If It Takes 15 Minutes to Review, Maybe It’s a Goal

If there were a rule in the game today that drives you batty, what would it be? What rule needs to be improved for the coming season? I know a couple of mine will never be changed, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be!

Offside ruling challenges

Am I the only one fed up with this rule in the NHL Book? I suppose not the rule itself, but how it is handled. Half the time, the call is so close that they take 10-15 minutes to review it with a fine-tooth comb. If you need 10-15 minutes, then maybe it’s close enough to count. Or at least put a time limit on the process.

The other problem is teams calling a challenge on a winning goal as a last desperate move. I am okay with it if it’s close, but waiting for the mess to end when the play is not even close is frustrating. 

However, there is not much I can do about that; the rule is in place, and you can’t complain that teams are exercising their rights to use it.

Oh yes, the phantom kicking motion

I want to know how Toronto determines whether a puck is kicked in. My wife covers her ears when there’s a challenge against my team. Toronto’s inconsistency drives me nuts. Sometimes I wonder if they’re watching the same game as I am.  

The overtime experience

I hate the fact that the game can end in a shootout. A hard-fought game ending in a glorified skills competition. Maybe they could expand the overtime to seven minutes. Let the game end in a tie if it does not end. The NHL is a team game, not an individual skills competition.  

Last Word

My wife tells me they can’t hear me when I find myself yelling at the game or an official. Yet I find myself continuing to beat that horse. Maybe I should try to be more supportive? I will answer that by paraphrasing Sam Waterston: If the league is not moving forward, it is falling back.

Ken Dryden: Six Cups, Countless Memories

Today, we all lost one of the greatest Montreal Canadien and NHL fans. We are mourning the loss of Ken Dryden. He is one of the great Montreal Canadien legends, known for being one of the best Canadian goaltenders ever.  

Outside of hockey, Ken Dryden was most well-known for his integrity. He was known as a man who stood behind his values. He will be missed not only by Montreal Canadiens fans, but by NHL fans all over the world.

Yes, I could rattle off all sorts of awards, notable records, and unbelievable statistics Dryden achieved. But that isn’t all Ken Dryden is known for. He was in Parliament and involved with hockey operations. Ken was a hockey executive for the Toronto Maple Leafs and others.

Researching Dryden’s life, I discovered he was among the few people honoured with the Order of Canada, this country’s highest civilian honor. It is awarded to an individual who has made an extraordinary and sustained contribution to Canadian life, and they must be nominated by someone else. It is awarded by the Governor General of Canada. 

Now, let’s discuss some of the accomplishments in his career. One of his biggest accomplishments was winning the Conn Smythe trophy and then winning the Rookie of the Year or the Calder trophy in the following year. He won the Con Smythe after playing only six games in the regular season in 1971. He had an eight-year career with the Montreal Canadiens, during which they won six Stanley Cups. Drydren won a remarkable five Vezina trophies in a row. He was also part of the famous Canada-Russia summit series, where he split goaltending duties with Espo. He published two books on this series: Face-Off at the Summit in 1973 and The Series: What I Remember, What It Felt Like, What It Feels Like Now on the fiftieth anniversary of the series. Dryden was an accomplished author with ten published works.

Last word

I will never forget Ken for his stance, resting his shoulder on the top of his stick. He broke my heart as a Leafs fan on several occasions, and his passing breaks my heart as a hockey fan.

May God bless his family and friends. Our sympathies are with you. 

Blue Line Breakdown: The Leafs’ Defensive Core Heading Into the Season

As we get closer and closer to the start of the season, I’m wondering what last-minute adjustments the Toronto Maple Leafs will make to their roster. I think it’s a pretty good assumption that they will be tinkering with the defense.

So in today’s article, I would like to discuss the defensive options of the Toronto Maple Leafs. First, I want to highlight those who have a future with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but aren’t quite there yet. I may go deeper into the roster in another article.

The prospect I would like to discuss first is Ben Danford. Ben is a big, burly defenceman who hits people and has a great physical game. I like to compare him to them to a younger Tanev. He’s a better skater than most people think. He also has some offensive skills, but to be honest, his strength is as an enforcer; he has a defensive style of play.

What does the Toronto Maple Leafs’ defensive core look like today? Obviously, Morgan Riley is a leader of this defence, but he doesn’t have to be. He finally has some good, solid support behind him, the biggest being Chris Tanev. Without him, Riley would be in real trouble, but Tanev is a monster. He is reliable and will play through any kind of injury. He may be one of the best shot blockers in the NHL. And, of course, we must discuss his defensive partner, Brandon Carlo. Brandon is a solid defenceman who will cover for Morgan’s mistakes. Morgan does not have to be Mr. Perfect while on the ice.

Jake McCabe must continue to be himself; a solid, reliable number 4/5 defenseman. He is a stable influence on the blue line. One of the defencemen on the third pairing would be Simon Benoit. I like Simon; he seems to fit in. He’s reliable and is pretty good for being the fifth or sixth defenseman. He does what he has to. He’s not flashy, but he gets the job done. I’m gonna say the Toronto Maple Leafs’ defence is not perfect, but it is one of the best in the league. Morgan Riley doesn’t have to be everything this year. He’s got Brandon Carlo to help him for a full season.

Conclusion

The defence is gonna have to be better. The office won’t be as potent as it was last year’s was so they will have to defend better. If the defence can pitch in to the offence, we might not be as potent as last season

Randy

Isles Enter the Season with More Questions than Answers

Going into the season, how are you feeling? What are your expectations for the Isles? Is there something you wished for that was not granted, or something that was not up to your satisfaction? I had a conversation with my contact from the New York Islanders the other day. His message: “Zero expectations going into this season. Roy should be on the hot seat.”

We discussed the significant concerns and expectations that we have from the Isles. It mainly was concerns, frankly; we had no observations. Mainly, we’re not sure how the boys will perform. The boys, of course, are the New York Islanders. My source, of course, is Paul Kriescher of Isletalk. Come to think of it, he is the founder of Islestalk. You can reach him on Twitter. I will leave his Twitter handle at the end of the blog.

Now that we’re on the record and everybody knows who I was talking to, let’s move on to what we don’t know about what we will get from the Isles. We do not understand what Patrick Roy wants. There were flaws last year. How far is he gonna go to fix them? How is he gonna fix them? How will he make up for the loss from the Dobson trade? Let us clarify what we mean by that. There was no defence required in that Dobson trade.

Does that mean that we didn’t like to trade? No, not at all. This means that it was a different kind of trade than we had expected. I expected we would at least get a defenceman back instead of a forward. Paul makes a good point here, and I quote, “What this trade does is put undue pressure on Tony DeAngelo and Matthew Schaefer. It is not fair to the team, especially to Tony and Matthew.” As I wrote a blog for Matthieu (you can find it here) and Paul concurs that Schaefer should not be rushed. Tony is a 5th/2nd pairing power-play quarterback, meaning he is mainly used on the second Power Play. Don’t get us wrong; he’s a quality NHL defenseman, but he’s just not as good as Dobson. Expecting him to be a power-play dman will disappoint you and ruin his confidence. The coach must place his players in the best position to succeed. Putting Tony first, PowerPlay does not do that.

Last word 

So, how’s the defence gonna be without Dobson? Lotta question marks there. Hopefully, someone on the roster can take the next step; if not, there are some significant concerns. Roy is a good coach. He is capable of making players better than they really are. I just worry about the expense. What will this cost? My concern is again using Schaeffer all season. 

Paul’s info here

Twitter P_Kreischer

Islestalk on Twitter 

Maple Leafs 2025: Big Expectations

Welcome, Ryan Leslie

Ryan will be a great addition to the Maple Leafs. His relationship with the fans will be nothing less than spectacular. He is one of the most professional media personalities in the industry. He is a very personable guy, and the fans will love him.

A few observations

Auston Matthews

There will be a lot of expectations on Matthews. Rightly so; this is his team, and it comes with $13.25 million in cap space. The other reason for the expectations is that Auston is the Captain. Where much is given, much is required. Auston has to stay healthy. We need to score 40-50 goals and accumulate 100 points in a season. He has to be the leader of this team.

Matthew is one of the best young players in the league. His skill, combined with his speed, makes him an explosive forward. It is vital for Matthew to continue to have chemistry with Matthews. If Knies can score 30-35 goals and 70 points, it will go a long way toward making me smile.

John Tavares

John did everything for us last season. He then gives us a huge team-friendly contract. John gave up the captaincy willingly for the team. I do not see many players doing that voluntarily. John has to keep up the play as second-line centre, scoring 65-70 points. His primary role is to feed Nylander and maintain the chemistry with him.

William Nylander

For most of the season, William was probably the best player. He is a slick, explosive player whose Hockey IQ is off the charts. If he can continue his magic 90 points this season, the Leafs will be fine. For Nylander to achieve this, he will have to continue to work well with Tavares. They will still have an excellent top 6.

Last word

I am not going to pull punches; I am expecting a lot of points this season. But, I promise they will be a better team in the long run. I see the Leafs ranking second or third in the division. They’re going to a mean, nasty team this season.

Building Toward the Future: Isles’ Rising Stars

We are getting closer and closer to the NHL season. Nobody really has high hopes for the Isles this season, although I still am optimistic about the future of the Isles. The future is bright, with plenty of prospects in the system. Excluding the picks this year, there seem to be some good reasons to be happy. To me, these are the top 3 prospects after this year.

Cole Eiserman

Cole has all the tools to become a star. His number one asset is his Hockey IQ, which allows him to anticipate plays several steps ahead. He has a knack for finding space so teammates can see him. More importantly, he creates space for his teammates. His quick releases on one-timers makes him an invaluable asset on the powerplay. I was particularly impressed with his ability to get clear in the offensive zone for scoring opportunities.

Calum Ritchie

Calum is a solid prospect. He is a solid prospect and an excellent playmaker. He is known for his exceptional vision when it comes to finding open teammates, and he rarely gets flustered when in possession of the puck. He always looks at his options before dishing the puck. He has been named a strong puck carrier. It is hard to take the puck off him. Ritchie is developing his physical game, which will only make him stronger. 

Danny Nelson

Nelson is a big, strong center who uses his size to his advantage. He is best suited for the penalty kill and is a defensively sound player. Most people see him as a third liner. I can see potential second liner if all goes right.

Last word

With this recent draft, the Isles’ prospects system is getting stronger. Fortunately, Mathieu Darche’s strength lies in building prospects; he prioritizes them. Don’t worry; we’re in good hands with Matthieu. Darche is very good at seeing and developing talent. He will have the prospect cupboard up in no time.

Randy

Passion, Insight, and Unfiltered Takes with The Sick Podcast

Today, I would like to introduce you to an intriguing podcast: This entertaining world of hockey is known as The Sick Podcast - The Eye Test. The show is hosted by Jimmy Murphy and Pierre McGuire, who bring a perspective of their experience in the NHL.

Why watch it?

Hockey Passionate

You will love this show if you're a passionate hockey fan.

Pierre and Jimmy are passionate about hockey and care about its direction. If there is a trend in hockey, they praise it if it's good; if it isn't, they discuss how it can be made right. They pull no punches; everyone is fair game.

Stay informed

What is the latest? How will it affect your team? If it's happening, they will find it. If it's news, they will discuss it. Whether it's breaking news or maybe a team needs a shake-up. If a team needs a change, they will review different scenarios that could be implemented. If you want to be in the crowd, you need Jimmy and Pierre to get you there.

Terrific guests

Jimmy and Pierre try to bring in the best guest they can find. Some of my favourites include Scotty Bowman, Greg Cronin, and Mark Recchi. They have some great guests with great insight.

One-on-one with Jimmy and Pierre

Jimmy and Pierre often get questions from the viewers, which is their favourite time of the show. This is where we get to ask them questions. You can follow Jimmy on Twitter @MurphysLaw74 and the Sick podcast @sickpodnhl

Getting to know Jimmy

1. Favourite memory: 

Boston vs Montreal 1992 Adams Division Final Game 4 at the old Boston Garden. The Bruins are up 1-0 with time winding down, and Patrick Roy pulled for the extra skater. Peter Douris breaks in alone, puts the puck into the empty net, and the old barn erupts! 

So as Roy settles back into the net and we're waiting for play to resume and the roof not to blow off, the guy next to me lights a Roy jersey on fire and throws it onto the ice! Roy comes over and tries to put the fire out, but the famous Bull Gang (the on-ice maintenance crew) has to come out with a fire extinguisher to do it. 

I grew up going to games there from 1984 until the last match ever there in 1995 (Game 5 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals) when Martin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils bounced them from the playoffs in five games. That Game 4 against the Habs was the loudest I ever heard the Garden!

2. Favourite players growing up:

1. Ray Bourque
2. Cam Neely

3. What are you looking forward most this season in the NHL:

The Stanley Cup Playoffs!