> Ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Dallas Stars, the Toronto Maple Leafs held an optional morning skate, with several regulars taking the morning off.
>Steven Lorentz — who has been promoted to the first line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner — Max Pacioretty, Connor Dewar, David Kampf, Nick Robertson and Matthew Knies were among the forwards in attendance, while Simon Benoit, Philippe Myers, Marshall Rifai and Conor Timmins joined the skate as well.
>Dennis Hildeby was in attendance, while Joseph Woll is expected to start against the Stars. Woll took accountability for the 6-3 loss against the Carolina Hurricanes, and while his teammates appreciated the accountability, they didn’t pin Thursday’s defeat on their goalie. source
Steven Lorentz — Auston Matthews — Mitch Marner Matthew Knies — John Tavares — William Nylander Bobby McMann — Max Domi — Nicholas Robertson Connor Dewar — David Kampf — Ryan Reaves
Morgan Rielly — Phillippe Myers Oliver Ekman-Larsson — Chris Tanev Simon Benoit — Conor Timmins
Joseph Woll Dennis Hildeby
Scratched: Pontus Holmberg, Marshal Rifai, Max Pacioretty
Injured: Jani Hakanpaa (lower body), Calle Jarnkrok (lower body), Anthony Stolarz (lower body), Jake McCabe (upper body)
Status report: Reaves will play after being a healthy scratch the past two games. … McCabe participated in the Maple Leafs optional morning skate Tuesday, but the defenseman will miss his fourth straight game.
The grant he's receiving to develop it requires it to be open source.
>After their five-game winning streak was snapped in Carolina (and the top line drowned in minuses), the Maple Leafs are looking for a response effort against a tired Canucks team mired in on- and off-ice turmoil (7:00 p.m. EST, Sportsnet/CBC). source
Matthew Knies — Auston Matthews — Mitch Marner Max Pacioretty — John Tavares — William Nylander Bobby McMann — Max Domi — Nicholas Robertson Steven Lorentz — David Kampf — Connor Dewar
Morgan Rielly — Phillippe Myers Oliver Ekman-Larsson — Chris Tanev Simon Benoit — Conor Timmins
Dennis Hildeby Joseph Woll
Scratched: Ryan Reaves, Pontus Holmberg, Marshal Rifai
Injured: Jani Hakanpaa (lower body), Calle Jarnkrok (lower body), Anthony Stolarz (lower body), Jake McCabe (upper body)
Status report: Pacioretty will return after being a healthy scratch in a 6-3 loss at the Hurricanes on Thursday. … McCabe skated on his own prior to the Maple Leafs morning skate Saturday; coach Craig Berube said there is no timeline for the return of the defenseman, who will miss his third straight game, but that he “feels good and he’s doing well.” … Stolarz, a goalie, is expected to resume skating next week.
The Leafs are a different team with a bit more backbone this season. Can they keep winning this way?
Forty-two games of Craig Berube hockey have led to this: The Leafs have the sixth-best record in the league, on pace for 109 points, which would be good for second in what’s looking like a shallower Eastern Conference.
. . .
What’s changed is the Leafs are no longer a possession team (24th in the league). They often get outshot (20th). Their goalies steal them games (3rd in save percentage). They allow scoring chances regularly (19th in expected goals against at even strength) but limit high-danger opportunities better than other clubs (12th).
They win more games with their penalty kill (7th) than their power play (18th). They’re no longer an offensive juggernaut (12th). But they hit (5th), block shots (6th), win faceoffs (4th), win when they score first (1st) and win in close games (3rd).
. . .
If you’re a regular listener to our podcast, you’ve heard Jonas and I kick this subject back and forth all year: Can the Leafs keep winning this way — losing the possession battle, relying heavily on goaltending, and having a harder time scoring than we’re used to seeing given their talent level?
>The Maple Leafs are seeking their sixth win in a row as they enter a more challenging stretch of their schedule tonight in Carolina (7:30 p.m. EST, TSN4).
>The Maple Leafs have been grinding out wins despite some uneven five-on-five performances against lesser competition thanks to their ability to defend, manage games, capitalize on their chances, and strong goaltending. Now, they’ll be tested against a structured, playoff-bound team with elite special teams and a generally strong command over the five-on-five play. source
Matthew Knies — Auston Matthews — Mitch Marner Bobby McMann — John Tavares — William Nylander Nicholas Robertson — Max Domi — Steven Lorentz Connor Dewar — David Kampf — Pontus Holmberg
Morgan Rielly — Philippe Myers Oliver Ekman-Larsson — Chris Tanev Simon Benoit — Conor Timmins
Joseph Woll Dennis Hildeby
Scratched: Max Pacioretty, Ryan Reaves, Marshall Rifai
Injured: Jani Hakanpaa (lower body), Calle Jarnkrok (lower body), Anthony Stolarz (lower body), Jake McCabe (upper body)
Status report: Holmberg enters the lineup after missing five games with an illness.
>The Maple Leafs are looking for a similar result but a better 60-minute process in the rematch against the Flyers tonight in Philadelphia (7:30 p.m. EST, Sportsnet Ontario).
>It wouldn’t make much sense to have Ryan Reaves on the NHL roster — if you’re going to have Ryan Reaves on the NHL roster — and not insert him for a game following the Jake McCabe-Garnet Hathaway incident Sunday’s 3-2 overtime win for the Leafs. It means the fourth line, which was trending in a positive direction, will be broken up tonight, and someone needs to sit up front. source
Matthew Knies — Auston Matthews — Mitch Marner Bobby McMann — John Tavares — William Nylander Max Pacioretty — Max Domi — Steven Lorentz Connor Dewar — David Kampf — Ryan Reaves
Morgan Rielly — Philippe Myers Oliver Ekman-Larsson — Chris Tanev Simon Benoit — Conor Timmins
Joseph Woll Dennis Hildeby
Scratched: Nicholas Robertson, Marshall Rifai
Injured: Jani Hakanpaa (lower body), Calle Jarnkrok (lower body), Anthony Stolarz (lower body), Pontus Holmberg (illness), Jake McCabe (upper body)
Status report: Reaves will play after being scratched the previous two games. He’ll replace Robertson, a forward. … McCabe was placed on injured reserve Monday, retroactive to Sunday; coach Craig Berube said there was no timeline for the defenseman to return. “He needs to get back on the ice, and then we’ll go from there,” Berube said. “I think that’s probably the best way I can put it. And I’m not sure when that is.” … Rifai, a defenseman, was recalled from Toronto of the American Hockey League on Monday but will not play. … Ersson skated before practice but the goalie will miss his third straight game.
>Auston Matthews’ return means the Maple Leafs’ lineup is at full strength for this much-anticipated HNIC rivalry game against the Boston Bruins (7:00 p.m. EST, Sportsnet/CBC).
>Encouragingly, the Leafs‘ McMann – Domi – Robertson third line, along with a couple of goals from the fourth line (vs. NYI and DET), remained productive during Matthews’ recent six-game absence. The top six, which was in a makeshift configuration with Matthews out and the third line remaining together, wasn’t outscored at five-on-five but wasn’t exactly firing on all cylinders during the team’s 3-3-0 stretch without the captain. source
Matthew Knies — Auston Matthews — Mitch Marner Max Pacioretty — John Tavares — William Nylander Bobby McMann — Max Domi — Nicholas Robertson Steven Lorentz — David Kampf — Connor Dewar
Morgan Rielly — Phillippe Myers Jake McCabe — Chris Tanev Simon Benoit — Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Joseph Woll Dennis Hildeby
Scratched: Conor Timmins, Ryan Reaves
Injured: Jani Hakanpaa (lower body), Calle Jarnkrok (lower body), Anthony Stolarz (lower body), Pontus Holmberg (illness)
Status report: Matthews will return after missing the past six games with an upper-body injury; the center was a full participant in the Maple Leafs morning skate Saturday.
> The rubber match to determine the winner of the Maple Leafs vs. Islanders season series takes place tonight in Elmont, New York (7:30 p.m. EST, Sportsnet Ontario).
> The three meetings between these two teams, including back-to-back matchups this week, are playing out like a mini-playoff series given the timeframe, albeit the first game was unfair to judge due to the Leafs‘ scheduling situation, as they were playing tired vs. a rested Islanders team. source
Max Pacioretty — John Tavares — Mitch Marner Matthew Knies — David Kampf — William Nylander Bobby McMann — Max Domi — Nicholas Robertson Steven Lorentz — Connor Dewar — Ryan Reaves
Morgan Rielly — Phillippe Myers Jake McCabe– Chris Tanev Simon Benoit — Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Joseph Woll Dennis Hildeby
Scratched: Marshall Rifai, Conor Timmins
Injured: Jani Hakanpaa (lower body), Calle Jarnkrok (lower body), Anthony Stolarz (lower body), Auston Matthews (upper body), Pontus Holmberg (illness)
Status report: The Maple Leafs held an optional morning skate Thursday. … Matthews made the trip but will miss his sixth straight game; the center was placed on injured reserve Tuesday, retroactive to Dec. 20. … Ekman-Larsson will play after he missed a 3-1 win against the Islanders on Tuesday because of an illness. … Holmberg, a forward, will miss his second straight game.
Missed all but the very end of this one but... holy shit Kampf scored 😲
And a win!
The mod zone is kind of like a teacher's lounge. A place where mods can just chill without the riff raff ruining the party. And you can exchange upvotes for margaritas and community-branded apparel. I'm wearing a mildly infuriating headband right now!
~ On your profile, the modlog within the 3-dot menu shows you any mention of your username in any modlog. Within the 'mod zone' menu, that modlog is the 'master' modlog. It shows you all mod activity for every instance your instance is aware of. So it's not random, it's just everything. It'd be a lot more useful if you could apply filters for users and communities but it's good for seeing recent trends across communities.
> The Toronto Maple Leafs are back in action today against the New York Islanders. They're coming off a disappointing loss to the Washington Capitals, one team the Maple Leafs are chasing in the points category in the NHL. They enter play today against New York at 22-13-2, first in the Atlantic Division. New York is 14-16-7 on the year.
> Auston Matthews remains day-to-day, and it's not clear when he'll be back in the lineup. It might be today. Anthony Stolarz remains on Injured Reserve with his knee injury. Defenseman Jani Hakanpaa is also on IR with a knee injury. source
Matthew Knies -- David Kampf -- William Nylander Max Pacioretty -- John Tavares -- Mitch Marner Bobby McMann -- Max Domi -- Nicholas Robertson Steven Lorentz -- Pontus Holmberg -- Connor Dewar
Morgan Rielly -- Phillippe Myers Jake McCabe-- Chris Tanev Simon Benoit -- Conor Timmins
Joseph Woll Dennis Hildeby
Scratched: Ryan Reaves
Injured: Jani Hakanpaa (lower body), Calle Jarnkrok (lower body), Anthony Stolarz (lower body), Auston Matthews (upper body), Oliver Ekman-Larsson (illness)
Status report: Holmstrom's status is unclear after he left during the third period of the a 3-2 loss at the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday. The Islanders had a day off Monday after back-to-back games. ... Matthews, a center, practiced Monday but will miss his fifth straight game. ... Ekman-Larsson is questionable after not practicing Monday. Coach Craig Berube said the defenseman would be reassessed Tuesday.
Auston Matthews' absence has highlighted a roster spot that needs fixing. How can they land a centre they need and want with what they have?
It would be a struggle for any team to lose a centre like Matthews, top three in the world when he’s healthy. And the Leafs survived as well as could be expected when Matthews wasn’t around in November, winning seven of nine. But that was primarily a product of league-best goaltending and A-plus defending that’s been hard to replicate recently amid Anthony Stolarz’s injury, some ill-fitting pieces on defence and the limitations of that centre-ice crew.
MBFC:
Overall, we rate The Jewish Voice (TJV) as right-biased and Questionable based on the promotion of right-wing propaganda, pseudoscience, conspiracy theories, poor sources, and several examples of false or misleading claims.
>The Maple Leafs are seeking redemption for their 3-1 loss in early December as they close out the season series against the Eastern Conference-leading Washington Capitals (.706 PTS%), who welcome the return of Alex Ovechkin to their lineup (7:00 p.m. EST, Sportsnet/CBC). source
Matthew Knies — Pontus Holmberg — William Nylander Max Pacioretty — John Tavares — Mitch Marner Bobby McMann — Max Domi — Nicholas Robertson Steven Lorentz — David Kampf — Connor Dewar
Morgan Rielly — Phillippe Myers Jake McCabe– Chris Tanev Simon Benoit — Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Matt Murray Joseph Woll
Scratched: Ryan Reaves, Conor Timmins
Injured: Jani Hakanpaa (lower body), Calle Jarnkrok (lower body), Anthony Stolarz (lower body), Auston Matthews (upper body)
Status report: Matthews skated by himself Saturday but the center will miss his fourth consecutive game. … The Maple Leafs did not hold a morning skate Saturday following a 5-2 win at the Detroit Red Wings on Friday.
Man, Marner with a natural hatty!
Is it possible that Matthews is out because Marner's using a Tavares-esque amulet to steal his powers??? 👽
>The Maple Leafs remain without Auston Matthews coming out of the holiday break as they look to snap a two-game losing slide against a bottom-feeding Red Wings team seeking a new-coach bump tonight in Detroit (7:00 p.m. EST, Sportsnet Ontario). source
Max Pacioretty — John Tavares — Mitch Marner Matthew Knies — Pontus Holmberg — William Nylander Bobby McMann — Max Domi — Nicholas Robertson Steven Lorentz — Connor Dewar — David Kampf
Morgan Rielly — Phillippe Myers Jake McCabe — Chris Tanev Simon Benoit — Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Joseph Woll Dennis Hildeby
Scratched: Ryan Reaves, Conor Timmins
Injured: Jani Hakanpaa (lower body), Calle Jarnkrok (lower body), Anthony Stolarz (lower body), Auston Matthews (upper body)
Status report: Matthews, a center who has missed the past two games, will miss at least two more games, Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube said.
Nah. Even Bobandy isn't greasy enough to take a role in that cabinet.
We're like two SNL sketches from Musk being locked away in the Mar-a-Lago dungeon...
Yep. Late scratch. Lower body injury.
https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/maple-leafs-defenceman-chris-tanev-a-late-scratch-vs-jets/
>The Toronto Maple Leafs are back in action tonight against the Winnipeg Jets. This is an early marquee matchup, as the Jets come into this one 24-10-1 and with the most points in the league. The Maple Leafs are 21-11-2 entering today's contest.
>Auston Matthews is considerted day-to-day after suffereing an upper body injury. He missed the last contest, but he could be back for today's. Additionally, Jan Hakanpaa and Anthony Stolarz remain on Injured Reserve with knee injuries. source
Matthew Knies — David Kampf– Mitch Marner Max Pacioretty — John Tavares — William Nylander Bobby McMann — Max Domi — Nicholas Robertson Steven Lorentz — Connor Dewar — Ryan Reaves
Morgan Rielly — Conor Timmins Oliver Ekman-Larsson — Chris Tanev Simon Benoit — Jake McCabe
Joseph Woll Dennis Hildeby
Scratched: Pontus Holmberg, Phillippe Myers
Injured: Jani Hakanpaa (lower body), Calle Jarnkrok (lower body), Anthony Stolarz (lower body), Auston Matthews (upper body)
Founded in 1988, Arutz Sheva (Channel 7), also known in English as Israel National News, is an Israeli media network identifying with Religious Zionism.
Editorially, they promote a strong pro-Israeli Zionist bias. Further, they report favorably on Prime Minister Netanyahu; Netanyahu sounds off on Bennett: ‘Too soft on Iran’. Finally, Arutz Sheva was found by Reuters to have used a deepfake photo for one of their journalists.
>The Toronto Maple Leafs will look to make it four in a row when they host a New York Islanders team looking to pull themselves out of last place in the Metropolitan Division. Currently, the team is tied with the Florida Panthers for the top spot in the Atlantic Division with a record of 21-11-2 that's seen them win seven of their last ten. source
Projected Lineup (ed: Updated!):
Matthew Knies– David Kampf* — Mitch Marner Max Pacioretty — John Tavares — William Nylander Bobby McMann — Max Domi — Nicholas Robertson Steven Lorentz — Connor Dewar* — Pontus Holmberg
Morgan Rielly — Conor Timmins Oliver Ekman-Larsson — Chris Tanev Simon Benoit — Jake McCabe
Joseph Woll Dennis Hildeby
Scratched: Ryan Reaves, Phillippe Myers
Injured: Jani Hakanpaa (lower body), Calle Jarnkrok (lower body), Anthony Stolarz (lower body)
Status report: The Maple Leafs did not hold a morning skate. … Goalie Matt Murray was assigned to Toronto of the American Hockey League on Saturday; Hildeby was recalled.
~~
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews will not be available Saturday night against the New York Islanders after aggravating the upper-body injury that caused him to miss games last month, reports TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston.
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews will not be available Saturday night against the New York Islanders after aggravating the upper-body injury that caused him to miss games last month, reports TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston.
He is considered questionable for Monday's game against the Winnipeg Jets.
Murray's return to the Maple Leafs crease 628 days since his last NHL appearance means much more than the win he recorded.
Matt Murray looked up to the scoreboard above him, counted down the seconds as they disappeared and finally pumped his fist.
It had been 638 days since Murray last felt the feeling washing over him.
Bilateral hip surgery forced the Toronto Maple Leafs goalie out of the entire 2023-24 season, the final of a four-year contract. There was no guarantee the oft-injured Murray would play in the NHL again. A one-year contract offered him a lifeline to continue grinding far out of the spotlight in the AHL, with only one goal.
And over a year and a half later, Murray was back to where he had fought to be: in the NHL win column after stopping 24 shots in a 6-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres.
>On Friday, the Toronto Maple Leafs will look to make it three in a row when they face off with the Buffalo Sabres in a rematch from Sunday. The last time these two teams played, Toronto edged out a 5-3 win, which they built on with a 5-3 win over the Dallas Stars on Wednesday.
>While Toronto is carrying plenty of momentum, Buffalo is in the midst of an 11-game losing streak that most recently saw them drop a 6-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. source
William Nylander -- Auston Matthews -- Mitch Marner Matthew Knies -- John Tavares -- Max Pacioretty Bobby McMann -- Max Domi -- Nicholas Robertson Pontus Holmberg -- David Kampf -- Steven Lorentz
Morgan Rielly -- Conor Timmins Oliver Ekman-Larsson -- Chris Tanev Simon Benoit -- Jake McCabe
Matt Murray Joseph Woll
Scratched: Ryan Reaves, Connor Dewar, Philippe Myers
Injured: Jani Hakanpaa (lower body), Calle Jarnkrok (lower body), Anthony Stolarz (knee)
Matt Murray has posted an impressive .931 save percentage with the Marlies this season.
After 628 days away from NHL action, Matt Murray is set to return in goal for the Maple Leafs.
The two-time Stanley Cup champion’s road back to the NHL has seen him endure a bilateral hip surgery in October 2023 and two separate stints with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies.
The Leafs recalled Murray from the Marlies on Friday morning after going 4-1-2-1 with an impressive .931 save percentage to start the AHL season.
Nylander is quick to rave about the Leafs coach and his playing style that has him scoring more than ever.
William Nylander and Craig Berube appeared to get off to a rocky start this past fall.
There was Nylander’s move to centre, which Berube squashed almost immediately at training camp, Nylander’s public plea for more ice time soon after, and some animated conversations along the way between star and head coach at practice.
Whatever apparent tension there was then is gone now, it seems.
During a one-on-one conversation with The Athletic this week, which touched on a variety of subjects including the rationale behind his desire for more minutes, Nylander raved about Berube and the job he was doing as the Maple Leafs head coach.
>The Maple Leafs look to start turning their underwhelming road record around in their annual visit to the Lone Star State tonight in Dallas (7:30 p.m. EST, Sportsnet). source
Matthew Knies — Auston Matthews — Mitch Marner Max Pacioretty — John Tavares — William Nylander Bobby McMann — Max Domi — Nicholas Robertson Steven Lorentz — David Kampf — Ryan Reaves
Morgan Rielly — Oliver Ekman-Larsson Jake McCabe — Chris Tanev Simon Benoit — Conor Timmins
Joseph Woll Dennis Hildeby
Scratched: Connor Dewar, Pontus Holmberg, Philippe Myers
Injured: Jani Hakanpaa (lower body), Calle Jarnkrok (lower body), Anthony Stolarz (knee)
Status report:
The Maple Leafs held an optional morning skate. … Kampf practiced Tuesday and is expected to play after missing 12 games because of a lower-body injury. … Stolarz will have a procedure to remove a loose body from behind his knee and the goalie is expected to be out 4-6 weeks. … The Maple Leafs sent forward Fraser Minten to Toronto of the American Hockey League on Tuesday.
A stellar showing while Anthony Stolarz recovers could cement Woll as a bona fide long-term starter in net.
Joseph Woll smiled and laughed after Maple Leafs practice on Tuesday, bouncing from his dressing room stall toward teammate and friend Matthew Knies. Woll continued to grin as he took playful jabs at Knies for not returning an earlier phone call.
It was as relaxed and eager as Woll has looked all season, especially considering he stumbled out of the gates with a groin injury before the season started.
And now Woll will have even more reason to feel eager about what’s in front of him: a bona fide opportunity to be trusted as the Leafs’ starting goalie.
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