Leafs fall 5-3 to Hurricanes on Saturday night: Game highlights

The Leafs controlled the play for most of the game against the Hurricanes on Saturday night but Pyotr Kochetkov made 41 saves and  Carolina took home the W 5-3. Below are the highlights from the game.
Toronto got into penalty trouble early and the Hurricanes capitalized on the 5-on-3 to open the scoring. Brent Burns beat Matt Murray glove side to put Carolina on top…

Burn baby Burns! Canes convert on the 5 on 3 power play to open the scoring. 🌪️ pic.twitter.com/M49j9wBBuQ
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 25, 2023

Jordan Stall doubled the Canes lead halfway through the first period. The puck came to him in the slot off a broken play and he swatted it top shelf…

Good things (goals) happen when you forecheck pic.twitter.com/KR6Zy68oKu
— x – Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) March 25, 2023

Near the end of the period Jake McCabe created a scoring chance off a neutral zone draw. Sam Lafferty tried to put the rebound home but Pyotr Kochetkov shut the door…

McCabe breaks through off the draw
Lafferty nearly scored on the rebound pic.twitter.com/9PAXPqvm6A
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) March 25, 2023

Less than five minutes into the second Calle Jarnkrok got the Leafs on the board. He sniped a wrist shot from the top of the circle to get Toronto within one…

SWEDE SNIPE 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/uBp1T92fKI
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) March 26, 2023

Midway through the middle frame Auston Matthews nearly tied it up with a scoring chance off the offensive zone draw. Kochetkov kept the Canes in front…

Matthews is denied again pic.twitter.com/MOuMPUOu3M
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) March 26, 2023

Matthews found the back of the net 12:41 into the second. He pounced on the puck at the top of the circle and ripped a wrist shot past Kochetkov to make it 2-2…

PAPI POTS IT 🏡 pic.twitter.com/sOjPPXkrjJ
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) March 26, 2023

Just over eight minutes into the third period Stefan Noesen gave the Canes the lead again. Jesperi Kotkaniemi threw the puck on net and Noesen picked it up. He attempted a wrap-around then forced the puck into the net. 3-2 Canes…

UNREAL EFFORT pic.twitter.com/S1jlYOONR2
— x – Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) March 26, 2023

With less the …

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Author: Scott Ony / The Leafs Nation

Leafs bounce back and beat the Panthers 6-2: Game Highlights

The Leafs bounced back from their worst loss of the year with a dominate win over one of the NHL’s hottest teams, the Florida Panthers. Auston Matthews struck twice, John Tavares assisted on three goals and Matt Murray broke his six game streak of letting in four goals per game. Below are the highlights from the game.
Toronto got started early with a powerplay goal from Matthews. He beat Sergei Bobrovsky with a perfect wrist shot from the top of the circle to put the Leafs in front…

TONE STRIKES FIRST 🚨 pic.twitter.com/XdiR3zW5ND
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) March 23, 2023

Calle Jarnkrok nearly added an insurance marker halfway through the first. Matthews hit him with speed entering the offensive zone but Bobrovsky denied him in tight…

good drive by Jarnkrok pic.twitter.com/8EbfXnWY5B
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) March 23, 2023

The Panthers barely tied it up with a goal from Matthew Tkachuk. Murray made a sprawling save with his back then somehow gloved the rebound. The review confirmed the puck completely crossed the goal line. 1-1…

Count the goal for Matthew Tkachuk! ✅ pic.twitter.com/dM0tYPJLPU
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 23, 2023

William Nylander put the Leafs back on top early in the second. Him and Tavares did work down low to get the puck to the net. Nylander cleaned it up to make it 2-1…

WILL NY! 😎 pic.twitter.com/m1LJLe3RKQ
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) March 24, 2023

A couple minutes later Matthews did it again with another beauty wrist shot. He circled the net, turned and fired. 3-1 Leafs

💥 DOUBLE DIP PAPI 💥 pic.twitter.com/FkF6WttgYF
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) March 24, 2023

Nick Cousins got the Panthers back in it. The Leafs made some sloppy plays in the defensive zone and he made them pay by scoring a slick backhand from the slot…

Cuz is cookin’ 🔥 pic.twitter.com/zDohH8HHFZ
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) March 24, 2023

Late in the second period Toronto finally got their first 5-on-3 …

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Author: Scott Ony / The Leafs Nation

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

NCAA playoff update, Tverberg turns pro, Hirvonen comes up clutch: Leafs Prospect Roundup

The Leafs had a handful of prospects competing for conference titles in the NCAA this past weekend, including Matt Knies and Mike Koster of the Minnesota Golden Gophers. After losing last year’s B1G10 Championship against Michigan, the Gophers were looking for a measure of revenge against the Wolverines this time around.
As he has done so often in big games throughout his collegiate career, Knies came to play with the title on the line against a familiar foe. He helped to pull the Gophers even in the second period with a great defensive play that sent Jimmy Snuggerud and Logan Cooley in all alone, and the pair of star prospects from the 2022 draft made no mistake.

Great defensive play by Matt Knies springs Jimmy Snuggerud and Logan Cooley on a 2-on-0 and Minnesota pulls even with Michigan#LeafsForever #Yotes #STLBlues pic.twitter.com/et5SMWXEJL
— Nick Richard (@_NickRichard) March 19, 2023

His most impressive play of the night came just moments later, as he gloved down a puck in the neutral zone and fended off a couple of checks before bursting around a defender and taking the puck to the net for a great scoring chance that forced Michigan to take a penalty. Minnesota probably has a case that the goal should have counted, too.

Holy 💩 Matthew Knies pic.twitter.com/esETzcOnWA
— CJ Fogler AKA Perc70 #BlackLivesMatter (@cjzero) March 19, 2023

Knies showed off his repertoire of skills throughout the contest, making skilled plays with the puck and using his body to protect pucks and sustain possessions, but it wasn’t enough. After Knies found himself on the wrong side of a couple of fortuitous bounces in the third period, Michigan came away with their second consecutive B1G10 title.
It was a bitter …

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Author: Nick Richard / The Leafs Nation

Murray and Jarnkrok shine in overtime win versus Ottawa: Game Highlights

The Leafs didn’t have their best on Saturday night yet they came out on top. Matt Murray made 48 saves, Calle Jarnkrok potted two and the most snake bitten player on the roster may have got off the schneid by scoring the game winner. Below are the highlights from the game.
Jake McCabe opened the scoring with his first goal as a Leaf. He made a nice stretch pass to John Tavares to start the play. Then he cleaned up a Mitch Marner rebound to make it 1-0….

🔵 HIS FIRST AS A BUD!! 🔵 pic.twitter.com/PBWGpYr0Pg
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) March 18, 2023

 
The Senators tied it up with a lucky one late in the first period. Erik Brannstrom’s point shot deflected twice and bounced over Murray. Julien Gauthier got credit for the goal…

The blooper bounce off the draw beats Murray 😯 pic.twitter.com/27xYB2tjr3
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 18, 2023

Murray kept the game tied with an athletic pad save on Shane Pinto. Gauthier set him up with a beauty cross ice pass but Murray shut the door…

Murray makes the toe save on Pinto pic.twitter.com/IGDeiiy39H
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) March 18, 2023

 
Tim Stutzle continued his breakout season with a shorthanded goal early in the second. The Sens’ superstar sniped one through the legs Timothy Liljegren and put Ottawa on top…

Tim Stützle shorty alert! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/mmNvNf386H
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 19, 2023

The Leafs weren’t behind for long. Marner tied it up before the penalty ended. He beat Mads Sogaard with a wrist shot short side to even it up 2-2…

A magical response 🪄 pic.twitter.com/anlDTfSfKN
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) March 19, 2023

Jarnkrok got on the board midway through the second. Auston Matthews teed one up for him and he blasted it past Sogaard. 3-2 Leafs…

HOLYYY CALLEEEEE!!! 🚀🚀🚀 pic.twitter.com/lYPY6gr4Lh
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) March 19, 2023

 
The Matthews to Jarnkrok connection did it again in the third period. Matthews feathered a pass through Thomas Chabot on the 2-on-1 and Jarnkrok buried his second of the night to put the Leafs up two…

STAY HOT, CALLE 🔥 pic.twitter.com/EebnZxKqCX
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) March 19, 2023

The Senators would not quit though. J …

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Author: Scott Ony / The Leafs Nation

Toronto Maple Leafs beat Edmonton Oilers 7-4: The stars came out to play

This is the game Leafs Nation circled on their calendar. Cody Ceci. Zach Hyman. Jack Campbell (sort of). There’s no other reason why fans would be excited. Nada.
In the last game between the two Canadian powerhouses, with two of the most passionate online fanbases, the Toronto Maple Leafs managed to erase a 3-1 deficit to beat the Edmonton Oilers 7-4 in front of a packed Scotiabank Arena. Sure, the building was quiet at times, and it was definitely not a perfect effort, but it worked out in the end.
Fans got their money’s worth on Saturday. A couple of the game’s brightest stars taking centre stage on Hockey Night in Canada. All eyes were on Bay and Lakeshore, and it didn’t disappoint. That is, of course, unless you were one of the traveling Oilers fans out to watch with the Nation Vacation – sorry, boys and girls!

STOP SCORING SO FAST TORONTO GOOD GOD
— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) March 12, 2023

Fans got their money’s worth on Saturday. A couple of the game’s brightest stars taking centre stage on Hockey Night in Canada. All eyes were on Bay and Lakeshore, and it didn’t disappoint. That is, of course, unless you were one of the traveling Oilers fans out to watch with the Nation Vacation – sorry, boys and girls!
And, predictably, the game lived up to the hype. The teams traded goals early in the first (Noel Acciari for Toronto, Mattias Ekholm for Edmonton) before the Oilers snuck out to a 3-1 l …

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Author: Steven Ellis / The Leafs Nation

Knies comes up clutch, Niemelä nets a pair, Abramov out: Leafs Prospect Roundup

A lot of the focus that has been placed on the Leafs’ prospect pool in recent weeks has centered around the trade market and what the Leafs might have to give up in order to improve their current roster. Well, Kyle Dubas took his swing on Friday night when he acquired Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari in a three-team deal with St. Louis and Minnesota, but it was primarily draft picks and not prospects that he used to get it done.
The Leafs did include 2019 fourth-rounder Mikhail Abramov in the trade, along with Adam Gaudette, but the top of their prospect pool remained untouched as they shipped out a first, second, third, and fourth-round pick scattered across the next three drafts. Abramov began his pro career with some promise, but the adjustment to the AHL has been a difficult one for the diminutive forward, and he landed in the 19th spot on my midseason ranking of the top prospects in the Leafs’ system.
Moving that much draft capital only makes the progress and development of the players the Leafs already have in their system more crucial. As Dubas alluded to following the acquisition of O’Reilly and Acciari, moving picks rather than the club’s top prospects was the obvious move given where the Leafs are currently at in their competitive cycle. The players chosen with those picks are still mu …

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Author: Nick Richard / The Leafs Nation

Recapping Leafs/Hawks + PROSPECT TALK w/ TLN’s Nick Richard: Leafs Morning Take

After all that, the Leafs covered against Chicago on Wednesday night. Still, I think those prices were outrageous. Aside from the Petr Mrazek save prop – which cashed – I didn’t get involved.
At any rate, the Thursday edition of Leafs Morning Take started with a breakdown of Toronto’s 5-2 victory against the Blackhawks. First, I rifled off my quick thoughts on the impressive outing, then Jay Rosehill dropped by for another instalment of 3 Hits With Rosie.
After that, I welcomed in TLN’s Nick Richard for a chat about Toronto’s prospect pipeline. With the trade deadline fast approaching, it was good to get a rundown of what’s happening down on the farm. In the next few weeks and day, you may see a couple of the prospects we talked about going for established talent. That’s just how it works.

Should the #LeafsForever target Patrick Kane?
Leafs Morning Take – Feb. 16
Full Interview: https://t.co/ejniKby3xS@PointsBetCanada | @MontanasBBQ | #Montanasbbq
I polled @TLNdc’s @_NickRichard: pic.twitter.com/4nxF0Vtst4
— Nick Alberga (@thegoldenmuzzy) February 16, 2023

Lastly, full credit to Rosie for hitting on yesterday’s pick (John Tavares OVER 0.5 apples). With that in mind, here’s today’s PointsBet Canada bet of the day.

.@thegoldenmuzzy is hunting a certain shot prop tonight in Calgary 👀
💰💰💰@PointsBetCanada is live in Ontario!
Details -> https://t.co/uvEnShf7GT#ad #pointsbetcanada
Full Show📱: https://t.co/ZtW3O9Yxd3 pic.twitter.com/k7LL7S2XCO
— TheLeafsNation (@TLNdc) February 16, 2023

 
Make sure to join us tomorrow at 11 AM ET for the Friday edition as we tee up this weekend’s back-to-back against Montreal and Chicago.
Don’t forget to subscribe, like, and leave us a review wherever you’re checking us out. …

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Author: Nick Alberga / The Leafs Nation

Steeves looking to stick, Minten off the schneid, Abruzzese heating up again: Leafs Prospect Roundup

The Leafs have continued the auditions in their bottom-six forward group, with Alex Steeves being the latest Marlie to get a look with the big club. An undrafted free agent signing of the club in the spring of 2021, the now 23-year-old has been productive in his first season and a half of professional hockey.
Steeves was behind the eight ball to start his first AHL campaign, having suffered an injury in his first rookie camp that forced him to miss the beginning of the season. He hit the ground running, however, and ended his first pro season with 23 goals and 23 assists in just 58 games. He even earned a three-game call-up to the Leafs, registering an assist in his first taste of NHL action.
A key offensive piece for the Marlies again this season, Steeves tallied 16 goals and 22 assists through 44 games but had to sit and watch as he was passed over for an NHL recall in favor of players like Joey Anderson, Bobby McMann, and even Semyon Der-Arguchintsev. Finally back with the Leafs, Steeves has been noticeable in his first two NHL games of the season.
He has been confined to limited minutes on the fourth line alongside Pontus Holmber …

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Author: Nick Richard / The Leafs Nation

Coming out of the break: The February Leafs Player Power Rankings

Once again it’s time to for the Leafs Player Power Rankings. This month I won’t muddy the waters by including an overall grade on how they’ve fared throughout the season in addition to where they are sitting for the season as the monthly ranking alongside the midterm grade seemed too much for our Twitter mentions.
This month we’ll go with the straightforward 1-20, but with the notable caveat of Auston Matthews missing five games in that window and with the notation of the rankings being written on Friday before the back-to-backs against the Blue Jackets. No recency bias this time, let’s do this.
1. William Nylander (steady at #1)
It’s a tough call on who to go with as the number one when three players are tied for the point lead since the last time I did these rankings, but Willy stands out because of his additional responsibilities. With Matthews out, Nylander has had to take ownership of the second line and help keep the Leafs competitive while not having Tavares or Matthews to work with. His production might have fallen off in those games, but he’s made Kerfoot and Holmberg second lines viable and that’s not an easy feat.
2. Mitch Marner (steady at #2)
Going to go real boring with the rankings and keep Marner in the second spot as well. The fact that he was the team’s All-Star gav …

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Author: Jon Steitzer / The Leafs Nation