The Toronto Maple Leafs Monday Report + News + Injuries + Standings etc.
The Toronto Maple Leafs had a light week with only two games last week, but I think overall they were two pretty good games.
First, they dominated a Flyers team that is playing way over it's head. Regardless of where the Flyers are in the standings, the Toronto Maple Leafs should crush them, and crush them they did.
Timothy Liljegren, auditioning to become the Leafs best defenseman, had a great game and was the best player on the ice for either team against the Flyers.
In Saturday's game, the Leafs took on the Carolina Hurricanes and lost in a shootout. They blew a three goal lead, and a late two goal lead. Though Carolina was by far the better team, the Leafs were missing their two best penalty killing forwards, which includes their second-best player.
Overall, given the disparity of the rosters each team dressed, and the fact the Leafs won the 5v5 minutes and did a lot of good preventing Carolina from entering their zone with control, you have to be happy with this game, results aside.
Toronto Maple Leafs Monday Report + News + Injuries + Standings etc.
This week the Leafs three times - Philadelphia, Washington and Edmonton.
They remain ten points back of Boston, and nine points back of Florida. Even if the Leafs won their two games-in-hand over Florida, they'd still be three wins or six points back.
It's not happening, because both teams seem unlikely to go on a prolonged losing streak, while the Leafs, out of the three of them, are the ones who are playing above their head already.
The Leafs must simply face the fact that they will start the playoffs on the road against one of the two best teams in the NHL. That sucks, but that's life in the Atlantic Division.
As to the injury situation, Mitch Marner is still day-to-day, so hopefully you're not losing your hockey pool this week because you can't drop him or put him on the IR!
Joseph Woll missed three months with the same injury, but I don't think anyone expects Marner to miss that much time. Considering that the Leafs are starting the playoffs in 3rd place under pretty much any circumstances, there is no point in rushing him back.
In the news department, Wayne Simmonds has apparently retired, which is weird because I already assumed he was retired.
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And, finally, Easton Cowen has scored in 34 straight games for the London Knights, something not even Mitch Marner himself did.