Speed, Grit, and Clutch Plays — Why the Leafs Are Trending Up

We are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. The Maple Leafs are putting in an effort. They have finally learned to play a full 60 minutes. Or is it simply that Auston Matthews has arrived?

The Arrival of Center Auston Matthews

Matthews has been on a tear of late. What I love about his play is his willingness to chase the puck. As reflected in his points, his shooting is not quite there yet, but it is showing signs of improvement. He is also showing that he is the captain. I love the emotion. I wonder whether he is getting healthier or adjusting better to playing through the pain. Matthews is a complete player. His competitive level has been rising. That third goal in Colorado was insane. That shot was labeled.

Matias Maccelli

Matias is showing signs of finding his niche. Sometimes it takes players time to fit into a system. When Matias uses his speed, he is a dangerous player. He can cause havoc with the defense. They start panicking, try to keep covering him and leaving his line mates uncovered. His overall play is improving; he is developing into a solid top-six forward. He has accepted his role and is running with it.

Scotty Freaking Laughton

Is there a more clutch player than Scott? He is there on every occasion. He is our best penalty killer. He is the biggest reason for the improvement in penalty killing. What makes Scott so valuable is his influence in the dressing room. His never-go-down attitude can be catching.

Final Word

At the time I wrote this blog, the Leafs were entering a hard road trip. The team responded with the game of the year in Denver. The power play looked dangerous. What was really impressive was the fact that they skated with the Avs. The Leafs are going to need to keep playing like this and stay on their guard. They need to execute on their scoring chances. Two noticeable improvements are the power play and goaltending.

Since Steve Sullivan joined the coaching staff, the Maple Leafs' power play has exploded. They play with a mission. Their best quality is their ability to pass the puck around more quickly. They actually know what they are doing.

Goaltending of Hildeby and Woll has been admirable in Stolarz's absence. I would be remiss if I did not mention Woll's play last night. The young goalie was amazing. Stellar is close to coming to the Leafs; they will have a three-headed monster in goal. Will the Hildeabeast be sent down? Or will they go a different route, keeping all three, or is another trade coming?

Randy

Pulford’s Playbook: Coaching, Trading, and Building Champions

Bob Pulford was part of the Maple Leafs team that won the Stanley Cups in the 1960s. Bob was known for being a no-nonsense forward who did his job. He would be the one going in the corners and taking no prisoners. He was the character who would put life into a bench by throwing hits or making a good defensive play, saving a goal.

Part of a dynasty

Pully won 4 Stanley Cups in the 1960s with the Toronto Maple Leafs. One of Bob’s greatest career moments was scoring a triple-overtime goal in game three, giving the Toronto Maple Leafs a victory over the Montréal Canadiens. Bob was known as a leader in the dressing room.

Bob Pulford had four 20-goal seasons with the Leafs. His best year was 1965-66, when he scored 28. Bob was known as a highly skilled third-line center. He was not the typical third-line centre; he was used in every situation.

Bob Pulford spent five years as a head coach for the LA Kings. He was a very good coach who won the Jack Adams Trophy (Coach of the Year). He then served with the Chicago Blackhawks organization from 1977 to 2007 as Head Coach, General Manager, and Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations. He was one of the smartest hockey minds; he saved this franchise and turned them into a contender.

Pully’s best trade  

One of Pully’s biggest trades really took some cojones: trading fan favourite Denis Savard, the number one centre, for the number one defenceman, Chris Chelios, and a second-round pick in the 1991 draft. It almost caused riots in the windy city. But Chris was one of the best dmen for years to come. The argument over whether to build a team around a number 1 centre or a number 1 dman is highly contentious, as I discussed in this article:

https://flamestr.blogspot.com/2025/11/centre-vs-defenceman-how-general.html

Bob was eternally known for turning deals into gems; he always found the missing piece to make his team better. Bob was well known for his good eye at the NHL draft table. He knew talent when he saw it.

Bob Pulford was an excellent man on the ice and off the ice. He was loved and will be eternally missed.

Randy

Mr. Goalie: Remembering Glenn Hall

 

The hockey world has lost a legend. Glenn Hall was a gentleman, and we truly miss him. I was a huge fan of Mr. Goalie. It was a true honour to watch Glenn play. Here is an interesting fact: Glenn never wore a goalie mask during his entire career.

I will always remember Glenn Hall as the Calgary Flames’ goalie coach during the 1988-1989 season. The work he did for Mike Vernon was flawless. I think Glenn played a huge role in Mike’s progress as a goalie.

His Knowledge

Glenn Hall’s nickname—Mr. Goalie—says a lot about his character. He was the authority on goaltending. His word was the final word on goaltending. He was one of the smartest hockey minds out there.

His Personality

Glenn was known as one of the kindest gentlemen ever. He was always willing to make time for everyone. Glenn was the kind of person you wanted to be associated with. He was so personable.

The Trade

One of the worst trades in Hawks history sent Glenn Hall and Ted Lindsey to the Detroit Red Wings. The Hawks received Hank Bassen, Johnny Wilson, Roy Preston, and cash. It was because of Lindsay’s role in forming the union. Glenn Hall went along for the ride to make sure Lindsay’s trade went through.

His Awards

In 1951, Hall won the Calder Memorial Trophy, commonly known as the Rookie of the Year. Glenn Hall was awarded the Vezina Trophy in the 62-63 and 66-67 seasons. He also won the Most Valuable Player award in the playoffs, commonly known as the Conn Smythe Trophy. This trophy is especially remarkable because the player on the losing team rarely receives it in the playoffs.  

Glenn Hall was on the Chicago Blackhawks for the 1961 season. It was said that Glenn was a key factor in the Chicago’s successful Stanley Cup run.

No Repercussions, No Problem? Leadership Concerns for Isles

Roy has to be strategic with Marcus Hogberg. Yes, while the Isles are in the playoff hunt, David Rittich has to be the man. But as we know, overusing the starter can put him in the repair shop. Look no further than Exhibit A: Ilya Serokin. Ilya is on the shelf, heaven only knows for how long. In my humble opinion, the Isles overused Serokin. Frankly, I am worried that the Isles are doing the same thing with Big Save Dave. Dave has never been put in as the man before; it will be interesting to see how he handles it. The Isles' goalie coach, Sergei Naumovs, and Roy should be keenly aware of how they use Rittich.

Mathew Barzal is showing some brotherly love to Mason Marchment. Yes, I am being facetious. I am not going to get into whether Marchment should have been suspended. I'm not going to get into whether Barzal's punishment was appropriate. I am referring, of course, to the incident after Mason Marchment went after rookie defenceman Matthew Schaefer.

What I would like to discuss is the statement that Barzal thought he had to go this route. The fact that there were no repercussions from any other Isles player towards Marchant is concerning to me. Do the lsles lack muscle in the lineup? Darche needs to address this issue. I'm not condoning acquiring a goon, but maybe bringing in a defender who is willing to get his nose dirty if needs be.

Paul Kreischer's show is highly recommended for more details on the Matthew Barzal incident:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEe4cMNDfcY

Final Word

The Isles are still in the thick of things. They are playing with free money; no one expected them to be here. I am really looking forward to seeing if the Isles stay in the race as we near the deadline, and, more importantly, how they react if they are close.

Randy 

The Tortoise-and-Hare Lie: Why Slow Hockey Fails

The Toronto Maple Leafs are playing like a bunch of zombies with no real desire to win. Whether it's the coach's fault or the players' is immaterial; it's the coach who got fired.

The Leafs are playing without confidence because they are being put into positions they are not comfortable in. I understand the argument—they are all professionals, they get paid, they need to earn it. But a coach's job is to put players in a position to succeed. Does Berube do that? I think the players are making a statement by shutting out the coach. If the players shut him out, it doesn't matter what he says.

This team has turned into a bunch of "me" players. They were able to win games on their talent before, but this year, it is not enough. They don't have the desire to win consistently.

Everyone knows about the race between the tortoise and the hare. Can I tell you a secret? It's a lie. Slow and steady does not win hockey games.

In this game, it's all about the speed. The Leafs are skating like they have shells on their backs. The team's speed has become an issue; we need some young blood. We need players with legs. That means they have to retool, reset, or rebuild—any way you say it, it means start over.

Berube wants this team to play along the boards to slow the game down. If they don't, they will be humiliated. You cannot allow four breakaways a game.

Final word

Simply put, this league has changed. The clutch-and-grab game no longer wins. You cannot hinder a player from going after a puck. Until this team learns to work and skate faster and really has the desire to win, nothing will change. So far, I have not seen any evidence that this team is capable of that. 

From Hare to Despair: Why Talent Alone Isn’t Enough

The Toronto Maple Leafs are playing like a bunch of zombies with no real intent to win. Whether it's the coaching or the players is immaterial, because it's the coach who got fired. 

The players are playing without confidence because they are being put into positions they're not comfortable in. I understand the argument—they are all professionals, they get paid, and they earn it. But a coach's job is to put players in a position to succeed. Does Berube do that? I think the players are making a statement and shutting out the coach. If the players shut him out, it doesn't matter what he says. 

This team has turned into a bunch of "me" players. They were able to win games on their talent before, but this year, that is not enough. They don't have the desire to win consistently. 

Everyone knows the race of the tortoise and the hare. Can I tell you a secret? It's a lie. Slow and steady does not win hockey games. 

In this game, it's all about the speed. The Leafs are skating like they have shells on their backs. The team's speed is an issue; we need some young blood with legs. That means they have to retool, or reset, or rebuild—any way you say it, it means start over. 

Berube wants this team to play along the boards to slow the game down. If they don't, they will be humiliated. You cannot allow four breakaways a game. 

Final word

Simply put, this league has changed. The clutch-and-grab game no longer wins. You cannot hinder a player from going after a puck. Until this team learns to work and skate faster and really has the desire to win, nothing will change. So far,  I have not seen any evidence that this team is capable of that.  

Give the Man a Cookie — Give Him All the Cookies (Mathieu Earned Every One)

Bo Horvat is arguably the most valuable player on the Islanders. He is playing so well right now that there is talk that Team Canada might be calling. I could rattle off all the stats in this blog. I could tell you that he is used in all situations of the game. He is almost as good defensively as he is offensively.

Bo leads by example. He steps up every time he is asked. If he messes up, he is the first to admit it. He pays the piper willingly; he is a player of integrity. Yes, the biggest evidence is how much the Isles' offence has suffered with his loss. His 19 goals cannot be overlooked, that's for sure. Fortunately, he will be back soon. What makes Horvat so valuable is that he is the closest to being a complete player.

Islanders buyers at the deadline?

This brings the lack of depth in scoring to my attention. If the Isles want to remain successful, they will need to address this. I could easily see the Isles in the thick of it until the deadline.

Will the Islanders be buyers at the deadline? The easy answer is yes, but I have never been known for taking the easy way out. If the Isles are close at the deadline, they will try to add a top-six winger. He could be a third liner who could be moved up if injuries occur. Unfortunately, with parity in the NHL, many teams will be trying to address this same issue.

Mathieu freaking Darche

Mathieu deserves a full plate of cookies. What looked like this small signing might be the biggest steal of the season. I am referring, of course, to the signing of David Rittich (Big Save Dave). Especially now, with Ilya Sorokin's health issues. If Big Save Dave continues to deliver, they might not have to rush Sorokin. Ladies and Gents, this shows you how a clutch GM comes through and finds a solution to a dire need.

Final word

The longer the Isles can stay in the race, the longer the Isles can stay relevant. Let's be real, the owners need to be a playoff team to make a profit. The real reason the Isles will not rebuild is for the bottom line. I talked about this on the Flames blog below; the same applies to the Isles as well.

Flames Scratch Pad: Why Owners Choose Retools Over Rebuilds (And What It Means for the Flames)