Bobby McMann and Sam Lafferty could help push Maple Leafs’ slumping William Nylander

William Nylander finds himself on the Maple Leafs’ third line for yet another game, although that might not be such a bad thing.
The 26-year-old is having a career season, in both goals and assists. However, in the last few games, he’s found himself in a bit of a dry spell.
Nylander hasn’t registered a point in his last three games, which has only happened one other time this year (from January 5th to 8th). Is this something to be concerned about or could is it just one of those stints in a long season?
“He’s not skating to the same degree he was early in the season where he was a dominant player for us,” Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said to reporters on Monday. “We need to get him back going that way.”
Nylander, at practice on Monday, skated again on a line with Bobby McMann and Sam Lafferty. Those are two players with incredibly fast engines who can go north and south on the ice very quickly.
The goal for this line is to contribute to getting Nylander back on track, making him one of Toronto’s most dominant players again.
“I just find when the puck is hitting his stick, his fee …

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Author: Nick Barden / The Leafs Nation

Scouting Report: What the Toronto Maple Leafs are getting in Ryan Tverberg?

The Toronto Maple Leafs finally signed a college prospect. Woo!
But… it wasn’t the one everyone was expecting. Still, while we await the end of Matthew Knies’ college season with Minnesota, it was good to see the Leafs sign another notable NCAA forward: Ryan Tverberg from the UConn Huskies.
Tverberg was a seventh-round pick in 2020, with the Leafs moving a 2021 pick to acquire him. Their scouting department got an up-close look at him during the 2019-20 season with the OJHL’s Toronto Jr. Canadiens, where he had 26 goals and 51 points in just 47 games. He also showed a physical edge that wasn’t evident when he played a year of U-18 AAA instead of going straight to junior in 2018-19. Tverberg was a bit of a late-bloomer, but the leafs liked what they saw and took him with the fifth last pick of the 2020 draft – one spot behind top Buffalo Sabres prospect Devon Levi.

Ryan Tverberg, who just signed a future three-year ELC with the Maple Leafs, is on the ice before #Marlies practice wearing #77.
He’s on a PTO with the team for the remainder of the regular season and Calder Cup playoffs. pic.twitter.com/dAdjwXNFfI
— Nick Barden (@nickbarden) March 15, 2023

Tverberg made an immediate impact with the Huskies, and he led the team with 15 goals this season en route to a 35-point junior cam …

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Author: Steven Ellis / The Leafs Nation

How much grit does the backline have?

How much grit does the backline have?

Last week we examined how much grit the Maple Leafs had up front. A day later, Dryden Hunt was placed on waivers (went unclaimed and has since played games with the Marlies), while Pontus Holmberg and Joey Anderson were called up. Both of them made positive contributions to the forward group last week. With just over a month to go before the trade deadline, the musical chairs in the bottom 6 will continue.
As the Leafs d-core nears full health (Brodie returned from injury last game, and Victor Mete is back skating), let’s take a look at the grit (or perhaps lack thereof) the Leafs currently have compared with what they had in the playoffs last season. There are many familiar faces this season, and some have continued to develop at impressive rates.
Morgan Rielly, Mark Giordano, and TJ Brodie each played 7 games last spring against Tampa Bay, while Justin Holl played 5. Combined, the four defencemen averaged 2 hits per game. Barring any injuries or trades (Holl is the only one that could possibly move), the four veterans of the group are each firmly part of Sheldon Keefe’s top 6 and they’ll be in the lineup for game 1 of the playoffs. We shou …

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Author: Bennett Jull / The Leafs Nation

Leafs rally for commanding 5-2 win over New York Islanders: Game Highlights

Leafs rally for commanding 5-2 win over New York Islanders: Game Highlights

The Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Islanders by a score of 5-2 on Monday night, extending New York’s losing streak to five games in the process. Below are the highlights from the game…

The Islanders opened the scoring in the dying seconds of the first period. Sebastian Aho’s shot from the point was deflected past a screened Ilya Samsonov and off the post and Anders Lee was there to bury the rebound…

Anders. Lee. pic.twitter.com/KxGuLrHElF
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) January 24, 2023

The Leafs knotted the game at 1-1 early in the second period. Former Islander John Tavares dragged the puck into New York’s zone and fed William Nylander with a no-look pass that he sniped past Ilya Sorokin…

Wicked Willy 😎 pic.twitter.com/wrjkEoNfDd
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) January 24, 2023

The Islanders regained their lead just over one minute later when Anders Lee blasted a one-timer through Samsonov…

From the circle! pic.twitter.com/KbYEf3GxkK
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) January 24, 2023

After that, it was all Leafs. While on the power play, Samsonov fired an excellent breakout pass up the ice that Nylander feathered to Tavares. The former Islander captain went in on a partial break and buried a backhander past Sorokin…

Find a tendy who can do both! 😳🍎 pic.twitter.com/saOtpuhjko
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) January 24, 2023

A couple of minutes later, the Leafs grabbed their first lead of the night. Nylander took a breakout pass from Justin Holl just inside Toronto’s blueline and flipped the puck to Calle Jarnkrok, who broke in past New York’s defenders and wired a shot past Sorokin…

A casual Calle Jarnkrok = unlocked.🔓
📺: @Sportsnet ➡️ https://t.co/uEVY6yYjf7 #NHLonSN pic.twitter.com/DsW1jGip0L
— NHL (@NHL) January 24, 2023

Nylander capped off his huge performance later in the second frame with a goal that made the score 4-2. He picked off an Islanders breakout pass in New York’s zone, carried the puck up to the high slot, and fired a shot through a screened Sorokin…

It’s that guy, Will Ny The Scoring Guy! 😎 pic.twitter.com/ifQhlRjKXV
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) January 24, 2023

In the third period, Auston Matthews gave the Leafs some insurance. His 25th g …

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Author: Cam Lewis / The Leafs Nation

Is it time for the Maple Leafs to worry about Matt Murray’s inconsistent play?

If you had one word to describe the Maple Leafs and Panthers game on Tuesday night, which word would you use?
Mine is definitely drunk.
The game started off fairly weird with Carter Verhaeghe scoring his first goal against the team that drafted him back in 2013.
That really should’ve been the first warning sign that this game was going to get a bit funky.
Not even a minute later, Dryden Hunt finds the back of the net for Toronto. Why does that matter? Well, Hunt actually signed an entry-level contract with the Florida Panthers in 2016. That was also his first goal against the team that brought him into the NHL.
Weird, right? Well, no, it actually became much more exciting after the pair of goals. Shoutout to the refs, too, for making it fun. Kind of.

Florida really pushed Toronto in the first half of the game. It felt like we were seeing the Panthers of last year until the Maple Leafs began to play as they have for most of this season.
You can see in the graph above that Toronto carried the expected goals in all situations throughout the game. But there was a massive shift, even more in favour of the Maple Leafs, halfway through the second period.
They dominated the game after that and were relentless on the forecheck. We cannot forget about Ilya Samsono …

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Author: Nick Barden / The Leafs Nation

MacKinnon could return to Avalanche lineup on Saturday, no changes for Toronto: Leafs practice notes

MacKinnon could return to Avalanche lineup on Saturday, no changes for Toronto: Leafs practice notes

After a 6-3 loss to Arizona on Thursday night, the Maple Leafs got back to work with a practice in Denver before their game vs. the Avalanche on Saturday night.
It was a rough go versus the Coyotes on Thursday — especially for Matt Murray — who allowed four goals against for the fourth time this season. Toronto led 3-2 before Arizona came back, scoring four unanswered goals (two in an empty net).
“You could break it down a lot of different ways, and there’s a lot of different things that happened over 60 minutes. But, it really probably comes down to our inability to kill a penalty,” said Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe in Arizona on Thursday night.
But when it comes to their next game, on New Years Eve game in Colorado, it doesn’t look like any of the Maple Leafs’ lineup is changing.

#Leafs line rushes at practice Dec. 30/22
Bunting-Matthews-NylanderJarnkrok-Tavares-MarnerKerfoot-Kampf-EngvallAstonReese-Holmberg-Hunt Extra: Anderson, Simmonds
Giordano-HollRielly-LiljegrenBrodie-TimminsExtra: Sandin-Benn @BodogCA @RinkWideTOR
— David Alter (@dalter) December 30, 2022

Wayne Simmonds and Joey Anderson are the odd forwards out, as is Rasmus Sandin and Jordie Benn on the back-end.
At this point, there’s really no reason to change the defence pairings. Morgan Rielly is just getting back and needs to find his rhythm. Plus, none of the other defencemen have really offered up a reason to be taken out of the lineup.
I’d say the same goes with the forwards. Anderson did play well when he was in the lineup, but Toronto wants to see what they have with Dryden Hunt. The 27-year-old played pretty good on Thursday night, leading the Maple Leafs with six hits in the game.
There was no word after Friday’s practice about who would start in Toronto’s net on Saturday night.
Both Murray and Ilya Samsonov haven’t had the best showings in their last three games. In fac …

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Author: Nick Barden / The Leafs Nation

The Toronto Maple Leafs have lost four consecutive games against the Arizona Coyotes

The Toronto Maple Leafs have lost four consecutive games against the Arizona Coyotes

The Toronto Maple Leafs played four games against the Arizona Coyotes in the 2022 calendar year. They lost all four.

With their 6–3 win over Toronto on Thursday, Arizona completed its second consecutive series sweep of the Maple Leafs. They defeated the Maple Leafs 2–1 and 5–4 in 2021–22 and previously won 4–2 in Toronto earlier this season.
The Coyotes didn’t even need their two top forwards to chip in to defeat the Maple Leafs last night. Despite both Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz being held off the board, the Coyotes battled back from 2–1 and 3–2 deficits to win by a 6–3 score.
Vince Vaughn and Michael Phelps were among the fans in the sellout crowd at Mullett Arena for the Maple Leafs’ first-ever game in Tempe, AZ. The Coyotes celebrated the occasion by handing out free jerseys to every fan in attendance. And both teams put on a good show.
The game marked the return of defenceman Morgan Rielly to the Maple Leafs’ lineup, and he showed both good and bad signs in his first game since late November. He was on the ice when Pontus Holmberg scored Toronto’s first goal of the game, but he was also caught pinching in a tough …

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Author: Mike Gould / The Leafs Nation

Toronto Maple Leafs set to visit Arizona Coyotes in 5,000-seat Mullett Arena for the first time

Toronto Maple Leafs set to visit Arizona Coyotes in 5,000-seat Mullett Arena for the first time

The Toronto Maple Leafs will hit the ice for their first game at the 5,000-seat Mullett Arena in Tempe, AZ when they take on the streaking Arizona Coyotes on Thursday evening.

The Coyotes (12–16–5) toppled the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche 6–3 on Tuesday. They’ve been one of the National Hockey League’s best teams at home this season, posting a 6–3–2 record through their first stretch of games at the brand-new arena.
The Maple Leafs are used to playing in front of big crowds at Scotiabank Arena, but the Coyotes have one thing going for them that the Leafs don’t: a sellout streak. Arizona has sold out each of its first 11 home games at Mullett Arena this season, with attendance capped at 4,600 in its NHL configuration; as of midnight on December 29, the cheapest seats for Thursday’s Toronto/Arizona game were listed at $190 USD, with standing room passes also available for $150.
Mullett Arena, the NHL’s newest and smallest rink, has drawn rave reviews from players for the quality of its ice surface. Construction also recently finished on brand-new home and visitor NHL dressing rooms, the latter of which ranks among the largest in the league — a far cry from the temporary hodgepodge put together for the Coyotes’ first homestand.
The new rooms are firmly big-league quality.

👀#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/Iqm3JMa5XK
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) December 19, 2022

The Coyotes are preparing for their arena and entertainment district proposal to go before Tempe citizens in a referendum this coming May. Until then, they’re firmly in rebuilding mode, albeit with the likes of Clayton Keller, …

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Author: Mike Gould / The Leafs Nation

Ilya Samsonov ties long-standing Toronto Maple Leafs record

Ilya Samsonov ties long-standing Toronto Maple Leafs record

Ilya Samsonov’s time with the Toronto Maple Leafs has begun positively so far, so positively in fact that he has tied a franchise record that has stood since the late 1960s.
Through his first 13 games wearing the white and blue, Samsonov has been in impressive form with a 2.07 goals against average, while also sporting a .924 save percentage, ranking among some of the best goaltenders in the entire NHL. This has helped the Russian guide the Leafs to a solid 10-3-0 record, with two shutouts along the way. However, it is on home ice that he has truly shone so far.
Samsonov has begun his Leafs career with a perfect 9-0-0 record, which puts him into the history books for the franchise as it is the longest winning home stretch to start a season by a goaltender. The record, which is jointly held by Bruce Gamble, was set during the 1967-68 season, one year after the Leafs’ last Stanley Cup triumph, between October and January. Should Samsonov pick up a victory in his next home fixture, it will see him outright claim a unique franchise record after just a short time since arriving as a free agent this summer.
Samsonov’s efforts thus far have seen him already live up to the one-year, $1.8 million contract he signed p …

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Author: James Reeve / The Leafs Nation

Recapping the five most memorable Toronto Maple Leafs moments of 2022

Recapping the five most memorable Toronto Maple Leafs moments of 2022

The Maple Leafs had some amazing moments in 2022. It might just be their most memorable calendar year in a long, long time.

It began with a memorable moment from Auston Matthews and it ended with Mitch Marner making history, But we also can’t forget about what happened in the middle, right?
So, with 2022 coming to an end, I thought it’d be best to look back on the year and all of the incredible moments surrounding the Maple Leafs.
Enjoy!
5 – Game 1 of first round vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

The Maple Leafs couldn’t have had a better start to the 2022 playoffs, quite literally.
Toronto filled Tampa’s net with five goals, courtesy of Jake Muzzin, David Kampf, Marner, and Matthews, who scored a pair. From start to finish, the Maple Leafs outplayed the Lightning, not even allowing a goal against.
This was the start of an incredible seven games, and although we now know the outcome, I’m sure we can all agree that it was Toronto’s best playoff series in a while.
Right?
4 – Game 3 of first round vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

Both the Maple Leafs and Lightning were headed back to Toronto with the series all tied up at two. Although the winner of Game 5 would have the chance to be one win away from getting to the second round.
This was an amazing game. You had Tampa scoring two goals in the first period, and at that point it seemed like the game might’ve been out of reach. But Toronto came back, with John Tavares scoring in the second period, and Morgan Rielly tying it early in the third.
1:13 later and William Nylander scored, which put Scotiabank Arena and Maple Leafs Square into a craze. That was, until Ryan McDonagh tied it back up at three.
The madness wasn’t over though because Matthews and Marner had a two-on-one, and Marner shot it off of Andrei Vasilevskiy’s pad and Matthews put it in.
Toronto won that game 4 …

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Author: Nick Barden / The Leafs Nation