Richard Hedman Stop Me Before I Plan Again

Dubas Knows What The Leafs Demand

TORONTO (February. 7) — The reason Kyle Dubas told reporters on Mon that he hasn't still determined his trade deadline strategy is rather fundamental: He can stall for at least some other five weeks. And, that'due south precisely what the Maple Leafs general manager was doing when he pretended to not know what his social club requires for a lengthy playoff march. Even a novice fan of the National Hockey League can run across the red flags on the Toronto blue line.

Which have been evident for merely 45 years, give or take a season.

Issue No. one cannot be solved before the Mar. 21 NHL trade embargo. The Leafs have a very good defenseman in Morgan Rielly… merely not a Norris Trophy contender. There is nevertheless a deviation between Rielly and such fellow defensemen as Victor Hedman, Cale Makar and Adam Fox. Morgan remains about the top of the 2d tier and he'll be an nugget for the club in the postal service season. Of greater concern is an established blue liner that favors body contact. The Leafs have a proficient likeness in Jake Muzzin, but the very fact they miss him so sorely when he'south out of the line–upward offers the need for an upgrade. Muzzin is an boilerplate defenseman slowing with age. And, he's the all-time, by many miles, the Leafs possess. Without another player of his genre, advocacy beyond the opening circular of Stanley Cup competition will once more bear witness challenging. Whatever person — Dubas at the very acme — expecting the immature Swedish duo of Rasmus Sandin and Tim Liljegren to not only withstand, simply excel in, four rounds of grueling playoff toil will be disappointed. Such apprehension may never materialize, but certainly not correct away.

Fifty-fifty if Sandin and Liljegren perform well prior to Mar. 21, they will not take experienced a playoff environment. That'due south where the Leafs GM was a bit fudgy on Mon. He knows the difference betwixt regular season and mail service flavour. Unless one of the Swedes takes a Makar–like footstep, Dubas will maintain realistic playoff assumption.

The Leafs need a bold rental before the merchandise deadline. I accept vouched for Zdeno Chara because… he's Zdeno Chara. Most 45 years old but with monumental size, playoff experience, savvy and an unparalleled aura. Most observers believe Lou Lamoriello would send Chara to his native Slovakia rather than the guild that jettisoned him as GM in 2018. And, they could be right. But, information technology's certainly worth a determined overture on the part of Dubas.

At that place was a whisper today that big Connor Murphy of Chicago, a right-handed shot, could be on the Leafs' radar.

As for the general angst in Leafs Nation over the recent performance–blip of goalie Jack Campbell, I do non subscribe. Not later Campbell performed exceptionally during the span of one agenda year, or one½ seasons. No stopper can fluke expert numbers for that long. Campbell is a legitimate starting goalie with awesome playoff potential. His stats were superb in the opening–round collapse against Montreal concluding May. Like his predecessor, yet, Jack needs to carry down in the crunch. Frederik Andersen likewise accrued reliable stats in the mail service–season with Toronto, but was completely unreliable when games were on the line. The numerous softies that eluded Andersen killed the Leafs over and over. Smilin' Jack, you must remember, had zero playoff experience prior to last jump.

It says here that if he stays healthy, Campbell will provide the Leafs a breakthrough that Andersen could non.

He alone could lift the club across its opening–round playoff drought that dates, lingeringly, to 2004.

STILL A Record, 46 YEARS Afterwards

Yes, it'southward Feb. seven. Again. For more than 4½ decades, this date has appeared with no thespian in the National Hockey League equaling, or eclipsing, the record of 10 points (six goals, iv assists) in one game, established in 1976 past Maple Leafs helm Darryl Sittler. In fact, simply Sittler has nine points in 1 game. The tape has been threatened on a number of occasions since 46 years ago tonight. Eight points were amassed by the following NHLers:

TOM BLADON, Philadelphia, vs. Cleveland on December. eleven, 1977. four goals, 4 assists.
BRYAN TROTTIER, New York Islanders, vs. New York Rangers on Dec. 23, 1978. v goals, 3 assists.
PETER STASTNY, Quebec Nordiques, at Washington on February. 22, 1981. iv goals, 4 assists.
ANTON STASTNY, Quebec Nordiques, at Washington on Feb. 22, 1981. iii goals, 5 assists.
WAYNE GRETZKY, Edmonton Oilers, vs. New Jersey on November. 19, 1983. 3 goals, v assists.
WAYNE GRETZKY, Edmonton Oilers, vs. Minnesota on Jan. 4, 1984. 4 goals, iv assists.
PAUL COFFEY, Edmonton Oilers, vs. Detroit on Mar. xiv, 1986. 2 goals, 6 assists.
MARIO LEMIEUX, Pittsburgh Penguins, vs. St. Louis on Oct. 15, 1988. 2 goals, vi assists.
BERNIE NICHOLLS, Los Angeles Kings, vs. Toronto on Dec. one, 1988. 2 goals, 6 assists.
MARIO LEMIEUX, Pittsburgh Penguins, vs. New Jersey on Dec. 31, 1988. 5 goals, 3 assists.
SAM GAGNER, Edmonton Oilers, vs. Chicago on Feb. 2, 2012. 4 goals, 4 assists.

Only ane other player in the NHL'due south expansion era (beginning in 1967–68) has scored six goals in a game. Cherry Berenson of the St. Louis Dejection achieved the feat on November. seven, 1968 at the Philadelphia Spectrum. At that place was lots of noise in San Jose a few weeks ago (Jan. 17) when forward Timo Meier of the Sharks had five goals after two periods against the Los Angeles Kings (most in one game since 1994). But, Meier failed to equal Berenson and Sittler in the third. No one other than Sittler has accrued hattricks in sequent periods, as did the future Hall–of–Famer in the 2d and third frames of the eleven–four drubbing against Boston on Feb. vii, 1976 (a Sabbatum).

For a hockey fan growing up in Toronto, that game remains the most–memorable of any I've attended in my life. I was four days past my 17th birthday when Sittler erupted against Don Cerise'south vastly superior team.

Poor Dave Reece played goal for Boston in his 14th — and final — NHL appearance.

I withal have my souvenirs from that surreal dark at Maple Leafage Gardens:

I SAT IN REDS SEC. 42, IN THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF THE GARDENS. SITTLER BROKE THE Record OF 8 POINTS IN A GAME (SHARED BY MAURICE RICHARD AND BERT OLMSTEAD OF MONTREAL) AT THE FAR END OF THE ICE IN THE THIRD PERIOD. I DEFACED THE PROGRAM Encompass (TOP–Correct), BUT I'D VENTURE At that place AREN'T MANY SUCH ITEMS IN Apportionment TODAY. I Also MADE A Note (Below) IN THE Heart–SPREAD LINE–UPS, Later on THE HISTORIC MATCH.

I MET UP WITH SITTLER (In a higher place) ON HIS 65th BIRSTDAY (Sep. xviii, 2015) AT THE LEAFS' PRACTICE FACILITY; And then ON HIS 70th Altogether (Beneath) IN THE PARKING LOT OF YORKDALE SHOPPING CENTRE. DARRYL REMAINS 2d, ALL TIME, IN LEAFS SCORING, Behind ONLY MATS SUNDIN.