Hopes High for Maple Leafs’ Core Four

The Toronto Maple Leafs are heading into the season with some demons on their backs. This year, pressure is on the same soldiers: Matthews, Tavares, Marner, and Nylander. Of course, you can add on defense Reilly, who has been the anchor for years. 

You can hear the diehard Maple Leafs fans talking about how Morgan Rielly has some solid support this season. Enter Chris Tanev, an absolute monster at blocking shots. He is fearless and has more heart than most players. Sure, Rielly might not be the best defensively, but Tanev’s presence will definitely help take some of that pressure off him. Lots more beef on the blue line as the Leafs bring Jani Hakanpää. He brings in his 6’7” and 220 pounds, some much-needed size. Last season, they got run over way too often. Good to see the Leafs address that. 

When it comes to supplementary scoring, the club really needs some help beyond the big four. Nick Robertson needs to stand up with his scoring touch. He is a great winger. It’s time to show that off. On the other hand, Matthew Knies just wrapped up a solid 20-goal season, and I’m really excited about his future. He has a ton of speed. Matthew is a talented forward who fits nicely with that top four. As for Max, he needs to be a key part of the puzzle and help fill the gap left by the loss of Bertuzzi.

In short, the improvements made on defense are just to balance out the offensive losses. The Leafs have a ton of potential to make noise, but until they prove otherwise; it’s the same old, same old. 

Kissing Frogs: The Islanders' Quest for Goalie Greatness

The New York Islanders fans look towards the future as the season begins. A future that might start with—or should I say without—Ilya Sorokin, as nobody knows the extent of his injury. It definitely highlights just how crucial it is to have a solid backup goalie ready to step in!

Enter into the picture, Prince Semyon Varlamov! Varly has to be on his game to give the Isles a chance to win every night. If he controls his rebounds and keeps his head in the game, he will emerge as a Prince. The Islanders could end up finishing close to third place.

If, however, Varly turns out to be a frog, then the Isles have a problem. If he shows his age and does not perform, that leaves us with an exhausted Sorokin. Last year, Serokin was overworked and admitted he was tired. As with all of us, being tired makes Serokin vulnerable and more prone to mistakes and slips up. 

Dobson is going to need some support this season. If the Defense players are frogs, the goalies will have to work their magic; otherwise, Pulock, Pelech, and others must step up. Serokin’s nickname had better not be Gumby this year. Sorokin needs to be a rested goalie going into the playoffs. He must be a well-rested goalie heading into the playoffs. The Defense needs to actively participate in the game; if they don’t, we could be in for a lot of croaking this season. (See what I did there?)

Let me use my friend’s quote. Paul Kriescher said that if the Isles allow less than 230 goals, there is a 93 percent chance they will make the playoffs.You can find Paul on Twitter @P_Kreischer. Basically, their Defense will determine if they end up being frogs or princes this season!

I think the Islanders are a battling team with a competitive roster. I worry that the offense will not be enough for the team to be successful. I’ll dive into those offensive issues in another blog post. It will be a fun year to watch; I just hope we’re eating real food instead of a bunch of flies. Ribbit ribbit!