X75 Productions

Category: TXHT

  • Top 31 NHL Goalies of 2018 – Statistically

    Top 31 NHL Goalies of 2018 – Statistically

    Here are my top 31 goalies in the league this season solely based on statistics. Also, this is not a ranking system, just the top 31 goalies one from each team so far this season. So please don’t feel offended if your team’s goalie is at the bottom or lower than you think. I’m not rating them just stating each team’s best goaltender statistically.

    1. Pekka Rinne – Nashville Predators: 14-6-1  .926 SV% 1.97GAA NSH

    Numbers really speak for themselves here. Only goalie on the list allowing less than 2 goals a game and in the .920s for save percentage. Rinne has always been a fantastic regular season goalie, it’s the playoffs that seem to cause him trouble.

    1. Mikko Koskinen –Edmonton Oilers: 11-4-1 .928SV% 2.18GAA

    What a surprise Koskinen has been for the Oilers this season. The last time we saw Koskinen he couldn’t stop a beachball, went overseas and signed with the Oilers in the offseason as a relatively small signing and seems to have reinvented himself here in the NHL after a lengthy absence. He faces a lot of shots, but seems up to the task.

    1. Andrei Vasilevskiy – Tampa Bay Lightning: 11-3-2 .930SV% 2.35GAA

    Vasilevskiy’s numbers won’t be the most shocking as he was superb last season as well, but even after coming back from injury he came out and shut the door on the Toronto Maple Leafs high octane offence.

    1. David Rittich – Calgary Flames: 11-4-1 2.20 .925

    Rittich has had some ups and downs but for the most part has stolen the starting job from Mike Smith with some impressive numbers.  He has been a catalyst in helping Calgary off to a very strong first 30 games.

    1. Ben Bishop – Dallas Stars 11-8-1 .922SV% 2.35GAA

    Bishop quietly has put up some solid numbers. Dallas has had some under performers and tons of injuries so it really hasn’t shown on their record a lot but don’t count Bishop out.

    1. John Gibson – Anaheim Ducks: 15-9-4 .927SV% 2.52GAA

    Gibson has put up unreal numbers for a team that has struggled at times with the injury bug and even with their own consistency.

    1. Frederik Andersen – Toronto Maple Leafs: 18-9-1 .923SV% 2.53GAA

    Andersen has been probably the Leafs most consistent player all season. He’s been solid, Spectacular and a model of consistency when the Leafs needed it the most. He’s another goaltender that gets a lot of shots but has learned how to handle it.

    1. Jaroslav Halak – Boston Bruins: 10-5-2 2.27SV% .929GAA

    Halak is a bit of surprise here on the list considering there is no doubt who the number 1 goalie is in Boston. Tuukka Rask has struggled a bit this season with injuries and at time with his play. He is slowly coming back to form. But as of now Halak as been the better goalie.

    1. Jack Campbell – Los Angeles Kings: 5-7-0 2.33SV% .923GAA

    He is a real shocker, no Jonathan Quick and I have one reason for that injuries. Campbell was the back up and stepped and played really solid. His record doesn’t show it but those stats do.

    1. Casey DeSmith – Pittsburgh Penguins: 12-6-4 .923SV% 2.49GAA

    Another backup who got a chance because of injury to the starter and boy has he impressed. The Penguins are probably very happy that they have 2 goalies who can play.

    1. Thomas Greiss – New York Islanders: 12-6-1 .919SV% 2.52GAA

    Islanders have been a slight surprise this year. After losing John Tavares everyone thought the team was doomed to be in the basement of the league. But Greiss has helped them to a respectable record and his numbers are pretty good considering.

    1. Curtis McElhinney – Carolina Hurricanes: 7-3-1 .920SV% 2.36GAA

    Leafs put McElhinney on waivers and he was shocked but took it as another challenge in his career. Picked up by Carolina and has been very impressive. As a Leafs fan this really doesn’t shock me.

    1. Marc-Andre Fleury – Vegas Golden Knights: 19-10-2 .907SV% 2.58GAA

    Vegas struggled out of the gate and Fleury stayed consistent. Number are down from last season but I think everyone knew that Vegas was going to come back down to earth a little bit.

    1. Carter Hutton – Buffalo Sabres: 13-9-2 .917SV% 2.61GAA

    Hutton a career back up, who looked like he was poised to take a starter role finally after a superb year last season. Has taken the reigns in Buffalo and has yet to let go. He’ll have to keep up these numbers if he wants to keep the job as rookie Linus Ullmark knocks at the door.

    1. Devan Dubnyk –Minnesota Wild: 12-11-2 .911SV% 2.64GAA

    Minnesota has not been great this season, But Dubnyk has been the epitome of consistency. Posting solid numbers and being one of the reasons why they have a decent record.

    1. Jimmy Howard – Detroit Red Wings: 10 – 7 – 4 .922SV% 2.69GAA

    Howard has not had a very good team this year, as the Red Wings are in a rebuild. But Howard has shown he can be a good goalie when called upon.

    1. Semyon Valarmov – Colorado Avalanche: 11-8-3 .913SV% 2.79GAA

    This could be Varlamov’s last season in Colorado with his contract ending and Grubauer signing during this offseason and don’t get me wrong Varlamov has been good but he hasn’t run away with the starting job. Some would say that Grubauer has given him more than a push and he may have even taken the starting role.

    1. Martin Jones – San Jose: 14-7-3 .901SV% 2.81GAA

    Martin Jones has taken a step back this season. His numbers have dropped and it shows in how his team is playing. Barely hitting over the 900 save percentage and pushing almost 3 goals a game.

    1. Brayden Holtby – Washington Capitals: 13-8-2 .911SV% 2.86GAA

    Holtby has a good record and decent stats but the last few season has struggled in the season. But in the playoffs be careful he’s a different beast.

    1. Sergei Bobrovsky –Columbus Blue Jackets: 13-10-1 .905SV% 2.86GAA

    Bobrovsky has really tailed off this season, really struggling to find his groove but Joonas Korpisalo hasn’t really done much to steal the job away.

    1. Henrik Lundqvist –NY Rangers: 10-9-5 .914SV% 2.87GAA

    Lundqvist is finally showing his age, putting up much below his normal numbers. Expect ”The King” to stay around this numbers till he retires.

    1. Darcy Kuemper – Arizona Coyotes: 4-8-2 .909SV% 2.87GAA

    Antti Raanta should be here but injuries have foiled what looked to be a great season for him. Kuemper has been their next best option in net. Hill came up from the minors and has played fantastic but on a very small sample size , I wasn’t prepared to make him the best they have right now.

    1. Conor Hellebyuck – Winnipeg Jets: 15-9-1 .908SV% 2.90GAA

    Hellebyuck had an amazing season last year but this year has started off much almost average 3 goals a game and getting close to a 900 save percentage. After signing a big deal the hope is he’ll continue to improve.

    1. Carey Price -Montreal Canadiens: 13-10-4 .902SV% 2.91GAA

    Price is a having a comeback year of sorts but still not back to his normal self. Averaging almost 3 goals a year and a close to 900 save percentage. Now this could be due to the Canadiens not being great, but being a middle of the pack team.

    1. Roberto Luongo – Florida Panthers: 7-5-1 .906SV% 2.05GAA

    Started off the season with a few injuries but age has grown well on Luongo who is still posting good numbers.

    1. Keith Kincaid – New Jersey Devils: 11-9-6 .902SV% 3.00GAA

    Kincaid is in a tough spot in New Jersey, as they are not the greatest team in the league. Despite the numbers and playing on a subpar team Kincaid has looked really good on most nights.

    1. Jacob Markstrom – Vancouver Canucks: 13-9-3 .904SV% 3.01GAA

    Who else thinks that if the Canucks had some consistent goaltending they would be a team to be scared of? The Canucks are hoping Demko is he answer to the problems.

    1. Jake Allen – St. Louis Blues: 11-9-4 .899SV% 3.14GAA

    What a terrible year Jake Allen is having. He was trusted with becoming the number one in ST.Louis and has been a complete flop.

    1. Craig Anderson – Ottawa Senators: 14-12-3 .907SV% 3.49GAA

    Anderson has had his struggles this season but I believe it’s mainly becaue of a very very young defence. With Ottawa very clearly in rebuild mode. Ottawa is letting their young guys play and that could mean Anderson’s year could get worse.

    1. Corey Crawford – Chicago Blackhawks: 6-14-2 .902SV% 3.28GAA

    Injury plagued season for Crawford yet he still is the best goalie in this organization.

    1. Brian Elliot – Philadelphia Flyers: 6-7-0 .911SV% 2.59GAA

    Not really much to say about Elliot, since leaving St.Louis he has never reclaimed the form he once had.

     

    Thoughts? Disagreements? Let me know would love to talk!

  • Mitch Marner Proving all the Critics Wrong

    Mitch Marner Proving all the Critics Wrong

    When the Leafs Drafted Mitch Marner from the London Knights of the OHL, General Managers from around the league second-guessed the decision and wondered if the Leafs Management had messed up on another draft pick.

    Marner’s tenure in London was marked by nothing but success. In Marner’s 3 years with the London Knights organization, he amassed 96 goals 205 assists for 301 points in 184 games. That puts Marner at about 1.6 points per game. Everyone thought great another junior player will not be able to translate their offensive abilities into the NHL.

    Most scouts said he’s fast but too small and has no muscle build to help with his board work. Scouts also implied that his offensive ability would not translate into the style that the NHL plays. But the Leafs saw something in him that they felt was worth what was considered the minimal risk. The payoff has been everything and more than the Leafs could have asked for.

    In his first 2 seasons with Toronto, Marner has put up impressive numbers. In his first 159 games, Marner put up 41 goals 89 assists for 130 points. Earning him 0.82 points per game average and improving on his rookie number totals in year 2 showed that Marner is growing as a player. This season is no different for Marner. In 34 games this season Marner has put up sensational numbers, 9 goals and 35 assists for 44 points. If Marner was to keep the same pace and played all 82 games he would put up 106 points this season.

    While Marner has become one of the elite playmakers in the league, guys like Dylan Strome are still trying to find his groove and become a full-time NHL player. Expect Marner to become more of a two-way player, he already begun that process but expect more improvement in that aspect of his game.

    But as Leaf fans we get to enjoy Marner’s magic for what we hope is a long time coming.

  • Shaggy’s 2018 State Of The Union Address: Connecticut Whale

    Shaggy’s 2018 State Of The Union Address: Connecticut Whale

    As 2018 draws to a close, and we head into the holiday season, now is a good time to reflect on the season that has been so far. I have often stated that the Whale this season have shown signs of improvement from last year; so I would like to compare and contrast the team last season, to the team this season. Each team, at this point of the year, have each played seven games on the season.
    Last year, at this time, the Whale’s record was two wins, five losses. They scored 11 goals at that point, and unfortunately given up 24 goals against, giving them a goal differential of -13. This season, the team’s record is two wins, four losses, and one shootout loss.

     

    They’ve scored 12 times this season and have given up 23 goals against, for a goal differential of -11. Although seemingly having very similar records, when you look closely at the difference in stats from this season compared to last season, it’s where you begin to notice the signs of improvement the team has gone through.
    Even though the goal totals have remained about the same, there are differences as to who leads the team in each department. Through seven games last season, there was a three way tie for the goals lead.

     

    Leading the way then was Kelly Babstock, who now plays for the Beauts; Sam Faber, who retired before the season started; and Emily Fluke, who is now the captain of the team. Each of these three players had two goals through seven games. Leading in the assist department was Kelly Babstock, she posted four assists through seven games, bringing her point totals to six.
    This year has been completely different, as it has been the rookie NWHLer and Czech native Katerina Mrázová who has been leading the way with six goals on the season. The six goals she has scored have come in her last five games.

     

    It seems that everything she is throwing at the net has gone in; she also finds herself in the right areas on the ice to put the biscuit in the basket. In her last game, she had a nice deflection goal off a shot that came from Emily Fluke.

     

     

    Additionally, Mrázová leads the team with eight points on the year, including two power play goals and one coming while the team was shorthanded. In terms of the setup, there is a tie for the team lead in assists. It is captain Emily Fluke and rookie NWHLer Michelle Löwenhielm who both have three assists on the year. One of Fluke’s assists on the year came via the power play; while Löwenhielm has had an assist on the power play and the penalty kill, feeding both goals to Mrázová.

     

     

    Although the team has a goal differential of -11, there is actually somebody on the team who is in the plus category of the plus/minus stat. She is the only one on the team who can say this and the honor goes to the veteran defensemen Jordan Brickner, who is a plus one.
    One of the biggest differences between last year’s team and this season has been the penalty kill. I know, I know, I have talked about the penalty kill to death, but it really needs to be continually stated how good the penalty kill has been all season long.

    Currently, the Whale has a 96 percent penalty kill rating, which is best in the league right now. Upon further inspection of the stats, they’ve been on the penalty kill 25 times this season through seven games.

     

    They have only been scored on ONCE all season long. The lone goal came from the Boston Pride on October 20th. Compare this to last season, through seven games; they went on the penalty kill 28 times, and the Whale were burned for seven goals through those games.

     

    As we have learned this season, a good penalty kill can stymie the opposition and can gather momentum, which can lead to greater offensive chances. The Whale proved that this was the case in the games against the Riveters.

     

     

    The power play is slightly better than it was last year, but not by much. Last year, through seven games, the Whale only scored one power play goal on 20 attempts. The lone player who got the goal on the power play was Jamie Goldsmith, and it came against the Boston Pride.

     

    This season, the Whale have been to the power play 21 times and have only managed to score two goals from it. Which is good for a 9.5 power play percentage; both of the goals came from Mrázová, in which she scored against the Riveters and the Pride.
    Goaltending has always been a strong suit for the Whale. The past two seasons, their goaltending always kept them in games and even giving them a shot of winning. In the seven games last year, three of them were one goal games, in which the Whale boasted a 2-1 record in those games. The stellar goaltending came from Sydney Rossman, who is now a member of the Minnesota Whitecaps.

     

    There have been two one goal games this season, in which the Whale are 1-1. The goaltending this season has been nothing short of spectacular and that is all thanks to first year NWHLer and the first ever Finnish player in the league Meeri Räisänen. A very late signing in the offseason, just days before their first game, she has turned in some really incredible performances this season; which includes a shutout she recorded on her birthday against the Riveters in Pittsburgh. She has been by far, the reason why the penalty kill has been better and why the team continues to show signs of improvement.
    Earlier in the year, when I did my preview for the team, I asked three questions. This seems as good a time as any to see if we got some answers, and possibly ask some new questions for the second half of the season.

    First question: How will Emily Fluke build on her incredible rookie season?

    Earlier in the article I stated how Emily Fluke was tied for the team lead in goals through seven games with two. Well, she had also posted three assists giving her five points through those seven games, which was good for second best on the team behind Kelly Babstock. During the second half of the year, Emily Fluke went on to post another two goals and three assists, giving her 11 total points on the year and she finished with a plus 2; which was the team lead in every offensive category.
    How has she faired this season? Well, first things first, she was named captain of the Whale. A huge honor for her, I’m sure. She has transitioned into her new role very well and has registered one goal on the year, which came against the Pride (She really likes scoring against the Pride).  Additionally, she has added three assists on the year, for a total of four points through seven games. A slight dip in numbers, but she is definitely one of the hardest working players out there. It even garnered her honors of being named an NWHL All Star. Safe to say, she’s improved upon her rookie season.

    Second question: How will Cydney Roesler do in her new role of being a player/assistant coach?
    Earlier in the year, before the season started, the Whale announced that Cydney Roesler would be named an assistant coach. She was going to adjust to a new role of being player/coach. Last year, she was an assistant coach for Quinnipiac University, so it made the most sense to give her such a role. I think she has adjusted rather nicely to this role. There is always something new for her to learn while behind the bench, and she’s been on the ice in four games this season. Her first game wasn’t particularly good, a hat trick of penalties is never a good thing; but in the other three games, she definitely showed that the first game she played is not indicator of anything. I look forward to seeing her continued development in her new role.

    Third Question: Who will be the starting goalie for the Whale this season?
    As stated earlier in the article, Sydney Rossman was the starting goaltender all last season for the Whale. When the Whitecaps became an official NWHL team, she departed to go play goalie for them. She is from Minnesota, so it really made sense for her. However, it left the team looking for a new goalie. It seemed heading into the season that the goaltending tandem was going to be Sam Walther of Hamilton College or Maria Sorokina of the Russian National Team. Coincidentally, the team chose another option, Meeri Räisänen. The team signed her the same week the Whale were going to face off against the Beauts in their home opener at Terry Conners Rink. She has been the clear cut favorite for the starting goaltender spot ever since, as she has started every game this season. She boasts a record of 2-4-1, a 2.76 GAA, and a .917 save percentage, including one shutout. She was also named an NWHL All Star.

    Questions I would like to ask for the second half of the season:

    Which players can step up and help create secondary scoring?
    As great as Mrázová has been all season long, she can’t do it all by herself. The team seems to go as she goes, which is good and bad. Good, in the sense of her current hot streak; again, everything she is firing at the net is going in, but bad if she (hopefully not) starts going cold. Others will need to start stepping up and help the team score more goals.

    What role will Colleen Murphy fulfill for the team on the blue line?
    Before the Whale played the Beauts, it was said that Murphy would make her debut. She played well, having one shot on goal in the game. It will be interesting to see what the former Beaut brings to the team with her veteran presence on the blue line.

    Can the Whale continue their improvement and finish with a better record than last season?
    As stated early on in this article, the Whale were 2-5 last year through seven games, seemingly pretty similar to this season. However last season was definitely not something worth remembering or repeating because the team went on and had a 1-6-2 record in the second half to finish out the year at 3-11-2.
    The team is 2-2 in their last four games, having shaken off the cobwebs of the first three games. They have continued to show the signs of improvement; can they keep taking the steps forward and make last season a thing of the past?

     

    We will certainly find out as the next game the Whale will play will be just before the new year on December 30th against the Boston Pride in Connecticut at Terry Conners Rink. The game will be at 3p.
    Happy Holidays Whale Fans!

  • December 24th, 2018 — News and Notes

    December 24th, 2018 — News and Notes

    Today is Monday, December 24th, 2018, and these are your news and notes.

     

    There were eight games yesterday.

     

    Columbus 3, NEW JERSEY 0

    The Columbus Blue Jackets would go on to defeat the New Jersey Devils yesterday afternoon by the score of 3-0.

     

     

    The New Jersey Devils would wear their own heritage jerseys in this contest.  The jerseys were worn by the Devils from the 1982-83 season, the first season for the team in New Jersey, until the 1991-92 NHL season.

     

    https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1076891123904335877

     

    Blue jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky would register his 14th shutout since the 2016-17 NHL season, the most shutouts in that time frame.

     

    CAROLINA 5, Boston 3

    In this contest, the Carolina Hurricanes would wear their Hartford Whalers throwbacks for a Hartford Whalers night last night in Raleigh and would go on to defeat the the Boston Bruins by the score of 5-3.

     

     

    Carolina’s Sebastian Aho would go on to have a four-point performance (2G, 2A) in the contest and Carolina’s Petr Mrazek would go on to have a 27 save performance on 30 shots.

    In addition to Aho, Teuvo Teravainen would also have a four-point game.

     

     

    Carolina would also go on to have two shorthanded goals in this game.

     

     

     

    TXHT was live at the game and has your full recap of the contest at the following page.

    Game Recap – 12/23/2018 – Boston Bruins v. Hartford Whalers

     

     

    Philadelphia 3, NY RANGERS 2 (SO)

    The Philadelphia Flyers would go on to defeat the New York Rangers yesterday and this would mark the fifth consecutive win the Flyers would have over the Rangers.

     

    Despite the loss in the shootout, the Rangers would still get a point in the standings.

     

     

    Florida 6, CHICAGO 3

    In the Florida Panthers 6-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks yesterday, Florida’s Jayce Hawryluk would score the first two goals of his NHL career.

    Florida has won four out of their last five contests.

     

    In addition to Hawryluk having two goals, Panthers defenceman Mackenzie Wagner would also have a two point performance.  Wagner would have two assists in this contest.  This would be the first multi-point contest for both players.

     

    TORONTO 5, Detroit 4 (OT)

    Detroit’s Dylan Larkin would extend his point streak to a career-high of 11 contests.  This makes it the longest such streak since Henrik Zetterberg had an 11 game run during the 2010-11 season.

    Toronto’s Patrick Marleau would play in his 1,612th regular season NHL game, tying Hall of Famer Ray Bourque for the tenth most in NHL history.

    Detroit’s Trevor Daley would go on to play in his 1,000th NHL career contest last night in this game.

     

     

     

    NY Islanders 3, DALLAS 1

    With the Islanders 3-1 win at the Dallas Stars last night, the New York Islanders would finish off their road trip going into the holiday break with a 3-1-0 record.

     

    Los Angeles 4, VEGAS 3 (OT)

    The Los Angeles Kings won their 36th regular season overtime game since the 3-on-3 overtime format was introduced in the 2015-16 season when the Kings go on to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3.

     

    This would be the Vegas Golden Knights second consecutive overtime loss.

     

    Arizona 4, SAN JOSE 3 (SO)

    The Arizona Coyotes would go on to defeat the San Jose Sharks 4-3.

     

    With Joe Thornton’s assist in the first period on Tim Heed’s goal, Thornton would register his 1,041st career assist.  He passed Marcel Dionne for tenth place all time in the NHL.  He is now eight assists shy on his career from tying Gordie Howe for ninth place.

     

     

     

    The NHL resumes action Thursday night.

     

     

  • Florida Panthers vs Toronto Maple Leafs -20/12/2018-Game Day Recap

    Florida Panthers vs Toronto Maple Leafs -20/12/2018-Game Day Recap

    Florida Panthers (13-14-6 32 pts) v, Toronto Maple Leafs (23-10-2 48pts)

    Lineups:

    Toronto:

    Mitch Marner– John Tavares – Connor Brown

    Kasperi Kapanen –Auston Matthews– Andreas Johnsson

    Patrick Marleau – Nazem Kadri – William Nylander

    Tyler Ennis – Frederik Gauthier – Pars Lindholm

     

    Morgan Rielly – Ron Hainsey

    Jake Gardiner – Nikita Zaitsev

    Travis Dermott – Martin Marincin

     

    Frederik Andersen

    Garrett Sparks
    Scratched: Justin Holl, Martin Marincin & Frederik Gauthier

    Injuries: Nathan Horton (Back)

    Suspension: None

     

    Florida:

    Jonathon Huberdeau – Aleksander Barkov – Mike Hoffman

    Frank Vatrano – Henrik Borgstrom– Evgenii Dadonov

    Troy Brouwer – Jared McCann – Denis Malgin

    Michael Haley – Juho Lammikko – Jayce Hawryluk

     

    Keith Yandle –Aaron Ekblad

    Michael Matheson – Alex Petrovic

    Mark Pysyk – Mackenzie Weegar

     

    Roberto Luongo

    James Reimer
    Scratched: None

    Injuries: Jamie McGinn, Nick Bjugstad, Vincent Trocheck & Derek Mackenzie

    Suspension: None

     

    Gameday:

    First Period:

    Panthers Penalty – 17:20 – Aaron Ekblad, 2 minutes for Interference

    Leafs PP Goal – 18:17 – Auston Matthews (18) from Mitch Marner (36) and Morgan Rielly (26)

     

    End of 1st – FLA –0        TOR – 1

    Shots              11                   8

    Faceoffs     5/15              10/15

    Hits               9                     3

    PP                 0/0                  1/1

     

    Analysis

    Leafs came focused and happy to be at the Scotia Bank Arena again. The kicked the powerplay slump and look to be running on all cylinders.

    Need to Do:

    Keep motoring forward.

    Second Period:

    Leafs Goal–03:50 – Auston Matthews (19), assisted by Morgan Rielly (27) and Kasperi Kapanen (11)

    Leafs Goal–11:14 – Nazem Kadri (9), assisted by Connor Brown (10)  and Morgan Rielly (28)

    Leafs Penalty – 12:33 –Nikita Zaitsev, 2 mins for Holding

    Leafs Penalty – 17:19 –Martin Marincin, 2 mins for Tripping

     

    End of 2nd – FLA– 0          TOR – 3

    Shots              13                    17

    Faceoffs       14/30              16/30

    Hits              18                      6

    PP                 0/2                  1/1

     

    Analysis:

    Leafs stay kick it up a notch in the 2nd period with 2 more goals. Morgan Rielly with 3 assists and Auston Matthews with 2 goals.

    Need to Do:

    Lock down the 3rd

    Third Period:

    Florida Penalty – 02:24 –Alex Petrovic, 2 mins for Tripping

    Leafs PP Goal–02:38 – John Tavares (22), assisted by Auston Matthews (13)  and Nazem Kadri  (14)

    Leafs Goal–05:41 – John Tavares (23), assisted by Mitch Marner (37)  and Martin Marincin  (1)

    Leafs Penalty – 8:56 –Andreas Johnsson, 2 mins for Slashing

    Florida Goal–10:28 – Henrik Borgstrom (1), assisted by Jared McCann (8)  and Frank Vatrano (4)

    Florida Penalty – 14:44 –Troy Brouwer, 2 mins for Holding

    Leafs PP Goal–15:14 – Mitch Marner (10), assisted by Auston Matthews (14)  and Morgan Rielly (29)

     

    End of 3rd – FLA – 1       FLA – 6

    Shots             26                  26

    Faceoffs     28/57                29/57

    Hits               30                       9

    PP                1/3                    3/3

     

    Analysis:

    John Tavares comes out and scores 2 in third and Marner added another to bring another dominate performance to a close.

    Next Up:

    Florida (13-14-6 32pts) vs Detroit (15-16-5 35pts)

    NY Rangers (15-13-5 35pts) at Toronto (23-10-2 48pts)

  • December 20th, 2018 — News and Notes

    Today is Thursday, December 20th, 2018, and these are your news and notes.

     

    There were two contests last night in the NHL.

     

    • Pittsburgh 2, WASHINGTON 1

    Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby recorded his 23rd multi-point game against the Capitals in their second third match-up of the season and would lift the Penguins past Washington with the 2-1 win last night at Capital One Arena.

     

    Crosby has more multi-point games against the Islanders and the Flyers than he does against the Capitals.

     

    Penguins goaltender registered 31 saves in the contest against the Capitals and has six career wins against the Capitals and is tied for the most wins with Columbus.

    With his multi-point game, Crosby now has 344 on his career.  He is 36 behind Joe Thornton for the most among active NHL players.

     

     

    TXHT has your full recap of the contest between the Capitals and the Penguins at the following page.

    Game Recap – 12/19/2018 – Pittsburgh Penguins v. Washington Capitals

    • COLORADO 2, Montreal 1

     

    With Colorado’s win over the Montreal Canadiens, Colorado’s Mikko Rantanen, Nathan MacKinnon, and Gabriel Landeskog have a combined 155 points thus far on the season.

     

    The total is 25 higher than the Tampa Bay Lightning’s trio of Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, and Braden Point.

    Gabriel Landeskog would go on to score the game-winner in this contest, his seventh on the season.  With that seventh game-winning goal, Landeskog leads all players this season, and it is the most game-winners thus far in his career.

     

     

     

     

     

    Tonight’s schedule of contests:

    For the Toronto Maple Leafs, check out TXHT’s Gameday Preview of the contest between the Maple Leafs and the Florida Panthers.

     

    The Gameday Preview was written by TXHT’s Maple Leafs writer, Steve Gardiner.

     

    Florida Panthers vs Toronto Maple Leafs – 20/12/2018 – Game Day Preview

     

     

    In NHL News…

    Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet and Hockey Night in Canada released his weekly “31 Thoughts” article, which you can read below.

    https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1075816445810946048

     

     

    In the NWHL….

    Today the 2018 NWHL Draft concluded with rounds 3-5.

    Below are the results from all five teams.

     

  • Florida Panthers vs Toronto Maple Leafs – 20/12/2018 – Game Day Preview

    Florida Panthers vs Toronto Maple Leafs – 20/12/2018 – Game Day Preview

    Time: Thursday, December 20th , 2018

    Toronto: 22-10-2 for 46 points

    Florida: 13-13-6 for 32 points

    The Leafs finally head back home for a rematch against the Florida Panthers. Where they were manhandled for most of the game and only showed up in the 3rd period. Leafs look to erase the thought of that game tonight.

    Top Scorers/Goalie Matchup

    Mitch Marner – 43 points (9 goals 35 assists)

    Morgan Rielly – 36 points (11 goals 25 assists)

    John Tavares – 36 points (21 goals 14 assists) 49% on face-offs

    Auston Matthews – 29 points (17 goals 12 assists) 53% on Face-off

     

    Jonathan Huberdeau–40 points (9 goals 31 assists)

    Evgeni Dadonov – 33 points (16 goal 17 assist)

    Aleksander Barkov– 33 points (15 goal 18 assists)

    Mike Hoffman –  31 points (15 goal 16 assists)

     

    Frederik Andersen

    18-9-1 2.53GAA .923SV%

    Roberto Luongo

    7-5-1 2.94GAA .906SV%

     

    Probable Lineups:

    Toronto:

    Mitch Marner– John Tavares – Zach Hyman

    Kasperi Kapanen –Auston Matthews– Andreas Johnsson

    Patrick Marleau – Nazem Kadri – William Nylander

    Tyler Ennis– Pars Lindholm – Connor Brown

     

    Morgan Rielly – Ron Hainsey

    Jake Gardiner – Nikita Zaitsev

    Travis Dermott – Igor Ozhiganov

     

    Frederik Andersen

    Garrett Sparks
    Scratched: Justin Holl, Martin Marincin & Frederik Gauthier

    Injuries: Nathan Horton (Back)

    Suspension: None

     

    Florida:

    Jonathon Huberdeau – Aleksander Barkov – Mike Hoffman

    Frank Vatrano – Henrik Borgstrom– Evgenii Dadonov

    Troy Brouwer – Jared McCann – Denis Malgin

    Michael Haley – Juho Lammikko – Jayce Hawryluk

     

    Keith Yandle –Aaron Ekblad

    Michael Matheson – Alex Petrovic

    Mark Pysyk – Mackenzie Weegar

     

    Roberto Luongo

    James Reimer
    Scratched: None

    Injuries: Jamie McGinn, Nick Bjugstad, Vincent Trocheck & Derek Mackenzie

    Suspension: None

     

    Keys to Winning against Florida:

    1. Dictate the Pace
      1. Last time the Leafs played the Panthers they let the Panthers dictate the pace of the game and it didn’t work in their favour.
    2. Quick out of the Zone
      1. The Leafs defence need to get the puck and up to the wingers on the boards quick and easy to ensure there is no prolonged zone time for especially the Barkov,Huberdeau and Hoffman line.
    3. Get a cycle going early
      1. A lot has been said about the Leafs speed but their cycle game has been just as good. Get it going early.

     

  • December 19th, 2018 — News and Notes

    December 19th, 2018 — News and Notes

    Today is Wednesday, December 19th, 2018, and this is a very quick recap of the games last night, and brief news and notes across the NHL

     

    There were 11 contests last night in the NHL.

     

     

    Steve Gardiner, TXHT’s Maple Leafs writer, has your recap of the contest at the following page.

    Toronto Maple Leafs vs New Jersey Devils – 18/12/2018 – Game Recap

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Two games are in action tonight.

    Pittsburgh Penguins at Washington Capitals, 8 p.m. ET (NBCSN)

    Montreal Canadiens at Colorado Avalanche, 8:30 p.m, ET

     

    You can read TXHT’s preview of the contest between the Penguins and the Capitals at the following page.

    Gameday Preview – 12/19/2018 – Pittsburgh Penguins v. Washington Capitals

     

    Today in the NHL…

     

     

    Today in the NWHL was the 2018 NWHL Draft.  Tomorrow the NWHL draft will conclude with rounds 3-5.

     

  • Toronto Maple Leafs vs New Jersey Devils – 18/12/2018 – Game Recap

    Toronto Maple Leafs vs New Jersey Devils – 18/12/2018 – Game Recap

    Toronto Maple Leafs (21-9-2 41pts) v, New Jersey Devils (24-7-1 49 pts)

    Lineups:

    Toronto:

    Mitch Marner– John Tavares – Zach Hyman

    Kasperi Kapanen –Auston Matthews– Andreas Johnsson

    Patrick Marleau – Nazem Kadri – William Nylander

    Tyler Ennis– Pars Lindholm – Connor Brown

     

    Morgan Rielly – Ron Hainsey

    Jake Gardiner – Nikita Zaitsev

    Travis Dermott – Igor Ozhiganov

     

    Frederik Andersen

    Garrett Sparks
    Scratched: Justin Holl, Martin Marincin & Frederik Gauthier

    Injuries: Nathan Horton (Back)

    Suspension: None

     

    New Jersey:

    Taylor Hall– Nico Hischier – Kyle Palmieri

    Marcus Johansson – Pavel Zacha– Jesper Bratt

    Blake Coleman– Travis Zajac – Miles Wood

    Brian Boyle – Brett Seney – John Quenneville

     

    Andy Greene – Damon Severson

    Will Butcher –Sami Vatanen

    Mirco Mueller – Ben Lovejoy

     

    Keith Kincaid

    Mackenzie Blackwood

     

    Scratched: Drew Stafford

    Injuries: Corey Schneider (Concussion)

    Suspension: None

     

    Gameday:

    First Period:

    Leafs Penalty – 01:15 – Zach Hyman, 2 minutes for Holding

    Devils Penalty – 03:58 – Blake Coleman, 2 minutes for Hooking

    Leafs Goal – 06:01 – John Tavares (21) from Nazem Kadri (11) and Auston Matthews (12)

    Leafs Goal – 07:58 – Auston Matthews (17) Unasssisted

    Devils Penalty – 10:20 – Nico Hischier, 2 minutes for Holding

    Leafs Goal – 13:38 – Patrick Marleau (9) assisted by Nazem Kadri (12) and Travis Dermott (7)

    Devils Goal – 18:44 – Sami Vatanen (2) assisted by Brian Boyle (3)

     

    End of 1st – TOR –3        NJD – 1

    Shots              11                   8

    Faceoffs     6/24              18/24

    Hits               4                     5

    PP                 0/2                  0/1

     

    Analysis

    Leafs came out to play this game and began dominating from the out set. A Relentless forecheck and all cylinders clicking lead to a 3-1 after the 1st period.

     

    Need to Do:

    Don’t take your foot of the gas pedal. Keep applying the pressure.

    Second Period:

    Leafs Goal–01:15 – Mitch Marner (9), assisted by John Tavares (15)

    Devils Penalty – 05:15 –Kyle Palmieri, 2 mins for High Stick

    Leafs Penalty – 07:36 –William Nylander, 2 mins for Tripping

    Leafs Goal–19:59 – Morgan Rielly (11), assisted by Nazem Kadri (13)  and Connor Brown (7)

    End of 2nd – TOR– 5          NJD – 1

    Shots              22                    17

    Faceoffs       17/42              25/42

    Hits              5                      10

    PP                 0/3                  0/2

     

    Analysis:

    Leafs stay hot in the 2nd with a pair of goals and continue to apply pressure to the Devils.

    Need to Do:

    Lock down the 3rd

    Third Period:

    Devils Goal–14:47 – Nico Hischier (8), assisted by Taylor Hall (24)  and Kyle Palmieri (12)

    Leafs Goal–16:28 – Tyler Ennis (6), assisted by Connor Brown (8)  and Par Lindholm (8)

    Leafs Goal–18:30 – Tyler Ennis (7), assisted by Jake Gardiner (19)  and Connor Brown (9)

    Leafs Penalty – 19:00 –Travis Dermott, 2 mins for Delay of Game

     

    End of 3rd – TOR – 7       NJD – 2

    Shots             31                   29

    Faceoffs     29/61                32/61

    Hits               6                         14

    PP                0/3                    0/3

     

    Analysis:

    Leafs dominated this game from the outset and never really let up.

    Next Up:

    Florida (13-13-6 32pts) vs Toronto (22-10-2 46pts)

    New Jersey (11-14-7 29pts) at Columbus (18-12-3 39pts)

  • December 18th, 2018 — News and Notes

    December 18th, 2018 — News and Notes

    Today is Tuesday, December 18th, 2018, and these are your news and notes.

     

    There were five contests taking place in the NHL last night.

     

    Anaheim 4, PITTSBURGH 2

    The Anaheim Ducks faced off against the Pittsburgh Penguins last night and would come away with the 4-2 win.  With this win, the Ducks have won six consecutive road games, as well as their ninth game out of the last ten contests.

    https://twitter.com/AnaheimDucks/status/1074866760438800384

     

    For the Pittsburgh Penguins, this loss would give them a record of 15-12-6 (36 points), and places them in fourth place in the Metropolitan division.

     

    COLUMBUS 1, Vegas 0

    The Columbus Blue Jackets faced off against the defending Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights and would come away with the 1-0 win.

    Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky would go on to register his 13th shutout since the start of the 2016-17 season and is tied with Pekka Rinne for the most shutouts in that time span.

     

    Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno would score the lone goal in the third period.  This contest would also mark the 800th NHL game for Foligno.

     

     

     

     

    Boston 4, MONTREAL 0

    The Boston Bruins would visit the Montreal Canadiens and would come out on Montreal with a 4-0 victory.

    With this win, the Bruins have won the last five contests against the Canadiens when they are the visitors.

     

    Bruins goaltender Jaroslav Halak would turn aside all 22 shots he faced whereas Canadiens goaltender Carey Price had 31 saves on 35 save opportunities.

     

     

    OTTAWA 4, Nashville 3 (OT)

     

    Ottawa Senators Brady Tkachuk would register his tenth career goal as a Senator in his 24th game played with the club last night.

     

     

    Ottawa rookie defenceman Max LaJoie would also register his seventh goal in this contest, good for a tie for third place all-time in Senators history for most goals by a rookie defenceman.

     

     

    Also for Ottawa, the rookies on this team account for most points combined between all players across the League thus far during the 2018-19 season.

     

     

    Thoms Chabot would seal the win for the Senators in the overtime frame.

     

     

    NY Islanders 4, COLORADO 1

    NY Islanders goaltender Thomas Griess would make 30 saves in the contest to give the Islanders the 4-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche last night.

    Avalanche goaltender Semyon Varlamov would make 17 saves on 21 save opportunities.

     

     

     

    Two of the Islanders goals would come on the power-play in this contest and the penalty kill would end up playing a big factor in this win to start off the road trip for the Islanders in this contest.

     

     

    There are 11 contests taking place across the NHL tonight

    *image courtesy of the NHL Public Relations Department and the NHL

     

    For tonight’s contest between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the New Jersey Devils, TXHT’s Maple Leafs writer, Steve Gardiner, has a preview of this contest.

     

    You can read the preview of the contest at the following page.

     

    Toronto Maple Leafs vs New Jersey Devils – 17/12/2018 – Game Day Preview