Editor In Leaf
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The Toronto Maple Leafs Schedule Is a Joke and Other Tales

By James Tanner

TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 5: Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs looks on before the start of the second period against the Montreal Canadiens at the Scotiabank Arena on October 5, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 5: Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs looks on before the start of the second period against the Montreal Canadiens at the Scotiabank Arena on October 5, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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The Toronto Maple Leafs will take on the Philadelphia Flyers tonight at the A.C.C.

For the Toronto Maple Leafs, it’s the first game of a yet another back-to-back set of games.

Tomorrow’s game is on the road in Chicago.

For the Toronto Maple Leafs, this is the fifth set of back-to-backs so far this season.  All of them have required the team to travel after the first game.

By contrast, the Bruins have played a single set of back-to-backs.  (Someone mentioned this on twitter, and I tried to find it, but couldn’t. Credit to you, mystery man).

This should bode well for the Leafs later in the season, but for now, it’s an absolute joke.

Toronto Maple Leafs vs Flyers

The Toronto Maple Leafs kicked off their (so far) modest three game winning streak last Saturday with a shoot-out victory over these same Flyers.  They have now picked up points in four straight games, and five of six.

In fact, the Leafs have picked up points in seven of their last nine games. That’s really solid.

A lot of people still look at OT/Shootout points as losses, but as Sportsnet writer Steve Burtch pointed out on Twitter a team with a 4-2 record in regulation will have less points than a team that goes 3-0-3.

Tonight’s game will feature Trevor Moore on the second line again with Tavares and Marner, while the fourth line will be Shore centering Timashov and Gauthier.

Spezza has been by far the best member of this line, so it’s pretty mysterious to me why the Toronto Maple Leafs insist on sitting him.  Personally, I’d sit both Timashov and the Goat before Spezza.  In fact, I think the Leafs fourth line should feature Petan-Shore-Spezza, but nobody on the Leafs takes my opinion into consideration.

Speaking of Petan, since he cleared waivers, he is now playing on the Marlies where he may just be the best player in the entire AHL.  Marincin cleared waivers too, but for now he remains with the Leafs.

Tonight’s defensive pairings remain the same, but Babock has got to get more ice-time for Travis Dermott.  The guy is an absolute stud and is going to be the Leafs second best defenseman before long.

The sooner the Leafs can promote Dermott to the top line, the sooner they’ll be a better team.   Last game Dermott barely played, so hopefully tonight he gets used more.

Next. Toronto Maple Leafs November Prospect Update. dark

The Toronto Maple Leafs will play at 7 on the CBC and they’ll be looking for their fourth straight win.

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