The losing streak is over.
Good stuff.
Auston Matthews netted the shootout winner as the Leafs got back on track with a 3-2 win in Vancouver. Shoutout to Flames Nation and Barn Burner in Calgary for hosting Jay Rosehill and I in studio for the Monday edition of Leafs Morning Take. We kicked off the show with a pulse check as the Leafs prepare for two games in Alberta to finish off their pre-Olympic slate. After that, we dove into this weekend’s reporting from Elliotte Friedman. According to Friedge, the Leafs and Matthews recently affirmed their commitment to each other. Additionally, he disclosed that Toronto’s beginning their process of becoming sellers. Whatever that means. Anyway you slice it, the mood around this team isn’t good. It stinks that they’re in this position. Toronto’s eight points back of a playoff spot with 27 games left.
To be fair, we didn’t really break down the game much. Instead, we gave a shoutout to the incredible crowd in Vancouver. They were buzzing. That’s the loudest, “Go Leafs Go” chant we’ve heard this season —and that includes Scotiabank Arena. William Nylander looked solid in his return. Joseph Woll was solid, too. The Leafs were outstanding in the third period. That – right there – is the problem with this team. Where’s that been? Meantime, we discussed Marshall Rifai’s season debut. Spoiler: He wasn’t very good. He logged just 9:40 of ice. It’s one game. We’ll see when we see him next. On top of that, Toronto lost Morgan Rielly to an upper body injury. No word on the severity of it just yet.
Next, we took a stroll down memory lane with Justin Pogge, now the goalie coach of the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks. Pogge shared his coaching philosophy, what he looks for in a goalie, and his thoughts on Toronto’s current crease. He’s high on Joseph Woll and Dennis Hildeby, less so on Anthony Stolarz. We also revisited the infamous Tuukka Rask trade, discussing the pressure of being the goalie the Leafs chose over Rask—who went on to an incredible career—while Pogge played just seven NHL games. Throughout, Pogge was candid, blunt, and refreshingly honest.
No Jay Rosehill for Tuesday’s edition of Leafs Morning Take. The Hockey News’ David Alter will join me from the Barn Burner studio to co-host. We’ll recap Leafs vs. Flames and preview the back half of the back-to-back in Edmonton.
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