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Category: Toronto Maple Leafs

  • November 25th, 2018 — News and Notes

    November 25th, 2018 — News and Notes

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    Today is Sunday, November 25th, 2018, and these are your news and notes covering the NHL and the NWHL.

    First in the NHL…

    Yesterday’s schedule of games:

     

    Washington 5, NY RANGERS 3

    The Washington Capitals staged the 50th multi-goal comeback win on the NHL season yesterday afternoon when they defeated the NY Rangers 5-3.

    TXHT’s Michael Lindenbaum and New York Rangers contributor Russell Hartman has your recap contest of the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers at the following page.

    Game Recap – 11/24/2018 – Washington Capitals v. New York Rangers

     

    TORONTO 6, Philadelphia 0

    Andreas Johnsson had a hat trick, and achieved the mark in the first period.  Johnsson is the first player to score three goals in the first period since Wendell Clark on October 11, 1986.  Johnsson is the eighth player to score a hat trick in the first period.

    With the 6-0 win, this marks the largest margin of victory in a shutout at home since they defeated the Buffalo Sabres 7-0.

     

     

    Boston 3, MONTREAL 2

    Boston’s D John Moore would go on to score the game-winner for the Bruins, the first goal of his career.

     

    Buffalo 3, DETROIT 2 (SO)

    The Buffalo Sabres in this contest would win their ninth straight, the most since the 2006-07 season when they won 10 straight.


    Jeff Skinner of the Sabres scored his 18th goal on the season, the most so far on the season.  This is Skinner’s first season with the Buffalo Sabres.

    Chicago 5, FLORIDA 4 (OT)

    The Chicago Blackhawks would go on to win their first road game since their win on October 20th at the Columbus Blue Jackets when Chicago’s Erik Gustafsson would score the game-winner in the overtime frame.

    In the last 14 games between the two teams, Chicago has a record of 12-2-0 against Florida.

    NY ISLANDERS 4, Carolina 1

    NY Islanders Josh Bailey had his sixth multi-point game of the season, leading the team.  Bailey had 20 multi-point games during the 2017-18 campaign.

    PITTSBURGH 4, Columbus 2

    Pittsburgh Penguins Jake Guentzel had a hat trick of his own in the 4-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets last night.

    Winnipeg 8, ST. LOUIS 4

    Patrik Laine scored on five different occasions to help the Winnipeg Jets defeat the St. Louis Blues 8-4 at Enterprise Center in St. Louis last night.

    Laine joins three other players to have a five-goal performance before their 21st birthday.

    COLORADO 3, Dallas 2

     

    VEGAS 6, San Jose 0

    The Vegas Golden Knights scored the fastest goal in franchise history in the shutout over the San Jose Sharks last night.

    Marc-Andre Fleury posted a shutout in consecutive appearances for the third time.  He is also the second goalie in the expansion era to have at least 5 shutouts in 25 teams games in two different seasons.  He joins Ed Belfour on this list for such an achievement.

     

    Vancouver 4, LOS ANGELES 2

    Vancouver Canucks rookie Elias Pettersson had a multi-point contest and Adam Gaudette scored his first NHL goal in the 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center in Los Angeles last night.

     

     

    Today’s schedule of games:

     

    NWHL

     

    For the NWHL, there is one game on tap today at 2 p.m., ET

     

    You can watch TXHT Live next Wednesday at 8p EST on Facebook Live.

  • Andersen getting better with age

    Andersen getting better with age

    Development for player usually stops at around age 26 according to most scouts. Once a player has reaches that age usually they’re usually considered to have reached their top ceiling, whether that ceiling is a high end player or a bottom end player who struggles to stay in the NHL. Very few players are able to develop past the age of 26, but goalies are a special breed of players. Goalies seems to take much longer to develop into what is expected of them. Scouts are all over the place with estimates, but I think it’s safe to say between the ages of 28-30 is usually when you’ll be able to know what kind of goaltender you’ve gotten. Andersen seems to follow this rule but this season seems different for him.

    Andersen has been a slow starter since arriving here in Toronto, his October stats have been ugly. Let me show you his stats from his first month of every year he’s played in Toronto.

    2016/2017: 2-2-3 3.67GAA .876SV%

    2017/2018: 6-5 3.46GAA .896SV%

    2018/2019: 6-4 2.53GAA .919SV%

    That’s every October since he’s been in a Leafs uniform. Notice this seasons statistics are much better. Now let me show you his seasons numbers after October.

    2016/2017: 2.17GAA .922SV%

    2017/2018: 2.19GAA .922SV%

    2018/2019: 1.70GAA .957SV%

    Andersen is looking like a vezina goaltender so far this season. His numbers speak for himself, on top of the fact that’s he’s one of the goalies who receives the most shots on net per game at 32 shots per game.

    As you can see by numbers Andersen keeps improving with age. The 29 year old is having himself a career year so far and looks to be going strong even when the Leafs lose. Andersen has taken a lot of flack for his play last season in the playoffs against Boston and I think he took that to heart and has come to play this season. Expect big things from your goaltender this season.

     

     

  • November 24th, 2018 — News and Notes

    November 24th, 2018 — News and Notes

    Today is Saturday, November 24th, 2018, and these are your news and notes.

     

    There was a full 15-game slate yesterday.

     

     

    PHILADELPHIA 4, NY Rangers 0

    Claude Giroux would register his 481st career assist, moving into second place for the most assists in Flyers history.

    For the second straight match-up between the two teams, the Philadelphia Flyers would go on to beat the Rangers by a shutout.

     

    BUFFALO 3, Montreal 2 (OT)

     

    The Buffalo Sabres would defeat the Montreal Canadiens to win their eighth consecutive game, the fourth such occasion of winning eight consecutive games.

     

     

    Montreal’s Andrew Shaw would go on to score his seventh goal of the season in the overtime loss to the Sabres.

     

     

    NY Islanders 4, NEW JERSEY 3 (OT)

     

    The Islanders Mathew Barzal would register the game-winner in overtime to defeat the New Jersey Devils 4-3.

     

    For the Devils, Keith Kinkaid had 31 saves on 35 opportunities.

    https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1066144139194953728

     

    WASHINGTON 3, Detroit 1

    In the Washington Capitals contest against the Detroit Red Wings, Washington’s Tom Wilson, Michal Kempny, and Alex Ovechkin would score.  For Detroit, Andreas Athanasiou, would register the lone goal.

    TXHT has your recap of the contest between the Washington Capitals and the Detroit Red Wings at the following page.

     

    Game Recap – 11/23/2018 – Detroit Red Wings v. Washington Capitals

     

    MINNESOTA 4, Winnipeg 2

    The Minnesota Wild would score four unanswered goals to get the win, and improve to a record of 14-7-2.

     

    ANAHEIM 2, Edmonton 1 (OT)

     

    The Anaheim Ducks Rickard Rakell would score his fifth regular-season overtime goal, tying Scott Niedermeyer.  Rakell is one regular-season overtime goal away from tying Corey Perry and Hall of Famer Teemu Selanne for second place with six.

     

     

    VEGAS 2, Calgary 0

     

    Vegas Golden Knights G Marc-Andre Fleury would go on to register his 52nd NHL career shutout in the Golden Knights 2-0 win.  He is one win away from tying Pekka Rinne for third place on the all-time list for shutouts by an active NHL goaltender.

     

    COLUMBUS 4, Toronto 2

    With the Columbus Blue Jackets win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, they now have sole possession of first place in the Metropolitan Division.

     

     

    Steve Gardiner, TXHT’s Toronto Maple Leafs contributor, has your preview and recap of the Toronto’s contest at the following page.

    Game Day Preview – Toronto Maple Leafs @ Columbus Blue Jackets – 23/11/2018

     

     

    BOSTON 2, Pittsburgh 1 (OT)

     

    Boston Bruins Joakim Nordstrom would score his first NHL overtime goal and helped the Bruins extend their point streak to four games, compiling a record of 2-0-2.

     

     

    TAMPA BAY 4, Chicago 2

    The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Chicago Blackhawks last night by a 4-2 score.

    Tampa Bay is 7-0-1 against the Blackhawks since their match-up in the 2015 Stanley Cup Final, compiling seven straight wins in that eight game span.

     

     

    CAROLINA 4, Florida 1

    Jordan Martinook registered a hat trick for the Carolina Hurricanes in the big win last night.

    Florida’s Mike Hoffman’s 17-game point streak came to an

     

    ST. LOUIS 6, Nashville 2

     

    DALLAS 6, Ottawa 4

     

    Colorado 5, ARIZONA 1

     

    Colorado Avalanche’s J.T. Compher would score two shorthanded goals on the same power-play to give the Colorado a 5-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes.

     

     

    SAN JOSE 4, Vancouver 0

     

    San Jose’s Joe Thornton recorded his 231st game with multiple assists in the regular season, one shy of tying Joe Sakic for 10th place all time.

     

     

    Also, Joe Thornton would go on to play in his 1,500th NHL game last night and was honoured in a pre-game ceremony last night in San Jose.

     

     

    Today’s schedule of games

     

     

    This week’s NHL European Game pits the Washington Capitals at the New York Rangers at 2 p.m., ET.

     

     

    For more news, notes, info, and stats…

     

     

    In NHL News…

    Former NHL referee Mick McGeough passed away.  NHL commissioner Gary Bettman released a statement on his passing.

  • Is the contract a Nylander problem or a Leafs front office issue?

    Is the contract a Nylander problem or a Leafs front office issue?

    I’ve heard the question posed in many circles in the last few months. Many people will point to front office and say “well they signed John Tavares with the contract of William Nylander looming, that tells me this is not a Nylander issue”. I’ve also heard it put the other way, some analysts and GM’s are saying “well, Nylander is asking for way too much money and won’t even bargain, he’s just not worth 8 million.”

    I finally want to put this rest and use some statistics to back up if William Nylander is worth 8 million a season. So let’s take a look.

    In Nylander’s last season with the Leafs he ranked…

    109th in goals

    59th in assists

    66th in points

    59th in points per 60 mins

    32nd in Primary assists

    He’s not trusted at center because he’s not defensively responsible

    You may ask why are some of these even matter in the grand scheme of a contract dispute. Well let me explain a bit. Goals, assists, points are fairly self explanatory most contracts are bargained off of these. But it’s the last 3 that make for intriguing points.  Point per 60 mins shows consistency in a players game, by determining how much they score every 60 minutes their on the ice you can begin to establish what you will be getting for your contract. Primary assists determine if the player (primarily playmakers) is the primary contributor on the team or if he plays a large role in getting his players the puck. Primary assist show the plays ability to get the puck to his teammates effectively. Defensive play majority of teams hold this in high regard, they just don’t want a guy they can stick on the powerplay or a guy that only gives everything in the offensive zone. They want players who will chase other players down when losing puck battles.

    Nylander is demanding 8 million a year because in his words he doesn’t want to be left behind when Matthews and Marner sign big contracts. He has also said he believes his play on the ice warrants 8 million. Let’s take a closer look at some comparables and see what they make.

    So 4 players made 8 million last season those names are…

    Phil Kessel who scored a whopping 92 points, 3.60 point per game, 1.33 goals per game and 2.27 assists per game. 40 of his 58 assists were primary. Since joining the Pens Kessel has improved his defensive play but still struggles at the best of times.

    Brent Burns – Do we really need reasons to justify why Brent Burns is better than William Nylander? I guess so.  Burns had 67 points, 1.94 point per 60 minutes, 0.35 goals per 60 mins and 1.59 assists per 60 mins 30 of his 50 assists were primary and Burns is one of the top defenders in the league. Perspective is needed here defencemen vs forward.

    Joe Thornton – only played 47 games accumulated 36 points. 2.51 point per 60 and 11 of his 23 assist were primary. 1.60 assist per 60 mins and 0.90 point per 60 mins.

    Ryan Johansen – Has a very injury riddle season last year but put up 54 points last season.  2.21 point per 60 mins, 0.61 goals per 60 mins, and 1.60 assists per 60 mins. Of his 39 assists 17 were primary.

    Johansen would be the only comparable but he has a track record to prove he’s having an off season.
    Others who were up there close to 8 million or just over are Ryan Getzlaf, Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek, & Victor Hedman.

    All this stats work to say this… Nylander is asking for top 30 money but only putting numbers justifying being paid like a top 50 or 60 player. So the question is, Is this Leafs management trying to be cheap or Nylander trying to be greedy?

    I think the Stats and players mentioned above show that Nylander’s demands are much much more then he deserves according to his own numbers.

     

  • Game Day Preview – Philadelphia Flyers @ Toronto Maple Leafs – 24/11/2018

    Game Day Preview – Philadelphia Flyers @ Toronto Maple Leafs – 24/11/2018

    Time: Saturday, Novemeber 24th , 2018

    Toronto: 15-7-0 for 30 points

    Philadelphia: 9-10-2 for 20 points

    The Toronto Maple Leafs come back to Toronto to play the struggling Flyers. Leafs look to continue their winning ways against a flyers team that has had goalie issues. Expect backup Garrett Sparks for the Leafs and Alex Lyon for the Flyers.

    Top Scorers/Goalie Matchup

    Mitch Marner – 28 points (6 goals 22 assists)

    John Tavares – 26 points (14 goals 12 assists) 49% on face-offs

    Morgan Rielly – 26 points (9 goals 17 assists)

    Auston Matthews – 16 points (10 goals 6 assists) 53% on Face-off

     

    Claude Giroux –23 points (8 goals 17 assists)

    Jakub Vorachek– 17 points (5 goal 12 assists)

    Sean Coutourier – 15 points (8 goal 7 assist)

    Wayne Simmonds– 12 points (9 goal 3 assists)

     

    Garret Sparks

    3-1-0 3.21GAA .906SV%

    Alex Lyon

    0-1-0 12.00GAA .667SV%

     

    Probable Lineups:

    Toronto:

    Mitch Marner– John Tavares – Zach Hyman

    Kasperi Kapanen – Nazem Kadri– Patrick Marleau

    Andreas Johnsson – Pars Lindholm – Connor Brown

    Tyler Ennis– Frederik Gauthier – Josh Leivo

     

    Morgan Rielly – Ron Hainsey

    Jake Gardiner – Nikita Zaitsev

    Travis Dermott – Igor Ozhiganov

     

    Garrett Sparks

    Frederik Andersen
    Scratched: Justin Holl & Martin Marincin

    Injuries: Nathan Horton (Back), Auston Matthews (Shoulder)

    Suspension: None

     

    Philadelphia:

    Claude Giroux – Sean Coutourier – Travis Konecny

    Oskar Lindbolm – Nolan Patrick– Jakub Voracek

    James Van Riemsdyk– Jordan Weal – Wayne Simmonds

    Daniel Weise – Jori Lehtera – Scott Laughton

     

    Ivan Provorov –Robert Hagg

    Andrew MacDonald – Shayne Gostisbehere

    Travis Sanheim – Radko Gudas

     

    Calvin Pickard

    Alex Lyon
    Scratched: None

    Injuries: Michael Raffl (Lower Body), Michal Neuvirth (Undisclosed), Brian Elliot (Lower Body)

    Suspension: None

     

    Keys to Winning against Philadelphia:

    1. Screen the young goalie
      1. The Flyers will be starting a very young goalie, get in his vision and rattle him a little bit to make sur he doesn’t get a groove going.
    2. Get on the Flyers Defence
      1. They’ve had a decent amount of trouble in the last few weeks defensively. Get on them quick and early.
    3. Take Shots…from EVERYWHERE
      1. Start putting pucks at the net and attacking the crease

     

    You can watch TXHT Live this Wednesday at 8p EST on both Twitch and Facebook Live.

     

  • Is Kasperi Kapanen the real deal?

    Is Kasperi Kapanen the real deal?

    Kapanen has been a pleasant surprise for the Toronto Maple Leafs this season so far. With Nylander holding out and the expectation so high on this team, Kapanen has taken his opportunity and ran with it.

    As it sits right now Kapanen is tied with Auston Matthews (who’s been injured for a bit) for 4th in Leafs scoring with 16 points. 9 goals and 7 assists to be exact. Now the thing about Kapanen that has the Leafs salivating is his shot, his 2-way play, his insane speed and the ability to go hard to the net and fight for pucks in the corners.

    Kapanen is one of these players where he doesn’t excel in one particular skill, but he doesn’t everything great. Not the best shooter but has good nhl shot, with good accuracy. His speed makes him a tremendous penalty killer and a threat to score 5 on 5 and shorthanded every time he’s on the ice. His grittiness is not on the level of a Tom Wilson, but make no mistakes he will finish his checks every time and battle in the corner every time for loose pucks.

    Kapanen has all the tools to be a real good NHLer. In fact when I think of Kapanen I am always drawn back to the comparison of him to Justin Williams. Watch Williams play not the greatest shot, but he’s accurate, with grit out the corners all game despite not being the biggest player. Will penalty kill for you and scores big goals.

    Kapanen is on pace for 33 goals and 20 assists and 63 points.  Which would put him as one of the Leafs top point getters and easily replace William Nylander’s points. I’m not saying who is better here. But I will state that Kapanen brings a more rounded game, a game that seemingly has very little holes in it.

    I’ve been very high on Kapanen since the Leafs acquired him from Pittsburgh in the Kessel deal. I said to many people Kapanen will be the deal breaker in the Kessel deal and right now he’s showing exactly why.

    Exciting, explosive player to watch every game. Do I believe Kasperi Kapanen is the real deal? Yes, Yes I do without a shadow of a doubt.

     

  • Game Day Preview – Toronto Maple Leafs @ Columbus Blue Jackets – 23/11/2018

    Game Day Preview – Toronto Maple Leafs @ Columbus Blue Jackets – 23/11/2018

    Time: Friday, Novemeber 23, 2018

    Toronto: 15-7-0 for 30 points

    Columbus: 12-7-2 for 26 points

    The Toronto Maple Leafs head to Columbus, as the Blue Jackets look for revenge after the last meeting between these two teams. Expect a strong start from the Leafs as they come off a pretty embarrassing loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.

    Top Scorers/Goalie Matchup

    Mitch Marner – 28 points (6 goals 22 assists)

    John Tavares – 26 points (14 goals 12 assists) 49% on face-offs

    Morgan Rielly – 26 points (9 goals 17 assists)

    Auston Matthews – 16 points (10 goals 6 assists) 53% on Face-off

    Cam Atkinson –22 points (13 goals 9 assists)

    Artemi Panarin– 22 points (5 goal 17 assists)

    Pierre-Luc Dubois – 19 points (10 goal 9 assist)

    Zach Werenski– 13 points (4 goal 9 assists)

    Frederik Andersen

    12-6-0 2.13GAA .935SV%

    Sergei Bobrovsky

    7-7-0 2.63GAA .915SV%

    Probable Lineups:

    Toronto:

    Mitch Marner– John Tavares – Zach Hyman

    Kasperi Kapanen – Nazem Kadri– Patrick Marleau

    Andreas Johnsson – Pars Lindholm – Connor Brown

    Tyler Ennis – Frederik Gauthier – Josh Leivo

    Morgan Rielly – Ron Hainsey

    Jake Gardiner – Nikita Zaitsev

    Travis Dermott – Igor Ozhiganov

    Frederik Andersen

    Garrett Sparks
    Scratched: Justin Holl & Martin Marincin

    Injuries: Nathan Horton (Back), Auston Matthews (Shoulder)

    Suspension: None

    Columbus:

    Artemi Panarin – Pierre-Luc Dubois – Cam Atkinson

    Nick Foligno – Boone Jenner– Josh Anderson

    Brandon Dubinsky– Alexander Wenneberg – Anthony Duclair

    Lukas Sedlak – Riley Nash – Markus Hannikainen

    Ryan Murray –Seth Jones

    Markus Nutivaara – David Savard

    Zach Werenski – Scott Harrington

    Sergei Bobrovsky

    Joonas Koripsalo
    Scratched: None

    Injuries: None

    Suspension: None

    Keys to Winning against Columbus:

    1. Use your speed
      1. Speed through the neutral zone has been lacking in the last 2 games. Even though the Leafs came out on top last time against Columbus they need to get back to their game.
    2. Strong Start
      1. The past couple games we’ve come out of the gate slow and teams have taken advantage of that. Leafs Needs to come out strong and quick.
    3. Traffic in front of Bobrovsky
      1. Need to get bodies in front of Bob and make his life miserable.

    You can watch TXHT Live this Wednesday at 8p EST on both Twitch and Facebook Live.

  • November 22nd, 2018 — News and Notes

    November 22nd, 2018 — News and Notes

    Today is Thursday, November 22nd, 2018, and these are your news and notes.

     

    There were 14 games on the NHL schedule yesterday.

     

    NEW JERSEY 5, Montreal 2

    Kyle Palmieri became the eighth player in franchise history to have at least 12 goals in the first 20 team games of the season.

    Montreal Canadiens Max Domi has 11 consecutive games with at least a point, tied for fourth with two other players for the longest such streak as a member of the Canadiens.

     

    NY RANGERS 5, NY Islanders 0

     

    Filip Chytil became the seventh teenager to score a goal in at least five consecutive team games since the 2005-06 season last  night.

     

    Rangers G Alexandar Georgiev became the 16th different goalie to register a shutout for the franchise and the first in over 40 years against the Islanders when Doug Soetaert achieved the mark.

     

     

    PITTSBURGH 5, Dallas 1

     

    The Pittsburgh Penguins recorded points for the 15th straight time against Western Conference games last night against the Dallas Stars.

     

     

    DETROIT 3, Boston 2 (OT)

     

    Andreas Athanasiou would score twice in the contest, including the game-winner, to snap a seven game losing streak against the Boston Bruins in the win last night.

     

     

    TAMPA BAY 7, Florida 3

     

    Mike Hoffman would register another game in where he registers at least one point for the 17th consecutive contest, the fifth most for a player while a member of a new team.

     

     

    WASHINGTON 4, Chicago 2

     

    The Washington Capitals won their eighth consecutive game against the Chicago Blackhawks in home contests last night.

     


    TXHT has your recap of the Chicago Blackhawks at the Washington Capitals at the following link.

    Game Recap – 11/21/2018 – Chicago Blackhawks v. Washington Capitals

     

    BUFFALO 5, Philadelphia 2

    Buffalo won their seventh consecutive win last night when they defeated the Philadelphia Flyers.

     

    https://twitter.com/PR_NHL/status/1065448617257902080

     

    CAROLINA 5, Toronto 2

    Carolina Hurricanes Justin Williams became the ninth player in NHL history to record at least 100 goals and a Stanley Cup with two different franchises in the win over the Toronto Maple Leafs last night.

    John Tavares of the Toronto Maple Leafs became the fifth player in franchise history and the first in the NHL’s Modern Era, since the 1943-44 season, to have at least 11 goals in the franchises first 11 road games last night.

     

    TXHT’s Toronto Maple Leafs contributor Steve Gardiner has your preview and recap of the contest between the Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes at the following page.

     

    Toronto Maple Leafs @ Carolina Hurricanes – 21/11/2018 – Game Day Preview and Recap

     

    MINNESOTA 6, Ottawa 4

    Matt Dumba would score his 10th goal of the season, the most for a defenceman through 22 games played of a season since the 1989-90 season.

     

    NASHVILLE 4, St. Louis 1

     

    In the three-goal win over the St. Louis Blues, the Nashville Predators would score two shorthanded goals, the sixth such occurrence.  It was also the first time that feat happened since March 13, 2018 against the Winnipeg Jets.

     

     

    Vegas 3, ARIZONA 2 (OT)

     

    Vegas Golden Knights Max Pacioretty registered his 11th overtime goal last night in the win over the Arizona Coyotes.  The 11th overtime goal is tied with three other players for the fourth most in the regular season since the 2008-09 season.

     


    CALGARY 6, Winnipeg 3

     

    The Calgary Flames became the fourth team in history to score five or more goals in the first period of consecutive games last night in the win over the Winnipeg Jets last night.

     


    ANAHEIM 4, Vancouver 3

     

    Anaheim Ducks G John Gibson won his 100th NHL career contest in a 25 saves performance.

    Gibson reached the 100 win mark faster than anyone else in the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim/Anaheim Ducks 25-year history of the franchise.

     


    Colorado 7, LOS ANGELES 3

     

    Colorado Avalanche G Seymon Varlamov would win his 200th NHL career game in the win over the Los Angeles Kings last night.

     

     

     

    Colorado’s Mikko Rantanen would register two assists to bring his total two 26 on the season, one behind Michel Goulet for the most in franchise history in the teams first 21 games.

     

     

    Today there are no games on the NHL schedule.

     

    NHL action will resume tomorrow with 15 games on the schedule, kicking off with the NHL Thanksgiving Showdown between the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers at 1 p.m. ET.

     

     

     

    In NHL news…

     

    Newly inducted Hall of Famer Martin St. Louis was on hand in Tampa Bay for the ceremonial puck drop before the Tampa Bay Lightning took on the Florida Panthers last night.

     

    Nashville Predators Nick Bonino would play in his 500th NHL career game last night against the St. Louis Blues.

     

     

    Wednesday’s contest marked the second time in which 12 contests were won by the home teams.

     

     

     

    You can watch TXHT Live this Wednesday at 8p EST on Facebook Live.

  • Toronto Maple Leafs @ Carolina Hurricanes – 21/11/2018 – Game Day Preview and Recap

    Toronto Maple Leafs @ Carolina Hurricanes – 21/11/2018 – Game Day Preview and Recap

    Time: Tuesday, Novemeber 21th, 2018

    Toronto: 15-5-0 for 30 points

    Carolina: 9-8-3 for 21pts

    The Toronto Maple Leafs head back out on the road where they’ve been phenomenal and take on the youthful Carolina Hurricanes. Interesting note here has been the rumors of Nylander to Carolina have been running rampant through media sources. So tonight will be interesting to see how well the Carolina defenders play tonight against the Leafs extremely potent offence.

    Top Scorers/Goalie Matchup

    Mitch Marner – 28 points (6 goals 22 assists)

    Morgan Rielly – 26 points (9 goals 17 assists)

    John Tavares – 25 points (13 goals 12 assists) 48% on face-offs

    Auston Matthews – 16 points (10 goals 6 assists) 53% on Face-off

     

    Sebastien Aho –23 points (6 goals 17 assists)

    Teuvo Teravainen– 16 points (4 goal 12 assists)

    Michael Ferland – 14 points (10 goal 4 assists)

    Justin Williams– 12 points (2 goal 10 assists)

    Frederik Andersen

    12-5-0 2.08GAA .935SV%

    Curtis McElhinney

    4-2 2.51GAA .903SV%

    Probable Lineups:

    Toronto:

    Mitch Marner – John Tavares – Zach Hyman

    Kasperi Kapanen – Nazem Kadri– Patrick Marleau

    Tyler Ennis – Pars Lindholm – Connor Brown

    Andreas Johnsson – Frederik Gauthier – Josh Leivo

    Morgan Rielly – Ron Hainsey

    Jake Gardiner – Nikita Zaitsev

    Travis Dermott – Igor Ozhiganov

    Frederik Andersen

    Garrett Sparks
    Scratched: Justin Holl & Martin Marincin

    Injuries: Nathan Horton (Back), Auston Matthews (Shoulder)

    Suspension: None

    Carolina:

    Michael Ferland– Sebastein Aho – Teuvo Teravainen

    Brock McGinn– Jordan Staal – Justin Williams

    Jordan Martinook– Lucas Wallmark– Andrei Svechnikov

    Warren Foegele – Victor Rask – Phil Di Giuseppe

     

    Jaccob Slavin – Dougie Hamilton

    Calvin De Haan– Justin Faulk

    Hayden Fleury– Trevor Van Riemsdyk

     

    Curtis McElhinney

    Scott Darling
    Scratched: None

    Injuries: Brett Pesce (Leg), Petr Mrazek (Upper Body)

    Suspension: None

     

    Keys to Winning against Carolina:

    1. Make good decisions
      1. Carolina is a young team with some speed and a chip on their shoulder. If you think you can railroad them you will lose. Make good passes, be strong in the neutral zone and respect the ability of some of their young guns.
    2. Get in McElhinney’s head
      1. While I’m very happy for McElhinney, we can’t allow him to get into a groove. Because as Leafs have seen first hand where Mac gets going this could become a very long game for Leafs shooters.
    3. Puck Possession
      1. Make Carolina work hard to get the puck. Don’t give them any easy shots.

    Game Day Lineups:

    First Period:

    Carolina Goal – 10:56 – Trevor Van Riemsdyk (1) Unassisted

    Carolina Goal – 11:18 – Justin Williams (3) assisted by Calvin De Haan (2) and Jordan Staal (5)

    Toronto Goal – 15:30 – John Tavares (13) Unassisted

    End of 1st – TOR – 1     CAR – 2

    Shots              11                29

    Faceoffs         10/20         10/20

    Hits               11                  14

    PP                 0/0              0/0

    Analysis:

    Terrible period for the Leafs. They looked slow and taking Carolina for granted.

    Need to Do:

    Gotta get the legs moving or else this game is just going to be a run away by Carolina

    Second Period:

    Carolina Penalty –6:12 – Dougie Hamilton 2 minutes for Interference

    Carolina Penalty –12:41 – Jordan Staal 2 minutes for Interference

    End of 2nd –TOR– 1      CAR – 2

    Shots               23                     31

    Faceoffs          22/40            18/40

    Hits                 14                      23

    PP                   0/2                  0/0

    Analysis:

    Leafsgot their legs moving and got the puck in the Hurricanes zone and caused a lot of ruckus.

    Need to Do:

    Keep being aggressive and attacking. Puck Possession will be the only thing that gets the next goal in the game to tie it up.

    Third Period:     

    Toronto Penalty – 6:58 – Andreas Johnsson 2 minutes for Tripping

    Carolina PP Goal – 07:45 – Michael Ferland (11) from Teuvo Teravainen (13)

    Carolina Penalty – 10:57 – Jordan Staal 2 minutes for Unsportsmanlike

    Toronto Penalty – 10:57 – Zach Hyman 2 minutes for Unsportsmanlike

    Toronto Goal – 11:57 –Kasperi Kapanen (9) from Travis Dermott (4)

    Carolina EN Goal – 18:42 –Sebastian Aho(7) from Jordan Staal (6)

    Carolina EN Goal – 19:22 – Andrei Svechnikov (5) from Lucas Wallmark (5) and Jordan Martinook (3)

     

    End of 3rd –TOR – 2           CAR– 5

    Shots             32                      45

    Faceoffs        36/64             28/64

    Hits               22                     32

    PP                 0/2                    1/1

    Analysis:

    Andersen was the only player showed up consistently tonight and it showed  in almost every facet of the game. Tough loss against a team the Leafs should beat.

    Next Up:

    Toronto (15-6-0 30pts) @ Columbus (12-7-2 26pts)

    Florida (8-7-3 19pts) @ Carolina (10-8-3 23pts)

     

    You can watch TXHT Live this Wednesday at 8p EST on both Twitch and Facebook Live.

     

  • November 20th, 2018 — News and Notes

    November 20th, 2018 — News and Notes

    Today is Tuesday, November 20th, 2018, and these are your news and notes…

     

    There were nine contests on the NHL docket yesterday.

     

    TORONTO 4, Columbus 2

    Toronto would score four unanswered goals after being down by two to give the Maple Leafs their fourth consecutive win last night in Toronto.

    TXHT’s Toronto Maple Leafs contributor Steve Gardiner has your recap of the Columbus Blue Jackets at the Toronto Maple Leafs at the following link.

     

    Columbus Blue Jackets @ Toronto Maple Leafs – 11/19/2018 – Game Day Preview & Game Recap

     

    NY RANGERS 2, Dallas 1

    The New York Rangers would get their sixth consecutive win at home in the one-goal victory over the Dallas Stars last night at Madison Square Garden.

    Buffalo 5, PITTSBURGH 4 (OT) 

    Buffalo’s Jack Eichel would score to help the Buffalo Sabres win their consecutive win last night.

    Buffalo would come back from a three-goal deficit to also give the Pittsburgh Penguins their fourth consecutive loss.

    Washington 5, MONTREAL 4 (OT) 

    Despite the Montreal Canadiens scoring three goals in the span of 1:15 to give Montreal a 4-2 lead, the Washington Capitals tied the game in the third period and Lars Eller would score the game-winner with 1:26 left in the overtime frame to give the Capitals the 5-4 win in Montreal last night.

    Washington’s Alex Ovechkin would move into a tie for seventh place all-time on power-play goals last night in the contest.

    Game Recap – 11/19/2018 – Washington Capitals v. Montreal Canadiens

     

    Florida 7, OTTAWA 5

    Florida’s Mike Hoffman extended his point-scoring streak to 16 games in the Florida Panthers win in Ottawa last night.

    Los Angeles 2, ST. LOUIS 0

    The Los Angeles Kings would shut out the St. Louis Blues 2-0, which would mark the last game that Mike Yeo would coach for the Blues.  Yeo would later be terminated as the head coach for the Blues.  More on the Yeo news in the NHL news section of the Daily article.

    NASHVILLE 3, Tampa Bay 2

    Nashville Predators G Pekka Rinne earned career win 319 to tie Mikka Kipursoff for the most by a Finnish-born goaltender in the one-goal victory by the Predators last night.

    CALGARY 7, Vegas 2

    The Calgary Flames would rout the Vegas Golden Knights 7-2 last night in Calgary.

    Johnny Gaudreau would go on to have a four-point performance in the contest.

    Calgary is now atop the Pacific Division standings.

    Winnipeg 6, VANCOUVER 3

    Winnipeg’s Patrik Laine would register his sixth career hat trick in the win over the Vancouver Canucks.

    Wayne Gretzky is the only other player in NHL history to register more than six hat tricks before their 21st birthday.

    There is only one contest tonight.

     

    For more news, notes, info, and stats…

     

    In NHL news…

    The St. Louis Blues announced that Mike Yeo has been fired as head coach and Craig Berube has been named the interim head coach.

     

    The Edmonton Oilers announced today that Todd McLellan has also been fired and that Ken Hitchcock has been named the new head coach.

     

     

    You can watch TXHT Live tonight at 8pm on