#toronto-maple-leafs

#toronto-maple-leafs

This Toronto Maple Leafs team seems incapable of capitalizing on momentum of any kind, and it's getting more painful to watch by the day. On Thursday night, they were shut out 4-0 by the Washington Capitals and limited to only 22 shots, going 0-for-5 on the power play with Auston Matthews and William Nylander kept from the scoresheet and from making any sort of impact.

Ahead of Thursday's game against the Washington Capitals, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube is shuffling the lines. Easton Cowan will join John Tavares on the second line, with Nick Robertson on the left wing, via David Alter of The Hockey News. Cowan and Tavares found some success together earlier in the season, and it's a reward for the rookie's consistent play throughout the year.

The Toronto Maple Leafs were dangerously close to back-to-back disappointing losses on home ice, but the Leafs found a way to come out victorious on Tuesday night. After Saturday's 6-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers, one that drew ire from fans with the way things collapsed, the Leafs found themselves trailing the Chicago Blackhawks 2-0 almost halfway through the third period.

After stumbling their way through most of the game after giving up a shorthanded goal in the first period and struggling to generate much offence at all, the Leafs scored two goals in eight seconds late in the third period to give themselves the lead and eventually the win over the Blackhawks. Despite this, their effort early in the game left a lot to be desired, which Craig Berube commented on following the game.

Down 2-0 midway through the third period, the Maple Leafs pushed, eventually getting on the board with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal at the 9:59 mark of the third. The goal breathed new life into the Maple Leafs. However, it seemed like the Blackhawks were going to hold on to the lead. But then, the Leafs pulled off an amazing feat. First, Nick Robertson drew a penalty that set up a tremendous goal by Auston Matthews to tie the game.

The Leafs made a few acquisitions in the offseason, trying to fill a massive hole in the lineup that was caused by the Mitch Marner departure. In the Marner deal, forward Nicolas Roy was the return. Toronto also acquired forward Dakota Joshua from the Vancouver Canucks, with hopes of him adding more depth. To round out the trades, they also got their hands on Finnish forward Matias Maccelli. They have also given youngster Easton Cowan a try.

The veteran blueliner was previously seen on the ice in a non-contact jersey but was held from practice while the Leafs were searching for their options with his health. During the practice, he was on a line with Oliver Ekman-Larsson, which could suggest that the Toronto native could make a return for Tuesday night's clash against the Chicago Blackhawks. If Tanev were to return to the Leafs' lineup, we would likely see Henry Thrun taken out of the lineup.

Great teammate,

The Vancouver Canucks sent their captain to the Minnesota Wild for an eye-watering haul. The Canucks essentially got four first-round picks as the return featured three players selected in the first round plus a future first-round selection. So, the question begs: How does the Quinn Hughes trade affect the Toronto Maple Leafs? The short answer is: Not much. This trade mainly affects the balance of power in the Western Conference. The Wild will now move into a whole different category of contention.

Depending on where Hughes lands, there could be serious implications for the Maple Leafs. If Hughes goes to the Detroit Red Wings, the Leafs could be seriously impacted. But beyond Hughes' potential landing spot, an interesting question comes to mind: Could the Toronto Maple Leafs use the Quinn Hughes trade as a template for a possible Auston Matthews deal? Questions regarding the Maple Leafs potentially trading Auston Matthews have not been foreign to the team.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have been on a roll lately, having won four of their past five games to improve their season record to 14-11-4. During that stretch, Toronto has outscored their opponents 19-6 backed by some solid defense and goaltending in the process. In doing so, the Maple Leafs have pulled to within three points of a playoff spot and five points from the Atlantic Division lead in the standings.