Auston Matthews sparks the offence with his eighth goal in seven games, and the Leafs enter the new year on a 7-0-1 roll.
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Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Maple Leafs close out 2019 on a high with road win over Wild
Auston Matthews sparks the offence with his eighth goal in seven games, and the Leafs enter the new year on a 7-0-1 roll.
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Leafs sign defenceman Justin Holl to three-year extension worth $6M
The 27-year-old right-handed shot has emerged this season as a stalwart blueliner who can join the rush, a protypical kind of defenceman for new coach Sheldon Keefe.
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Tuesday NHL preview: Toronto Maple Leafs at Minnesota Wild
Eric Staal, with seven goals in his last nine games, and the Wild host the Leafs on New Year’s Eve.
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Calder Trophy Power Rankings: Olofsson charges up list with big December
from NHL | theScore
via TheScore.com
via TheScore.com
Monday, December 30, 2019
You can lead a Leaf to wrist protection, but you can’t make him wear it — even after the Ilya Mikheyev scare
Leafs rookie Ilya Mikheyev was the third NHLer to suffer a severe cut to the wrist this season. His teammates were fitted for protective sleeves over the weekend, and while they say the scary injury is a reality check, they won’t all wear the gear.
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Damien Cox: Keefe’s Leafs are in no position to question their unconventional success
Often it seems like all five Maple Leafs skaters are behaving as traditional forwards, none as defencemen. It’s working, and it’s fun to watch. Whether it will work in the post-season cauldron remains to be seen, Damien Cox writes.
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Matthews, Andersen to represent Leafs at NHL all-star game
Matthews will be making his fourth consecutive appearance at the annual showcase weekend next month in St. Louis, while Andersen will be making his debut.
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Puck drop at the Cotton Bowl: Winter Classic has traveled far from its chilly origins
from NHL | theScore
via TheScore.com
via TheScore.com
Sunday, December 29, 2019
Suddenly, no lead is safe against Keefe’s comeback Leafs
The Leafs were 0-6-1 when trailing after two periods under coach Mike Babcock this season. In their last three games with Sheldon Keefe behind the bench, they’ve trailed going into the third each time and managed to come away with five points.
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Saturday, December 28, 2019
Rosie DiManno: Keefe’s Maple Leafs are staring at real adversity minus Mikheyev and Muzzin
The news on injuries to workhorse defenceman Jake Muzzin and versatile forward Ilya Mikheyev could have been worse, but it isn’t good. If Sheldon Keefe can navigate this shredded roster to a playoff inlet, he’s got to be in the conversation for coach of the year, Rosie DiManno writes.
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It wasn’t a total loss, but the Maple Leafs’ win streak is over at six
Auston Matthews scores late — his second of the game — to force overtime against the Rangers, who pick up the extra point on Tony DeAngelo’s winner at Scotiabank Arena.
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Saturday NHL preview: New York Rangers at Toronto Maple Leafs
Artemi Panarin and the Rangers visit the Leafs on Saturday night.
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Maple Leafs' Mikheyev out several months after wrist laceration
from NHL | theScore
via TheScore.com
via TheScore.com
Friday, December 27, 2019
Devil wears the goat horns in Leafs’ sixth straight victory
New Jersey defenceman Damon Severson scored into his own net in overtime. The Leafs, who lost Ilya Mikheyev with a cut to the right wrist, have come back to win in consecutive games after trailing in the third period.
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Damien Cox: The Leafs can’t expect a Nick Robertson surprise to save them every draft day
Trading out of the first round of the NHL draft isn’t a recipe for sustained success. The Maple Leafs have been burned many times, but got away with it last June and will likely try again this coming spring, Damien Cox writes.
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Justin Bieber invited Maple Leafs stars to play shinny in Stratford on Boxing Day
Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and Tyson Barrie had a few days off over Christmas, so they did what a lot of hockey-crazed Canadians do with some time off: Call up some buddies and play shinny.
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Friday NHL preview: Toronto Maple Leafs at New Jersey Devils
PK Subban might be feeling a little more engaged after a week that saw him end a lengthy goal drought with a game winner against Chicago and get a ring from girlfriend Lindsey Vonn.
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Thursday, December 26, 2019
Giving Marlies a Maple Leafs warmup the latest case of Keefe doing things differently
Walking into an NHL rink, meeting people, skating in the morning skate or pregame warmup — these are things the new Leafs coach thinks are important touchstones for young players, even just for a day.
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Size doesn't matter: How tiny Finland became a hockey powerhouse
from NHL | theScore
via TheScore.com
via TheScore.com
Monday, December 23, 2019
Rosie DiManno: The Marner-Matthews combination unlocks Leafs’ offensive potential in Next Gen goalfest
Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews found magic in the final frame of a game that swung wildly one way, then the other, combining for seven points in the Leafs’ fifth straight victory.
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Mitch Marner sparks Leafs’ scoring explosion in wild win over Hurricanes
Marner had a hand in three goals over a span of just 59 seconds in the third period at Scotiabank Arena, in the Leafs’ last game before the Christmas break.
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Maple Leafs’ hopefuls will be chasing gold at the world juniors — for the U.S., Sweden and Finland
American winger Robertson is averaging better than a goal a game with Peterborough.
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Monday NHL preview: Carolina Hurricanes at Toronto Maple Leafs
Andrei Svechnikov, master of the lacrosse-style snipe, and the Hurricanes take on Auston Matthews and the Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on Monday afternoon.
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Sunday, December 22, 2019
Rosie DiManno: The reinvention of Sheldon Keefe
Hockey’s moment of reckoning is personal for the head coach of the Maple Leafs, who survived the bizarre cult of David Frost and is now a positive force — on and off the ice — in the centre of the NHL universe, Rosie DiManno writes.
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Jake Gardiner’s return as a Hurricane is popular in the Leafs’ dressing room — fan reaction to be determined
The stats haven’t been there in Carolina, but Gardiner’s team is on a roll heading into Monday afternoon’s date at Scotiabank Arena.
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The knives were out for Mike Babcock long before the Leafs cut ties
On May 6, when GM Kyle Dubas said he was “all in” on coach Babcock keeping his job, few believed him. It was more or less a waiting game, with a slow start to the season the excuse to strike. Dubas had been floating Sheldon Keefe’s name since before Babcock was hired.
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Maple Leafs' Hutchinson 'in a good headspace' after 1st win of season
from NHL | theScore
via TheScore.com
via TheScore.com
Rosie DiManno: Leafs goalie Michael Hutchinson slams the door, and opens one, with first win of the season
It was against the worst team in the NHL, sure, but the much-maligned backup goalie stood tall when the Leafs needed it, and bought himself more time to prove he’s part of the solution, Rosie DiManno writes.
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Saturday, December 21, 2019
Leafs bench Nylander and Kapanen in win over Red Wings
Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and Zach Hyman lead the way to third straight victory at Scotiabank Arena.
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Friday, December 20, 2019
Mitch Marner, William Nylander shine on Broadway as Leafs win third straight game
Young stars break game open with goals 47 seconds apart in the third period.
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Saturday NHL game preview: Detroit Red Wings at Toronto Maple Leafs
The Red Wings are the only team in the NHL with fewer than 10 wins.
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Dave Feschuk: It’s been a long climb for the Leafs over the last 10 years but, hey, at least we’re talking playoffs
Toronto saw truculence and Salute-gate and an 18-wheeler headed for the cliff before things took a turn for the better.
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Damien Cox: The Coyotes are counting on Taylor Hall to lead them to the post-season, and maybe keep them in Arizona while he’s at it
Majority owner Alex Meruelo is saying all the right things about staying in Arizona but both attendance and the team’s arena situation need to improve.
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NHL pre-Christmas betting preview: Packed schedule precedes 4-day break
from NHL | theScore
via TheScore.com
via TheScore.com
Maple Leafs hope offensive revival will lead to more power-play opportunities
The Leafs are 29th in the league in power-play chances but hope the number will improve the more they’re in the opposition zone.
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Thursday, December 19, 2019
Friday NHL game preview: Toronto Maple Leafs at New York Rangers
The Leafs and the Rangers are trying to get back in the Eastern Conference playoff race
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Dave Feschuk: The Maple Leafs have finally figured out how to get ahead of the game
Toronto has been playing with the lead for more than 33 minutes a game under Sheldon Keefe, about 20 minutes a night more than under Mike Babcock earlier this season.
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Wednesday, December 18, 2019
The Goat finds his way (and the net) in Leafs’ fourth-line battle
Frederik Gauthier makes a case for regular duty after four games as a healthy scratch.
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Dave Feschuk: The art of winning isn’t lost on Keefe’s Leafs, but sometimes Babcock-ian effort is the answer
Sheldon Keefe isn’t grinding his players down in the Mike Babcock way. But hard grinding is still required, especially when you’ve built a lead, especially when the opposition is pushing late, Dave Feschuk writes.
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Leafs prospects Brooks and Liljegren look on the bright side after quick round trip
Back with the Marlies after emergency callups but no NHL ice time, at least Adam Brooks and Timothy Liljegren know where they stand in the Leafs’ pecking order.
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Tuesday, December 17, 2019
Dave Feschuk: Auston Matthews reminds the hockey universe that the Leafs’ offence is in good hands
He scored on a bar-down wrister that appeared stoppable by precisely zero goaltenders on the planet. He scored on a dangle-dangle backhand that made it seem like he was toying with the Sabres. There was something decidedly next level about the way Matthews overmatched Jack Eichel’s Sabres on Tuesday night, Dave Feschuk writes.
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Leafs’ win over Sabres was the Auston Matthews show
A pair of goals, giving him 21 on the season, and relentless effort turned the tide at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday night.
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The Sabres can smell what the Bills are cooking — and they want some
The playoff-bound Bills and playoff-hungry Sabres have a few things in common. The NHL club, which hasn’t made the post-season since 2011, hopes to add one more.
Read the Full Story @ TheStar.com: Toronto Star | SPORTS | LEAFS
Monday, December 16, 2019
Dave Feschuk: The upcoming slate might be as good as a clean slate as the Maple Leafs push for the playoffs
The schedule seems to be turning in Toronto’s favour, with fewer back-to-backs and more dates with the likes of the Rangers, Red Wings and Senators.
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Leafs defenceman Tyson Barrie hopes to return from ankle injury Tuesday
Blueliner took part in a full practice Monday, two days after taking a shot off his right ankle.
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Report: Maple Leafs among teams eyeing KHL goalie Timur Bilyalov
from NHL | theScore
via TheScore.com
via TheScore.com
Sunday, December 15, 2019
Bruce Arthur: Auston Matthews has been the Leafs’ best forward this season. So why do we feel like he could be better?
Matthews is just 21, and he’s had moments of greatness this season. But not every night, and not enough.
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Bruce Arthur: Marner-Tavares line leads Leafs past the Oilers, with defence
Having Marner and Tavares and Hyman being back in sync matters. The Leafs’ unit shuts down McDavid and Draisaitl at one end, and creates plenty of chances at the other.
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Barrie's X-rays negative after suffering ankle injury vs. Oilers
from NHL | theScore
via TheScore.com
via TheScore.com
Saturday, December 14, 2019
Bruce Arthur: Maple Leafs show they can hold a lead in Edmonton, and take two of three games in Western Canada
Toronto’s bottom two lines provide most of the offence.
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Friday, December 13, 2019
Bruce Arthur: The Leafs are still trying to balance the old with the new, and it’s not pretty when they’re caught in between
They’re adjusting to Sheldon Keefe’s offensive systems, but they’re still lost in transition sometimes.
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Saturday NHL game preview: Toronto Maple Leafs at Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers have been on a recent slide.
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Thursday NHL preview: Maple Leafs at Flames
Sean Monahan riding a seven-game point streak and the Flames have won six straight games since interim coach Geoff Ward took over for Bill Peters behind the bench.
Read the Full Story @ TheStar.com: Toronto Star | SPORTS | LEAFS
Bruce Arthur: Maple Leafs watch two points disappear during a three-minute collapse in Calgary
Marner and Tavares combine to give Leafs the lead after two periods, and then ...
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Thursday, December 12, 2019
Bruce Arthur: Jason Spezza is finally getting regular ice time with the Maple Leafs, but it’s the nickname that shows he’s fitting in
The veteran they’re calling Vintage kept a positive attitude while he was in and out of the lineup to start the season.
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Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Bruce Arthur: The Leafs are changing under Sheldon Keefe — and even they can see the beauty of it
There have been times this season where you looked at this Leafs team and saw confusion, a lack of clear identity, a lack of shared purpose. Now, if you squint, you can see the idea forming. And they think they can, too, Bruce Arthur writes.
Read the Full Story @ TheStar.com: Toronto Star | SPORTS | LEAFS
Bruce Arthur: Freddie Andersen was at his cold-blooded, acrobatic best in Leafs’ victory over Canucks
Andersen turned aside a handful of Canucks breakaways among the 39 shots he faced — including 16 in the third period alone. You shouldn’t need a goaltender to be great every night. It’s helpful, though, Bruce Arthur writes.
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