Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and Jack Campbell to rest for Maple Leafs against Bruins on Saturday

The Toronto Maple Leafs will rest star forwards Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, while Jack Campbell will serve as the backup to Erik Kallgren when the team plays in their final regular season game at home against the Boston Bruins on Friday.
“It’s really all about Monday,” Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe, who referenced the date for the start of Game 1 of their playoffs schedule which has yet to be announced.
Matthews recorded his 60th goal of the season during the team’s 3-0 win against the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday. The previous week, the forward missed three games with an undisclosed injury.
When he returned against the Tampa Bay Lightning last week, Matthews said the injury was something he was going to have to continue to work through.
Matthews finished the 2021-22 regular season with franchise record 60 goals and he became the first Maple Leafs player to record over 100 points (106) in a season since Doug Gilmour accomplished the feat during the 1992-93 season.
Marner will finish three points short of the century club, but recorded career highs in goals (35) and points (97).
”Talking with our team here I’d say we have a pretty good awareness how this year has been, it’s obviously been tough on everyone’s body …

Read More

Author: David Alter / The Leafs Nation

3 Raptors who could be removed from Nick Nurse’s playoff rotation

3 Raptors who could be removed from Nick Nurse’s playoff rotation

The Toronto Raptors have announced to the rest of the league that they are a viable playoff team, as Nick Nurse has taken this team from the No. 4 overall pick to (potentially) a top-six seed in the Eastern Conference. His rotation tinkering is one of the main reasons that Toronto has been so surprising […]
3 Raptors who could be removed from Nick Nurse’s playoff rotation – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More

Read More

Author: Mike Luciano / Raptors HQ

1 stud and 1 dud as Pascal Siakam and Raptors take down Nuggets

1 stud and 1 dud as Pascal Siakam and Raptors take down Nuggets

Pascal Siakam and the Toronto Raptors had no time to rest on their laurels after taking down the Suns in Phoenix. The likes of Scottie Barnes and Gary Trent Jr. needed to quickly get in shape for a back-to-back against MVP frontrunner Nikola Jokic and the resurgent Denver Nuggets. Buoyed by the presence of their […]
1 stud and 1 dud as Pascal Siakam and Raptors take down Nuggets – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More

Read More

Author: Mike Luciano / Raptors HQ

Raptors Game Tonight: Raptors vs Hawks Odds, Starting Lineup, Injury Report, Predictions, TV Channel for Jan. 31

Raptors Game Tonight: Raptors vs Hawks Odds, Starting Lineup, Injury Report, Predictions, TV Channel for Jan. 31

The Toronto Raptors had one whole day to rest up after their triple-overtime matchup against the Heat. Now that Gary Trent Jr. and the rest of the team are back in the swing of things, the latest Raptors odds have them positioned for another close game against a Southeast team. Toronto will take on Trae […]
Raptors Game Tonight: Raptors vs Hawks Odds, Starting Lineup, Injury Report, Predictions, TV Channel for Jan. 31 – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More

Read More

Author: Mike Luciano / Raptors HQ

News from the Rink: Nick Ritchie returns to Leafs practice, Jack Campbell to start vs. Canucks

The Leafs are back on the ice today after a day of rest following a 5-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers.
Today, they’re in Vancouver.
It’s been an unfortunate week for the NHL, as COVID-19 cases increased throughout the league. Many teams are getting hit hard, especially the Calgary Flames, who the Leafs were supposed to face tonight.
COVID has also hit the Canucks — the team Toronto is supposed to play on Saturday.
As of right now, four players are out for Vancouver, as well as one of their assistant coaches. The team is in San Jose for their scheduled game tonight against the Sharks.
I’m not going to lie — this serves up an interesting question. Will the Leafs play the Canucks on Saturday night?
You would think so at this point if Vancouver is travelling to San Jose. However, the Omicron variant can spread quickly. The NHL did put new protocols in place to make it safer, but there’s still the chance it can spread.
And for the Leafs, they’ve been a team that hasn’t had one case in-season. Like every team, you’d like to keep it that way. Hopefully, they and …

Read More

Author: Nick Barden / The Leafs Nation

♫We’ve only just begun♫: What to expect from the Leafs this week

On the surface Sunday is a day of rest. No drafts, No roster freezes or unfreezes, and free agency is still a few days away. In fact you could incorrectly interpret the next three days as potentially slower ones leading up to the opening of free agency. That’s probably not the case at all and while today is an empty day on the NHL calendar, I imagine Kyle Dubas will want to keep his phone charged anyway. Here’s what the rest of the week looks like.
Monday: Qualifying Offers for Restricted Free Agents Due
This requires a bit of leg work for the Maple Leafs as they do still have a few restricted free agents that need to be dealt with. Denis Malgin, Nic Petan, Joseph Duszak, and Veini Vehviläinen will all need qualifying offers if the Leafs wish to retain their rights and not have them join unrestricted free agency. The catch. All four of the remaining restricted free agents have arbitration rights. Given that all four were primarily in Europe or the AHL last season, there’s absolutely no reason to believe the Leafs would be stuck with a steep price on any of these …

Read More

Author: Jon Steitzer / The Leafs Nation

Raptors: A Damian Lillard trade could actually hamper Toronto for years

Raptors: A Damian Lillard trade could actually hamper Toronto for years

The Toronto Raptors, like the rest of the NBA, saw their attention fixed squarely on the Pacific Northwest yesterday, as it appears as if Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard is trying to lay the groundwork for an exit. After playing almost a decade in Oregon, Lillard is reportedly too frustrated with the organization. Lillard […]
Raptors: A Damian Lillard trade could actually hamper Toronto for years – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More

Read More

Author: Mike Luciano / Raptors HQ

Toronto Raptors: Can the Lakers still end up landing Kyle Lowry?

Toronto Raptors: Can the Lakers still end up landing Kyle Lowry?

LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers may have suffered a setback this year in their quest for championships and glory, but that doesn’t make them any less likely to fight again for a stronger roster and another crack at a deep playoff run. Might Toronto Raptors legend Kyle Lowry […]
Toronto Raptors: Can the Lakers still end up landing Kyle Lowry? – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More

Read More

Author: Avishai Sol / Raptors HQ

Raptors: Chris Boucher’s stellar performance not enough as Toronto loses to the Hawks

Raptors: Chris Boucher’s stellar performance not enough as Toronto loses to the Hawks

The Toronto Raptors had no time to rest after a controversial win against the Brooklyn Nets. On the second night of a back-to-back, Toronto was unable to come away with the victory against the Atlanta Hawks, snapping their 3 game win streak. Nick Nurse’s squad just seemed a step slow but was able to remain competitive […]
Raptors: Chris Boucher’s stellar performance not enough as Toronto loses to the Hawks – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More

Read More

Author: Nickeem Khan / Raptors HQ

The AHL season and Calder Cup Playoffs have been cancelled

While the NHL is still trying to salvage the rest of its season in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the AHL has conceded. According to an official press release from the league, the AHL will cancel the remainder of the 2019-20 season and the Calder Cup Playoffs.

The AHL Board of Governors has voted to cancel the remainder of the 2019-20 AHL regular season and the 2020 Calder Cup Playoffs due to the ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis.
→ https://t.co/b8XoXIimHE pic.twitter.com/G1fafFhJHV
— AHL (@TheAHL) May 11, 2020

This really doesn’t come as much of a surprise. While a major league like the NHL might push to get its season finished with a made-for-TV tournament, the AHL doesn’t have the same level of interest or following to make it worth their while. Professional leagues in Europe axed their seasons all the way back in March and early April, so the writing was always on the walls for the AHL.
From a How Does This Affect The Leafs perspective, it doesn’t change much. The Marlies weren’t poised to go on a deep playoff run as they …

Read More

Author: Cam Lewis / The Leafs Nation