Toronto Raptors player of the Week: Pascal Siakam

Toronto Raptors player of the Week: Pascal Siakam

Despite the losing record, Toronto Raptors’ All-Star Pascal Siakam just gave his best week of basketball in nearly a year. It’s been a rough few months for Pascal Siakam (and the Toronto Raptors).  Since his mid-season groin injury, last year his play and his approval rating on and off the court have been trending steadily […]
Toronto Raptors player of the Week: Pascal Siakam – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More

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Author: Avishai Sol / Raptors HQ

Toronto Raptors: Stanley Johnson’s Kawhi-Esque defense and offensive revolution

Toronto Raptors: Stanley Johnson’s Kawhi-Esque defense and offensive revolution

The Toronto Raptors bench depth has been poor for the better part of the season (besides Boucher), but one player who has been impressive is Stanley Johnson. “I just think that I’m the best player in the draft,” Stanley Johnson said shortly after being selected 8th by the Detroit Pistons in the 2015 NBA Draft. […]
Toronto Raptors: Stanley Johnson’s Kawhi-Esque defense and offensive revolution – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More

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Author: Alexandro Fidanza / Raptors HQ

3 Maple Leafs score their first goal of the season – Rate that Leafs game

So, the Toronto Maple Leafs close out a two-game series with the Ottawa Senators going 1-1. This game was a lot better for a team who came into the nation’s capital last night and played horrible.
Tonight, players were flying and it was a much better performance. The only bad news is that Nick Robertson will likely miss “some time” due to a knee injury, which Sheldon Keefe said after the game.
Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and Joe Thornton all scored their first goals of the season. Jack Campbell had an incredible performance and even thought he could do better, like he usually says. Overall though, this looked like a complete game with the Maple Leafs not allowing the Senators back into it late.
I’ll say that it was a little rough around the edges, but overall, a much better game than the first one against Ottawa.

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Author: Nick Barden / The Leafs Nation

A game the Maple Leafs should look back on – Rate that Leafs game

Alright, the Toronto Maple Leafs had a bad game, but it has to get better from here, right?
Giving up four goals in two-straight games is no excuse and it’s also one you don’t blame on solely a single player. There was a lot of people who went for Frederik Andersen’s head, but that’s not fair.
The Maple Leafs are an entire team — you win as a team, lose as a team. It might sound cliché, but it’s true. The defence in front of Andersen has to be better and until it is, he’s not going to be able to give the Leafs a chance to win. Sure, I get it — he has to make saves, but it’s the players’ jobs to help him make those saves instead of leaving him out to dry.
In this video, I talk about what they can do now because that’s the most important thing at this moment. They have a chance to show how good they are tonight and I believe they’ll do just that.

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Author: Nick Barden / The Leafs Nation

Three centers the Toronto Raptors should try and trade for

Three centers the Toronto Raptors should try and trade for

Although the Toronto Raptors aren’t the dominant force they’ve been in recent years – they’re only a few pieces away and getting a center should be their biggest priority. The Toronto Raptors are in a weird spot. They currently sit at a 3-8 record and are mulling around the bottom of the standings. At the […]
Three centers the Toronto Raptors should try and trade for – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More

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Author: Jack Long / Raptors HQ

Revitalizing the Leafs-Sens Ontarian rivalry, one upset at a time

In the first Toronto versus Ottawa matchup of this rivalry hotbed, all Canadian division matchup season, we saw a frustrating battle against a pesky Senators team that is aiming to prove everyone they’re not going to lie down easily this season.
After the Leafs got out to a good start, pressuring the Senators well, they were able to capitalize on this incredible skill play from Zach Hyman to get on the board first:

Zach Hyman goes baseball mode! pic.twitter.com/nDSllmsFTi
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) January 16, 2021

The Senators were quick to respond, though, as Toronto went down two players short in a long 5-on-3 opportunity for Ottawa that they didn’t need long to make the most of:

Thomas Chabot ties it on the 5-on-3 pic.twitter.com/JrWIsTUI9f
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) January 16, 2021

Appearing to not be willing to let the Senators embarass them, Kerfoot takes this 200-IQ shot to put the Leafs back on top in this contest:

Kerfoot delivers a dart #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/xG4Zt5jeO3
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) January 16, 2021

The lead didn’t last long for Toronto though as the third-best NHL Tkachuk is able to tip a Nikita Zaitsev shot past Andersen to …

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Author: Ryan Hobart / The Leafs Nation

The Battle of Ontario resumes tonight as the Maple Leafs take on the Senators

The Toronto Maple Leafs are back in action tonight as they take on the Ottawa Senators in their home opener of the 2021 season. Last game, the Maple Leafs defeated the Montreal Canadiens 5-4 in Overtime thanks to Morgan Rielly’s OT winner.
Youth Movement
Tonight is the highly anticipated NHL debut for 2020 second overall pick Tim Stutzle. Along with Stutzle, the Senators will also have Josh Norris and Drake Batherson in the lineup tonight, two players who lit the AHL on fire with Belleville last season. Brady Tkachuk and Thomas Chabot are also a year older, giving Ottawa a nice core of young players (unfortunately).
A year removed from finishing second last in the NHL, this season looks like a transition year for the Sens, as they try to build a contending team. The Sens added vets such as Derek Stepan, Evgenii Dadonov, Erik Gudbranson and Matt Murray to help ease the burden on the youngsters on the team.
The Senators are still a work in progress, but I wouldn’t be proclaiming a season sweep by the Leafs this season. I would expect the Leafs to have to really earn every two points against the Sens this season. DJ …

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Author: Brendan Mori / The Leafs Nation

Takeaways from the Toronto Raptors win against the Hornets

Takeaways from the Toronto Raptors win against the Hornets

The Toronto Raptors finally get back into the win column after defeating the Charlotte Hornets at home. Coming off a disappointing latter end of their western conference road trip, the Toronto Raptors were able to turn things around with a win against the Charlotte Hornets. Although it didn’t come in the way Toronto would’ve desired, […]
Takeaways from the Toronto Raptors win against the Hornets – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More

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Author: Nickeem Khan / Raptors HQ

Toronto Six announces team captains ahead of 2021 Isobel Cup

As the Toronto Six get ready to leave for the bubble, there was more the team had to do beforehand and that’s name some captains:

The inaugural team captains for @TheTorontoSix are:
Shiann DarkangeloEmma WoodsEmma Greco pic.twitter.com/xOZiHNv99K
— Erica L. Ayala/Sports Talk ELA (@elindsay08) January 14, 2021

Shiann Darkangelo is named the captain in the Six’s inaugural season with Emma Woods and Emma Greco serving as alternate captains.
“I’m thrilled to have Shiann, Emma, and Emma lead our team this season,” said head coach, Digit Murphy, in a media release from the club. “They are true leaders and will represent us on and off the ice for our inaugural season.”
Darkangelo has played five years of professional hockey, 28 of those games being with the Toronto Furies of the CWHL. She has also represented the United States in the World Cup where she scored four points in five games. The 27-year-old also served as an alternate captain with the Buffalo Beauts in the 2016-17 season.
“It’s an honour to be selected as a captain for the Toronto Six alongside Greco and Woods,” Darkangelo said in a media release from the Six. “We have a team …

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Author: Nick Barden / The Leafs Nation

NWHL Lake Placid Bubble Season Schedule Announced

Gear up Toronto Six fans! The NWHL has released the schedule for the upcoming bubble season in Lake Placid! Time to watch some hockey and cheer on the women of the Six.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Your 2021 NWHL season and post-season schedule is here!
: https://t.co/t7GeztxMkm pic.twitter.com/eJUmceTIp8
— NWHL (@NWHL) January 14, 2021

The @NWHL has released its game schedule for the upcoming bubble season in Lake Placid: pic.twitter.com/SXIWWZI0uy
— Lyndsey D’Arcangelo (@darcangel21) January 14, 2021

And don’t forget that the semifinals and finals will be broadcast on NBCSN, too!
We’re excited to watch these women in their inaugural season, and of course we’ll be bringing you a ton of great game coverage and team content as well! See you in Lake Placid!

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Author: Mer / The Leafs Nation