Toronto Maple Leafs Tea

09/16/2025

Okay,

After several months of being inactive, "I am", "we're" back!

Let's start off with a question: out of the new additions this summer, who do you project will have the greatest impact to the team?

11/25/2024

What’s the TML tea?

Please, have a seat and lets have a look at a trend that has emerged; a trend that hasn’t been for some time.
The Leafs, without captain and notably the best player on the roster (along with a long list of other hurt players) have been winning at an incredible rate. They look… Energized! They look… Cohesive!

They look… Great!

It seems like the ‘next man up!’ mentality has a flame burning under Minten, Grebenkin, Steeves, and even Benoit, causing that beloved in-house competition that raises the bar and energy of the line-up. They’ve each been contributing, if not all on the scoreboard.

What I’d like to talk about is stability. I think of a nice, long, country ride, where you relax, and enjoy the view as you inevitably arrive at your destination. This happens when the road is straight and clear and there are no accidents or detours. I wasn’t aware of a variable that is criminally obvious, once it’s revealed, that I only understood in it’s fullness when I reflected back to last year, and the years prior. Then I released a proverbial sigh as I enjoyed the breathtaking view around me. That ‘ah-ha’ moment, or ‘epiphany’ – as it were – has been captured and will be released to you.
Last season, we had goalie injuries, but more importantly, we had a stretch of games and weeks where our #1 goalie was thought of as all but finished. His dismal record and shakiness between the pipes was difficult to witness as was his confidence that filled like water in a sieve. It’s hard to win games when your team lacks confidence in their goalie’s ability to make timely saves. It’s hard for a goalie to make timely saves when he lacks confidence in himself. It was hard to watch and cost many games.

Now, venture back to another time when Matt Murray looked abnormally shaky. He also looked fragile, but that is another story. Now, venture back to another time when Jack Campbell looked abnormally shaky and seemed to go through the dips and lulls of confidence during the season.

I bring your attention back to these shaky times not to insult or shame those goalies, but rather to point to a variable that can easily be lost in the conversation: Both of our goalies seems cool, calm, and collected. Both of our goalies ‘have been’ exercising consistency – an attribute that makes the difference between the good, the great, and the elite. Both of our goalies have made the timely saves to give our team both confidence in their ability and a chance to remain competitive the full sixty-minutes.

I tip my hat to Stolarz and Woll both independently and as a tandem, and for the collective AAV they cost, my goodness, what a steal!

I’m excited to see them both continue to grow and develop as they seem to each have thick enough skin to handle the hot-seat which is the Toronto Maple Leaf media as well as select members of Leaf’s Nation.

Two solid tests are on the horizon as the Leafs make a Florida trip
to take on divisional rivals, the Florida Panthers on Wednesday and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.

Puck drop is 7:30 PM on SportsNet.

11/22/2024

What’s the TML tea?

Well, with a few days to reflect before their next performance on Sunday, against the Utah Hockey Club, I find now might be a good time to reflect on the first quarter of the 24/25 season.

Tied 6th overall with a .650 point percentage, Toronto has a record of 12-6-2 over 20 games. Their PP is 13th overall at a measly 20%, however, this stat is deceiving as they started out horrendous on the special teams and have been climbing their way up. That being said, despite their dismal 20% PP percentage, they are trending in the right direction.

Their PK ranks 7th overall at an admirable 84.9%. Much like the PP, their PK is trending in the right direction and I would love to see them advance a few positions by the midway mark of the season.
They rank 7th in Goals Against and 11th in Goals For and boast a +11 plus/minus. I’d say they are in good company in each of these rankings.

In the Atlantic Division, with their impressive win over the Las Vegas Golden nights, they are in 1st with 26 points and one game in hand on the 2nd ranked Florida Panthers. It’s still early, however, those loses to Columbus and St. Louis have left their mark, even if they’re in good shape. Again, like their PK, they’re trending in the right direction.

Most impressive/unexpected: I have their goaltending topping the ranks for this category with the play of Pacioretty in a close second. Anthony Stolarz is ranked 3rd in Goals Against Average and 1st in Save Percentage. This is both highly impressive and unexpected. Joseph Woll has been playing great, as well, so as a tandem they’re looking great, but I do not believe anyone saw the low AAV goaltender from Florida in the top three goalie conversation throughout the league. I added Pacioretty as I am both impressed and did not expect his style of play. He was a perennial elite level playmaker, 30 goal scorer who played a skilled/finesse game. This season, he’s been playing a heavy, finish all of your hits (solidly) third-line defensive game and he’s played it well – I am impressed. Very impressed.

Most impressive: I would give this one to Chris Tanev and when he’s paired with Jake McCabe, to their defensive pairing. Tanev plays a very sound, tight, defensive defenceman style and he consistently goes game in, game out, mostly unseen. This is good. This is really good. When paired with McCabe they play a very simple, yet effective tight-defensive style that provides a high-level of support and blocked shots in support of the goaltending. It has been impressive.

Most improved: This is easy. Matthew Knies. Some nights he looks like the engine of a top six line, or an elite level power-forward who is nearing his potential. He has been finding the back of the net, but also has improved his corner and net front presence game. In his sophomore year he has shown great strides in improving and the ceiling continues to rise for this young man. A close second is Bobby McMann. He is showing improvements upon his break-out year by scoring some nice, timely goals. He’s also showing a maturation to his game by using his size to retain the puck and improving on the defensive side of things.

Most Valuable Player: Well, I have three. Marner – excellent defensive game and constant buzzing as well as scoring big-moment goals. Nylander – engine of the team and often times looks to be the move skilled player on the ice. Tavares – his point-a-game output and a few, impressive, game winning goals reveals that he still has some gas in the tank.

Least Impressive Player: I give this ranking to Nicolas Robertson. It is sad to witness, as he clearly has talent, drive, and an exceptionally hard/accurate shot, however, he doesn’t seem to be able to put it together. It could be the Berube system. It could be the third line minutes/role. It could be he’s disgruntled he hasn’t been traded. I’m really not sure. With 1 goal/point in 17 games that ties him with Ryan Reaves (who has one fewer game) and Fraser Minten (who has six-teen fewer games) – this is not good company for a player with a projected ceiling of an elite level scorer. To add to this, and it's not 'one player' but all of the injuries, earlier on, is highly unimpressive. Jarnkrok, Hakanpaa, Dewar, Matthews, Pacioretty, Domi, and possibly Knies. This is tough to witness.

Lets look at the lines:

Top 6: B: Although they’ve been great in some areas, they’re still ‘top heavy’. I would like to see Domi/Knies pick up their game and add to the stats which would bump their grade up to a B+ minimal.

Bottom 6: B -: Pacioretty and Tavarese (when he plays down there) and McMann have looked great, but there is much left to desire with Kampf, Robertson, and Dewar. I find Reaves gets a pass, as he is playing excellent, responsible hockey for the role of an enforcer. Lorentz has been the shinning point and has contributed 4 points (3 goals and 1 assist) which eclipses his point total last season (in 38 games). He’s had a goal called back and a few posts and could easily be at 5 goals. This is great output for a player who has been an amazing depth role player and an exceptional penalty killer.

Top 2 Defense: B+: If it’s Reilly/Tanev, or Reilly/OEL, or Reilly/Hakanpaa, it’s been a solid pairing. With 4 goals and 9 assists Reilly is returning to his former, Offensive Defenseman form – this is good news for Leaf fans. On top of Reilly personal stats Toronto’s top pairing defensive line has looked decent at worst and great at best in 20 games.

Top 4 Defense: A+: Tanev/McCabe – enough said. When it was McCabe and OEL, they also played very well together. The former is a shut-down defensive line that lives up to the name. Did I mention I am impressed?

Top 6 Defense: A: For the bottom pairing, Benoit (solid hits in last game and many blocked shots), Connor Timmins (increased defensive zone breakouts and offensive acumen), and Jani Hakanpaa (size, reach, heavy), all look great and have skills that compliment each other. They’re dependable and each of them has improved (Benoit, actually taking a slight step backwards from an over-impressive season).

That's my humble opinion.

So far, so good.

GLG!

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube says forward Matthew Knies is still being evaluated but feels better a day after receiving a check from Vegas Golden Knights defenceman Zach Whitecloud.

11/21/2024

What is the TML tea?

Well, as promised, I have six biscuits to share with you.

#1. Joseph "Wall" Woll: Stopped all 31 shots and looked cool/calm/collected. It was great to see and I am certain it will boost both his confidence and the confidence of his team in him.

#2. New young guns: Minten/Grebenkin/Steeves. Minten with a goal and he had good spurts of energy with an aggressive forecheck. I was impressed. Grebenkin is building a reputation as a pest. Some nice hits and a little finesse with the puck. Steeves looked good, as always, and showed a little grit. This is a small sample selection and I'm both happy and looking forward to seeing more of them and their styles of play.

#3. Solid defense: They continue to look better and better as the games pile on. I'm impressed. Benoit with some nice blocks and solid hits. Tanev/McCabe play it tight and safe. Reilly/OEL look like they're gelling. I wasn't happy with Timmins game tonight and the un-needed penalty in the second, however, it's one to grow on.

#4. Powerful powerplay: 50% tonight. They were moving the puck well and moving around the ice causing the defenders to have to continually adjust.

#5. Solid team effort: They’ve improved to 6 – 1- 0 without Auston Matthews. I’ve noted since he’s been injured certain players have really stepped-up and the team as a whole is playing a more tight-checking, aggressive forecheck, puck possession game. We miss AM and all the other hurt players, but their play speaks to a team philosophy that every player is buying into as well as their team depth. I’m impressed. Good goaltending, defense, and solid offense = Leafs win and fans entertained.

#6. Injuries piling up: That was a massive hit by Whitecloud on Knies at center ice. It looked like there was contact to the head and he definitely bounced his head off the ice. It doesn’t look good and we’ll have to wait for the injury update.

There’s no game on Saturday, so the Leafs play their next game at home against the Utah Hockey Club at 7 PM Sunday.

For those of you that missed tonight's game, here is SportsNets game in six:

https://youtu.be/QbvTPc9wc_I?si=zjCjypWIbePFDye-

Fraser Minten scored his first career NHL goal and Joseph Woll recorded a 31-save shutout for the Toronto Maple Leafs in a 3-0 victory over the Vegas Golden ...

11/21/2024

What is the TML tea?

Well, with only a few minutes to go, it looks like Grebenkin will make his NHL debut tonight on a line with Robertson, centered by Minten.

This will be an exciting, young, energy line and I expect to see them make a few mistakes as they shake things up.

It is always exciting seeing these young prospects get some game time and witness them raising the bar and making a strong case to take the job of one of the full-timers.

This will be a good game against a very competitive Golden Knights.

Joseph Woll in net. Puck drop in five minutes.

GLG!

11/20/2024

What is the TML Tea?

Well, first, my apologies for going absent for a short period of time. I was in the middle of a big move and then getting settled in to new surroundings, but alas, I will resume.

There is so much to catch-up on since the last time I posted.

Hakanpaa/Dewar are both officially back in the line-up.

As expected (sadly) an aging Max Pacioretty, that was playing a highly physically intensive game (exceptionally well and abnormally clean for that style) has succumb to an injury that has him out of the line-up and on the LTIR.

Captain, Auston Matthews has been dealing with an undisclosed injury that has taken him out of several games and put him on the IR. It was widely reported that he is in Germany, speaking to a world-renowned specialist regarding this injury. That is both good news, as it shows they're taking it seriously and consulting the best they have access to to get him back in game shape, and bad news as his injury is that severe that they needed to send him to a world-renowned specialist. Strangely, and I noted this in the past, the Leafs seem to play a more complete game when Auston is out of the line-up. I've noted their power-play seems to increase in power as well.

Many, many injuries and one suspension. I'll get to the latter, latter, and will just brief on the injury bug. David Kampf is day-to-day with a lower body issue. Jarnkrok has successfully completed his sports hernia (isn't just a hernia?) surgery and is month-to-month with his recuperation. I'll add a side note that our dire need to make a trade to free-up cap space is lessened knowing Jarnkrok's AAV is on the LTIR. It has just been reported that Max Domi has been placed on the IR with a lower-body injury.
Fraser Minten has been reactivated to the big club so expect to see him in the line-up tonight against the Golden Knights. Alex Steeves was called-up last week and will more likely-than-not take Reaves spot on the fourth line while he serves his suspension. As for Pacioretty and Matthews and Kampf, the return of Connor Dewar was fortuitous and oft scratched McMann and Robertson will have stable positions for the interim. It's a different look, yet, but from a learning perspective, this will give Berube and company some options to mix, match, and test.

Reaves is suspended. Not just suspended, suspended for five games. I find Reaves to be a highly respectable player and I find he knows how to pick his shots and plays a very clean game considering the role he is hired for. In my humble opinion his hit was definitely suspension worthy (all the evidence was there) but I didn't see it as a malicious attempt to injure. In all honesty, I was shocked that with Reaves on the ice (or even without Reaves being on the ice) Nurse would come around the net with his head down for so long - that's puzzling to me. Nurse right shoulder was there and I understand it's a fast game, but I believe if Reaves could have adjusted a little more to make shoulder-to-shoulder contact, that would have been a hit of the year candidate without any penalty (possibly charging) let alone a suspension. So, it-is-what-it-is and he's out a lengthy five games.

Let's talk about MM: He takes a lot of flack and is often the go-to excuse for any Leaf's issues. This is normal. What isn't normal is giving praise where praise is due, and praise is definitely due - long over-due, in my opinion. Since Matthew's has been gone on IR Marner has really stepped up his game and is very noticeable as one of the main engines of the team. Honorable mentions to Nylander, as well, however, Marner - again, in my opinion - has looked elite. A few players on our team have surrounded the likes of Marner, Nylander, and Tavares and have chipped in goals and effort. McMann and Knies have stepped up and added to their point totals and are really looking like cost friendly pieces to the puzzle. Back to Marner - it is speculated that he may take a center role tonight in the continued absence of Matthews and now Kampf. This is excellent news for me. I've always wondered why they experimented with Nylander at center when Marner is - again, in my opinion and the opinion of many others - one of, if not, the best defensive minded forward on the team and one of the top in the league (as per his Selke nominations). I would love to see a one-two punch down the middle with AM and MM in the future and if MM plays center for a few games and impresses the coaching staff, well, this could become a reality.

OEL: Each game he continues to impress me with his speed (I didn't think he was that fast), his offensive play (he seems very comfortable holding the puck in the offensive zone) and his glimpses of nasty (I didn't think he had this physical aspect to his game). It is a very refreshing element to witness on our much-improved defensive core.

I think that is more than enough to chew on for one Wednesday morning.

Remember tonight's game against the Las Vegas Golden Knights starts at 7:30 PM and can be watched live on SportsNet.

The list of injured Toronto Maple Leafs is growing by the day.

11/04/2024

What's the tea?

Well, with 1/2 or a 50% PP, 30 hits, 24 blocked shots and 28 shots on goal the Leafs lost in overtime.

I found they had a spirited effort, with some deep lulls late in the second and on a few occasions in the third, but overall I thought that played fine.

I'm really not sure why there seems to be such a swing in effort and performance. The game two weeks ago against the Lightening, then last week against the Jets, followed by a lackluster game against the Blue Jackets, then the Blues, then the Blues, and tonight against the Wild. As I mentioned, 30 hits and 24 blocked shots reveal a team effort in commitment to an aggressive forecheck and tight-defense showing that the effort was there, yet, they were still lacking. I find with this high-powered elite offensively skilled team, when their big guns are not scoring, it seems like a single dimension is exposed. I am certain many fans are releasing a collective sigh at that last statement as it is seems to be glaringly obvious early on this season.

So, what's next?

Well, we play against the Bruins at home on Tuesday. We'll see how we rebound against a team that always seems to bring out the competitive nature in us, yet seems to have our number. I'm certain I'll have a few biscuits to share after that game.

For now, look for Dewar/Hakanpaa to make their season debut Tuesday (doubtfully), Friday (potentially), Saturday (potentially), Tuesday November 12th (certainly). I'm curious to see how their skill-sets will add to the team's on-ice chemistry. Also, look for another trade. I can see newly acquired defenseman Matthew Benning getting traded, as I can also see Robertson and/or Jarnkrok being traded as GM Treliving may desire to address the 2nd/3rd line center situation sooner, rather than later, as a .500 record isn't creating a compelling case for the playoff contender status they've advertised.

I'm looking forward to another spirited game against divisional rival, the Boston Bruins, this Tuesday. Game starts at 7 PM on TSN.

For those of you that missed the game, here are the highlights:

Filip Gustavsson stopped 27 shots on the night, Matt Boldy scored the overtime-winning goal, and the Minnesota Wild topped the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1.------...

11/03/2024

What is the TML tea?

Well, there is much to talk about. Lilijgren has been traded for right-shot defenseman, Matthew Benning, a third round draft pick in the 2025 draft (not San Jose's, unfortunately, but either Edmonton's or Colorado's) and a 5th round draft pick in the 2026 draft.

Toronto shed's Lilijgren's $3 million AAV but pick up Benning's $1.5 million AAV.

Will Benning be traded again for another draft pick or a prospect?

Will the Leafs move Jarnkrok/Robertson/Kampf in the near future?

Hakanpaa and Dewar have been loaned to the Marlies for a three game/six day fitness stint, meaning we may see one (or both) in the line-up by Friday night's game against the Wings, and will see both of them in the line-up next week.

Last night the Leafs lost an inspired, yet deflated, game against the Blues. They play the second of their road game back-to-back against the Minnesota Wild tonight at 6 PM on SportsNet Ontario.

I'll provide a post-game round-up for tonight's game shortly after the final whistle.

GLG!

There is a reason the Toronto Maple Leafs were recently named one of the most poorly run teams in the NHL by both NHL executives and fans (the Athletic). That

10/29/2024

What’s the TML tea?

Well, tonight I took some notes as I tuned into Amazon Prime’s coverage at 7 PM.
I’ll share:

Pregame:

Benoit’s theatrics as first guy in the hallway before the pre-game warmup provided a nice glimpse into the pre-game routine, player’s personalities and their interactions with each other and equipment staff.

Next, I loved the live feed of the warmup with no commentary or voice-over analysis.

The First period:

Berube has made some notable line changes: McCabe – fresh off his team friendly 5 x $4.5 mill AAV contract – is now with Tanev. Reilley with OEL (double-shot of offence). Timmins returns with his normal partner, Benoit.

1st power-play. Looked more intense. Knies in, Reilly in, on PP1. Nylander, OEL on r/l defence PP2. Nylander and Tavares on PP2 with Domi and McMann. They’re unable to enter the offensive zone.

Pacioretty playing physical and showcasing his playmaking skills. I’m impressed.

The Leafs play a strong first period and end it with an impressive18 shots.

I love the increased volume of the in-arena noise. The sound of the crowd after a nice pass or big hit. The sound of the players communicating to each other on the ice and the thumping on the boards after a big hit. If the desire of the production crew was to make the game more real and interactive to the viewing audience, they’ve hit the mark and have really increased the value of the experience in the broadcast. I love the intermission analysis. It is to the point, accurate, relating to the game at hand, and brief, then they sent us to a one-one-one with Josh Morrisey. I love it! The value added by the ‘quick’ analysis, then a quick transition to a player interview, then cut to commercial before a major injury update in the NHL, is notable, as it adds much information without spending too much time on one topic. The intermission seemed to go by quick. I liked it. Note to all interested, if you’re going to an NHL game that is being broadcast by Prime, text your friends at home who will be watching the game, find the Prime Monday Night Hockey booth, then at the intermissions, stand directly behind them and get your fifteen minutes of fame.

The second period:

More Pacioretty and Nylander and even more penalties. The Jets turn the heat up, then Holmberg, OEL, and Reilly to the penalty box. Connor gets two on the PP and brings them within two. You could feel the energy shift from the Leafs to the Jets. Tavares with another goal (Pacioretty in on the play) and a total of 31 shots we finish the period 5 – 2. I liked Matthew’s 200 foot effort to back-check and finish with a hit that sends his player to the ice and the crowd to their feet, then he returns up the ice and gets a signature wrister from the hashmarks that just misses. That was a great display of a north/south style play that I am certain has caught the attention of the coaching staff.

The third period:

Looking like they’re on their heels, Benoit takes a poor penalty after hacking the opposing player’s skates. Sheifele with the goal off a snap-shot the Vilardi deflects a shot and we’re within one. This is not good! Tavares gets the empty-net goal and goal, finishing off a hat-trick and the w for the Leafs.

Overall:

They took a lot of penalties and were 50% on the PK – this is not acceptable. They went 0% on the PP – this is not acceptable. The line of Tavares, Pacioretty, and Nylander looked great. I can see this line sticking together for Thursday night’s match-up at home against Seattle. Marner/Knies/Matthews – they each looked good and each of them looked great on the PK. Kampf was barely noticeable tonight as was Timmins. Stolarz looked good, but not great. I guess there isn’t much more to say. As predicted, they rose to the level of their competition, and, as per pattern they’ll play a .500, sub 20 ranked team on Thursday and, if history repeats itself, will play down to their opponents skill level and lay another October egg. Fun night, regardless and for those of you that missed it, I’ll add the game’s highlights when they’re uploaded.

Watch the Game Highlights from Winnipeg Jets vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, 10/28/2024— — — — —00:00:00 - Game Start00:00:21 - Goal by John Tavares00:01:31 - Goal ...

10/29/2024

What is the TML tea?

Well, I was moving on the weekend so I didn't share the tea on the close game against the Bruins on Saturday.

Perhaps now is as good of a time as any to share a few biscuits on it, then add a primer for tonight's match-up.

#1. Is this a script?: 4-3 loss against the Bruins after a comeback. Isn't that reminiscent of the 4-3 game loss in the playoff series last year? Doesn't Toronto always seem to lose, but the slightest margin to the Bruins, game after game and series after series? On Saturday I was certain Domi was going to clinch the win for us and then a few moments later Matthew's - of all players - coughs up a muffin to none other than Pasternak while, none other than Marchand, is standing to the right of Stolarz. Didn't Marchand score the beauty game winner, top shelf glove side on the Leafs in one of the anti-climatic losses in the post season, last year? It really feels scripted.

#2. It was exciting: The game, albeit with a slow start, was rather exciting. I find like respected competition, these two teams seem to bring out the best of each other, and the entertainment factor for the fans.

#3. Woll: He didn't look great, but he did make some nice saves. This is too small of a sample size to determine where he is mentally and physically, but he looked, 'okay'. Regardless, it is good to have him back.

#4. Powerless, Power-Play and mid-range PK: The PK is still good and ranked at 20th in the league at 83.8%. Only the Capitals, Ducks, and Sabers are ranked lower than the 29th ranked Leafs who boast a lowly 10% PP rate. This is very ugly, even for a team that is in the middle of a rebuild, let alone a playoff contender hopeful. I noted this morning that it has been confirmed that Berube is shaking up his PP lines with Knies and Pacioretty getting promotions and OEL, Tavares, and Nylander being spread-out to the 2nd PK line. We'll see how this goes, however, last years PP slump has really been deflated so far this season and in order for them to have success this season, let alone in the post-season, this is an area that will have to be addressed - sooner, rather than later.

Now for the primer.

The Leaf's play their second Monday night game against the undefeated Winnipeg Jet's tonight at 7:30 PM on Amazon Prime.

Winnipeg is 8-0 and if history repeats itself, Toronto will rise to their level of competition and will play a very willful, dominating, three periods of hockey tonight. Over the years, since the Spezza/Pionk and Simmonds/Stanley and Clifford/Dillon skirmishes there has been some intensity when these two teams come together. Tonight, I expect the Leafs to come out charging and looking to make a statement against a team that has some very large bodies (Lowry and Stanley) who are not a group to be intimidated. Expect pushback, big hits and heavy offensive zone pressure to set the pace in the first period. This will be exciting! I'm also equally excited to watch the second production of the streaming service Amazon Prime's broadcast. I thoroughly enjoyed the first broadcast and found for their first run, they did an excellent job. Pay attention to the 'details' as the volume of the crowd seems to be increased as well as little, neat, details, like being able to watch the pre-game warm-ups, and Benoit and company perform their pre-game, hallway, fist-bumps and theatrics.

Again, this game starts at 7:30 PM EST on Amazon Prime and you can watch the count-down timer from 7 PM until puck-drop (I love this detail!).

GLG!

Despite a late, third-period goal from Toronto Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews to even things up at three apiece, Brad Marchand called game for the Boston Bruin...

10/28/2024

What is the TML tea?

Well, I was moving on the weekend so I didn't share the tea on the close game against the Bruins on Saturday.

Perhaps now is as good of a time as any to share a few biscuits on it, then add a primer for tonight's match-up.

#1. Is this a script?: 4-3 loss against the Bruins after a comeback. Isn't that reminiscent of the 4-3 game loss in the playoff series last year? Doesn't Toronto always seem to lose, but the slightest margin to the Bruins, game after game and series after series? On Saturday I was certain Domi was going to clinch the win for us and then a few moments later Matthew's - of all players - coughs up a muffin to none other than Pasternak while, none other than Marchand, is standing to the right of Stolarz. Didn't Marchand score the beauty game winner, top shelf glove side on the Leafs in one of the anti-climatic losses in the post season, last year? It really feels scripted.

#2. It was exciting: The game, albeit with a slow start, was rather exciting. I find like respected competition, these two teams seem to bring out the best of each other, and the entertainment factor for the fans.

#3. Woll: He didn't look great, but he did make some nice saves. This is too small of a sample size to determine where he is mentally and physically, but he looked, 'okay'. Regardless, it is good to have him back.

#4. Powerless, Power-Play and mid-range PK: The PK is still good and ranked at 20th in the league at 83.8%. Only the Capitals, Ducks, and Sabers are ranked lower than the 29th ranked Leafs who boast a lowly 10% PP rate. This is very ugly, even for a team that is in the middle of a rebuild, let alone a playoff contender hopeful. I noted this morning that it has been confirmed that Berube is shaking up his PP lines with Knies and Pacioretty getting promotions and OEL, Tavares, and Nylander being spread-out to the 2nd PK line. We'll see how this goes, however, last years PP slump has really been deflated so far this season and in order for them to have success this season, let alone in the post-season, this is an area that will have to be addressed - sooner, rather than later.

Now for the primer.

The Leaf's play their second Monday night game against the undefeated Winnipeg Jet's tonight at 7:30 PM on Amazon Prime.

Winnipeg is 8-0 and if history repeats itself, Toronto will rise to their level of competition and will play a very willful, dominating, three periods of hockey tonight. Over the years, since the Spezza/Pionk and Simmonds/Stanley and Clifford/Dillon skirmishes there has been some intensity when these two teams come together. Tonight, I expect the Leafs to come out charging and looking to make a statement against a team that has some very large bodies (Lowry and Stanley) who are not a group to be intimidated. Expect pushback, big hits and heavy offensive zone pressure to set the pace in the first period. This will be exciting! I'm also equally excited to watch the second production of the streaming service Amazon Prime's broadcast. I thoroughly enjoyed the first broadcast and found for their first run, they did an excellent job. Pay attention to the 'details' as the volume of the crowd seems to be increased as well as little, neat, details, like being able to watch the pre-game warm-ups, and Benoit and company perform their pre-game, hallway, fist-bumps and theatrics.

Again, this game starts at 7:30 PM EST on Amazon Prime and you can watch the count-down timer from 7 PM until puck-drop (I love this detail!).

GLG!

After showing patience with his offence and particularly a sour power play, Toronto's coach has big moves in mind Monday against Jets.