The Toronto Raptors were a very young team in 2021-22, as Goran Dragic and Thad Young were the only two players on the squad who were older than 30. Despite that abundance of youth, Nick Nurse was able to win 48 games and get this team to the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference. […]
3 aging veteran free agents Raptors could sign on short-term deal – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More
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Author: Mike Luciano / Raptors HQ
The Toronto Raptors were very successful with Pascal Siakam at the center position in the regular season, but the flaws in going so small started to be exposed as the season progressed. If Toronto makes a seismic trade in the offseason, expect centers to be prioritized. One name that Toronto should get in the offseason […]
This Raptors-Suns Deandre Ayton-OG Anunoby trade is a win-win – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More
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Author: Pirasanth Gunasekaram / Raptors HQ
The Toronto Raptors made a very risky maneuver when they gave up a first-round pick for a 33-year-old player having his worst season in Thad Young. It took all of a few weeks for the Raptors to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they got one over on the San Antonio Spurs. Young […]
3 contenders who could lure Thad Young away from Raptors return – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More
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Author: Mike Luciano / Raptors HQ
The Toronto Raptors put up a very tough fight against Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers in their first-round playoff series. Still, Toronto’s lack of depth and Philadelphia’s star power were enough to push Philly to the second round. Embiid was too dominant for a beat-up Raptors squad to corral. The end of the series has […]
Joel Embiid complaining about Raptors fans is incredibly weak – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More
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Author: Mike Luciano / Raptors HQ
Masai Ujiri has made it very clear that the Toronto Raptors are not going to let coach Nick Nurse take the head coaching job with the Los Angeles Lakers. Rob Pelinka quickly pivoted and found an alternative, as LA has set their sights on Raptors assistant coach Adrian Griffin. After Ujiri confirmed that teams have […]
Should Adrian Griffin leave the Toronto Raptors for the Lakers? – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More
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Author: Mike Luciano / Raptors HQ
The Toronto Raptors have done a very nice job of adding contributors later in the NBA Draft over the years, but Malachi Flynn is coming dangerously close to bucking that trend. After two full seasons in Toronto, Flynn, who was picked right before Desmond Bane, is nowhere closer to asserting himself as a member of […]
Fred VanVleet, Nick Nurse question Malachi Flynn’s fit with Raptors – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More
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Author: Mike Luciano / Raptors HQ
To answer the question above, yes and no. Some of our writers are very much all in on the Leafs this year, and you know what? The numbers support them this go around (much like last year.) Others are expecting to see somewhat of an improvement, and maybe that’s the middle ground and finally there are those of us who have been hurt too many times to ever believe in the Leafs and will settle for being happy to be wrong.
Ten questions were put to the group, and here are the responses.
Do the Leafs win round one?
Lots of support for the Leafs in this one, and even two thinking they can lift the Game 7 curse. Me, maybe I’m too much of a traditionalist and I picked the Bolts in 7.
As for the unforeseen global disaster, we can’t rule out that the world will come to an end before the Leafs win a round.
How far do the Leafs actually go in the playoffs?
If the Leafs win the Cup, I’ll happily extend an invitation to them to hang out in my backyard and chill on my kid’s bouncing castle while eating Great Value brand lime sherbet out of the Stanley Cup. That just sounds like a nice little way to spend the summer. For the most part, we had a pretty even divide other than there were no second round exits. That seems odd to me as the Leafs making it through the first round only to get swept in the second seems like the next evolution of Leafiness. Thankfully most of our writers are more optimistic than I am.
Who is in net in round one?
Once again, we were fairly divided on this one. Half and half on whether or not Campbell holds the net for the entirety of round one. Fingers crossed that he does as if things go sideways the Leafs are in a tough spot. The return of Mrazek is certainly a suitable Plan B to Campbell, and maybe we’ll get that, but after Kallgren getting torched for eight goals by the Lightning recently, he doesn’t seem like a viable option if the Leafs want to get out of this series.
Who leads the Leafs in scoring in the playoffs?
With the tough competition that Matthews and Marner are going to draw …
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Author: Jon Steitzer / The Leafs Nation
The Toronto Raptors have one very high second-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, though Masai Ujiri might not be above moving up or down in the order if he finds one player that really speaks to him. The SEC might have a handful of players that will mesh well with Toronto’s style. While conference […]
4 SEC prospects the Toronto Raptors can select in 2022 NBA Draft – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More
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Author: Mike Luciano / Raptors HQ
Tonight’s game could very well be a first round preview, if you consider a game without Auston Matthews and with Erik Kallgren in net a first round preview. Maybe it’s a preview of the first round if things start going bad for the Leafs.
Leafs are the underdogs paying +120 for the win
Being on the road and without Auston was enough to get the Leafs into an underdog situation on the Moneyline. As much as I want to believe that Toronto will clinch home ice advantage for the first round, the Lightning are certainly going to make it tough for them to do so tonight.
William Nylander’s hot hands pay +225
Nylander has been on a roll of late and has certainly tried to make up for the absence of Auston Matthews.
Big bodied depth as the Leafs undoing
In my article on the Lightning earlier today I suggested that Lightning’s fourth line of Maroon, Bellemare and Perry could prove difficult for the Leafs to line up against. Naturally, if anyone is going to burn the Leafs from that line it’s probably going to be Corey Perry, and a goal from him tonight pays at +290. Bellemare pays at +550 and Maroon at +450.
The guy who might have the best opportunity to score for the Li …
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Author: Jon Steitzer / The Leafs Nation
Well, that was certainly a buzzkill after a very fun start to the weekend.
The Blue Jays went up by a score of 6-1 over the Rangers on Sunday and it looked like they were going to cruise to sweep until Texas exploded for 11 unanswered runs. The final score was 12-6 for Texas, as the Rangers salvage the series.
Things worth mentioning…
As the title says, Hyun JIn Ryu exited the game in the fourth inning after getting drilled on the leg by a line drive from Jonah Heim. It was a disappointing end to what had been an excellent start for Ryu. In the first three innings of the game, he allowed only one hit (a solo homer) and one walk while striking out four. The wheels just fell right off in the fourth, as Ryu allowed a walk, a double, and back-to-back-to-back singles before getting pulled. It doesn’t seem as though the injury was serious, it was more about how Ryu was pitching, so we’ll more than likely see him make his next start, which is Friday at home against the Oakland A’s.
That comebacker hit Hyun Jin Ryu near his left knee, but he waved off the trainers as they walked out. He was getting yanked regardless. #BlueJays
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) April 10, 2022
Ryu wasn’t the only pitcher who got tagged by Taxe …
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Author: Cam Lewis / Blue Jays Nation