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Category: Toronto Maple Leafs

  • April 18th, 2019 – News and Notes

    April 18th, 2019 – News and Notes

    Today is Thursday, April 18th, 2019, and these are your news and notes from yesterday’s games.

     

    Today’s daily will be a very brief recap with the recaps written by TXHT’s staff

     

    Yesterday’s schedule of games:

     

     

    Boston 6, TORONTO 4 (Series is tied 2-2)

     

    DALLAS 5, Nashville 1 (Series is tied 2-2)

     

    COLORADO 3, Calgary 2 (OT) (Colorado leads series 3-1)

     

     

    Today’s schedule of games:

     

     

    You can check out all of TXHT’s playoff recaps at txhthockey.com/2019-nhl-playoffs

  • Boston Bruins vs Toronto Maple Leafs – Round 1 – Game #4 Recap

    Boston Bruins vs Toronto Maple Leafs – Round 1 – Game #4 Recap

    Boston Bruins (2-2) v. Toronto Maple Leafs (2-2)

     

    Game Recap:

    The Leafs looked fine as the game started but soon got into penalty trouble. That’s where the Bruins took over scoring once on the powerplay and then scoring a few minutes later again to jump out to a quick 2-0. With just over 2 minutes left in the 1st period, Morgan Rielly took a shot from the point and it was tipped on the way in by Zach Hyman the shot would beat Rask and make a 2-1 game.

    The second period would see Auston Matthews score quickly to tie it up but as the period progressed the Leafs would watch David Pastrnak get himself involved in the series scoring two goals to make it 4-2 Boston.

    The 3rd would bring some dramatics Boston would score first making it 5-2 and basically put the Leafs out of reach or so they thought. The Leafs would come back with a Matthews Powerplay goal and a Dermott blast from the point to make it a 5-4 game and then put tremendous pressure on the Bruins but couldn’t cash in. Nordstrom would score on the open net to make 6-4 with seven seconds remaining.

    Lineups:

    Toronto:

    Andreas Johnsson – Auston Matthews – Kasperi Kapanen

    Mitch Marner – John Tavares – Zach Hyman

    Patrick Marleau – William Nylander– Connor Brown

    Tyler Ennis – Frederik Gauthier – Trevor Moore

     

    Morgan Rielly  – Ron Hainsey

    Jake Muzzin – Nikita Zaitsev

    Travis Dermott – Jake Gardiner

     

    Frederik Andersen

    Garrett Sparks

     

    Scratched: none

    Injuries: Nathan Horton (Back)

    Suspension: Nazem Kadri (2-5)

     

    Boston:

    Brad Marchand — Patrice Bergeron — David Pastrnak

    Jake DeBrusk — David Krejci — Karson Kuhlman

    Danton Heinen — Charlie Coyle — Chris Wagner

    David Backes — Joakim Nordstrom — Noel Acciari

     

    Zdeno Chara — Charlie McAvoy

    Brandon Carlo — Torey Krug

    Matt Grzelcyk — John Moore

     

    Tuukka Rask

    Jaroslav Halak

    Scratched: Steve Kampfer

    Injuries: Sean Kuraly (shoulder), Kevan Miller (upper body) and Marcus Johansson

    Suspension: None

    GameDay:

    First Period:

    Toronto Penalty – 1:08 – Connor Brown, 2 minutes for Holding

    Boston PP Goal – 3:03 – Charlie McAvoy (1) assisted Charlie Coyle (1) and Matt Grzelcyk (3)

    Boston Goal – 6:38 – Brad Marchand (2) assisted Charlie McAvoy (1) and Dalton Heinen (2)

    Boston Penalty – 13:29 – Patrice Bergeron, 2 minutes for Interference

    Toronto Goal – 17:55 – Zach Hyman (1) assisted by Morgan Rielly (2) and John Tavares (3)

    Boston Penalty – 15:44 – Charlie McAvoy, 2 minutes for Interference

    End of 1st – BOS – 2      TOR – 1

    Shots              14                12

    Faceoffs       9/19            10/19

    Hits              13                 16

    PP                 1/1                 0/2

    Second Period:

    Toronto Goal – 1:07 – Auston Matthews (2) assisted by Andreas Johnsson (2) and Ron Hainsey (1)

    Boston Goal – 3:16 – David Pastrnk (1) assisted Brad Marchand (3) and Patrice Bergeron (1)

    Boston PP Goal – 3:16 – David Pastrnk (2) assisted Brad Marchand (4)

    Toronto Penalty – 4:37 – Auston Matthews, 2 minutes for Roughing

    End of 2nd – BOS- 4       TOR- 2

    Shots               22                26

    Faceoffs         21/39         18/39

    Hits                 20                  8

    PP                   2/2                 0/2

    Third Period:

    Boston Goal – 5:39 – Zdeno Chara (1) unassisted

    Boston Penalty – 11:42 – Charlie McAvoy, 2 minutes for High Sticking

    Toronto PP Goal – 11:52- Auston Matthews (2) assisted by Mitch Marner (2) and Morgan Rielly (3)

    Toronto Goal – 13:27- Travis Dermott (1) assisted by Jake Gardiner (1) and Connor Brown (1)

    Boston EN Goal – 19:58 – Joakim Nordstrom (1) assisted Krejci (1)

    End of 3rd – BOS – 6         TOR – 4

    Shots             31                   42

    Faceoffs     33/63                23/63

    Hits               33                    37

    PP                 2/2                    1/3

     

  • April 16th, 2019 — News and Notes

    April 16th, 2019 — News and Notes

    Today is Tuesday, April 16th, 2019, and these are your news and notes

     

    There were four games in Stanley Cup playoff action yesterday

     

     

    TXHT, as they will for all 2019 Stanley Cup playoff games, has all of your recaps from last night’s contests.  Each of the contests and there you can check out all of TXHT’s recaps.

     

    CAROLINA 5, Washington 0 (Washington leads the series 2-1)

    Game 3. 2-1 WSH

     

    Game Recap – 1st Rd. Game 3 – Washington Capitals v. Carolina Hurricanes

     

    TORONTO 3, Boston 2 (Toronto leads the series 2-1)

    Game 3. 2-1 TOR

     

    Boston Bruins vs Toronto Maple Leafs – Round 1 – Game #3 Recap

     

    Nashville 3, DALLAS 2 (Nashville leads the series 2-1)

    Game 3, 2-1 NSH

     

    Gameday Recap: Nashville Predators vs. Dallas Stars (First Round: Game 3)

     

    COLORADO 6, Calgary 2 (Colorado leads the series 2-1)

    Game 3 - 2-1 COL

     

     

    Today there are four games in action


    *Image is the property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

     

     

    In NHL news…

     

    It was announced yesterday that Toronto Maple Leafs C Nazem Kadri has been suspended for the remainder of the first round of the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs.

     

     

    TXHT has your break down of the news and our reaction here.

     

    In addition, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced that San Jose Sharks F Joe Thornton has been suspended for one game for his Illegal Check to the Head of Vegas Golden Knights F Tomas Nosek in Sunday’s contest.

     

     

     

    For more news, notes, information, and stats, you can check out the NHL’s Morning Skate report at the following page.

     

     

    Don’t forget to check out all of TXHT’s extensive 2019 Stanley Cup playoff previews and recaps here.

  • Boston Bruins vs Toronto Maple Leafs – Round 1 – Game #3 Recap

    Boston Bruins vs Toronto Maple Leafs – Round 1 – Game #3 Recap

    Boston Bruins (1-2) v. Toronto Maple Leafs (2-1)

     

    Game Recap:

    The Leafs settled back into a groove offensively and defensively, being able to manage the game appropriately. Leafs forward Auston Matthews showed he has some fire in game and came to play scoring a goal and an assist, while Andreas Johnsson cashed in with the same.

    The fourth line of the Leafs Trevor Moore – Frederik Gauthier and Tyler Ennis gave the Bruins fits all night. Trevor Moore cashed in the first goal of the game to begin the scoring in the second. Bruins forward David Krejci scored less than 60 seconds later to tie the game. Leafs would respond with Matthews and Johnsson goals in the second and Boston responded with a Charlie Coyle goal with 38 seconds to go in the period. The 3rd period would be shutdown period for the Leafs. Mitch Marner would make two huge blocks at the end of the game, to show that he’s the heart and soul of this Leafs team.

    Lineups:

    Toronto:

    Andreas Johnsson – Auston Matthews – Kasperi Kapanen

    Mitch Marner – John Tavares – Zach Hyman

    Patrick Marleau – William Nylander– Connor Brown

    Tyler Ennis – Frederik Gauthier – Trevor Moore

     

    Morgan Rielly  – Ron Hainsey

    Jake Muzzin – Nikita Zaitsev

    Travis Dermott – Jake Gardiner

     

    Frederik Andersen

    Garrett Sparks

     

    Scratched: none

    Injuries: Nathan Horton (Back)

    Suspension: Nazem Kadri (1-5)

     

    Boston:

    Brad Marchand — Patrice Bergeron — David Pastrnak

    Jake DeBrusk — David Krejci — Karson Kuhlman

    Danton Heinen — Charlie Coyle — Chris Wagner

    David Backes — Joakim Nordstrom — Noel Acciari

     

    Zdeno Chara — Charlie McAvoy

    Brandon Carlo — Torey Krug

    Matt Grzelcyk — Steven Kampfer

     

    Tuukka Rask

    Jaroslav Halak

    Scratched: None

    Injuries: Sean Kuraly (shoulder) and John Moore (Upper-Body), Kevan Miller (upper body) and Marcus Johansson

    Suspension: None

    GameDay:

    First Period:

    Toronto Penalty – 16:36 – Ron Hainsey, 2 minutes for Interference

    Boston Penalty – 19:21 – Charlie McAvoy, 2 minutes for Holding the Stick

    End of 1st – BOS – 0      TOR – 0

    Shots              13                11

    Faceoffs       11/22            11/22

    Hits              11                 14

    PP                 0/1                 0/1

    Second Period:

    Toronto Goal – 2:38 – Trevor Moore (1) assisted by Morgan Rielly (1) and Tyler Ennis (1)

    Boston Goal – 3:30 – David Krejci (1) assisted Jake DeBrusk (1) and Karson Kuhlman (1)

    Boston Penalty – 10:00 – David Backes, 2 minutes for High Sticking

    Toronto PP Goal – 10:12 – Auston Matthews (1) assisted by Andreas Johnsson (1) and Mitch Marner (1)

    Boston Penalty – 15:59 – Matt Grzelcyk, 2 minutes for Hooking

    Toronto PP Goal – 17:12 – Andreas Johnsson (1) assisted by John Tavares (2) and Auston Matthews (1)

    Toronto Penalty – 17:45 – Jake Muzzin, 2 minutes for Holding

    Boston PP Goal – 19:22 – Charlie Coyle (2) assisted Danton Heinen (1) and Matt Grzelcyk(2)

    End of 2nd – BOS- 2        TOR- 3

    Shots               26                22

    Faceoffs          22/44         22/44

    Hits                 22                  28

    PP                   1/2                  2/3

    Third Period:

    Toronto Penalty – 5:01 – Nikita Zaitsev, 2 minutes for Delay of Game

    End of 3rd – BOS – 2         TOR – 3

    Shots             36                   34

    Faceoffs     28/63                35/63

    Hits               33                   42

    PP                 1/3                    2/3

     

  • Breaking News-Opinion-Maple Leafs Center Nazem Kadri suspended for the remainder of the 1st round v.s Boston Bruins (5 games)

    Breaking News-Opinion-Maple Leafs Center Nazem Kadri suspended for the remainder of the 1st round v.s Boston Bruins (5 games)

    Since Saturday night Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, and hockey fans have been waiting to see what kind of discipline Nazem Kadri would receive after his wreck-less and inexcusable cross check to the face of Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk. Well, the NHL has decided to suspend Nazem Kadri for the remainder of the first round or essentially a 5 games suspension.

     

    How did we get here?

    Nazem Kadri is a repeat offender and has been suspended five times since 2013. Kadri has been suspended for things such as Interference (taking a deliberate run at then Minnesota Wild goalie Nicklas Backstrom), illegal check to the head, boarding, and similarly cross checking Red Wings player Luke Glendening in the face. He has also even had a team imposed suspension for being late to team meetings. Kadri has also been fined for poor behavior such as a throat slashing gesture, & diving/embellishment.

    Earlier in Saturday nights game, Kadri took exception to what he felt were some hits that went unpenalized. Late in the second period, DeBrusk was lining up Kadri for a huge open ice hit. Kadri tried to jump out of the way, which produced a leg-on-leg hit that went unpenalized. Later on DeBrusk checked Leafs forward Patrick Marleau into the Bruins curved glass at the end of their bench. Kadri became upset, saw red, and cross checked DeBrusk in the face which resulted in a major penalty and a game misconduct.

     

    Thoughts on the suspension

    I wholeheartedly agree with that NHL department of player safety suspending Nazem Kadri for the rest of this series or essentially 5 games. In fact, I wouldn’t have been opposed to it if it were longer. What happened on Saturday night was not the first time Nazem Kadri has done this or other forms of negative behavior on the ice. He continues to hurt his team as a result of his actions and is only thinking of himself. Essentially, I’m saying he’s being very selfish. When is he going to learn that the actions he takes on the ice at times are not acceptable and effect other people? His team needs him right now in the playoffs and not being suspended. When he’s not involved in negative on ice behavior, Kadri is a very solid two-way Center-man with exceptional offensive and defensive capabilities. The Maple Leafs really need a player of his caliber in the lineup at this point in the year as it’s the Stanley Cup playoffs. It doesn’t help your team who have serious Stanley Cup aspirations when you keep getting in trouble over silly and ridiculous shenanigans. It would have been better for Kadri to challenge DeBrusk to fight and stand up for his teammates then to do what he did. Kadri needs to adapt, start doing better, and put his team first.

     

    Feature image courtesy of TSN.

  • April 14th, 2019 — News and Notes

    April 14th, 2019 — News and Notes

    Today is Sunday, April 14th, 2019, and these are your news and noted from yesterday.

     

    All of the game recaps are written by TXHT’s esteemed staff.

     

    There were four contests in action yesterday.

     

     

    WASHINGTON 4, Carolina 3 (OT) (Washington leads the series 2-0)

     

    The Washington Capitals would defeat the Carolina Hurricanes in overtime, 4-3, thanks to the game-winner from Capitals defenceman Brooks Orpik.

     

    The Capitals will look to a commanding 3-0 lead tomorrow night when Game 3 takes place in Raleigh.

     

    Michael Lindenbaum has your full recap of the contest between the Hurricanes and the Capitals at the following page.

     

    NASHVILLE 2, Dallas 1 (OT) (Series is tied 1-1)

     

    The Nashville Predators would defeat the Dallas Stars with the 2-1 win in overtime.  Craig Smith would net the game winner and Predators G Pekka Rinne would have 21 saves in the contest.

     

    Nashville will look to take the 2-1 series lead when Game 3 takes place tomorrow night in Dallas.

     

    Dickson Kendrick has your full recap of the contest between the Stars and the Predators at the following page.

     

     

    BOSTON 4, Toronto 1 (Series is tied 1-1)

     

    This would be a very physical contest between the Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs with the Bruins getting the 4-1 win, and tying the series 1-1.

     

    This game would not come without controversy as Toronto’s Nazem Kadri delivered a cross-check to the head of Boston’s Jake DeBrusk, which not only ejected him from the game but also earned him an in-person from the NHL’s Department of Player Safety.

     

    TXHT should have more on this as soon as there is a decision reached from the NHL’s Department of Player Safety.

     

    With the series now tied 1-1, both teams will try to take the series lead when Game 3 of the series takes place tomorrow night.

     

    Steve Gardiner has your full recap of the contest between the Maple Leafs and the Bruins at the following page.

     

     

     

    Colorado 3, CALGARY 2 (OT) (Series is tied 1-1)

     

    The Colorado Avalanche would defeat the Calgary Flames with the 3-2 win in overtime.

     

    Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon would net the game winner to tie this series at 1.

     

    Both teams will look to take the 2-1 series lead with Game 3 shifting to Colorado.  Game 3 takes place tomorrow night.

     

    Scott Fairchild has your full recap of the contest between the Colorado Avalanche and the Calgary Flames at the following page.

     

     

     

    Today there are four contests in action:

     

     

     

    For more news, notes, information, and stats, please check out the NHL’s Morning Skate report, which you can find below…

     

     

     

    You can catch up on all of TXHT’s extensive 2019 Stanley Cup playoff coverage at our website, https://txhthockey.com/2019-nhl-playoffs/

     

     

     

  • Toronto Maple Leafs vs Boston Bruins – Round 1 – Game #2 Recap

    Toronto Maple Leafs vs Boston Bruins – Round 1 – Game #2 Recap

    Toronto Maple Leafs (1-1) v. Boston Bruins (1-1)

     

    Game Recap:

    Boston came out flying as they were expected too in game #2. Boston began by not only dominating in the shot column but by putting some serious physical pressure on the Leafs. Soon the physicality turned into some questionable hits and ruckus on both sides and the game began to swing to the old games between the Bruins and Leafs were it was an all-out brawl. Jake Debrusk of the Boston Bruins made a couple questionable plays including what looked to be an intentional knee on knee with Leafs forward Nazem Kadri and also bloodied Leafs Travis Dermott earlier in the game with an Elbow to the nose both went uncalled and seemed to fuel the rivalry. Leafs Defensemen Jake Muzzin was bloodied on a charging call by Boston Forward David Pastrnak, and later on, Muzzin cleanly-hit defensemen Torey Krug who unfortunately had his head down on the play and looked bad, he never returned to the game and has a history of concussion issues.  Bruins defencemen also left the game with an injury and never returned, unknown reasoning a far as we know. Charlie Coyle opened the scoring to get the crowd into the game and Marchand made it 2-0 just before the end of the 1st.  William Nylander made a massive gaff, just as the Leafs look to be getting their legs a bit, which led to the Danton Heinen goal. Kadri gave the Leafs some hope in the 3rd scoring to make it 3-1 but then later Kadri himself would seal the win for the Bruins when after Patrick Marleau was cleanly checked into the stansion by Jake DeBrusk. Kadri would take matters into his own hands and cross-check Debrusk to the head, resulting in a 5-minute powerplay to end the game and the big possibility of an impending suspension for Nazem Kadri.

    Lineups:

    Toronto:

    Andreas Johnsson – Auston Matthews – Kasperi Kapanen

    Mitch Marner – John Tavares – Zach Hyman

    Patrick Marleau – Nazem Kadri – William Nylander

    Tyler Ennis – Frederik Gauthier – Trevor Moore

     

    Morgan Rielly  – Ron Hainsey

    Jake Muzzin – Nikita Zaitsev

    Martin Marincin – Igor Ozhiganov

     

    Frederik Andersen

    Garrett Sparks

     

    Scratched: none

    Injuries: Nathan Horton (Back)

    Suspension: None

     

    Boston:

    Brad Marchand — Patrice Bergeron — David Pastrnak

    Jake DeBrusk — David Krejci — Karson Kuhlman

    Danton Heinen — Charlie Coyle — Chris Wagner

    David Backes — Joakim Nordstrom — Noel Acciari

     

    Zdeno Chara — Charlie McAvoy

    Brandon Carlo — Torey Krug

    Matt Grzelcyk — Connor Clifton

     

    Tuukka Rask

    Jaroslav Halak

    Scratched:  Steven Kampfer, Marcus Johansson

    Injuries: Sean Kuraly (shoulder) and John Moore (Upper-Body), Kevan Miller (upper body)

    Suspension: None

    GameDay:

    First Period:

    Boston Goal – 4:44 – Charlie Coyle (2) assisted by David Backes (1)

    Boston Penalty – 11:12 – Jake DeBrusk, 2 minutes for Roughing

    Toronto Penalty – 11:12 – Nazem Kadri, 2 minutes for Roughing

    Boston Goal – 16:04 – Brad Marchand (1) assisted by David Pastrnak (1) and Torey Krug (2)

    Boston Penalty – 18:57 – David Pastrnak, 2 minutes for Charging

    End of 1st – TOR – 2       BOS – 0

    Shots              5                12

    Faceoffs         8/15            7/15

    Hits              13                 15

    PP                 0/1                 0/0

    Second Period:

    Boston Goal – 10:39 – Danton Heinen (1) unassisted

    Toronto Penalty – 12:22 – Frederik Gauthier, 2 minutes for Roughing

    Boston Penalty – 15:32 – Zdeno Chara, 2 minutes for Delay of Game

    Toronto Penalty – 16:52 – Nazem Kadri, 2 minutes for Hooking

     

    End of 2nd – TOR- 0        BOS- 3

    Shots               18                32

    Faceoffs          17/31          14/31

    Hits                 26                  30

    PP                   0/2                  0/2

    Third Period:

    Boston Penalty – 5:36 – David Krejci, 2 minutes for Roughing

    Toronto Goal – 10:49 – Nazem Kadri (1) assisted by Travis Dermott (1) and William Nylander (1)

    Boston PP Goal – 15:03 – Patrice Bergeron (2) assisted by Brad Marchand (2) and Matt Grzelcyk (1)

    Toronto Penalty – 14:03 – Nazem Kadri, 5 minutes for Cross Checking (Major)

    Toronto Penalty – 14:03 – Nazem Kadri, 10 minutes for Game Misconduct

     

    End of 3rd – TOR – 1         BOS – 4

    Shots             31                   41

    Faceoffs    26/47                21/47

    Hits               39                    44

    PP                 0/3                    1/4

     

  • April 12th, 2019 — News and Notes

    April 12th, 2019 — News and Notes

    Today is Friday, April 12th, 2019, and these are your news and notes

     

    In Stanley Cup Playoff action, there were three games last night.

     

    Below you will find all of the game recaps from our TXHT writers.

     

     

    Toronto 4, BOSTON 1 (Toronto leads the series 1-0)

     

    The Toronto Maple Leafs would take Game 1 in this series from the Boston Bruins, winning the game 4-1.

     

    Toronto will look to take Game 2 when the two teams face off Saturday night.

     

    TXHT’s Steve Gardiner has your full recap of the contest below.

     

     

    The following image is the Boston Bruins infographic from last night’s contest and is the property of the Boston Bruins, NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners.

     

     

    WASHINGTON 4, Carolina 2 (Washington leads the series 1-0)

     

    The Washington Capitals, defending their Stanley Cup championship, defeated the Carolina Hurricanes last night with a 4-2 win.

     

    The Carolina Hurricanes mounted a comeback after being down 3-0 at the end of the first period, coming within a goal, before Washington’s Lars Eller scored an empty net goal with less than a minute left in the third period.

     

    The Capitals will look to take the 2-0 series lead when the two teams face off tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m., and the game will be available on NBC.

     

    Michael Lindenbaum has your full recap of Game 1 between the Capitals and the Hurricanes below.

     

     

    CALGARY 4, Colorado 0 (Calgary leads the series 1-0)

     

    The Calgary Flames crushed the Colorado Avalanche last night with a 4-0 win adn took the 1-0 series lead.

     

    Calgary’s Matthew Tkachuk scored two goals and Flames goaltender Mike Smith registered 26 saves in the contest.

     

    The Flames will look to take the 2-0 series lead when Game 2 takes place Saturday night.

     

    Scott Fairchild has your full recap of the contest between Calgary and Colorado below.

     

     

    Calgary’s infographic from the 4-0 win is below and the infographic is the property of the Calgary Flames, NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners.

     

     

     

    Today’s schedule of games:


    *Image is property of the NHL, NHL Public Relations, and their respective owners

  • Toronto Maple Leafs vs Boston Bruins – Round 1 – Game 1 Recap

    Toronto Maple Leafs vs Boston Bruins – Round 1 – Game 1 Recap

    Game Recap:

     

     

    Lineups:

    Toronto:

    Andreas Johnsson – Auston Matthews – Kasperi Kapanen

    Mitch Marner – John Tavares – Zach Hyman

    Patrick Marleau – Nazem Kadri – William Nylander

    Connor Brown – Frederik Gauthier – Trevor Moore

     

    Morgan Rielly  – Ron Hainsey

    Jake Muzzin – Nikita Zaitsev

    Jake Gardiner – Travis Dermott

     

    Frederik Andersen

    Garrett Sparks

     

    Scratched: Calle Rosen, Tyler Ennis, Nic Petan

    Injuries: Nathan Horton (Back)

    Suspension: None

     

    Buffalo:

    Brad Marchand — Patrice Bergeron — David Pastrnak

    Jake DeBrusk — David Krejci — Marcus Johansson

    Danton Heinen — Charlie Coyle — Chris Wagner

    David Backes — Joakim Nordstrom — Noel Acciari

     

    Zdeno Chara — Charlie McAvoy

    Brandon Carlo — Torey Krug

    Matt Grzelcyk — Kevan Miller

     

    Tuukka Rask

    Jaroslav Halak

    Scratched: Karson Kuhlman, Steven Kampfer, Connor Clifton

    Injuries: Sean Kuraly (shoulder) and John Moore (Upper-Body)

    Suspension: None

    GameDay:

    First Period:

    Toronto Penalty – 8:55 – William Nylander, 2 minutes for High Sticking

    Boston PP Goal – 9:31 – Patrice Bergeron (1) assisted by Brad Marchand (1) and Torey Krug (1)

    Toronto Goal – 16:44 – Mitchell Marner  (1) assisted by Jake Muzzin (1) and John Tavares (1)

    End of 1st – TOR – 1       BOS – 1

    Shots              10                8

    Faceoffs         11/21            10/21

    Hits               17                  14

    PP                 0/1                 1/1

    Second Period:

    Toronto Penalty – 2:16 – Kasperi Kapanen, 2 minutes for High Sticking

    Boston Penalty – 2:47 – Jake DeBrusk, 2 minutes for Tripping

    Toronto SH Goal – 2:47 – Mitchell Marner  (2) unassisted (Penalty Shot)

    Toronto Goal – 18:25 – William Nylander  (1) assisted by Nazem Kadri (1) and Patrick Marleau (1)

    End of 2nd – TOR- 3        TOR- 1

    Shots               25                 29

    Faceoffs        20/42            22/42

    Hits                 25                  21

    PP                   0/0                  1/2

    Third Period:

    Boston Penalty – 11:45 – Zdeno Chara, 2 minutes for Interference

    Toronto EN Goal – 18:41 – John Tavares  (1) unassisted

    End of 3rd – TOR – 4         BOS – 1

    Shots              33                   38

    Faceoffs      32/64             32/64

    Hits               33                     31

    PP                 0/1                    1/2

    Next Up:

    Toronto Maple Leafs (1-0) v. Boston Bruins (0-1) – Saturday, April 13th 2019

     

  • 2019 NHL Playoffs – 1st Round Preview – Toronto Maple Leafs v. Boston Bruins

    2019 NHL Playoffs – 1st Round Preview – Toronto Maple Leafs v. Boston Bruins

    Matchup:

    Toronto Maple Leafs (46-28-8, 3rd in Atlantic) vs Boston Bruins (49-24-9, 2nd in Atlantic)

    Regular Season Series: 3 – 1 Boston with 16 goals scored and 1-3 for Toronto with 10 goals scored

    Outlook:

    Boston:

    The Bruins walk into a very familiar situation where they have had extraordinary results. This being the 3rd time in the last 4 seasons the Bruins and the Leafs have met in the 1st round of the playoffs, with the Bruins taking 2 of the 3 so far in 7 games – one of which is the heartbreaking 3 goal collapse in the 3rd period. The Bruins look to keep things that way and not allow the Leafs to gain any momentum.

    Leafs:

    The Leafs, on the other hand, are looking to get over the 1st round playoff hump for the first time since 2004 and the beating the Bruins would be the best way to do it. But the Leafs went 1-3 against the Bruins in the season surrendering 16 goals, averaging 34 shots a game and going 3/8 on the Powerplay, which 37.5%. The Leafs bring a lot of new faces into this matchup or a lot of guys who have some experience this season. Players like Kasperi Kapanen, Andreas Johnsson, Jake Muzzin, Frederik Gauthier, John Tavares, and Trevor Moore all either have seasoned a bit and become an integral part of the core or are veterans who will play massive roles in the success or detriment of this team.

    Game Changers:

    Brad Marchand – Marchand tallied 100 points for the first time in his career this season and he looks better than ever. His ability to annoy and put tremendous amounts of points make him the perfect playoff player. He will be one of the players to watch in this post-season and if the Leafs don’t find a way to contain Marchand, they may be watching the second round of the playoffs from home.

    Auston Matthews – Matthews missed 14 games with a shoulder injury and yet still was able to total 73 points and score 37 goals. But last year in the playoffs he went dry and this is the reason why he is being chosen as a game changer. When Matthews is on his game and dangerous, the Leafs can roll out 3 lines that can score and with the arrival of Tavares some eyes might be taken off of Matthews and put on the Tavares, Marner, Hyman line. If Matthews brings his game this series turns interesting and could see the Bruins watching the second round of the playoffs from their couches.

    Advantage Overview:

    Goaltenders:

    Boston

    Tuukka Rask started the season off very low and seemingly lost the number 1 spot to backup goaltender Jaroslav Halak. But after a 19 game point streak where he truly regained his form, there were no more questions. Rask finished 27-12-5, with a 2.42 GAA and .912 save percentage. While Halak put in a solid effort when called upon to hold down the fort, finishing 22-11-4 with a 2.34 GAA and .922 save percentage.

    Toronto

    This is a far cry from the Leafs goaltending. In fact, the exact opposite. Frederik Andersen started the season on fire and was just about in every conversation that had the name Vezina in it. But Andersen struggled heavily in March and April adding some serious question marks to the crease, especially considering the struggles backup netminder Garret Sparks has had – Eventually being sent away from the team – Michael Hutchinson will serve as Andersen’s backup. Andersen still managed to finish with pretty good numbers.  Andersen finished 36-16-7, with a 2.77 GAA and .917 save percentage.

    Advantage: Goaltending overall goes to Boston with Halak and Rask. But If we’re talking head to head Andersen vs Rask, it comes down to which Andersen shows up.

    Forwards:

    Boston

    The Bruins are top line heavy after that players drop off considerably. The Bruins have Krecji who has had a revolving door of wingers this season. But rely heavily on that top line and it’s not to say that others are bad players they just aren’t on the level of reliance or scoring ability as Pastrnak, Marchand and Bergeron. Scoring significantly tales off after the top line for the Bruins but their style of hockey is conducive to that.

    Toronto 

    The Leafs, on the other hand, are three lines deep of scoring. One of the highest scoring teams in the league during the regular season. The question on the Bruins mind must be who do we defend the most Tavares/Marner/Hyman or Matthews/Kapanen/Johnsson – all 20 or more goal scorers.

    Advantage – Leafs, because there offense is deadly, especially if the powerplay is working and it did versus the Bruins all season.

    Defense:

    Boston 

    Bruins have a good defense especially if you’re talking on the defensive side of the game. Offensively not the best but defensively one of the top defenses in the League. Anchored by Zdeno Chara and Charlie McAvoy, through Torey Krug and Kevan Miller, then the 3 remaining in  Matt Grezelcyk,  Brandon Carlo and John Moore.

    Toronto

    The Leafs have struggled defensively but look to turn the tides in the playoffs. Having all hands on deck for the first time in over a month will help with the defensive play for sure. Anchored by Morgan Rielly and Ron Hainsey, through Jake Muzzin and Nikita Zaitsev and down to the X-factors on the Leafs defense Jake Gardiner and Travis Dermott. Those 2 will be the factors on how well the Leafs defense play.

    Advantage – Boston

     

    Projected Lineups

    Bruins 

    Brad Marchand — Patrice Bergeron — David Pastrnak

    Jake DeBrusk — David Krejci — Marcus Johansson

    Danton Heinen — Charlie Coyle — Chris Wagner

    David Backes — Joakim Nordstrom — Noel Acciari

    Zdeno Chara — Charlie McAvoy

    Brandon Carlo — Torey Krug

    Matt Grzelcyk — Kevan Miller

    Tuukka Rask

    Jaroslav Halak

    Scratched: Karson Kuhlman, Steven Kampfer, Connor Clifton

    Injuries: Sean Kuraly (shoulder) and John Moore (Upper-Body)

     

    Maple Leafs 

    Zach Hyman — John Tavares — Mitchell Marner

    Andreas Johnsson — Auston Matthews — William Nylander

    Patrick Marleau — Nazem Kadri — Kasperi Kapanen

    Trevor Moore — Frederik Gauthier — Connor Brown

    Ron Hainsey — Morgan Rielly

    Nikita Zaitsev — Jake Muzzin

    Jake Gardiner — Travis Dermott

    Frederik Andersen

    Michael Hutchinson

    Scratched: Calle Rosen, Tyler Ennis, Nic Petan

    Injuries: None

     

    Winning Scenarios:

    1. Bruins win if the top line of Pastrnak, Marchand, and Bergeron can how the same ability to tear the Leafs defense apart again this year.
    2. The Leafs win if Frederik Andersen comes back to form and gives the Leafs some much needed solid goaltending.

    Final Thought/ Numbers:

    Boston has allowed the 3rd lowest goals against in the league this year with a 2.59 per game. Only behind the Islander (2.33) and Stars (2.44). This will be the test for Toronto who is 4th best in goals for in the league, which sits 3.49 per game.

    Frederik Andersen sat at 2.56 GAA and .924 save percentage through 50 games. But in his last 9, allowed 3.85 goals per game with an .878 save percentage.