Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Dave Feschuk: Mike Babcock’s tenure nearly ended last spring. Another first-round exit will seal the deal


Babcock defines “winning” by bragging about Toronto’s 100-point regular seasons. Which is fine, if that’s your bar for success. The problem is, it’s nobody else’s. To the rest of the world, it’s the playoffs that matter. And as a playoff coach, it’s hard to imagine anyone doing worse, Dave Feschuk writes.

Read the Full Story @ TheStar.com: Toronto Star | SPORTS | LEAFS

Leafs settle in for homecoming night against the Senators


There will be several familiar faces on and behind the Ottawa bench at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday night.

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Maple Leafs set to name captain before puck drop at Wednesday’s opener


John Tavares and Morgan Rielly emerged as frontrunners to wear the C for the Leafs, who haven’t had a captain since Dion Phaneuf.

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Leafs’ power play this season is to tap into Auston Matthews one-timer


Mitch Marner and John Tavares will also move into new spots with the man advantage in hopes of improving the Leafs’ pedestrian power play last season.

Read the Full Story @ TheStar.com: Toronto Star | SPORTS | LEAFS

How the cap-crunched Maple Leafs will line up on opening night


There are 12 players who weren’t on last year’s 23-man opening roster as Leafs navigate their salary-cap issues.

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Sens' Borowiecki: Matthews showing up Sabourin was 'disrespectful'

from NHL | theScore
via TheScore.com

Maple Leafs games you won’t want to miss this season


From the Nazem Kadri reunion to a Hall of Fame Game against the Bruins, here are the dates worth circling on your calendar for the 2019-20 season.

Read the Full Story @ TheStar.com: Toronto Star | SPORTS | LEAFS

He shoots, he scores — but the Leafs’ Tyson Barrie knows his defensive game needs work


Barrie has notched 14 goals and close to 60 points in each of the last two seasons, among the NHL’s elite producers, but he was also a workhorse on Avalanche teams that, like the Leafs, were outshot far too often and didn’t block enough of them.

Read the Full Story @ TheStar.com: Toronto Star | SPORTS | LEAFS

The Leafs ranked second in faceoffs last year. New rules might make them even better.


Following an icing as well as at the beginning of any power play, the offensive team will have the choice of which faceoff dot to use, a bigger advantage for the likes of John Tavares, who posted the ninth-best winning percentage on power plays.

Read the Full Story @ TheStar.com: Toronto Star | SPORTS | LEAFS

How much is too much for Leafs starter Frederik Andersen?


While the Leafs have been at the forefront of many trends in the NHL — analytics, talent identification and talent development —they’ve been trailing the league in terms of how they handle their top goalie.

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Bruce Arthur: Opportunity knocks again for Maple Leafs — maybe this will be their year


The Leafs lost their nerve against the Bruins in the playoffs, then overpaid for their restricted free agents. That doesn’t mean they won’t take the next step toward a Stanley Cup starting Wednesday night against the Senators — but the stakes are much higher, Bruce Arthur writes.

Read the Full Story @ TheStar.com: Toronto Star | SPORTS | LEAFS

Top 100 NHL players: 20-11

from NHL | theScore
via TheScore.com