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  • NHL All-Star Game Recap

    NHL All-Star Game Recap

    After covering all weekend and mainly complaining through twitter about how bad the event was, I wanted to end the All-Star weekend with a recap and discuss some stuff.

    Personalities
    There were none. No Alexander Ovechkin, No Jakub Voracek amongst others, made for a pretty boring skills competition and a little more competitive All-Game. Marc-Andre Fleury and Braden Holtby tried to keep it light, but it seemed that for a lot of players (especially the first timers) they had something to prove. Brent Burns and Joe Pavelski brought their children but they kind of just sat on the ice and got autographs.

    Matthews/Marleau
    In what was one of the more entertaining events to happen at the Skills Competition, Toronto Maple Leafs Sniper Auston Matthews was up to participate in the accuracy event. He began to drop his stick and pulled off his jersey and underneath was a Patrick Marleau Leafs jersey, The building erupted. The jersey was very tight on Matthews, but he tried to shoot with it on seemingly not caring about winning. I’m posting the video below, along with a tweet from Patrick Marleau’s wife to add some entertainment value.

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    and my final thought.

    Kendall Coyne Schofield/ Brianna Decker

    I’ve seen a lot of rumbling on twitter and facebook, actually if I’m quite honest some pretty disturbing and disgusting comments. I’m not here to bring them up or call out names, I’m here just to add a perspective with some thoughts. First Schofield, her lap was one of the most fantastic things I’ve seen in sports history. Why you ask? Because she was fast, she has serious talent and her showing up at the NHL All-Star game was not a publicity stunt, it was about Women’s Hockey and the Women being recognized for just how damn good they are. Women are not trying to take over the NHL, this isn’t wrestling people. They want to be recognized for how good they are too. Now let’s talk Decker, Leon Draisaitl of the won the NHL Premier Passer with a time of 1.09 but Decker came close to his time with a 1.12 after reviewing of the footage of her run. But even when Decker apparently had beaten Draisaitl’s time she never asked to be crowned the champion, in fact, she never really said much. That’s because it’s not about stealing thunder from any of the NHL players, it’s about how good the Women are and how little recognition they get. This is the event that gets turned down by most of the participants because of it’s level of difficulty, Decker was merely doing it to show how it worked. Let me close with this and then I’ll leave videos and tweets below of these wonderful women’s work. If you are a hockey fan anywhere in the world, then you care about hockey in general and how the sport grows. These women’s skills should be recognized and leagues like the NHL should help it grow like they are doing now, they never asked for handouts, they have worked their butts off just like any NHL player to get where they are. The NHL partnering with Women’s Hockey makes me a very happy hockey fan, as it should for you. Because they’re growing the sport we love and recognizing fantastic athletes.

    https://twitter.com/KylaJLane/status/1089194318512906240

  • What’s Wrong in Leaf Land?

    What’s Wrong in Leaf Land?

    A lot of fans have had a lot to say about what’s wrong in Toronto with the recent bad play. Some citing bad defensive miscues by our defencemen, which a valid point. Some booing veteran blueliner Jake Gardiner for a couple of costly giveaways. While other calling for coach Mike Babcock’s head, Auston Matthews to be traded as well as William Nylander. I think those watching games have missed the real things the Leafs have missed during the last 16 games. Some may disagree with my thoughts but I think if you take a look at the evidence I provide, you will notice what I’m saying is quite true.

    Here are the 4 points I will discuss in detail:

    1. The pressure of playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs, while struggling to score and to win.
    2. Team Defensive Play
    3. The Powerplay
    4. More Penalties, Less 5 vs 5

    Let’s begin the discussion.

    1. More Penalties, Less 5 vs 5

    The Leafs are top 5 in puck possession in the NHL 5 vs 5 and are 2nd in the league in Even Strength goals (only behind the Tampa Bay Lightning). The team combined from October to the end of December for 208 minor penalty minutes the least penalized team in the league which is about 2.5 minors a game. Since January 3rd 2019 the Leafs have been penalized for 50 minutes or 25 penalties which is 3.1 minors a game, which is another full penalty over their average.  While they still sit top 5 in the league in those even strength categories, The Leafs powerplay which was top 5 has dropped off significantly while getting more opportunities. Teams are averaging 7.1 minutes or 3.6 penalties against the Leafs per game. Leaving the Leafs Powerplay declining and getting more opportunities and taking away from their strong even strength game. To put this in perspective let me tell you this. An NHL game is comprised of 60 minutes, throughout 3 periods. According to the Leafs top 5 possession numbers, they control the puck for 50.9% of the game 5 vs 5. So let’s say 30 minutes a game. Now minus 6 minutes in penalties game, so 24 minutes. Then 7 minutes of powerplay per game, so 17 minutes. So 17 minutes of offensive time to use on the best skill. Oh and one more thing the Leafs Penalty kill sits about 10th so top 10,  so they usually use the full 2 minutes.

    1. Team Defensive Play

    Some have been easy to blame Jake Gardiner for his giveaways and yes he has made a few glaring giveaways that have lead to goals. But sometimes I think Leaf fans walk around turning blind eyes to their favorite players or to the stars on the team and finding one player to really take all the frustration out on.

    Let’s talk about Mitch Marner (my favorite), Auston Matthews, John Tavares, William Nylander, Morgan Rielly, Nikita Zaitsev, Shall I mention more names? Let’s stop looking at the game as a fan of the Leafs and look at it as a fan of the game. You’ll start to notice a lot more stuff goes on in a game than just one giveaway

    Marner at times gets to the opposing blueline and instead of dumping it in, he wants to stickhandle and be too fancy.

    Auston Matthews, known for his 200ft hockey has looked lost and soft in the defensive. His backchecking and faceoffs have been down big time. He just looks all out of sorts.

    John Tavares is known for his excellent defensive game and his ability to not only score but to shut down opponents top players has been a shadow of himself defensively in the last 10 games. Being a minus player on most nights, missing assignments, losing draws. All big parts of his game.

    William Nylander not known to be the best defensive player but since being coached by Babcock at least being known for backchecking and fewer giveaways.

    Morgan Rielly`s season has been characterized by good defence and great offense. Being the Number 1 defencemen the Leafs have expected him to be for a long time. But the last 10 games have been a turnover safari for him.

    Nikita Zaitsev, the rookie we all fell in love with as Leaf fans have turned into a walking nightmare. Consistently turning the puck over all over the ice. Bad positioning and reckless play.

    1. The Powerplay

    A whopping 2 for 17. Matthews has scored 1 goal in 9 games. Marner has 1 goal and there you have it. It went from a threat to non-existent. Predictable and then the 2nd unit is a real downgrade. Kadri used to be a focal point now he’s a distraction. This doesn’t click it’s like wasting your best skill (5 vs 5), might as well just take 2 minutes off the clock.

    1. The pressure of playing in Toronto, when not scoring or winning

    Gary Roberts spoke to the media this last week and discussed the pressures of playing for Toronto, while not scoring or winning games. He discussed how when playing for Toronto the whole world rests on your shoulders. If you don’t perform then the wrath of Leaf Nation comes down on you.

    You can check out the full interview here:

    But what Roberts says is true, James Reimer and wife April Reimer learned it in a disgusting fashion. When you play for Toronto and don’t score or win you feel the pressure to do more, which takes you away from your game. This is what Auston Matthews is dealing with 1 goal in 9 and the team is struggling. Matthews starts missing defensive assignments and trying to pick corners on shots, eventually, he’s so far away from the game he plays he almost looks like he’s just floating. It’s less about the offence and more about the pressure you here from the media constantly and the fans or should I call them “Keyboard Coaches/General Managers” who think they know more than every coach, GM. The media constantly asking or analyzing your every goal, lack of goals, even your every motion on the ice. This happens everywhere don’t get me wrong but in Toronto, it’s blown up and so extreme. The pressure playing in Toronto, Edmonton and Montreal are almost like no other. Say what you will but the impact of this on a player, let alone a young player is huge.

    These are the 4 reasons why I think the Leafs have struggled so heavily. Hit me up if you want to chat about it.  Always looking to talk.

  • NHL ALL-STAR GAME RESULTS

    NHL ALL-STAR GAME RESULTS

    Game #1:

    Central 10 – Pacific 4

    Period 1:

    Central Goal – 01:03 –  Mikko Rantanen (1) assisted by Ryan O’Reilly (1)

    Central Goal – 01:33 – Gabriel Landeskog (1) assisted by Ryan O’Reilly(2)

    Pacific Goal – 04:51 – Erik Karlsson (1) assisted by John Gibson (1)

    Central Goal – 05:08 – Roman Josi (1) assisted by Patrick Kane (1)

    Central Goal – 05:31- Patrick Kane (1) assisted by Roman Josi (1) and Blake Wheeler (1)

    Central Goal – 06:39 –  Mark Scheifele (1) assisted by Ryan O’Reilly (3)

    Central Goal  – 07:50 – Mikko Rantanen (2) assisted by Gabriel Landeskog (1) and Mikko Rantanen (1)

    Central Goal – 08:11 – Patrick Kane (2) assisted by Blake Wheeler (2)

     

    2nd Period

    Central Goal – 00:42 – Gabriel Landeskog (2) assisted by Roman Josi (2) and Mikko Rantanen (2)

    Central Goal – 02:30 – Ryan O’Reilly (1) Unassisted

    Centra Goal – 04:36 – Gabriel Landeskog (3) assisted by Blake Wheeler (3)

    Pacific Goal – 04:47 –  Johnny Gaudreau (1) assisted by Connor McDavid (1)

    Pacific Goal – 05:52 – Erik Karlsson (2) assisted by Joe Pavelski (1) and Brent Burns (1)

    Pacific Goal –06:02 –  Brent Burns (1) assisted by Joe Pavelski (2)

     

    Goalies:

    Central

    Pekka Rinne – 9 shots, 8 Saves and 889SV%

    Devan Dubnyk – 18 shots, 15 Saves and 833SV%

     

    Pacific

    Marc-Andre Fleury – 9 shots, 6 saves and 667SV%

    John Gibson – 9 Shots, 2 saves and 222SV%

     

    Game #2

    Metro 7 – Atlantic 4

    Period 1:

    Metro Goal – 00:15 –  Sidney Crosby (1) assisted by Matthew Barzal (1)

    Metro Goal – 01:56 – Seth Jones(1) assisted by Kyle Palmieri(1) and Cam Atkinson (1)

    Atlantic Goal – 02:04 – Jack Eichel (1) assisted by David Pastrnak (1)

    Atlantic Goal – 03:13 – Steven Stamkos (1) assisted by John Tavares (1)

    Central Goal – 09:40- Seth Jones (2) Unassisted

     

    2nd Period

    Atlantic Goal – 00:56 – Jeff Skinner (1) assisted by David Pastrnak (2)

    Atlantic Goal – 01:28 – John Tavares (1) assisted by Keith Yandle (1)

    Metro Goal – 03:37 – Sidney Crosby (2) assisted by Kris Letang (1)

    Metro Goal – 06:22 –  Kris Letang (1) unassisted

    Metro Goal – 08:22 – Sebastia Aho (1) assisted by Claude Giroux (1)

    Metro EN Goal –09:14 –  Cam Atkinson (1) assisted by Sidney Crosby (1)

     

    Goalies:

    Metro

    Henrik Lundqvist – 7 shots, 5 Saves and 714SV%

    Braden Holtby – 13 shots, 11 Saves and 846SV%

     

    Atlantic

    Jimmy Howard – 12 shots, 9 saves and 750SV%

    Andrei Vasilevskiy – 13 Shots, 10 saves and 769SV%

     

     

     

     

    Game #3

    Metro 10 – Central 5

    Period 1:

    Metro Goal – 00:22 –  Matthew Barzal (1) assisted Kris Letang (2)

    Metro Goal – 01:53 – Claude Giroux (1) assisted John Carlson (1)

    Metro Goal – 03:40 – Kris Letang (2) assisted by Matthew Barzal (2) and Sidney Crosby (2)

    Metro Goal – 08:16 – Kyle Palmieri (1) assisted by Seth Jones (1) and Sebastian Aho (1)

    Metro Goal – 09:55- Sidney Crosby (3) assisted Matthew Barzal (3)

     

    2nd Period

    Central Goal – 01:14 –Gabriel Landeskog (4) assisted by Ryan O’Reilly(3)

    Central Goal – 03:25 – Mikko Rantanen (3) assisted by Roman Josi (2)

    Metro Goal – 04:02 – Sidney Crosby (4) assisted by Matthew Barzal (4)

    Central Goal – 04:38-  Ryan O’Reilly (2) assisted by Roman Josi (3) and Patrick Kane (2)

    Metro Goal – 05:35 – Sebastia Aho (2) assisted by Cam Atkinson (2)

    Metro Goal –05:43 –  Cam Atkinson (2) unassisted

    Metro EN Goal – 07:16 – Matthew Barzal (2) assisted by Sidney Crosby (3) and Kris Letang (3)

    Central Goal – 08:30 – Mikko Rantanen (4) assisted by Gabriel Landeskog (2)  and Ryan O’Reilly (4)

    Central Goal – 08:50 – Blake Wheeler (1) assisted by Mikko Rantanen (3) and Gabriel Landeskog (3)

    Metro EN Goal – 09:08 – Cam Atkinson (3) assisted by Seth Jones (2)

     

    Goalies:

    Metro

    Henrik Lundqvist – 6 shots, 6 Saves and 1.00SV%

    Braden Holtby – 16 shots, 11 Saves and 688SV%

     

    Central

    Devan Dubnyk – 11 shots, 6 saves and 545SV%

    Pekka Rinne – 8 Shots, 5 saves and 625SV%

    Sidney Crosby named Game MVP, While the Metropolitan Division cruises to victory.50728451_368954297221950_753694918530039808_n

  • TXHT Podcast – 1/26/2019

    TXHT Podcast – 1/26/2019

    The TXHT podcast is back with Serious Hockey Talk for Serious Hockey Fans!

     

    Audio Version:

     

    YouTube Version:

     

    This week on TXHT, Michael Lindenbaum is joined by TXHT’s Toronto Maple Leafs writer Steve Gardiner.

     

    Michael and Steve take a look at the woes both the Washington Capitals and the Toronto Maple Leafs have been going through leading up the NHL All Star Break. Plus they also discuss some of the woes that have plagued the Edmonton Oilers leading up to their General Manager Peter Chirelli being fired, and lastly some talk about All Star Weekend.

     

    This week’s episode was recorded on Friday, January 25th, 2019

    Opening Music: “Human Chess” by Crimson Orchid

     

    Have a question you want answered on the show? Ask us! Comment on here or on one of our Social Media outlets, and we’ll answer it.

  • NHL ALL-STAR SKILL COMPETITION

    NHL ALL-STAR SKILL COMPETITION

    Here are your results for the NHL All-Star Game Skill Competition

    Faster Skater

    1. Connor McDavid – 13.378
    2. Jack Eichel – 13.582
    3. Matthew Barzal – 13.780
    4. Miro Heiskanen – 13.914
    5. Elias Petterson – 13.930
    6. Cam Atkinson – 14.152
    7. Kendal Coyne – 14.346
    8. Clayton Keller – 14.526

    Puck Control

    1. Johnny Gaudreau – 27.045
    2. Patrick Kane – 28.611
    3. Claude Giroux – 30.270
    4. Mark Scheifele – 32.161
    5. Gabriel Landeskog – 33.425
    6. John Tavares – 35.210
    7. Jeff Skinner – 35.407
    8. Elias Petterson – 43.632

    Saves Streak

    1. Henrik Lundqvist -12
    2. Andrei Vasilevskiy -8
    3. Devan Dubnyk – 7
    4. Marc-Andre Fleury 6
    5. John Gibson -3
    6. Braden Holtby -2
    7. Jimmy Howard – 2
    8. Pekka Rinne -2

    Premier Passer

    1. Leon Draisaitl – 1:09.088
    2. Sebastian Aho – 1:18.534
    3. Ryan O’Reilly – 1:25.897
    4. Keith Yandle – 1:34.661
    5. Thomas Chabot – 1:40.588
    6. Roman Josi – 1:40
    7. Erik Karlsson – 1:58.824
    8. Mikko Rantanen – 2:15

    Hardest Shot

    1. John Carlson – 102.8
    2. Brent Burns – 100.6
    3. Seth Jones – 99.4
    4. Steven Stamkos 96.2

    Accuracy Shooting:

    1. David Pastrnak – 11.3
    2. Kris Letang – 12.69
    3. Drew Doughty – 13.6
    4. Joe Pavelski – 14.42
    5. Nikita Kucherov – 19.00
    6. Blake Wheeler – 18.6
    7. Auston Matthews -20.16
    8. Kyle Palmieri -20.21
  • AwesomeMania – 1/25/2019 – Royal Rumblings! WWE Royal Rumble Special *18+ Podcast*

    AwesomeMania – 1/25/2019 – Royal Rumblings! WWE Royal Rumble Special *18+ Podcast*

    Welcome to AwesomeMania!!

     

    Audio Version:

     

    YouTube Version:

     

    On this special episode of AwesomeMania, Ben Taylor and Michael Lindenbaum do their predictions for the WWE Royal Rumble that will be taking place this Sunday January 27th, 2019 from Chase Field in Phoenix, AZ.

     

    Matches for this Sunday’s Royal Rumble are:

    Kickoff Pre-Show: WWE United States Championship Match

    Shinsuke Nakamura v. Rusev (c)

     

    Kickoff Pre-Show: Fatal 4 Way WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match

    Kalisto v. Akira Tozawa v. Hideo Itami v. Buddy Murphy (c)

     

    SmackDown Live Tag Team Championship Match

    The Miz and Shane McMahon v. The Bar (c)

     

    SmackDown Live Women’s Championship Match

    Becky Lynch v. Asuka (c)

     

    Raw Women’s Championship Match

    Sasha Banks v. Ronda Rousey (c)

     

    WWE Championship Match

    AJ Styles v. Daniel Bryan (c)

     

    WWE Universal Championship Match

    Finn Balor v. Brock Lesnar (c)

     

    30 Man Royal Rumble Match

    Randy Orton, Titus O’Neil, Rey Mysterio, Mustafa Ali, Andrade, Apollo Crews, Elias, Baron Corbin, Jinder Mahal, Bobby Lashley, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, Samoa Joe, Drew McIntyre, Jeff Hardy, John Cena(?), The New Day(?), R-Truth (#30), and TBA

     

    30 Woman Royal Rumble Match

    Lacey Evans, Bayley, Tamina Snuka, Lana, Sonya Deville, Mandy Rose, Dana Brooke, Sarah Logan, Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, Ember Moon, Peyton Royce, Billie Kay, Alicia Fox, Natalya, Mickie James, Nia Jax, Nikki Cross, Naomi, Zelina Vega, Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss, Carmella (#30), TBA

     

    Plus Ben and Michael also preview NXT Takeover: Phoenix.

     

    This week’s episode was recorded on Thursday, January 24th, 2019

     

    Have a question you want answered on the show? Ask us! Comment on here or on one of our Social Media outlets, and we’ll answer it.

  • My Top 10 NHL Entry Draft Midway – Rankings

    My Top 10 NHL Entry Draft Midway – Rankings

    In this article I will try to unpack players potential and do some comparisons to give you a better idea of what your looking at with a player. But I will say this some of you will not agree with some of my rankings and that’s totally fine, feel free to leave a comment and let’s discuss. So here we go the top 50

    1. Jack Hughes – C, USDP, 5’10, 168
      1. A pass first centermen with blistering speed and unbelievable vision. But Hughes isn’t only a pass first player, his elite stickhandling and blistering wrist shot can leave defenders and goalies always guessing. There is one knock on Hughes it’s that some scouts have come out and said that they are not sure he will make the team right out of training camp. Scouts are saying he’s not strong enough to play as an NHL centermen and some believe he will be the first 1st overall pick since Erik Johnson to not make the jump from number 1 pick to the NHL.
    2. Kaapo Kakko – RW, TPS Turku (LIIGA), 6’1, 181
      1. Big, physical power forward with a great shot, amazing edge work and above average speed. Kakko doesn’t require much room at all and has the ability to put a shot top corner in from almost anywhere on the ice.
    3. Kirby Dach, C, Saskatoon Blades (WHL), 6’4, 198 lbs
      1. Big bodied playmaker in a style of Ryan Getzlaf. Deceptive above average speed but room for improvement. Fantastic vision and great agility in tight places, which allows him to break away from checks.
    4. Bowen Byram, LHD, Vancouver Giants (WHL), 6’1, 191 lbs
      1. Solid 2 way type defencemen, great stickhandler and passer. Has no problem engaging in rough stuff. Also possesses a great stick and amazing gap control. Depending on who drafts where there is a possibility he moves up into the top 3 in the draft.
    5. Vasili Podkolzin, RW, SKA Saint Petersburg (MHL), 6’1, 190 lbs
      1. A three zone player, who has the ability to finish all forms of players at top speed (Which is fast). Plays with an edge to his game, they call him a crash and bang forechecker kind of Alexander Ovechkin-esque (not scoring ability but the style of play). Great skater and good defensively.
    6. Dylan Cozens, C, Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL), 6’3, 185 lbs
      1. Cozens is an excellent 200 foot player who can play both center and wing. Hard hitting, quick, agile, capable stickhandler with an unbelievable shot. Cozens posses great acceleration and abilities to make todays type of NHL Power Forward. Don’t be shocked to see Cozens either fly totally under the radar in the draft or to Jump into the top 3 depending on who all is drafting.
    7. Matthew Boldy, LW, USDP, 6’2, 187 lbs
      1. A Mistake free hockey player. But putting him this high is bound to cause some controversy. Ranked by many at 25th overall I see something in this kid that many teams are looking for. His NHL size, powerful skater with soft hands, amazing playmaker. His defensive game literally has Jonathan Toews, Patrice Bergeon and Anze Kopitar written all over him.
    8. Peyton Krebs, LW, Kootenay ICE (WHL), 5’11, 181 lbs
      1. Great faceoff man and 200 foot player. Pass first center, can work the boards really well and does have a good shot to use an option.
    9. Raphael Lavoie, RW, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL), 6’4, 198 lbs
      1. Excellent show in both velocity and release. Patient player and great stickhandler, poised with the puck. Great vision and in the cycle. Extremely strong on his skates and has the ability to shake off checks. A Pass first player
    10. Ryan Suzuki, C, Barrie Colts (OHL), 6’0, 172 lbs
      1. Blinding speed, some even say faster than McDavid, more playmaker than a shooter , but possesses a fantastic shot and good playmaking. Aggressive forechecker and good penalty killer. Plays a good 200 foot game.

    So this is my top 10 for the midway point of the season. Please feel free to hit me up on Twitter to discuss this more. Even if you disagree!

  • Game Recap – 1/23/2019 – Washington Capitals v. Toronto Maple Leafs

    Game Recap – 1/23/2019 – Washington Capitals v. Toronto Maple Leafs

    Washington Capitals (27-16-6 60pts) v. Toronto Maple Leafs (29-17-2 60pts)

     

    Game Recap:

    For the majority of the first period it was a major snoozer until the final couple of minutes when the Capitals got a powerplay when Patrick Marleau would be called for hooking. Nicklas Backstrom would net the powerplay goal to give the Capitals the 1-0 lead, but it would not last long as right away Nazem Kadri would poke the puck past Braden Holtby to tie the game at 1.

    Steve’s Analysis: Leafs had some jump at the beginning of the period but soon began to settle in. Trading shot for shot in one of the most boring periods I’ve seen. Backstrom scored on a Marleau penalty to make it 1-0 but a miscue by Holtby allowed Kadri to tie the game up with 24 seconds remaining.

     

    The second period would have a better start for the Capitals as the TJ Oshie would feed Alex Ovechkin on the rush and Ovechkin would rip it from the top of the faceoff circle past Frederik Andersen to give the Capitals the 2-1 lead. After some more back and forth between the two teams, the Maple Leafs would capitalize after a great defensive play by William Nylander that would lead to Nakita Zaitsev scoring his first of the season to tie the game at 2. Then Ovechkin would take a bad cross checking penalty to give the Maple Leafs the powerplay, which Auston Matthews would score on to get himself back on the score sheet while on the powerplay to give the Maple Leafs a 3-2 lead going into the 2nd intermission.

    Steve’s Analysis: Leafs looked to be having one of those games again. But Zaitsev with an nice point shot tied it up and Matthews with a deadly studder step and snipe to break the slump and make it 3-2 Toronto heading to the 3rd.

     

    The third period would be all Maple Leafs the first 10 minutes of the period which would feature two more goals from Kadri to net the hat trick and give the Maple Leafs a three goal lead. The Capitals would get one back when Matt Niskanen bombed one from the point, but it would too late for the Capitals as Mitch Marner would then net the empty netter to seal this game for the Maple Leafs and give the Capitals their seventh straight loss going into the All Star Break.

    Steve’s Analysis: Leafs came to play in 3rd not letting Andersen’s great game go to waste. Kadri notched the Hat trick, along with 3 point for his line mate Nylander and Marner sealed the deal with an empty netter off of a Ovechkin giveaway in the neutral zone.

     

    Lineups:

    Washington Capitals:

    Alex Ovechkin — Nicklas Backstrom — T.J. Oshie

    Jakub Vrana — Evgeny Kuznetsov — Tom Wilson

    Dmitrij Jaskin — Lars Eller — Brett Connolly

    Chandler Stephenson — Travis Boyd — Andre Burakovsky

    Dmitry Orlov — John Carlson

    Michal Kempny — Matt Niskanen

    Madison Bowey — Jonas Siegenthaler

    Braden Holtby

    Pheonix Copley

    Scratched: Nic Dowd, Devante Smith-Pelly, Brooks Orpik

    Injured: Christian Djoos (thigh)

     

    Toronto Maple Leafs:

    Patrick Marleau — Auston Matthews — Mitchell Marner

    Zach Hyman — John Tavares — Kasperi Kapanen

    Connor Brown — Nazem Kadri — William Nylander

    Par Lindholm — Frederik Gauthier — Trevor Moore

    Morgan Rielly — Ron Hainsey

    Travis Dermott — Nikita Zaitsev

    Martin Marincin — Igor Ozhiganov

    Frederik Andersen

    Garret Sparks

    Scratched: Justin Holl

    Injured: Tyler Ennis (broken ankle), Andreas Johnsson (concussion), Jake Gardiner (back spasms)

     

    First Period:

    Maple Leafs Penalty – 16:49 – Patrick Marleau 2 minutes for Hooking

    Capitals PPG – 18:47 – Nicklas Backstrom (13) from Evgeny Kuznetsov (32) from John Carlson (39)

    Maple Leafs Goal – 19:34 – Nazem Kadri (11) from William Nylander (4) and Morgan Rielly (36)

     

    End of 1st – WAS – 1       TOR – 1

    Shots              10                08

    Faceoffs         05                18

    Hits               08                  03

    PP                 1/1                 0/0

     

    Second Period:

    Capitals Goal – 3:51 – Alex Ovechkin (37) from TJ Oshie (12) and Michal Kempny (11)

    Maple Leafs Goal – 13:11 – Nakita Zaitsev (1) from William Nylander (5) and Nazem Kadri (19)

    Capitals Penalty – 15:35 – Alex Ovechkin 2 minutes for Cross Checking

    Maple Leafs PPG – 16:19 – Auston Matthews (21) from Morgan Rielly (37)

     

    End of 2nd – WAS – 2        TOR – 3

    Shots               29                 26

    Faceoffs          14                 29

    Hits                 17                  09

    PP                   1/1                  1/1

     

    Third Period:

    Maple Leafs Goal – 2:10 – Nazem Kadri (12) from Connor Brown (13) and Martin Marincin (2)

    Maple Leafs Goal – 10:15 – Nazem Kadri (13) from Connor Brown (14) and William Nylander (6)

    Capitals Goal – 17:14 – Matt Niskanen (7) from TJ Oshie (13) and Nicklas Backstrom (38)

    Maple Leafs ENG – 19:27 – Mitch Marner (20) from unassisted

     

    End of 3rd – WAS – 3         TOR – 6

    Shots             44                     37

    Faceoffs        21                    38

    Hits               32                     15

    PP                 1/1                    1/1

     

    Next Up:

    Washington (27-16-6 60pts) v. Calgary (33-13-5 71pts) – February 1st

    Toronto (30-17-2 62pts) @ Detroit (19-25-7 45pts) – February 1st

  • Washington Capitals vs Toronto Maple Leafs – 23/1/2019 – Game Day Preview

    Washington Capitals vs Toronto Maple Leafs – 23/1/2019 – Game Day Preview

    Time: Wednesday January 23th,  2019

    Toronto: 29-17-2 for 60 points

    Washington: 27-16-6 for 60 points

    The Toronto Maple Leafs look to pick up the piecies just before the all-star and keep their streak of not losing 3 games in row to 0 through 49 games. Alexander Ovechkin has yet to decide whether he will not play tonight against the Leafs or the first game back after the all star break against the Calgary Flames.

    Top Scorers/Goalie Matchup

    Mitch Marner –61 points (19 goals 42 assists)
    John Tavares – 53 points (30 goals 23 assists) 54% on face-offs
    Morgan Rielly – 48 points (13 goals 35 assists)
    Auston Matthews – 42 points (20 goals 22 assists) 53% on Face-offs)

    Alex Ovechkin – 52 points (33 goals 19 assists)
    Nicklas Backstrom – 49 points (12 goal 37 assist)
    John Carlson – 46 points (8 goal 38 assists)
    Evgeny Kuznetsov – 40 points (9 goal 31 assists)

    Frederik Andersen
    21-11-1 2.54GAA .922SV%

    Brayden Holtby
    17-11-3 3.04GAA .906SV%

     

    Lineups:

    Toronto:

    Connor Brown– Auston Matthews – Kasperi Kapanen

    Mitch Marner – John Tavares – Zach Hyman

    Patrick Marleau – Nazem Kadri – William Nylander

    Trevor Moore – Pars Lindholm – Frederik Gauthier

     

    Morgan Rielly  – Ron Hainsey

    Martin Marincin – Nikita Zaitsev

    Travis Dermott – Igor Ozhiganov

     

    Frederik Andersen

    Garrett Sparks

     

    Scratched: Justin Holl

    Injuries: Nathan Horton (Back),Tyler Ennis (Leg), Andreas Johnsson & Jake Gardiner

    Suspension: None

     

    Arizona:

    Alex Ovechkin – Nicklas Backstrom – TJ Oshie

    Jakub Vrana – Evgeny Kuznetsov– Tom Wilson

    Dmitri Jaskin –  Lars Eller – Brett Connolly

    Lance Stephenson – Travis Boyd – Andre Burakovsky

     

    Dmitri Orlov – John Carlson

    Michal Kempny – Matt Niskanen

    Brooks Orpik – Jonas Siegenthaler

     

    Brayden Holtby

    Phoenix Copley

     

    Scratched: None

    Injuries: Christian Djoos

    Suspension: None

     

    Keys to Winning against Washinton

    1. Stay out of the Penalty Box
      1. This Capitals Powerplay will take it to you quick.
    2. Auston Matthews
      1. Need a big game from him or else this could end up like the last 2 games.
    3. Powerplay
      1. Been struggling for a while. Gotta get it going again to make the Leafs dangerous

     

    For the Washington Capitals Preview, please read Michael Lindenbaum’s preview for a look at the Capitals.

  • Gameday Preview – 1/23/2019 – Washington Capitals v. Toronto Maple Leafs

    Gameday Preview – 1/23/2019 – Washington Capitals v. Toronto Maple Leafs

    Washington Capitals (27-16-6 60pts) v. Toronto Maple Leafs (29-17-2 60pts)

     

    Time: 730p EST

    Station: NBC Sports Network and Sportsnet

     

    Preview:

    Tonight the Washington Capitals head to Toronto to face off against the Maple Leafs before they head into the All Star Break and Bye Week. The Capitals, who have lost 6 straight, will be looking to go into their break on a good note as they face a Maple Leafs team that is also struggling right now.

     

    Washington Capitals:

    Projected Lineup:

    Alex Ovechkin — Nicklas Backstrom — T.J. Oshie

    Jakub Vrana — Evgeny Kuznetsov — Tom Wilson

    Dmitrij Jaskin — Lars Eller — Brett Connolly

    Chandler Stephenson — Travis Boyd — Andre Burakovsky

    Dmitry Orlov — John Carlson

    Michal Kempny — Matt Niskanen

    Brooks Orpik — Jonas Siegenthaler

    Braden Holtby

    Pheonix Copley

    Scratched: Nic Dowd, Madison Bowey, Devante Smith-Pelly

    Injured: Christian Djoos (thigh)

     

    Keys to the Game:

    1. Gain the early momentum

    The Capitals need to strike early, and suck the wind out of Scotiabank Center, and put the Maple Leafs on their heels. The Capitals have given up too many early goals and need to get one first before Toronto can.

     

    2. Play like it’s the playoffs

    The Capitals need to start playing their games as if they were all playoff games. While it may be moot after tonight as the Capitals will be going on a break after they play the Leafs, it’s a good way for them to enforce good habits even during a trying time.

     

    For the preview on the Toronto Maple Leafs, please read Steve Gardiner’s Maple Leafs Preview for tonight’s game.