Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Jonathan Bernier

June 18, 2013

By Lukas Hardonk (@LukasHardonk)

The Toronto Maple Leafs' off-season may just be about to heat up.

Jonathan Bernier, once a star in net for the Los Angeles Kings and now a well-above-average backup goaltender, is a lock to switch teams this summer. Making the Bernier situation interesting is the fact the Kings reportedly have their trading partners narrowed down to two teams: the Philadelphia Flyers and the Maple Leafs.

Both the Leafs and Flyers are teams that no one would be surprised to see Bernier join. It's no secret that Leafs general manager Dave Nonis has been looking for help between the pipes since taking over from former GM Brian Burke. T...

A Look Back at the Leafs Blueline

June 18, 2013

Rick Emrith

0 Comments

The Maple Leafs off season is in full swing and the action is expected to pick up with the draft and buyouts starting in two weeks. With a lot of people looking forward we wanted to take a look back at the defenseman of the 2013 season. Here is a breakdown of the Maple Leafs defense this season:

Dion Phaneuf

Goals

Assists

Points

+/-

Hits

ATOI

Giveaways

Blocked Shots

-4

131

25:11

Dion Phaneuf is the workhorse on the backend, he matches up against opposing team’s top nights and is relied upon to quarterback the powerplay and the penalty kill.&nbs...

Are the Toronto Maple Leafs About to Make a Huge Mistake?

June 13, 2013

Lukas Hardonk

0 Comments

By Lukas Hardonk (@LukasHardonk)

The Stanley Cup Final is underway which not only means its time to celebrate the greatest game in the world but also that the off-season is upon us and those who aren't fortunate enough to be playing hockey into late June have some important decisions to make. Having been defeated by the Final's Eastern Conference representative, the Toronto Maple Leafs are no different.

Along with Tyler Bozak's contract, the Maple Leafs' biggest decision this summer will undoubtedly be what the team should do with Clarke MacArthur, one of their most important depth players. Regardless of how you spin it, the Maple Leafs have no reason to l...

Maple Leafs Should Hold Their Heads Up High

May 14, 2013

Rick Emrith

0 Comments

The Toronto Maple Leafs are fresh off one of the most epic single period collapse in playoff history. With less than 11 minutes left and Toronto holding a 4-1 lead it all unravelled thanks mostly to Milan Lucic and Patrice Bergeron, with 2 goals in the final two minutes the Bruins tied the game and eventually won it in overtime. Despite the heartbreaking loss the Toronto Maple Leafs and the city of Toronto should hold their heads up high.

After an off season of speculation to whether the Leafs would land disgruntled Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo and not doing so, many analysts picked Toronto to finish between 12-15th in the Eastern Conference. The Leafs defied expectations and in ...

Maple Leafs vs. Bruins: Toronto Has Upper Hand in Game 7

May 13, 2013

Lukas Hardonk

0 Comments

Game 7 in Boston, 7pm ESTSeries Tied, 3-3

Toronto Maple Leafs versus Boston Bruins.

Game 7.

Stanley Cup Playoffs.

And things just got a lot more interesting.

After Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli announced following his team's 2-1 Game 6 loss at the hands of the Maple Leafs last night that their airplane had malfunctioned forcing the team to stay an extra night in Toronto, fans in Ontario's capital city began to rejoice.

As if they hadn't already been rejoicing.

In what was an extremely entertaining contest, the Maple Leafs shocked the hockey world by defeating the Bruins in Game 6 to force their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal s...

For One Leaf It's A Familiar Position Facing Elimination

May 12, 2013

TCL Staff

0 Comments

A collaboration by John Russo and Lukas Hardonk

History has a tendency to repeat itself, especially in the sports world.

Three years removed from making history, one Maple Leafs winger finds himself in a similar position, one he was in when he was a member of the Philadelphia Flyers during the 2010 post season.

Ironically enough, James van Riemsdyk is looking to fuel another comeback against the Boston Bruins. Though the Leafs have started their comeback being down 3-1 in the series as opposed to the steep hole the Flyers faced in the 2010 Eastern Conference Semifinals when down 3-0 to the Bruins, the same mantra goes for Toronto: one game at ...

James Reimer: When Will the Recognition Come?

May 11, 2013

Lukas Hardonk

0 Comments

No one really knew who James Reimer was when the Toronto Maple Leafs drafted him in the fourth round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. As far as the majority of Toronto fans and media knew, Reimer was just another goalie who had made it that much closer to making it to the big leagues.

Fast forward seven years from the draft and Reimer is a Toronto celebrity; everyone knows who he is. But it wasn't easy for Reimer to get to this point. He had to pay his dues in the minor leagues before making his way up. Once he made it to the NHL, the real adversity began.

It was the 2010-2011 NHL season. Reimer had gotten the call from the Toronto Marlies up to the Toronto Maple ...

McClement Gives Best Performance in Game 5

May 11, 2013

Rick Emrith

0 Comments

With their backs against the wall after a heartbreaking overtime loss on home ice, the Toronto Maple Leafs had to come into Boston and steal one from the Bruins in Game 5, and that’s exactly what they did. James Reimer stood on his head in Game 5 and was the biggest reason for the Leafs being able to schedule another game at the ACC, but lost in the hype and excitement of Game 5 was Jay McClement’s best performance as a member of the blue and white.

After the catastrophe that was the late season 2011-12 collapse, Toronto fans were hopeful that there would be a big shakeup or move heading into free agency. All Brian Burke did that first week of July was pick up Jay McClem...

NHL Playoffs: Maple Leafs Face Bruins in Do or Die Situation

May 10, 2013

Lukas Hardonk

0 Comments

Game 5 in Boston, 7pm ESTBruins Lead, 3-1

BOSTON -- Here we are: the Toronto Maple Leafs' first do or die game in nine years. If they defeat the Boston Bruins tonight, they live to play one more game. If they lose, it will be time to hit the golf course.

Let the jokes begin.

In all seriousness, this game is a big one for the city of Toronto and fans of the Maple Leafs. The last time people were so invested in the Blue and White was when the team sat above the Eastern Conference standings early in the 2011-2012 season only to crash and burn to a 13th place finish. Fans hope the team will come away with a better result but history isn't o...

Toronto Maple Leafs Continue to Prove Critics Wrong

May 9, 2013

Lukas Hardonk

0 Comments

Many people doubted the Toronto Maple Leafs heading into the 2013 playoffs but as the team is showing, those who did were wrong to look down on them.

You may first ask yourself what the heck that's supposed to mean when the Maple Leafs find themselves down three games to one. After all, how could a team facing elimination in game five be doing so well?

The Maple Leafs' pre-playoff "haters" certainly had reason to put the team in a negative light at least when it came to their first round matchup. Facing the Boston Bruins, Toronto's chances at advancing to the second round were noticed as being slim-to-none before the puck even dropped on ga...