know,” Berube said.

“You just got to stay up on top of him as best as you can. It’s just like playing (Connor) McDavid. They’ve got great speed, they’re competitive guys with tons of skill. It’s about trying to slow them down. Picking them up in the neutral zone, trying to get on top of them, deny them the puck as much as possible, deny them time and space, it’s all the same things every coach does.”

It should be a thrilling contest Wednesday, featuring some of the NHL’s most explosive stars, as the Maple Leafs look to take down one of the leading Stanley Cup contenders, before hitting the road on Thursday to take on the New York Rangers.

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Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/ava...pands-revamped-roster-how-defend-mitch-marner

 

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

Maple Leafs react to Steven Lorentz’s bizarre goal assisted by Kelly Sutherland

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Steven Lorentz’s game-winning goal against the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday will go down as one of the most unusual ones of the season.

During a penalty kill early in the third period, Simon Benoit dumped the puck out of the zone for a routine play to try and give his linemates a chance to get some rest. But things took a turn when referee Kelly Sutherland, who was already falling down, accidentally made contact with the puck off his body and had to leave the puck by the boards.

Lorentz raced for the loose puck and was able to generate an odd-man rush before burying a short-handed tally to give the Leafs a 2-1 lead that they held onto.



“ I’m not too sure what happened with the ref.  I was trying to look to get a change and, and I just saw him kind of go down a little bit,” Lorentz said after the game. “ I saw the puck squirt loose, so I thought, ‘You know, I might as well reroute and try and go get a shot on net and aim for the third corner.’ And the rest is history.  But I’ll take that bounce. It seems like I’ve had a few bounces go the other way this year.”

Given the fact that the Leafs gave up a flurry of chances from the Avalanche in this game, with Joseph Woll making 38 saves, the Lorentz goal proved to be all the more important especially since it helped his team win the special teams battle. But they did not rest on their laurels, after getting a gift from the hockey gods and instead played shutdown defence to ensure this one was the difference maker.

Still, it wasn’t lost on the rest of the players the humour in the fluky bounce that went in their favour on Lorentz’s short-handed tally.

“ It’s kind of funny how the hockey gods work out.  Sometimes you get those bounces, sometimes you don’t,” Maple Leafs defenceman Jake McCabe said. “I feel like they have honestly haven’t really been bouncing around with it the last couple of weeks. So it was nice to get a bounce and see Stevie take advantage.”

“ I’ll take it for sure.  You know, bounces happen and it’s unfortunate for them but’s good to be on the right side of it,” goaltender Joseph Woll added.

“The puck was shot out and hit the ref, but I wasn’t looking. I wasn’t paying attention. Good break for us,” head coach Craig Berube said. “I was not very happy with the penalty — not very happy with the call, to be honest with you. But it is what it is.”

It may not have been the kind of setup he envisioned when he grew up watching the Leafs, but Lorentz continues to take pride in being a member of his hometown team and getting big goals that help them win hockey games. Not a day goes by when he isn’t reminded of how grateful he is to be in his current role.

“ It’s surreal every game. I take pride pulling that jersey over every single game,  and I mean that,” he said. “ Talk to myself scoring a goal like tonight, you think about being a little kid jumping in the glass, so definitely cool.  It’s a job now for me and I take it very seriously, but there’s still that passion, that fire in myself that I love doing what I do.”

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Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/tor...-steven-lorentz-bizarre-goal-kelly-sutherland

 

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

Scouting Report: What you need to know about new Leafs signing John Prokop

The NCAA free agent signing period is underway – and the Toronto Maple Leafs have made their first move.

The club has always been interested in the college UFA market, having signed Jacob Quillan out of Quinnipiac University last year. This year, they’ve started things off by snagging left-handed defender John Prokop from Union College. Prokop was considered by many to be one of the top college free agent defenders on the market, albeit in a weaker market overall.

Prokop was initially eligible for the 2019 NHL Draft, but was coming off an unremarkable season between the USHL’s Omaha Lancers and NAHL’s Janesville Jets. He then split the following year between Muskegon and Green Bay in the USHL before finishing off with two years at Des Moines. Overall, he had just four goals and 40 points in 170 games – he was hardly an offensive standout.

What did stand out, though, was his 6-foot-3 frame. And if he could mix in other elements of his game to take that next step forward, there’d be a chance for him to have a decent pro career. Immediately, he made an impact with Union, scoring four goals and 23 points in 35 games. The following season, Prokop led the school in scoring with eight goals and 35 points – nearly tying his four-year USHL output. He wasn’t able to match that output this season on a weaker Union squad, but he still had 27 points to finish sixth in team scoring.

Prokop’s improved offensive production earned him a Vegas Golden Knights development camp invite last year. Suddenly, teams were zoning in on the 23-year-old junior player despite having another year of college eligibility left.

To be clear, most college UFAs turn out to be depth players at best, and Prokop is no different. Fortunately, he’s more rounded than many other blueliners available this year. Many scouts don’t expect him to be an offensive defenceman at the next level but more of a shutdown guy. That’s partly because Prokop’s offensive game is more about straight-line, simple moves and less dynamicism. He can be creative at times but predictable all the same. At the very least, he knows how to defend well in his own zone and take time and space away.

The good thing here is that there’s still plenty of upside. Prokop plays a physical game, and he seems absolutely fearless. He’s also a solid skater for his size, especially on the back check. Once he figured out how to exploit college teams to create offence, we really saw his ability to skate and control the play. His decision-making with the puck and his ability to read plays at speed will need to improve. But plenty of time in the AHL will help with that.

Some scouts wondered if another year in college could help him really build upon his ability to beat players with more advanced plays, especially with the puck. But, in the end, he’ll be better served defending against stronger and faster players in the AHL.

For the most part, this is a low-risk depth add. Prokop likely won’t be an NHLer in any meaningful capacity, at least not for a while. But he’ll be 24 in May, meaning he’ll be much farther along in his development than most in Toronto’s system. The Maple Leafs don’t have a ton of defensive depth, and Prokop gives them someone with decent pro ability and hockey smarts. There’s an argument that he has a better chance at being an NHLer than, say, Cade Webber.

This was a good signing for Toronto. Even if he doesn’t pan out, having more defensive depth is never a bad thing. Dakota Mermis, William Villeneuve, Mikko Kokkonen and Nicolas Mattinen need new deals this summer, so there could be some openings with the Marlies. That’s where he’ll start his pro career in the coming days as he looks to get accustomed to the higher pace and skill.

From there, we’ll see how Prokop performs in training camp. Being an older prospect means there’s less development runway – what you see is what you get. But he’s got the traits you’re looking for out of a college signing that you hope can at least make an impact in the AHL.

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Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/scouting-report-new-toronto-maple-leafs-signing-john-prokop

 

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

John Tavares jokingly credits teammates for making him look good after reaching 1100-point milestone

The Toronto Maple Leafs won their third-straight game on Thursday night, defeating the New York Rangers 4-3 to maintain a tie for first place in the Atlantic Division with the Florida Panthers.

John Tavares was the star-du-jour, scoring two goals and adding an assist to help him reach the 1100-point plateau for his career. Despite never having more than 90 points in a single season, Tavares has been remarkably consistent throughout his career, hitting the 80-point plateau in five of seven full 82-game seasons, and reaching the 25-goal mark in a whopping 14 of 16 seasons in the NHL.

In addition to all of this, Tavares is also one of the more humble players in the league that you’ll talk to, so it was no surprise that he largely credited his teammates for helping him reach the milestone.

“You don’t take it for granted,” Tavares said about his accomplishment. “It’s been a great journey, a lot of hard work, obviously I’ve played with two great organizations and a lot of great teammates that have been a big part of that, helping me out a lot of the time and making me look good.”

As humble as he is, he knows that it’s not all because of his teammates.

“I’m obviously very proud of the commitment I try to make, the passion I have for the game,” Tavares continued. “I just try to go out there and execute, play well, and obviously be counted on offensively.”

The Maple Leafs’ second line of Tavares, William Nylander, and Bobby McMann carried the team on Thursday night, combining for three goals and seven points. It’s been a much more inspiring stretch of hockey for the Leafs, who thumped the Calgary Flames 6-2 on Monday night and edged the Colorado Avalanche in a 2-1 victory to give them two straight heading into their tilt in Manhattan. Tavares said that the wins have come as a result of total team efforts from start to finish.

“Yeah we’ve been through a lot, travel-wise, we had some games certainly late that didn’t go our way that easily could have…but it was a great start to the week,” Tavares said. “A lot of different guys leading the way over the last few nights, and it’s been a really good night so far. So, we get a chance to regroup tomorrow, make it an incredible week of four games, earn another two points, and it should be a great atmosphere and a really good game in Nashville.”

Despite the team feeling great about their recent stretch and acknowledging that the travel didn’t help things, Tavares and the rest of the players know that keeping an open dialogue and routinely discussing how to be better, even when they’re winning, is going to be a crucial part of any success they might have.

“I don’t want to say there was any frustration, but I think we talked a little bit, realizing we weren’t up to standard and certain things were creeping in, results started to reflect that a little bit,” Tavares said. “I think it was a great job internally, along with the coaching staff in the locker room, just identifying that, talking about it, and most importantly, addressing that and get back to work.

With 13 games remaining in the season, the Leafs and their fans are at a point where eyes will be kept on the standings at all times. The Panthers have the exact same record through the exact same amount of games, and the Tampa Bay Lightning are only two points behind both teams. There will be less and less room for error as the season comes to an end and the calendar flips to the playoffs, and Tavares says that if the Leafs want to maintain the pace they’re on, staying focused and not getting too overwhelmed by the moment will be pivotal to how their season ends.

“It’s a long season, there’s a lot of ebbs and flows. So, it’s good to just stay level-headed, stay poised, and understand that when you’re not playing up to standards, you gotta just get right back to it.”

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Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/john-tavares-jokingly-credits-teammates-1100-point-milestone

 

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

Do the top-heavy Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers have more in common than we think?

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers have more similarities than people might think. Both teams came into the 2024-25 season as Stanley Cup contenders and thus far have had moments this season where they look like they might be the favourite to win the whole thing, but there have also been times this season when the Oilers and Leafs have looked like another early playoff exit could be looming.

Both teams are comfortably sitting in playoff positions right now with basically the same record, the Maple Leafs are 41-24-3 for 85 points and the Oilers are 40-24-4 for 84 points. Most of that success came thanks to each team’s star players, but what happens when these stars don’t perform?

Every NHL star is going to have the occasional off game during the regular season where the puck isn’t finding the back of the net or the other team is just doing a great job of shutting them down with no space, but when that happens you expect the secondary scoring to come through and give the team a goal or two. Unfortunately for the Maple Leafs and Oilers that hasn’t been happening a lot and that’s where the two teams find themselves in similar spots.

For the Maple Leafs, if the ‘Cour Four’ plus Matthew Knies doesn’t find the back of the net on any given night, it’s rare the other 13 guys on the ice will either. Obviously, there have been games where secondary scoring has come through, but for most of the season, it hasn’t been there. Of the 217 total goals the Maple Leafs have scored this season, 137 of them have come off the sticks of William Nylander (38G), Auston Matthews (27G), John Tavares (27G), Knies (24G) and Mitch Marner (21G), or in other terms, 63 percent of the Leafs’ goals this year. 17 other players, including guys that have been traded, combine for the remaining 80 goals this season.

Let’s break that down: five players have scored more than half of Toronto’s collective goals. Or the other way around, even 17 combined players cannot contribute to success in the same way the top five can. Of course, a version of this deviation seems reasonable; the top players should, and will, score the most. But how sustainable is it for this to be the case with such large margins?

The Maple Leafs struggled with secondary scoring in the playoffs last season—everyone remembers their first-round exit after only scoring 13 goals in seven games. Looking at this team’s current trajectory, this same scoring imbalance might have them poised for similar troubles this April. The Oilers aren’t much better off, with 221 total goals this season, 129 of them have come from Leon Draisaitl (49G), Connor McDavid (26G), Zach Hyman (24G), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (17G) and Evan Bouchard (13G). In similar fashion to Toronto, these five have accounted for 58 percent of the Oilers goals so far this season. Edmonton is top-heavy.

Fans shouldn’t fret yet, the Oilers and Leafs both find themselves within the top third of the league in terms of goals scored, at seventh and eighth respectively. However, the fear factor might come if some of these top talents experience a dry spell—especially if that drought comes in games that really matter.

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Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/do-top-heavy-toronto-maple-leafs-edmonton-oilers-more-common

 

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

Why it’s too early to hit the panic button on Scott Laughton

The Toronto Maple Leafs had a more active deadline than anyone expected them to, coming out with two of the bigger names on the trade market in Scott Laughton and Brandon Carlo. The Leafs had been connected to Laughton quite a bit in the months leading up to the deadline, so that move wasn’t a huge surprise. Carlo, on the other hand, came in a buzzer beater of a deal that nobody saw coming.

In hindsight, it’s a really good thing that they made that deal, and it’s an even better thing that Carlo has been excellent since joining the Maple Leafs, because it’s been tough sledding for Laughton in Toronto so far. He doesn’t have a point in seven games with the team and carries a minus-3 rating, playing all around the lineup and having a hard time finding a consistent role in the lineup. He debuted for the team as their third-line centre, and has since been bumped down to the fourth line.

Craig Berube on new Leaf Scott Laughton, who is from Oakville:

"He’s overthinking things instead of just playing … He is from here. He has a lot going on with people & everything else. You want to please, right? He has to forget about pleasing & play"https://t.co/iZ1ncoafAV

— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) March 20, 2025

First and foremost, it’s understandable to not be feeling great about the early returns on Laughton given what they gave up for him. He cost a first-round pick and a fan favourite of a prospect in Nikita Grebenkin, although the premium was paid to ensure they got him at a retained price tag and received some draft picks for their troubles, as well. Still, though, considering the seller’s market that was, it was already a steep price to pay for a guy who had only eclipsed the 40-point mark once in his career. Factor in the struggles early on, and on paper, it feels like a disaster of a trade waiting to unfold.

Here’s the reality, though. It isn’t. And it’s been seven games.

If you’re concerned about the Leafs getting rinsed in that trade with the Flyers, consider the fact that Laughton had been with the Flyers organization for 13 years heading into that trade. He’s been a member of John Tortorella’s system in Philadelphia and had been getting top-six minutes at times, emerging as a leader for a team that’s had an influx of younger players enter the league in recent years. Then, out of nowhere, he had to pack up his bags and switch teams in the middle of a gruelling road trip, learn a new system, and find immediate chemistry with a bunch of new faces.

This kind of move doesn’t affect all players the same way – you see that firsthand with Brandon Carlo. But the ups and downs can happen at different times depending on the player, and if you’re Laughton, you’d hope that the downs get out of the way early on while you’re still getting accustomed to things.

There was some panic (and criticism) online within the fanbase regarding Laughton’s usage under Craig Berube after he was demoted to the fourth line, but you’re not seeing a player getting punished for not immediately hitting the ground running. You’re seeing somebody struggling with simplifying their game put into low-pressure minutes so they can focus on straight-line hockey instead of getting exposed when their mental game isn’t where it should be.

If you asked me, I’d be shocked to see Laughton not making some sort of an impact by the time the playoffs roll around in mid-April. If the Leafs keep their second line 0f Bobby McMann, John Tavares, and William Nylander intact (the unit had seven points on Thursday night against the New York Rangers), and decide they want to keep the Max Domi/Nick Robertson duo intact, Laughton seems like an optimal choice to slide into that 3LW spot and provide the bite and occasional goal-scoring ability left behind by McMann.

If Laughton ghosts in the playoffs and still seems to be a misfit in the system next season, it will be fair to raise alarm bells and discuss it as a problem. But, asking price and early results aside, seven games into his tenure with a brand new thing is too early to consider this a real problem, at least for now.

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Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/why-too-early-toronto-maple-leafs-panic-scott-laughton

 

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

Former Leafs forward Josh Leivo sets KHL’s single-season goal-scoring record

Former Toronto Maple Leafs forward Josh Leivo set the KHL’s single-season record for goals, notching his 49th goal of the season for Ufa Salavat Yulaev.

Leivo created a turnover and raced away for his record-setting goal, as his teammates cleared the bench to commemorate the historic accomplishment. The 31-year-old broke a tie with Sergei Mozyakin, who previously set the record in 2016-17.

Leivo led Salavat Yulaev to a 4-1 victory over Barys, to close out the regular season. He signed a two-year contract extension with Salavat Yulaev in February.

It’s a true breakout campaign for Leivo, who recorded 15 goals and 38 points in 40 games during the 2023-24 season for Salavat Yulaev.

GOAL 4⃣9⃣

The Ufa bench clears after Josh Leivo set new KHL record for most goals scored in single regular season! pic.twitter.com/gRr0DEpw8v

— KHL (@khl_eng) March 22, 2025

Leivo was selected 86th overall by the Maple Leafs in 2011, and progressed throughout the organization quickly. He split time between the AHL’s Toronto Marlies and the Maple Leafs before emerging as a true NHL regular during the 2017-18 season. Toronto traded Leivo to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Michael Carcone in December 2018.

The power forward spent time with the Canucks, Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes and St. Louis Blues, before heading to the KHL for the 2023-24 season. Leivo played in 265 NHL games, recording 42 goals and 93 points.

It’s rare to see a player emerge with one of the best offensive seasons this late in their career, but Leivo’s renewed confidence appears to be shining through in the KHL. Leivo wasn’t trusted by Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock, despite showing real ability to score at the NHL level, and his scoring touch was appreciated at other stops throughout his professional journey.

The KHL playoffs begin on March 26, where Leivo is looking to lead Salavat Yulaev to the Gagarin Cup for the first time since the 2010-11 season. It would be the culmination of a truly outstanding season that seemingly came out of nowhere, as Leivo has made his mark as a true goal-scorer overseas.

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Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/for...h-leivo-khl-single-season-goal-scoring-record

 

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

John Tavares on Maple Leafs’ loss to Predators: ‘We should be pissed off’

The Toronto Maple Leafs went into Saturday night’s game against the Nashville Predators with a golden opportunity in front of them. With both the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers picking up losses earlier in the day, a win, or even an overtime loss would have propelled the Leafs into sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division.

Unfortunately, nothing was made of that opportunity. Despite getting out in front with a 2-0 lead after the first period, the Predators went on to score five unanswered goals and hand the Maple Leafs an ill-timed loss, right as the morale around the team was starting to rise again.

John Tavares, who opened the scoring for the Leafs, kept things pretty blunt when asked what the team should take away from a game like that.

“We should be pissed off,” Tavares said. “It was a great opportunity to end a really good week, the way we bounced back from that stretch when things weren’t going our way, it was a really good opportunity go home and finish this trip and this week off really well. So, it should piss us off and help us get ready for another big week.”

None of the players will bring this up publicly, and they shouldn’t, considering karma exists. But, the loss stung especially hard considering the Predators had only scored three goals in their last four games and currently sit 30th in the NHL. You can never let your guard down for any team, and you have to respect even the worst ones considering they’re still made up of the top percentage of hockey players in the world. But, with the opportunity that was in front of them, it’s hard to make much of a justification for the way the game ended.

Still, Tavares quickly shut down any notion that the Leafs may have taken the Predators lightly because of where they were in the standings.

“No, definitely not.” he said.

The former Maple Leafs captain continued to talk about their effort and said that the difference in performance between the first frame and the middle frame was one of the bigger indicators for why they lost.

“We just didn’t have a very good second period,” Tavares said. “Some of our detail and coverage broke down, led to some odd-man rushes for them and got them on the board, got them in the game, got them the lead.”

While a loss to a Western Conference team won’t meet all of the criteria for a true panic mode situation at this stage of the season, the last thing the Leafs need at this point is for their bad habits to continue to seep into their game, especially when they’ve got two more games against the Panthers. These types of losses will never spare any team, no matter how good and consistent they are, so it’s important for them to put this loss in the rearview mirror and focus on the things they did well in their last three games.

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Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/john-tavares-toronto-maple-leafs-loss-nashville-predators-pissed

 

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

Craig Berube calls Leafs out for careless mistakes in loss to Predators: ‘There was no reason for it’

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube provided some candid criticism after his team lost 5-2 to the Nashville Predators on Saturday.

After bursting out to a 2-0 lead, Nashville scored five unanswered goals. It was a prime opportunity for the Maple Leafs to take the Atlantic Division, as the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning lost earlier Saturday, but it was a listless final forty minutes from Berube’s side.

“We had a real good first, they came out and looked more hungry than us in the second period. They didn’t give us a lot of room but we didn’t fight for it either,” Berube said.

“It was a total flip. What we did to them in the first what they did to us in the second and we had breakdowns that cost goals. There was no reason for it. It’s 2-2, late in the third period and we get caught on a 3-on-1.”

John Tavares and Mitch Marner provided the Maple Leafs with a 2-0 lead entering the first intermission, but Matthew Knies ended the first frame by taking a careless interference penalty. It was an entirely different game from there onwards, as Michael Bunting scored on the ensuing power play, and the Predators never looked back.

Joseph Woll was perhaps the lone player excused from the 5-2 result, and Berube wasn’t particularly worried about his performance.

“I thought he was fine. I am not sure what he can do on any of the goals, to be honest with you, when I look at it,” Berube said post-game. “Maybe the second one — the short side one — but he made saves. On the third one, Tanev slides, and it ends up going into the goalie. He got out of position, but there was nothing he could do about that. We can’t have breakdowns like that in the game. For me, that is mental.”

There will be plenty of time to examine the tape, but the Maple Leafs have Sunday off and resume their schedule against the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday.

“I don’t know if I am surprised,” Berube said. “There are things that happen throughout the year — mental mistakes — and it could be a number of things. I haven’t seen the mental mistakes like we made tonight in a while.

“We will look at it. We’ll discuss it with the team and go over things. We’ll go over how we looked in the first period, too. Like I said, it was a flip of the switch there.”

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Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/cra...fs-careless-mistakes-loss-nashville-predators