Leafs prevail

 Leafs are in fist place in the Canadian Division.

After a hard fought 4-3 win against the Calgary Flames last night. 

Here's how I saw it.

Mitch Marner's been working on his shot and it showed in the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 win Tuesday over the host Calgary Flames.

Marner's quick one-timer amid a crowd of Flames produced the game-winner at 12:14 of the third period.

"Trying to get more of a shot mentality," Marner said.

"I feel like I really want to try and make an extra play most of the time, but this year, trying to be more of a threat and more of a guy that can be more of a consistent shooter on net, and kind of change things up a lot on goalies."

Marner, who also assisted on an Auston Matthews goal Tuesday, continues to vie for the early lead in the NHL points race.

He was tied with Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid at five goals and seven assists Tuesday.

Matthews also had a goal and an assist for the Maple Leafs (6-2-0).

Wayne Simmonds and Travis Boyd scored Toronto's other goals. Frederik Andersen stopped 23-of-26 shots for the win.

Johnny Gaudreau scored twice for Calgary (2-2-1). Milan Lucic also scored for the Flames and Jacob Markstrom stopped 17 shots in the loss.

Calgary's sluggish start forced the hosts to chase Toronto.

Gaudreau's second goal of the game drew Calgary even at 3-3 in the third period, but Marner's deceptive release on a Matthews pass from the boards restored Toronto's lead.

"We did a good regrouping in the second getting ourselves back to an even hockey game, but they win from the inside of our slot.," Calgary head coach Geoff Ward said.

"The guy is standing right between three of our guys and finds a way to get a shot off. You can't give up four goals in this league regularly and expect to win games."

Gaudreau scored top corner from the face-off circle for a power-play goal at 9:03 of the third period.

Calgary outshot the visitors 18-5 in the second period, but still trailed by a goal after two.

A Juuso Valimaki pass caromed off Leaf Alex Kerfoot's skate to Lucic in the slot for him to beat Andersen between the pads at 14:21 of the second period.

Gaudreau halved a two-goal deficit at 1:08, but Boyd restored Toronto's two-goal cushion 61 seconds later.

Pierre Engvall dished to an unchallenged Boyd charging into the slot. Boyd scored his first as a Leaf fishing the puck out of his feet and chipping it over Markstrom.

Unchecked on Andersen's right side, Gaudreau had time to go backhand-forehand on Toronto's goalie.

Toronto outshot the Flames 10-1 and led 2-0 after the opening period. It took nearly 16 minutes for Calgary to register a shot on net.

"That was just an awful first period from us," Gaudreau said. "Not the way we're going to win games, playing catchup the whole game."

Matthews whipped the puck over Markstrom's right shoulder at 14:16 of the first period for a power-play goal.

Simmonds scored his second goal in as many games tucking his own rebound by Markstrom's right toe at 3:44.

Leafs backup goaltender Jack Campbell was replaced in the lineup by Michael Hutchinson.

Campbell's leg was injured in the final minute of Sunday's 3-2 win over the Flames when Matthew Tkachuk fell on him in a goal-mouth scrum.

Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe said Tuesday that Campbell will be sidelined for "weeks".

After enjoying the gentlest schedule to start the season of any team in the all-Canadian North Division, the Flames will now play 21 games in the next 40 days.

Calgary departs on a five-game road trip with two games in Montreal starting Thursday, followed by three games in four days in Winnipeg.

Toronto faces the Oilers on Thursday and Saturday in Edmonton to conclude a four-game road trip.

Notes: The Maple Leafs wore No. 10 patches on their chests in memory of George Armstrong, who captained Toronto to four Stanley Cups in the 1960s and died this week at age 90. Every Leaf wore No. 10 and "Armstrong" on their back during warmup ... Flames winger Dillon Dube was scratched for a second straight game with an upper-body injury.

 The Chief, George Armstrong, # 10.

 

 

 

 

 Hail to the Chief !

George Armstrong, who captained the Toronto Maple Leafs to four Stanley Cups in the 1960s, has died. He was 90.

His death was announced Sunday by the Maple Leafs, who said he died of heart complications, citing his family.

 Armstrong had 296 goals and 417 assists over 21 seasons for the Leafs, including 12 seasons as team captain, and remains the franchise leader in games played. The right wing had 26 goals and 34 assists in 110 playoff games.

Known as the "Chief," Armstrong was one of the first players of Indigenous descent to play professional hockey.

He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1975. Some 41 years later, Armstrong was voted No. 12 on the franchise's list of 100 greatest Maple Leafs in its centennial season.

"George is part of the very fabric of the Toronto Maple Leaf organization and will be deeply missed," Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan said in a statement.

"A proud yet humble man, he loved being a Maple Leaf, but never sought the spotlight even though no player played more games for Toronto or captained the team longer. Always one to celebrate his teammates rather than himself, George couldn't even bring himself to deliver his speech the day he was immortalized on Legends Row."

Armstrong would become one of a few Leafs honored with a banner at Scotiabank Arena, and his number was retired in October 2016 at the team's centennial anniversary home opener.

In 2015, Armstrong was added to the Leafs' Legends Row. The team released a statement Sunday with the words from Armstrong's unread speech that night.

"Hockey is a great game and I love it. I am part of a fading generation that you will never have again. Every one of us is one of a kind, that will never be repeated. To all of my friends and acquaintances, thank you for your advice and direction, that helped make me who I am today ... a very, very happy person."

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman paid tribute Sunday to the former Leafs captain.

"The National Hockey League family is saddened to learn of the passing of George Armstrong," Bettman said in a statement. "For 70 years, he represented his beloved Maple Leafs and the entire NHL with class and distinction as a player, coach, executive and ambassador.

"A humble man and revered leader, Armstrong captained the Leafs for 12 seasons -- including to three straight Stanley Cups in 1962, 1963 and 1964 and the stunning 1967 title -- and scored the final goal of the Original Six Era in Game 6 of the '67 Final.

"Our game will miss him dearly."

After retiring in 1971, Armstrong coached the Toronto Marlboros to Memorial Cup victories in 1972-73 and 1974-75 before accepting a scouting position with the Quebec Nordiques in 1978.

He spent nine years with Quebec before returning to Toronto as assistant general manager and scout in 1988. Armstrong served as interim coach for the final 47 games of the 1988-89 season after John Brophy was fired following an 11-20-2 start.

The next year, Armstrong returned to his role as a scout for the Leafs.

Armstrong scored 20 goals four times during his career but was better known for his leadership and work ethic, helping restore the franchise's winning touch. A smart player and talented backchecker, he worked the angles to get the best shot at his opponent and formed a formidable penalty-killing tandem with Hall of Famer Dave Keon.

Born in Bowland's Bay, Ontario, to an Irish father and an Iroquois mother, Armstrong honed his hockey skills near the nickel mines where his father worked.

It was during the Allan Cup tournament in 1950, specifically a visit to the Stoney Indian Reserve in Alberta, that he got his nickname. When the band heard of Armstrong's ancestral background, they made him an honorary member with the name "Chief Shoot-the-Puck" and presented him with a ceremonial headdress.

It was a different era and "The Chief" nickname stuck. Armstrong, who was proud of his mother's heritage, would become the first player of Indigenous descent to score in the NHL.

He spent most of two seasons in Pittsburgh with the Leafs' American Hockey League farm team before making the big league. He made his NHL debut in December 1949 and became a full-time member of the Leafs in time for the start of the 1952-53 season.

Toronto owner and GM Conn Smythe named Armstrong his captain before the 1957-58 season. Smythe would later call Armstrong "the best captain, as a captain, the Leafs have ever had."

The Leafs won the Stanley Cup in 1962, the first of three straight championships.

Armstrong was 36 when the veteran Leafs won the franchise's most recent championship in 1967. His insurance empty-net goal with 47 seconds remaining in the clinching 3-1 Game 6 win was the final goal of the Original Six era.

The 6-foot-1, 204-pounder played a few more seasons but suffered a knee injury during the 1969-70 season that forced him to retire. Armstrong was persuaded to come back for the 1970-71 season before quitting for good at age 40.

 

He will be missed, as an icon of the Maple Leafs.

 

 

 

 

Well hockey returns to my household this Wednesday night as the Maple Leafs take on the blue, blanc et rouge. Meaning their arch rivals , the Montreal Canadiens. My friend JF , who lives in Montreal has always appreciated the romance that this match up brings. He longs for the days when Lafleur would skate wildly down the wing and wind up and send a booming slapshot towards the net, hoping for a goal.

Me, I want to see Davey Keon stick handle and dipsy doodle around a defenceman ( doesn't matter what team ) and deke out the goalie.

Some wish to see John Ferguson duke it out with Eddie Shack, fisticuffs at centre ice. I wouldn't mind to see that brawl either, but the key is Montreal vs Toronto for ice supremacy. 

I have had the unique honour of being in both Montreal Forums, Maple Leaf Gardens, and the Air Canada Centre ( now named the Scotia Bank Arena ), and let me tell you, it is electric when these two teams play one another. Hair stands up on end, fingers tingle, fans try to stay in their seats, straining to see a glimpse of their heroes skate up and down the ice in the name of the best game ever invented.

So, it is my honour to name the All Time Leaf team and the All Time Habs team, my preferences, my favourites.

Montreal will be coached by Toe Blake, assisted by Scotty Bowman, how's that for hall of Fame coaching.

1st Line, at centre Le Gros Bill, Jean Beliveau, at right wing Yvan Cournoyer, and on left wing Guy LaFleur.

The second line will be manned by The pocket rocket , Henri Richard, Bob Gainey and Dick Duff.

The 3rd line will be centered by Elmer Lach, wings are Rocket Richard and Bernie Geoffrion.

On defence, only 6 are on my list, Serge Savard, Doug Harvey, Tom Johnston, J.C. Trembley, Guy Lapointe and Big Larry Robinson.

Tending the twine tent, Ken Dryden, backed up by Patrick Roy.

For the Maple Leafs, their first line will be Dave Keon, Frank Mahovlich and Wendel Clark.

Their second line will be Auston Matthews, Lanny MacDonald and Rick Vaive.

Their 3rd line will be Doug Gilmour, Paul Henderson and George Armstrong

On defence, old Coffee Baron himself Tim Horton, Borje Salming, Allan Stanley, Red Kelly ( I had to to find a spot for the old Redhead) Bobby Baun and Ian Turnbull.

Manning the cord cottage, Johnny Bower and Curtis Joseph.

Oh and the coach will be Ted Kennedy. The ol' Teeder.

Signing the national anthem will be Roger Doucet, and calling the game will be Foster Hewitt and Danny Gallivan.

Enjoy the game JF, as will I.

Twas the Night before Christmas, hockey version

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hey, what do you want from me, I have two grandchildren....

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the rink,
The players were stirring, can you smell that hockey stink?
The gloves, pads and skates were hung in the lockers with care,
In hope that the next game soon would be there.
The players were ready, they’ve trained and they’ve bled,
With visions of hat tricks dancing in their heads.

The Zambonis were parked, the sticks were taped,
What a beautiful night for a long winter skate.
When out on the ice there arose such a clatter,
Gloves were dropped, what exactly was the matter?
The fists they flew through the air like a flash,
The blood hit the ice, drop by drop, with a splash.
The combatants were sent to the sin bin for a timeout,
To jaw at each other, to whine and to pout.
They’d get five minutes each, a penance for their sins,
Then come back out and go at it again.
The dekes, sick handles, and slap shots they fly,
But the goalie says, “No!” each and every time.
The game has come down to the last little bit,
The crowd rises to their feet, urging their team not to quit.

Their team gets the puck with one last chance to score,
As the clock ticks downs, they need one goal more.
The puck moves left then right, and rifled down the boards,
The forecheck crashes in with defensemen and forwards.
The puck squirts free, it’s there for the taking,
The home team picks it up and there they go skating.
The goalie, he looks through the steel of his cage,
His weak spots the forward will have to gauge.
The shot flies through the thin winter air,
The puck spinning and twisting, this the goalie must snare.
The goaltender lunges, to his left with the glove,
But the sound of puck hitting twine the crowd would surely love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

With a thud and a swoosh as the puck hits the net,
The forward wipes his brow of his sweat.
The horn sounds loud for all to hear,
This was the greatest game of the year.
With sticks raised high in salute to the crowd,
The home team has won and wow, it is loud!
The three stars skate out and then head out of sight,
The announcer calls out, “Merry Christmas to all and to all a happy hockey night!”

and drop the puck on January 13th !!

 Merry Christmas , Merry Christmas.

Drop that Puck !!

 

The NHL and NHL Players' Association reached an agreement Sunday to play a 56-game regular season starting Jan. 13, 2021, and ending May 8.

 

"The National Hockey League looks forward to the opening of our 2020-21 season, especially since the Return to Play in 2019-20 was so successful in crowning a Stanley Cup champion," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said.

 

 "While we are well aware of the challenges ahead, as was the case last spring and summer, we are continuing to prioritize the health and safety of our participants and the communities in which we live and play. And, as was the case last spring and summer, I thank the NHLPA, particularly Executive Director Don Fehr, for working cooperatively with us to get our League back on the ice."

Formal training camps will begin Jan. 3. There will be no preseason games. The seven teams that did not participate in the 2019-20 Return to Play will be permitted to open their camps as early as Dec. 31.

The 2020-21 season has been delayed due to continuing concerns surrounding the coronavirus.

Under the agreement, the Stanley Cup Playoffs will feature 16 teams in a best-of-7, four-round format and conclude around mid-July with the plan of returning to a normal hockey calendar for the 2021-22 season (regular season beginning in October). The NHL and NHLPA will release the 2020-21 schedule for each team, health and safety protocols, transition rules and a calendar of critical dates in the coming days.

Games will be within realigned divisions only, including a division of the seven teams based in Canada. In reaching agreement on the format for the 2020-21 season, the NHL and NHLPA determined that the ongoing closure of the United States-Canada border required realignment and also sought to minimize travel as much as possible by shifting to exclusively intradivisional play.

Each team in the East, Central and West divisions will play every other team in its division eight times, and each team in the North Division (Canada teams) will play every other team in its division nine or 10 times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Get on with games, already, I have beer in the fridge getting old by the second.

The top four teams in each division will qualify for the playoffs. The first two rounds will be intradivisional, with the first-place team playing the fourth-place team and the second-place team facing the third-place team in the first round. The four teams that advance from the second round to the Semifinal Round will be seeded by their points total in the regular season (No. 1 vs. No. 4; No. 2 vs. No. 3).

The current plan is to play games in teams' home arenas with the understanding that fans will not be permitted to attend in most, at least in the initial part of the season. But depending on prevailing conditions, the NHL will be prepared to play games in one or more neutral venues per division should it become necessary.

 

 

The NHL and NHLPA have had to adjust to government regulations at all levels, from restrictions at the Canada-United States border to local limits on gatherings, and the coronavirus situation in each of the markets for the 31 NHL teams. The agreement includes health and safety protocols.

The last game of last season was played Sept. 28, when the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Dallas Stars 2-0 in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final.

"The players are pleased to have finalized agreements for the upcoming season, which will be unique but also very exciting for the fans and players alike," Fehr said. "During these troubled times, we hope that NHL games will provide fans with some much needed entertainment as the players return to the ice."

He shoots he scores, that's what I want to hear.   That one's for you Billy !

Boil up some soup

 

 

Souper Man has re signed. Break out the Campbells soup/

Fewer than 24 hours before Wednesday’s scheduled arbitration case, restricted free agent Ilya Mikheyev and the Toronto Maple Leafs  found common ground — although it did mean a last-minute financial concession on the player’s part.

The Russian winger and the club agreed to a two-year contract worth an average annual value of $1.645 million that will see Mikheyev skate in blue and white through the 2021-22 season and walk him directly to unrestricted free agency at age 27.

“Ilya decided to step off a little bit from an already agreed number to help the team fit under the cap,” Mikheyev’s agent, Dan Milstein, told Sportsnet after tweeting news of the signing Tuesday night.

“For Ilya, it was less about the money, but more about the role in the organization. He wishes to win the Stanley Cup. It's been a lifelong dream.”

Mikheyev’s two-year pact carries a $1.1 million salary in 2020-21 and $2.19 million in 2021-22.

 According to Milstein, the sides had initially agreed to a cap hit higher than $1.645 million.

The agent was on the phone explaining the bridge deal’s terms to Mikheyev when the Maple Leafs quickly called back requesting the forward take slightly less so they could be cap compliant for 2021’s opening night.

The Leafs and Mikheyev discussed the sophomore’s position in a winger-loaded roster “extensively” during the negotiations, which had been ongoing for weeks.

“We know what they have going. We know what the goals are. Toronto and both camps communicated very clearly,” Milstein said. “We feel very comfortable about the next season, and Ilya is very excited about the next season as well.”

The 26-year-old Mikheyev — fast a fan favourite — appeared in only 39 games as a rookie with the Maple Leafs in 2019-20, scoring eight goals and adding 15 assists.

Returning for post-season action after suffering a gruesome wrist injury in late December, Mikheyev failed to register a point during the club’s five-game playoff qualification series versus Columbus.

“He would’ve liked to help the team get past Columbus, but overall this was a good first-year experience for him,” Milstein said. “He’s adjusted. He’s adapted. And I expect him to have a better season next year.”

The Russian elected to file for salary arbitration to buy time, and a deadline, for his first North American negotiation.

Mikheyev filed for one year at $2.7 million; the Leafs requested two years at $1 million.

 

But, Milstein maintains, the strongest efforts on both sides were focused on a two-year pact that would provide Mikheyev and his family a little more certainty in uncertain times and give the Leafs smart value through his RFA years.

 

 

The player affectionately known as “Mickey” to his teammates and “Souperman” to fans stayed up to the wee hours in Russia, where he’s training, in order to finalize the paperwork.

 “The first season didn’t go as well as planned, due to the injury, but it was never a question of whether he was coming back or not,” Milstein said. “He stayed up through the night, and we took care of business.”

 Milstein has a tight working relationship with general manager Kyle Dubas and the Maple Leafs.

The agent is quick to note that 12 of his players have been welcomed into the Toronto system over the past three years, including winger Egor Korshkov (currently on loan to Yaroslav Lokomotiv of the KHL), 2020 first-round pick Rodion Amirov, and recent import Alexnader Barbanov

 

“While we were negotiating (Mikheyev’s contract) and perhaps disagreeing a little bit, I had to stop and talk to (the Leafs) about another player,” Milstein said.

“We try to have good relationships with everybody, but a client comes first.”

Barabanov, 26, will join Mikheyev in trying to secure ice time from coach Sheldon Keefe in a competitive forward group that has added Wayne Simmonds, Joe Thornton, Jimmy Vesey, Joey Anderson and Travis Boyd since free agency opened.

Barabanov flew to Toronto in early September and is preparing for his first North American campaign on this side of the pond.

Make no mistake: Like Mikheyev before him, Barabanov has his sights in the NHL, not the AHL.

“I feel good about his prospects. He's a world-class player,” Milstein said. “I'm not a coach. I'm not going to make any predictions. But I feel good about it. You can quote me on that. I feel good about it. Barabanov is an Olympic champion.

“He is a phenomenal player, and I expect him to do well here in North America.”

With Mikheyev signed, the Maple Leafs only need to reach agreements with RFAs Travis Dermott and Anderson.

 I am partial to Clam Chowder myself.  Bring on Souperman, he make us proud.

Leafs future European Imports

With the OHL and AHL currently shut down, hockey fans – and the Toronto Maple Leafs – have to go overseas for their hockey fix.

While most Leafs players and prospects are currently not playing, there are two players who are:Egor Korshgov, a second round pick from 2016 who has played one NHL game so far,  and  Mikko Lehtonen who the Leafs signed as a free-agent last summer.  Let’s take a look at how each player is doing so far in the KHL.

 

Egor Korshkov – KHL – Lokomotiv

Due to the NHL season not starting until January 1st at the earliest, Korshkov is making the most out of the delay, by playing over in the KHL. The 24-year-old native of Novosibirsk, Russia is currently playing for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.

So far, this season he has recorded six goals and six assists for 12 points in 15 games. Being able to play right now should be beneficial to Korshkov when the Toronto Maple Leafs  training camp starts. The 6’4, 181 Lbs right-winger will try to land a spot in the NHL, although with the recent depth the Leafs added, he is a long shot to make the team.

Korshkov will have plenty of competition in training camp as the Maple Leafs have a lot of players vying for roles in the lineup. he will have to hope that by playing right now and being in game shape when camp starts, gives him the edge.

 

 

Mikko Lehtonen – KHL – Jokerit

Lehtonen was a highly coveted free agent defenseman from the KHL when he chose to sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Prior to becoming a free agent, Lehtonen had a very good season with Jokerit in the KHL where he was named defenseman of the year. He recorded 17 goals and 32 assists for 49 points in 60 games.

The thought is that he will be able to challenge for lineup spot on the Maple Leafs blue line. He can play both the left and right side effectively, which will come in handy if and when injuries arise.

Just like Korshkov, Lehtonen is using the NHL season delay to get playing time in the KHL to start this season. So far this season he has six goals and eight assists for 14 points in 12 games. He is hoping that by playing meaningful hockey right now, he will have an advantage when the Toronto Maple Leafs open up training camp.

I have watched Korshkov play with the Marlies and I like his game. I would love to see him make it on to the Maple Leafs this season. As for Lehtonen, I don’t know if he will be in the top four, but he should for sure make the team. whether that is as the 5th, 6th or 7th defenseman remains to be seen for now.

 Now we wait for the Commissionier to formally announce the beginning of the new season.