Maple Leafs light up Arizona Coyotes 7-4

[Maple Leafs 7, Coyotes 4]

Another winning wager on the -185 Maple Leafs (they went off at -200) and Auston Matthews netted his 15th goal of the season; his first in front of his hometown family and friends in Arizona. 

The Maple Leafs at one point actually scored two goals in :10 to make it 6-2. It was a dominating performance. They got on the board on a shorthanded goal by Zach Hyman. That's when you knew it was going to be their night. 

And although it wasn't Hockey Night - the Maple Leafs were one of just a few games which was nice - it made for a nice watch in between the Holiday Bowl between Washington State and Michigan State.

The Maple Leafs play again tomorrow night and look to keep things going.

Auston Matthews makes a Christmas Return

[Maple Leafs 3, Rangers 2]
[Pension Plan Puppets]

The great news broke this morning when everyone awoke, two days before Christmas: Auston Matthews would return from a concussion-like injury. You knew he was going to do something.

The Maple Leafs are damn good, too. They improved to 22-14-1, still breathing down the neck of the Tampa Bay Lightning and their star returned with his 14th assist to get them on the board with a goal by William Nylander. He would score the third goal of the game for the Leafs, which ended up being all the difference in the 3-2 win.

It was the 14th goal of the season for Matthews; who now has 28 points in 27 games.



The Leafs held serve at Madison Square Garden and now with Christmas break on until Wednesday, everyone has a chance to rest and get healthy.

The one where Connor McDavid bails out the Oilers

[Oilers 3, Blues 2]

[Edmonton Journal]

The Oilers trailed 2-1 with just over three minutes to go. And then Connor McPerfect showed up. 

With his 13th goal of the season, McDavid tied the game at 2-2. In what some in Edmonton are calling a Christmas Miracle on 104th Street, the Oilers won the game just a little bit later with a goal from Drake Caggiula. 

Draisatl and Lucic assisted on McDavid's big time goal. And it was the first time all season that the Oilers have won back to back home games in Edmonton. 

Suddenly it would seem, the Oilers are climbing back in things ever so quietly. Still down in the standings at 16-17-2, the oilers are at 34 points, about five back of a playoff spot. They had to have this one. 

Pre-Christmas Hockey: Oilers 7, Blue Jackets 2

[Gamebook]
[Cult of Hockey] [Columbus Dispatch]

This was the guy I bought the ticket to see, as always. And on a cold and snowy Tuesday night down at Nationwide Arena, he did not disappoint. Connor McDavid netted three assists, and created utter chaos all over the ice netting four total points. Three beautiful assists and a goal later, the Oilers had won the game 7-2. 

Sergei Bobrovsky was in for a rough night on this evening. 

Bobrovsky is definitely the Columbus Blue Jackets' star player. However he allowed five goals before the second period was through and the Jackets trailed 5-0 at the second intermission. He was pulled from there. This was the worst performance I've seen a goalie have live. 

The best there ever was. No, but seriously; Wayne Gretzky was in the house my buddy told me who was watching the game on television. Why, I'm not sure. 

I always have loved Milan Lucic. He got a goal. 

Here's the Edmonton Oilers starting lineup on the ice for the Canadian national anthem. 

Here's the beloved Leo Welsh singing the Canadian National Anthem. 

The Columbus Blue Jackets starting lineup on the ice during the anthem. 

This is the first face off of the night during Connor McDavid's 18:24 of total ice time. 

I got to see Connor McDavid score the 58th goal of his career, and 12th of the season:


You may recall that I also saw him score the 13th goal of his career.

This was from a friend who was sitting behind the bench. This is Coach John Tortorella's hand and lap, and his lineup card. 

Overall, one of the most satisfying games I've seen live. Connor McDavid's dominance has never been more on display for me, and his speed live is something to marvel at. Especially with center ice seats. 

Matthews bests McDavid in Edmonton

[Box Score]

Last night in the Maple Leafs 6-4 win, Auston Matthews tallied his 13th goal and 13th assist. Here is the wrister that made it 1-0 Maple Leafs:



Connor McDavid wasn't without his own theatrics. He scored his 11th goal of the season to tie the game 3-3:



Toronto is 17-9-1. Edmonton is having a much different year at 10-14-2.

Auston Matthews dominating for me on NHL18

Auston Matthews had a hat-trick in this game for me against the Colorado Avalanche, including the game winner in overtime to beat them 4-3. He's got 25 goals through 20 games in his third season. He also has 15 assists.

This was a picture of his first goal, a one-timer assisted by William Nylander. Nylander also assisted on the game winner in the fourth period overtime.

Keeping an eye on Jack Eichel

I like Jack Eichel. He's my first round pick on my fantasy hockey team. I've always liked him, in a Tyler Seguin sort of way.

Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News has a nice write-up that something is going on with Eichel right now:

Forget about an elephant in the room. This is an entire herd. Eichel is not the guy we've seen the last two years. He was invisible again for long stretches Saturday -- not getting a single shot on goal for more than 48 minutes.

Eichel has five goals in 20 games, tallying just once in his last 11. He's got a minus-9 rating for the season. Those are the numbers. Now let's move to things you can't measure.

Eichel's body language has been terrible much of season. It's a dirty little secret fans are finally figuring out that he floats off the ice far too much on the end of his shifts.

Just don't tell Housley that. The coach simply isn't dissing any of his players in public, let alone the face of the franchise. Fair enough. You can respect that. And Housley certainly knows what happened to Byslma seven months ago too.

On one second-period play, Eichel was easily stripped of the puck by Carolina's Sebastian Aho. It's the kind of lax play you've seen more from him in the first 20 games this season than in his first two years combined.

Eichel got his wish with the firing of Bylsma, and he wasn't alone in that desire either. He got his $80 million contract as well last month. He better start repaying this franchise even before he starts collecting those big bucks come July.

Best guess is Eichel winds up absolutely fine and this stretch is forgotten about. He plays again tomorrow evening, so we will be keeping an eye on his play.

It was Hockey Night, and Auston Matthews returned

The Maple Leafs went into Montreal and won 6-0, winning their sixth game in a row. It was the second time this season they have exercised their demons against the Canadiens.

They also got Auston Matthews back from an upper body injury. And boy did he make his presence felt. Below, you'll see him score goals 11 and 12.





At 14-7-0, the Maple Leafs trail just Tampa Bay (15-3-2) in the Atlantic.

The NHL18 Leafs Advance to the Stanley Cup Finals

The Maple Leafs beat the Canadiens 7-2 in game five of the conference finals to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals against the Edmonton Oilers who overcame a 3-2 series deficit against the Chicago Blackhawks to advance. Auston Matthews closed out Montreal with four goals in game five.



Game one of the Stanley Cup Finals was a double overtime thriller in Edmonton. The Maple Leafs won 2-1, assaulting Cam Talbot with 70 shots. Nazem Kadri buried the game winner upper tank for the win.

Matthews scores 10th on Penalty shot, Leafs fall in Los Angeles

[Kings 5, Maple Leafs 3]

Auston Matthews now has 10 goals in 14 games to start the year. This dude is the biggest star the NHL has seen in a long time.

I watched this game for a bit loosely while playing NHL 18; and the Kings built an early 3-0 lead. The Maple Leafs struck back with goals from Matthews on the penalty shot, Morgan Rielly (assisted by Matthews), and Connor Brown on a power play. But it wasn't enough, and now the Leafs are 8-6-0 on the season, losing to the very good Kings.

Auston Matthews 9th Goal of 2017-2018

I was watching this one live. I fell asleep before the end. The Maple Leafs fell in the shark tank, 3-2.

NHL 18: Game 7, First Round Stanley Cup Playoffs: Bruins at Maple Leafs

This was a back and forth series with each teams trading blow game by game. No team won consecutive games in the series.

Get to Know Adrian Kempe

My buddy MJ is a huge Los Angeles Kings fan. Adrian Kempe is 21 years old, and the talk of the Los Angeles hockey organization right now. He recorded a hat trick the other night, and got his first career shootout goal the next game. He's going to be the talk of the Kings for a while; because it appears this youngster can really play. 

Here's a scouting report:

Observations:

February 2017 - The 20-year old Kempe finally got into his first NHL action in mid-February, with a call-up to the Kings. Through his first six NHL games, Kempe has scored two assists and has shown some of the reasons that he is highly regarded in the Kings organization. In his first game, Kempe flashed his speed to create an excellent chance on a breakaway. However, much like his season in Ontario, with all of the positives also come some negatives, as he still will need to find more consistency to get to the next level. This is evident in the coaches decision on playing time which in the first six games has fluctuated from a high of 15:18 to a low of 8:30. In his last two games, Kempe has gotten some powerplay time, and he had an assist on the powerplay. If Kempe can build chemistry with Kopitar and find better consistency, he might start producing sooner rather than later. Philip Kamhi

October 2016 - Following a strong training camp, Kempe impressed the Kings enough to earn an extended audition with the NHL club. He got into four preseason games, and although he was scoreless, his speed was effective and he did not look out of place. He was given an opportunity on scoring lines, even playing in place of Kopitar on the top line and playing with Pearson and Toffoli. It is evident that the Kings view him as a top-six player. Having impressed Kings brass with his play in training camp and preseason, he will likely get into his first NHL games soon. Philip Kamhi

September 2016 – Things really slowed down for Kempe in the second half of his season with the Reign, he scored 20 points in his first 32 games (0.63 points per game), but only eight more in the final 23 games (0.35 points per game). You can call it inconsistency, but when he was on his game speed and skill is evident. Make no mistake, this was a young rookie (19-years old), who just came to North America and is still adjusting to the game. He will make adjustments, and is likely to develop more consistency. Look for a strong training camp from Kempe, but it's unlikely that he sees more than a cup of coffee this season (barring significant NHL injuries). Philip Kamhi

January 2016 – The 19-year-old Kempe has had a decent first half of his rookie pro season in North America. Through 32 games with the Reign, he had 20 points. Kempe also represented Sweden in the U20 WJC, where he had eight points in seven games and was awarded the Top 3 Player on Team. After returning to the Reign in January, Kempe has not produced as much as he did earlier, with only four points in 11 games. Kempe will need to dig in, but this is likely part of the learning experience. Philip Kamhi

May 2015 - While Kempe's SHL icetime almost doubled, his production didn't follow suit. His average time on ice jumped from 8:27 (2013-14) to 15:14, but his points per game barely rose (0.24 to 0.34). However, the Swede is only 19 and did enjoy an excellent WJC. The 6-2 right winger already possesses above-average NHL speed, but we'll see where his hands are at this fall in the AHL. Sheng Peng

February 2014 – Kempe has an excellent frame that moves extremely well chasing down loose pucks with an aggressive pursuit often initiating contact and engaging in puck battles with great success. His north-south style of game combines well with his strong skating stride as this power forward puts defenders on their heels with his unrelenting attack. Kempe drives the net hard and shows good puck handling ability, especially in the dirty areas of the rink. Brendan Ross


Fantasy Outlook: B-

The 2014 first-rounder is a pretty sure bet to be an NHLer but may not own high upside.

Keep an eye out for more Kempe reports; and more player profiles of the guys around hockey who catch our eye.

I (Indirectly) asked a New Jersey Devils Scout Some Questions

Here were his brief answers.






So, this scout would take Auston Matthews over Connor McDavid; which is pretty interesting. Basically he knocks McDavid's supporting cast which is easy to do right now. He scouted the 2-1 Penguins win in Pittsburgh the night before I got these answers.

Oilers win shocker over Dallas in Edmonton, 5-4!

[Oilers 5, Stars 4]

The Oilers won a shocker in Edmonton over the Stars tonight. Connor McDavid got the Oilers on the board with his 5th goal of the season.

This was after losing a 2-1 Overtime heartbreaker in Pittsburgh.

Auston Matthews' 8th Goal of 2017-2018

It was a wrister. It got the Maple Leafs on the board. The Leafs lost at home 6-3 to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Senators beat Maple Leafs on Hockey Night

[Senators 6, Maple Leafs 3]
[Pension Plan Puppets]

The Maple Leafs got downed by the Senators on Hockey Night in Canada, but the bigger story was the latest odds for teams to win the Stanley Cup; with Toronto being #1 on the list at 8/1.

I'd smash that prop bet for the Ducks. Were I a gambler, of course. pic.twitter.com/b21AbaABVM

— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) October 20, 2017

Now for the highlight of the game.

Auston Matthews 7th goal of the year:


There were some good reads on the internet in regards to Matthews over on ESPN, and Down Goes Brown.

Maple Leafs move to 6-1 with win over Red Wings

[Maple Leafs 6, Red Wings 3]

[Pension Plan Puppets]

The Maple Leafs just keep on rolling. They added goals from Nazem Kadri, Zach Hyman, Auston Matthews, Connor Brown, Morgan Rielly, and William Nylander to win the game 6-3.

Here's Auston Matthews' 6th goal of the season, and 46th of his career:


That extended the Maple Leafs lead to 3-1. Matthews didn't register a point last evening in the Maple Leafs 2-0 statement win in Washington. It was the first game this season in which he didn't record one. Tonight, he not only hit the bullseye for the goal, but added a late assist.

The Leafs are off to an excellent start:

The @MapleLeafs have won six of their first seven games in a season for the seventh time in their 100-year franchise history. #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/3Dlw6Y1eZo

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) October 19, 2017

Auston Matthews beats the Canadiens with Two Goals on Hockey Night in Canada

[Event Summary]
[Pension Plan Puppets]

Auston Matthews was the entire show tonight in Montreal; a Hockey Night in Canada game. The Maple Leafs - who run things like the Runnin' Rebels on ice - won 4-3 in overtime to improve to 4-1-0 got two goals from their star to win the game, including an overtime winner.

The Maple Leafs also had goals from Marleau and James van Riemsdyk.

Matthews' 4th goal of the season:


Auston Matthews' 5th goal of the season, and GWG:


*A. Matthews (2 G, 0 A)
**J. Drouin (MTL) (1 G, 1 A)
***J. Petry (MTL) (1 G, 0 A)

This was Mike Babcock's 600th career win. It snapped a 14-game losing streak to the Canadiens for the Leafs.

Here are the Goal leaders after a couple of weeks, as of tonight:

New Jersey Devils 6, Toronto Maple Leafs 3

[Event Summary]

I watched a lot of this game while watching baseball. Tapping into iPad hockey is good.


There's Auston Matthews third goal this season. It came on a two-man advantage.

The Maple Leafs finally were slowed down by a surprise opponent in the Devils. It was a bunch of no-namers who scored and Cory Schneider was honestly the story in this one, saving 47 shots on a night the Maple Leafs put up 50 total.

*P. Zacha (NJD) (2 G, 0 A)
**M. Wood (NJD) (2 G, 0 A)
***C. Schneider (NJD) (47 Saves, .940%)

Notables:

New Jersey
J. Bratt 1 A
W. Butcher 2 A, +2
A. Henrique 2 A, +2, 5 SOG
M. Wood 2 G
P. Zacha 2 G


Toronto
A. Matthews 1 G, 4 SOG
P. Marleau 1 A
J. van Riemsdyk 1 G
D. Moore 1 G
N. Zaitsev 1 A, +1
W. Nylander 1 A

AUSTON MATTHEWS WITH THE OT GAME WINNER

[Event Summary]
[Pension Plan Puppets]

This was Matthews' second of the season. The Maple Leafs are now 3-0-0.

*A. Matthews (1 G, 1 A)
**C. Brown (1 G, 0 A)
***R. Panik (CHI)

Notables:
Toronto
N. Zaitsev 1 G, 1 A, +2
J. van Riemsdyk 1 G
F. Andersen 18 S, 3 GA

Chicago
J. Toews 1 G
J. Rutta 1 G, 1 A

Quote:

"I just walked in and tried to fake a pass, get (Forsberg) leaning a bit and snuck it by him," Matthews said.
"I thought we showed a lot of poise being able to crawl back into it," he added. "As the game went on we got better and better and that's the way you want to play."

Jack Eichel Goal #1

The first of the 2017 campaign for Eichel, in a 6-3 loss to the Islanders. He's my keeper first rounder in my fantasy league. Need Eichel to be a gem.

Connor McPerfect: McDavid records first Hat-Trick in Oilers Opener History

[Box Score]

Connor McDavid is something else, man. He is the talk of the sports world even for fringe hockey fans at this point. Even ESPN has to give alerts on the guy after what he did on opening night in the NHL season at Rogers Center.

Here's a look at his three goals:

Matthews and Leafs get Opening Night Route 7-2 in Winnipeg

[Box Score]
[Pension Plan Puppets]

Matthews goal #1:


Matthews had two assists in addition to the goal. Patrick Marleau added two goals on five shots in his debut.

Mitchell Marner had a goal and an assist. James van Riemsdyk had a goal and two assists. It was a phenomenal opener for the Maple Leafs on the road and a statement performance.

A Great Game of NHL 18

I played this game of NHL 18 the other night - and it was an absolute classic. I went into Montreal and took out the first place Habs while spending most of the game short handed.

Enjoy the Auston Matthews show. I'll periodically update things on my franchise on here.

Mike Keenan

Somehow I landed on this old Deadspin post about Mike Keenan by Jeremy Roenick. It definitely belongs on this blog. It's a great read. 

I fell asleep this afternoon watching a Mike Keenan documentary on YouTube. Three cheers for the hardass coach. 

Auston Matthews is rated 87 overall in NHL '18

So I definitely think I am buying NHL 18. There is some discussion on Auston Matthews' rating of 87 overall in the game that will release September 15th, 2017. 

Here are more details:

Connor McDavid is not only the cover athlete; but the top rated player in the entire game at 93 overall. I will talk a lot about my franchise or 'Be a GM' play on this blog after I buy the game. I am 95% set on being the Maple Leafs and 5% chance I'll try out McDavid and the Oilers. 

Projected Opening Night Leafs Lineup?

This is from Editor in Leaf:

Marleau – Matthews – Nylander
Toronto Maple Leafs
JVR – Bozak – Marner
Komarov – Kadri – Brown
Hyman – Moore – Kapanen

Marleau/Matthews/Nylander could be unreal together.

Don Cherry sang the 7th inning stretch at Wrigley yesterday

He may have changed the lyrics, and disappointed #Cubs fans, but Don Cherry made up for it with the #GoHawks at the end. pic.twitter.com/N4pJBbv6XH

— Michael Klinck (@MichaelKlinck) August 19, 2017

Don Cherry sang "take me out to the ballgame" yesterday at Wrigley Field during the seventh inning stretch. It was a nice little surprise to see him at a baseball game and in another mainstream sport. Don Cherry is just the greatest.

Taylor Hall's run of bad luck

Pro Hockey Talk had a nice post up about Taylor Hall's run of bad luck, and I can agree. As much as I loved Taylor Hall; he was maybe my favorite player to ever watch since the inception of this blog - not the best pound for pound - but my personal favorite, every time he would take several steps forward there would seemingly be something that set him back waiting around the corner.

There were scathing takes in Edmonton in his final days there such as this one:

Hall has proven he’s not captain material, Pinder said. “The biggest awkward part of it in Edmonton is that Connor McDavid should be the captain of that hockey club, but Taylor Hall still struts around like he’s king of the jungle. It’s over. If he was a great leader, he’s have a ‘C’ on his chest and this team wouldn’t be in the basement every year… There seems to be an acceptance of poor result and that is not what you see with some leaders. They don’t allow that to happen. They get mad. They call teammates onto the carpet. And that’s not what Hall does. And he’s the guy that has the biggest value. Trade him for a bloody defenceman that knows how to play defence.”

I really hope to see the Devils get Hall to the playoffs. He strikes me as a guy who could have a remarkable run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. I am really sad that it didn't work out in Edmonton, and the trade for the blue liner the Oilers got remains one of the most hated I've ever seen go down in sports.

Hall is a likable guy who is still just 25 and forever in front of him. I hope to see him continue to put up big numbers and definitely miss watching him play for the Oilers.

2017-2018 Hart Trophy: Bovada Odds

Per a post today at Pro Hockey Talk, the odds to win the Hart Trophy have been posted, with Connor McDavid coming in as the favorite:

2017 – 2018 – Who will win the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s Most Valuable Player?
Connor McDavid (EDM) 3/2
Sidney Crosby (PIT) 5/2
Auston Matthews (TOR) 17/2
Alex Ovechkin (WAS) 9/1
Patrick Kane (CHI) 14/1
Vladimir Tarasenko (STL) 15/1
Evgeni Malkin (PIT) 16/1
Carey Price (MON) 20/1
John Tavares (NYI) 20/1
Jamie Benn (DAL) 25/1
Steven Stamkos (TB) 25/1
Erik Karlsson (OTT) 33/1
Nikita Kucherov (TB) 33/1
Jack Eichel (BUF) 50/1
Ryan Getzlaf (ANA) 50/1
Patrik Laine (WPG) 50/1
Brad Marchand (BOS) 50/1
Tyler Seguin (DAL) 50/1
Nicklas Backstrom (WAS) 60/1
Brent Burns (SJ) 60/1
Braden Holtby (WAS) 60/1
Phil Kessel (PIT) 60/1
Artemi Panarin (CBJ) 60/1
Joe Pavelski (SJ) 60/1

It is very interesting to note that Auston Matthews checks in at third in the odds.

Connor McDavid Orange Jersey Preorder

Another major want crossed off the list. Although not as big as Auston Matthews. This is a GREAT figure.

Auston Matthews Figure Preorder

My all-time figure want.

Auston Matthews got a cool tattoo of a Lion

Honored @AM34 got a tattoo of me on his arm. Don't tell Carlton 😉 pic.twitter.com/b6RnqkJIpy

— Bailey LA Kings (@BaileyLAKings) June 6, 2017

There was some talk at the beginning of the summer of Auston Matthews getting a tattoo of a Lion on his arm.

The article causes some fear in regards to the mascot of the Los Angeles Kings reaction to Matthews' tattoo:

Do Matthews and Bailey know something the rest of us don't?

Matthews has two years remaining on his entry-level contract that, once performance bonuses were factored in, paid him $3.8 million US, according to capfriendly.com. He will become a restricted free agent following July 1, 2019, which means the Kings could make him an offer, though it will cost them heavily in compensation.

Not to mention the Leafs are likely to lock up the Calder Trophy favourite with a long-term mega-millions deal before it comes to that, so Leafs fans shouldn't be concerned.

Fears are calmed at the end. I need to see Matthews playing in Toronto for years to come. Money talks.

Auston Matthews: Birth of a Phenom

I ran across this video today on YouTube about Auston Matthews. It's truly sick. Love the song.

"No Idea Why" by TV Torso.

Auston Matthews Figure REVEALED

Along with Patrick Laine today on the ID Figures page. This is the big one. This is my all-time want in terms of a sports figure.

More to come as more news breaks when it is available to order. Stay locked on NHL Figures.

Also, it was Maple Leafs Day on Pro Hockey Talk. They had a big post up about them yesterday.

Reddit User Uses Algorithm to Select Maple Leafs as Favorite Team!

This is just absolutely awesome. God bless reddit.

Here is the link to his algorithm spreadsheet. You must check this out.

Biggest thing I question is giving the Oilers a 1 in Arena?

McDavid's huge contract sets the stage for Auston Matthews' Extension in Toronto

Really good and thorough read here.

No sooner had the ink dried on Connor McDavid’s eight-year, $100-million contract extension than the hockey world’s attention turned to what it all means for the Toronto Maple Leafs and their own resident superstar, Auston Matthews. We’re all kind of funny that way.

Well, the first order of business might be for the Maple Leafs to send McDavid and his agent, Jeff Jackson, a nice fruit basket as a show of appreciation. By basically being a hockey player and accepting less than a 6th man in the NBA gets per season, and not demanding the maximum amount he could have, McDavid basically set the bar just a little lower, and for that the Maple Leafs can be grateful.

But all the hand wringing really isn’t necessary here. A lot of people are overthinking this one. Because the Leafs can essentially right here, right now, put Auston Matthews down for an eight-year, $100 million contract that kicks in for the 2019-20 season and runs through 2026-27. All the heavy lifting has already been done for him by the Oilers and McDavid’s negotiators.

The basic premise is stated at the beginning of the article. Now that the market has been established, you can expect Matthews to sign an 8-year, $100 Million dollar contract with the Leafs two years from now.

That said, you just hope he's as easy of a negotiation as Connor McDavid was for the Oilers. They are after all, different people.

Shayne Corson's Anxiety, Golden Knights construction, McDavid's extension

Here are the hockey links that I found throughout my day on Wednesday. It's going to be a short work week, which is good. I can totally dig that.

• Former Maple Leaf Shayne Corson talks about how panic attacks and anxiety have affected his life and his career. [Toronto Sun]
• The construction of the Las Vegas Golden Knights, and how they weren't built to go out and win. [Deadspin]
• Connor McDavid signs an 8-year, $100 million dollar extension. Here's what the Oilers face on the back end of this deal to build around him. [Deadspin]
• The Maple Leafs extended winger Zach Hyman to a four year deal. [Pension Plan Puppets]
• More reaction to the Mcdavid deal. [Barstool Sports]
• Breaking down the Oilers future of building around Mcdavid now that the big deal is done. [Pro Hockey Talk]

Ice Guardians & Chill

I rented Ice Guardians on Amazon video tonight. Here's my synopsis. 

The underlying tone of this entire documentary; which was really well made, was that this is what these guys had to do to play in the NHL. They were not NHL players without the ability to fight. And at the end of the film we learn, that they would do it all again. 

The NHL has changed today. The death of the enforcer role really happened in 2005 when hockey became more wide-open and all four lines had to be able to score and skate. There was no roster spot really allotted for there to be an enforcer anymore. And now that leaves guys like Sidney Crosby for instance wide open to take shots and get concussions and not to have the room to skate and play freely like Wayne Gretzky and other greats did like Steve Yzerman had with their sidecar enforcer line mates. 

This was a very interesting documentary that covers all aspects of the role of enforcers, every single aspect. It was well worth the rent.

They had an interview with the recently deceased Dave Semenko.


Jay Baruchel is featured a lot in the documentary. Had no idea he loved the Habs:

Keeper League Hockey

First, there's this. I thought it would be good to headline a post. 

Next up, I am trying to string together a keeper hockey league. There are a number of formats to do a fantasy keeper league for NHL. My biggest problem right now is finding 10 other owners, as well as deciding on a format. 

I'm going to run it on the Yahoo platform. I just need to find the horses. It's not like baseball where I know 11 guys I can trust. 

Maple Leaf Gardens

It's the Yankee Stadium of ice hockey. Read about the Maple Leaf Gardens.

Final goal ever scored here was of course by famed tough guy, Bob Probert. 

Patrick Marleau is a Maple Leaf

After a series of July 1st moves that were underwhelming, the Toronto Maple Leafs made a huge splash on July 2nd.

Patrick Marleau was signed by the Maple Leafs today. He's a left-shooting left winger. He has played his entire career in a San Jose Sharks uniform since the 1997-1998 season. Here are his career stats. He's tallied 508 goals and 574 assists. He's played in 177 postseason games with 120 points in those games.

So, the thought is that he played a lot with Brent Burns and that although he's old; he doesn't have as much mileage on him as a typical player of his age. The other analysis of the move and his impact with the Leafs:

Marleau played some with Mikkel Boedker this past season, and he is nothing but speed and rush chances. They had high event success together, another good sign he might fit with the young, fast, go for broke Leafs.

The point of signing a man his age, who still has it but might lose it at any moment, seems to be to provide a temp fill-in for the potentially departing James van Riemsdyk. If van Riemsdyk stays, then the worst that’s happened is that a major upgrade over Zach Hyman has occurred for a few years.

This might seem like a quiet little signing here in July. But come January, February, and March when the Leafs are grinding and jockeying for position back in the NHL playoffs, this will be a signing that many are thankful for.

The contract calls for three years, $6.25 Million in average annual dollars.

McDavid Megadeal: How does it Impact Matthews Future Extension?

Connor McDavid is about to sign an 8-year extension with the Edmonton Oilers, north of $100 million. He deserves every penny. He is by all accounts; the greatest thing ever to happen to hockey. The greatest personality, the greatest talent, and just a perfect ambassador for the sport in Canada while playing for the Oilers.

So the next question to be asked: how does this impact Auston Matthews' future contract extension with the Maple Leafs? One can only hope they can sign him to an 8-year extension. My guess is they'll settle on only five. And Matthews may not be as easy to tie down as McDavid was. He's just a different kid.

So you can pretty much mark it down for this time next year: That’s when the Maple Leafs will likely negotiate a contract extension for Auston Matthews that will probably look a lot like McDavid’s deal. Maybe it’ll be a little less generous; Matthews, as spectacular as he is, hasn’t yet shown himself to be in McDavid’s stratosphere. Then again, Matthews has another season to rise. And given his track record so far, it’d be foolish to suggest he doesn’t have it in him.

Either way, he’s going to be expensive. Which only underlines the opportunity staring the Leafs in the face. They’ve got Matthews and Mitch Marner on entry-level deals for two more seasons. That’s an enticing prospect for a team that took a massive competitive leap this past year. It wasn’t just their six-game, five-overtime playoff series with the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Washington Capitals that suggested as much. From Jan. 1 until the regular season’s end, only two Eastern teams — the Capitals and Islanders — compiled more points than the Leafs.

Basically, it's expected that productive veterans will soon be cut loose for cheaper talent so that the Maple Leafs can get ready to make a big offering to Matthews.

Toronto Maple Leafs 2017 - 2018 Schedule Highlights

You can see the Toronto Maple Leafs upcoming 2017-2018 schedule here. I am going to highlight the 'can't miss' spots of the schedule below.

October 4th at Winnipeg
Season opener. Laine vs. Matthews. 'Nuff said.

October 7th vs. New York Rangers
Home ice-opener versus a quality opponent. Also, it's Hockey Night in Canada! (Full schedule here for HNIC)

November 22nd at Florida (Thanksgiving Eve)
I always loved watching hockey with a holiday and a big meal on deck. Hockey is just at it's greatest point during this point in the season.

December 15th at Detroit
The Leaves first trip to Little Caesar's Arena in Detroit. I *might* make the trip for this one. It is a Friday night.

December 20th at Columbus
Perfect timing. I have never visited Nationwide Arena; my hometown arena, so close to Christmas. I will definitely be at this game to see Auston Matthews play for the first time live.

December 23rd at New York Rangers
Two nights before Christmas. I'll be watching. Wish it was in Toronto.

December 31st at Las Vegas
New Years' Eve afternoon. Hopefully I can catch some of this while my kids are running around and before any bowl games come on.

March 3rd vs. Washington (at Navy Stadium) Outdoor
I always enjoy the outdoor classics. Let's get some memorable revenge on the Caps for game six and the opening round of the playoffs last year. Hopefully by this time in the year, Matthews is tracking 50 goals.

Jeff Brubaker, Toronto Draft Grade, and Donairs

My buddy played for former NHL Jeff Brubaker. I pulled this off his facebook account. I recently read a great interview with Brubaker off Slapshot Diaries. Here is his page on Hockey-Reference.com.

The Maple Leafs were given an A- over at The Score for their draft

In almost every single preseason mock draft, Liljegren was going first or second overall. He failed to progress in his second year, but that can be tough to do as a 17-year-old defenseman playing with men. He also battled injuries and an illness, resulting in a halt in his development. He is one of the smoothest skaters in the draft and has elite offensive upside.

The Leafs addressed a huge need after the first round, adding two towering defensemen. Rasanen stands at 6-foot-7, while Gordeev is 6-6.

The Buds also took a chance on a 6-foot-3 netminder, Scott, who may have fallen in the draft due to his results. He posted an ugly goals-against average and save percentage, but played for the worst team in the WHL.

Grade: A-

Finally, I had my first Donair experience at the local mall tonight. It was pretty cool - shaved meat. Beef, chicken, or lamb (I went chicken) with a variety of vegtables. Here are the best Toronto Donairs places. I'll have to stop by one of these when I go.

NHL Draft Night for the Toronto Maple Leafs

Tonight was the NHL Draft, and I stuck around since NHL Network has been pried from me somehow by Direct TV and followed the picks online a little bit. This draft definitely seemed to lack the 'sizzle' of a generational prospect, but I am nonetheless interested to see who the Maple Leafs added.

The Hischier kid the New Jersey Devils took #1 overall is dubbed as a Mitch Marner clone.

The Maple Leafs took a kid who is classified as an 'elite' skating defenceman. His name is Timothy Liljegren, and I will undoubtedly fuck up the spelling of his name for years to come. The brass says he's probably going to be with the big team this year.

Director of Player Personnel Mark Hunter talks about the @MapleLeafs drafting of @Timmeliljegren. #NHLDraft #TMLTalk pic.twitter.com/g2VlYFFR51

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) June 24, 2017

More posts to come tomorrow night once the Maple Leafs have compiled more picks.

Twitter seems to think the Maple Leafs hit a home run:

"What in the hell was everyone thinking letting Timothy Liljegren drop that far" is something you'll hear a bunch in the coming years.

— Dimitri Filipovic (@DimFilipovic) June 23, 2017

Not to overhype the kid, but Timothy Liljegren is now the best Swedish defenseman in the province.

— Down Goes Brown (@DownGoesBrown) June 24, 2017

#Leafs select D Timothy Liljegren at No. 17 from Rogle, a player many thought would be the No. 1 pick at some points in 2015-16.

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) June 24, 2017

The Auston Matthews 2016 Draft Lottery

Here's the full broadcast. It's really a great thing to watch every year; even though you hope your team isn't part of it. Some great players have been drafted as part of this draft lottery, with Auston Matthews being the latest.

It's fun to watch which franchise is going to get their hands on the next number one overall.

Bettman:

New Adidas Hockey Uniforms

Paul Lukas (an asshole) has a breakdown of the new Adidas NHL uniforms.

Pension Plan Puppets breaks down the Leafs' new jersey, which keeps the classic look.

A closer look at the @MapleLeafs @adidashockey jersey for the 2017-18 @NHL season. #FormTheFuture #TMLtalk pic.twitter.com/4eEXlL0aDE

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) June 21, 2017

HONOUR. PRIDE. COURAGE. This is cool.

What we stand for. #FormTheFuture @adidashockey pic.twitter.com/USQAprXlqP

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) June 21, 2017

It's good to be rooting for a team like the Yankees in hockey that doesn't change up their looks.

NHL Draft Day 2017

I know nothing about the NHL draft. I am not going to pretend to. But tonight; Friday evening in Chicago, is the NHL draft. 

The Maple Leafs hold selections 17, 59, 110, 124, 172, and 203. That's not a bevy of selections where you're really going to make hay and you just hope that the Leafs hit on the first two picks in the first and second rounds and then maybe find a serviceable guy later there. 

A kid named Nico Hischier is expected to be taken #1 overall by the New Jersey Devils as a Centre. The same mock has the Leafs taking Erik Brannstrom, a LH defenceman.

It's just good to be writing about NHL hockey.

Leafs Schedule Released; Golden Knights Expansion

Couple of Thursday night offseason links:

• The Maple Leafs released their 2017-2018 schedule today; highlighted by New Years Eve in Las Vegas, and playing the Capitals outdoors in Maryland at Army stadium. 
• The Las Vegas Golden Knights are delighted with their returns from the expansion draft.
• The Oilers traded Jordan Eberle today. Last of the Mohicans.
• Connor McDavid scored 100 points and was Hart Trophy Award winner. At age 20.
• McDavid got the NHL 18 cover.

My Buddy the Nordsman

I work with this guy at my bank - one of the best dudes I've ever talked hockey with. He crossed paths with John Kordic, Link Gaetz and a bunch of other hockey legends in training camp and the minors.

Literally has more hockey stories than I have hairs. I could listen to him all day. He bums lippers off me, and me him.

My friend, the Nordsman.

Hockey Chirps

This in essence, is why I love hockey....

More Auston Matthews Calder - Soak it In

Your rookie of the year – with 40 goals in his first season – is none other than Auston Matthews. #NHLAwards pic.twitter.com/ZczHltB0M9

— NHL (@NHL) June 22, 2017

Here's all 40 goals:

Auston Matthews gets the Calder Trophy and a 1-on-1 interview with @GenePrincipe. What a day! #NHLAwards pic.twitter.com/pfau1QshVa

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 22, 2017

Imports Dragon Figures will make an Auston Matthews Figure!

On a night when the Las Vegas Golden Knights made 30 Expansion Draft picks, on a night where the NHL held their awards show and Auston Matthews took down the Calder Trophy; Imports Dragon (unofficially) tipped off fans that an Auston Matthews figure is coming to us collectors!

Look closely in the bottom left hand corner of the photo that was posted to their Facebook page. More information should come tomorrow. In the meantime; read a little bit more about Matthews' attire this evening over at Pension Plan Puppets. 

Auston Matthews' Calder

The Calder Trophy goes to @AM34 of the @MapleLeafs, who led all first-year players with 40 goals and 69 points. #NHLAwards pic.twitter.com/LzRa9SCUXy

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) June 22, 2017

This is now exclusively an Auston Matthews/Toronto Maple Leafs Blog

It was the biggest Maple Leafs goal of my lifetime (I think). I still have to brush up on the history of hockey's mecca team; but I knew then on that Sunday night that Auston Matthews was my guy.



It ended in futility for the Leafs, being eliminated in game six of the playoffs by the Capitols. They lost 2-1 in the final period.

But really, Auston Matthews had peaked my interest from the very beginning. The night he made his NHL debut, and scored four goals. It was something right out of a storybook.



Very soon, I will be writing about the Leafs daily on this blog. I am going to blog about hockey as hard as I ever have. I'm going to head to Toronto to visit the Hall of Fame and see a Leafs game this upcoming season. Get ready for the Auston Matthews era of Hockey Night the Blog.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have won 16 Games in a Row

[Blue Jackets 3, Oilers 1]

[Jackets Cannon]

The Oilers just didn't have much tonight for the suffocating, mauling Columbus Blue Jackets. I was there to see game number 16 in a row. The streak rolls onward, and the Jackets are now one game from tying the all-time record of 17 wins in a row by the 1992-1993 Pittsburgh Penguins. Unbelievable. 

The Blue Jackets just seem to get stronger as the game goes on instead of folding like they did in the past third periods under different regimes. It's very easy to see if you're there live. 

The Zamboni is doing it's job before the game got started. 

Patrick Maroon had an assist tonight and got into a scuffle. This isn't up on Hockey Fights but I think that Maroon won. 

Connor McDavid had a slow night. He had two breakaways, won three face offs, had two shots on goal, but couldn't log anything else that would show up in the box score. He also had some time in the penalty box. Still great to see his talent live. 

Here's Todd McClellan, who has the Oilers at 19-13-7. 

McDavid serving time in the penalty box. I think it was tripping. The crowd erupted when he entered. 

A better shot of McDavid in the box. 

Seregei Bobrovsky in between the pipes. The guy is on fire right now. He's just not allowing two goals a game during this streak very often. He's a monster. I don't think that the Oilers got 20 shots on him. 

The anthemist, Leo Welsh getting balls deep on the Canadian anthem. He's real good. 

Great shot I got of the jumbotron during the Canadian anthem. 

All in all, a fun night. I wish the Oilers could have snapped the streak. I lost a shitload of money on the Oilers tonight, I thought they would do it. The Blue Jackets are just a monster, devouring everything in their path right now. I think that when you look at the fact they beat the Penguins (second in the NHL right now) 7-1 during this streak and have beaten several teams 10-0 this season, it's a testament to the Oilers only getting beat 3-1. 

My friend Justin and I dined at Mongolian BBQ tonight before the game. Glad to have made my pilgrimmage to Nationwide Arena to see the Oilers like I do each year. Hopefully I get back; maybe I'll go to a playoff game.