» Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Carolina Hurricanes – Game #56 Preview, Projected Lines & TV Broadcast Info
22/02/25 18:46 from Toronto Maple Leafs Hot Stove
The Maple Leafs return from the 4 Nations break looking to halt a run of five straight losses to the Carolina Hurricanes tonight at Scotiabank Arena (7:00 p.m. EST, Sportsnet/CBC). The Leafs’ losing streak to the Hurricanes has a c...

» Craig Berube on Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner returning to the Leafs after their 4 Nations experience: “I firmly believe they benefitted a lot from being in those situations”
22/02/25 18:46 from Toronto Maple Leafs Hot Stove
Ahead of Saturday’s game against Carolina, head coach Craig Berube discussed the challenge against the Hurricanes, the decision to start Anthony Stolarz, and the expectations for Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner after a tight turna...

» Craig Berube on Auston Matthews’ 4 Nations showing despite Team USA’s loss: “I saw a really good 200-foot game out of him the whole tournament… Excellent tournament”
21/02/25 19:38 from Toronto Maple Leafs Hot Stove
After Friday’s practice, head coach Craig Berube discussed the 4 Nations result, the play of Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner in the final, the return to NHL action this weekend, and the status of Max Pacioretty. Practice Lines ...

» Game in 10: Team Canada wins 4 Nations championship, Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews put on multi-point performances on the game’s biggest stage
21/02/25 14:08 from Toronto Maple Leafs Hot Stove
O, Canada! Entering this tournament, it felt like a fun idea that could be a good watch, but it turned into a full-on battle for the ages. This championship game all but felt like an Olympic gold medal game as the players went all out an...

» Jon Cooper on Mitch Marner setting up Connor McDavid’s championship-winning goal for Team Canada: “That kid can make plays… He just needed one chance to make a play, and he did”
21/02/25 14:07 from Toronto Maple Leafs Hot Stove
After Team Canada’s 4 Nations championship win, head coach Jon Cooper discussed the meaning of the victory for the country, re-uniting Mitch Marner and Connor McDavid with the tournament on the line, Nathan MacKinnon and Sidney Cro...

» Team Canada vs. Team USA – 4 Nations Final Projected Lines, Discussion & TV Broadcast Info
20/02/25 20:49 from Toronto Maple Leafs Hot Stove
The international best-on-best championship game the hockey world has spent the better part of a decade waiting for will go down tonight in Boston (8:00 p.m. EST, Sportsnet/TVA Sports). Game Day Quotes Brad Marchand on the challenge pres...

» Craig Berube on his prediction for Team Canada vs. Team USA, and will Marner & Matthews rest this weekend?
20/02/25 19:55 from Toronto Maple Leafs Hot Stove
After Thursday’s optional skate/skills session, head coach Craig Berube discussed Max Pacioretty’s injury, the schedule leading up to the return to play, and Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner’s opportunity to play in a m...

» Jon Cooper on the environment in Boston for the Team Canada vs. Team USA championship game: “There are probably going to be more Canadians here than there were Americans in Montreal”
20/02/25 18:53 from Toronto Maple Leafs Hot Stove
Ahead of the 4 Nations championship final against Team USA, head coach Jon Cooper discussed the meaning of this game, the politically-charged environment around it, and the decision to re-insert Seth Jarvis into the lineup. What went int...

» Lessons from the 4 Nations tournament for the Maple Leafs, and examining the depth scoring issue — Leafs Notebook
19/02/25 22:08 from Toronto Maple Leafs Hot Stove
Wow, what a 4 Nations tournament so far.  I thought it would be fun, but I didn’t expect this. The teams are playing for keeps and defending hard. It has been physical and feisty, with genuine animosity on display. The big Canada-USA gam...

» Jon Cooper on Team Canada’s buy-in ahead of the 4 Nations Final: “Every ego got checked at the door”
19/02/25 22:07 from Toronto Maple Leafs Hot Stove
After Team Canada’s practice on Wednesday, head coach Jon Cooper discussed preparation for the final against Team USA, adjustments from last Saturday’s loss, and Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby’s leadership. Your team ...

» Craig Berube on Calle Jarnkrok nearing a return to the Leafs’ lineup: “A very intelligent player very capable of playing all three positions up front… He’s a Swiss army knife”
19/02/25 19:30 from Toronto Maple Leafs Hot Stove
After Wednesday’s practice, head coach Craig Berube discussed the second day of on-ice sessions following the break, Max Pacioretty leaving practice injured, managing the load for the players involved in the 4 Nations tournament, a...

» Fast start powers Toronto Marlies to seven goals in chippy win over Laval
19/02/25 17:07 from Toronto Maple Leafs Hot Stove
“Personally, I just don’t like those guys. The ticky-tack and bantam stuff — like getting squirted with the water bottle when we’re on the ice — doesn’t make me love them anymore. It’s nice to make it ...

» Is Kyle Connor McDavid the best same-name combo player in NHL history?
19/02/25 13:31 from Down Goes Brown
We’re one day away from the biggest international showdown in 15 years, with Team USA hosting Team Canada in a grudge match that will feature all sorts of bad blood both on and off the ice. And I’m going to be honest: My tummy hurts. I k...

» Jon Cooper on Mitch Marner’s line vs. Team Finland: “Cirelli and Hagel are the worker bees, and Mitch organizes things in the offensive zone… The line was great”
19/02/25 00:30 from Toronto Maple Leafs Hot Stove
On Team Canada’s off-day, head coach Jon Cooper discussed the Hagel-Cirelli-Marner line’s performance against Team Finland, his players’ buy-in to the cause, and the meaning of Thursday’s final against Team USA. Y...

» Craig Berube on the Leafs calling up Alex Steeves: “He’s been lights-out down there… He’s been a pretty effective player for us up here with limited ice time”
18/02/25 22:07 from Toronto Maple Leafs Hot Stove
After Tuesday’s practice, head coach Craig Berube discussed the call-up of Alex Steeves, the 4 Nations tournament, Auston Matthews missing a game for Team USA due to injury, and the schedule for the week before NHL game action resu...

» Game in 10: Adjustments pay off as Team Canada takes care of business vs. Team Finland, punches ticket to 4 Nations final
17/02/25 23:15 from Toronto Maple Leafs Hot Stove
Bring on the rematch. In the meantime, your Game in 10: 1.   Team Canada blew up their lines in this game and made some much-needed changes entering a do-or-die game. Both Mitch Marner and Sam Reinhart were taken off of Connor McDavid’s ...

» Jon Cooper on Team USA opening as betting favourites vs. Team Canada in the 4 Nations Final: “I don’t know who is making the lines, but everybody in our room thinks we have a really good chance to win”
17/02/25 23:14 from Toronto Maple Leafs Hot Stove
After Team Canada’s 5-3 win over Team Finland, head coach Jon Cooper discussed the adjustments after the loss to Team USA, the play of his leaders, the impact of Cale Makar’s return, and the areas where the team needs to impr...

» NHL weekend rankings, 4 Nations Face-Off edition: A Saturday night for the ages
17/02/25 22:06 from Down Goes Brown
Here are this week’s NHL power rankings: The same as last week’s . That’s it. That’s the list. As you may have noticed, there haven’t been any NHL games played over the last week, which means there’s no reason to shift any of the ranking...

» Team Canada vs. Team Finland – 4 Nations Face-Off Projected Lines, Discussion & TV Broadcast Info
17/02/25 17:49 from Toronto Maple Leafs Hot Stove
A regulation win over Team Finland will punch Team Canada’s ticket to the 4 Nations Face-Off Final against Team USA (1:00 p.m. EST, Sportsnet/TVA Sports). The stakes:  –  A Team Canada regulation win over Team Finland clinche...

» Alex Steeves scores twice, Artur Akhtyamov stops 31 of 33 as Toronto Marlies beat Belleville in OT
17/02/25 13:02 from Toronto Maple Leafs Hot Stove
“We weren’t very good for the first 20 minutes. They beat us to all the loose pucks and won the battles. But I really did like our intensity after that. We made a few mistakes, but I loved how we responded to them. We got some huge...

» Game in 10: Start for the ages gives way to offensive frustration for Team Canada in loss to the U.S.
16/02/25 05:22 from Toronto Maple Leafs Hot Stove
The game started with a bang and ended with a whimper, but Team Canada is not out yet, even if they have their work cut out for them. Your Canada-USA game in 10: 1.   What an incredible, electric start to this game. Three fights happened...

» Jon Cooper on the three fights to start Team Canada vs. Team USA: “It was probably 10 years of no international hockey exhaled in a minute and a half”
16/02/25 04:55 from Toronto Maple Leafs Hot Stove
After Team Canada’s 3-1 loss to Team USA, head coach Jon Cooper discussed the fights to start the game, a tight-checking loss, adjustments to generate more offense, and Cale Makar’s status for Monday’s game against Finl...

» Team Canada vs. Team USA – 4 Nations Face-Off Projected Lines, Discussion & TV Broadcast Info
15/02/25 21:55 from Toronto Maple Leafs Hot Stove
In the most anticipated international best-on-best hockey game since the 2014 Olympic Final in Sochi, Team Canada hosts Team USA in the second game of the Four Nations round robin (8:00 p.m. EST, Sportsnet/TVA Sports). Game Day Quotes Mi...

» Third period rally falls short as Toronto Marlies lose in Belleville
15/02/25 20:56 from Toronto Maple Leafs Hot Stove
“The momentum swings went against us. We have to spend a little more time in their end and probably get a little more traffic. I thought we did some good things, but we have to clean up a few.” – John Gruden This iteration of the T...

» Jon Cooper on the possible booing of the American anthem before Team Canada vs. Team USA: “We hope it doesn’t happen… Everybody should come, cheer for the great game, and leave that part out of it”
15/02/25 02:07 from Toronto Maple Leafs Hot Stove
After Team Canada’s practice on Friday, head coach Jon Cooper discussed preparation for USA vs. Canada, the history of the rivalry, the Canadian crowd’s reaction to the American anthem, Sam Bennett entering the lineup, and Ca...

» Toronto Marlies rally in overtime after blowing a three-goal lead, Logan Shaw scores the winner against Syracuse
14/02/25 15:15 from Toronto Maple Leafs Hot Stove
“I think it is a huge goal for [Logan Shaw]. He’s been doing a lot of (good) things that don’t show up on the scoresheet. For him to make a big play in a big moment like that, it should help propel him moving forward.” –...

» Every Canada vs. USA matchup from a men's best-on-best tournament, ranked
14/02/25 15:11 from Down Goes Brown
On Saturday night, after over eight years of waiting, it’s finally back: Canada vs the USA in a best-on-best men’s hockey tournament. OK, maybe the 4 Nations Face-Off doesn’t have quite the same claim to “best-on-best” status as some of ...

» Jon Cooper on coaching Connor McDavid on Team Canada for the first time: “This is the fastest the league gets — it doesn’t get faster — and he is still a cut above in the speed department”
14/02/25 01:56 from Toronto Maple Leafs Hot Stove
The day after Team Canada’s tournament-opening win over Team Sweden, head coach Jon Cooper discussed Travis Sanehim entering the lineup after Shea Theodore’s injury, coaching Connor McDavid for the first time, a banged-up Sid...

» Which NHL team has the best all-time roster from one country that isn't Canada?
12/02/25 13:24 from Down Goes Brown
Since we’re all in an international hockey mood this week, let’s try a roster challenge that reader Derrick sent in a while ago. His question was simple: Which NHL team could produce the best lineup of three forwards, two defensemen...

» NHL weekend rankings: No, your predictions are wrong
10/02/25 14:29 from Down Goes Brown
Yes, it’s yet another batch of predictions. But this time it’s not me or the other writers making the picks, but you. Yes, you, personally, because I’m going to assume that you took part in The Athletic’s recent survey. More than 2,500 r...

» The 4 Nations Face-Off can't have any trades, obviously... but what if it did?
09/02/25 16:00 from Down Goes Brown
There are no trades in the 4 Nations Face-Off. There couldn’t be. It wouldn’t make any sense. Players play for their home countries, just like every other international tournament. Each team has a GM, but that guy’s job is simply to asse...

» Emergency Cap Court session: Does the rising cap change the verdict on these stars?
05/02/25 14:08 from Down Goes Brown
But the cap is going up. For years, it’s been the go-to excuse for any questionable contract signed in the NHL. Aside from the years immediately following the pandemic, the NHL’s cap ceiling always goes up, at least a little bit. And tha...

» NHL weekend rankings: Huge cap news, more blockbuster trades, and oh yeah, games
03/02/25 13:29 from Down Goes Brown
It was another weekend where the biggest stories came off the ice, including our second consecutive Friday night blockbuster. We’ll get to the J.T. Miller trade, and the follow-up deal with the Penguins, in a bit. But first, let’s focus ...

» Grab Bag: Offseason grades, a 4 Nations request, and happier times in Vancouver
31/01/25 15:49 from Down Goes Brown
We’re halfway through the season and haven’t done a Grab Bag yet. Let’s fix that today, with your favorite Friday complete waste of time… >> Read the full post at The Athletic (Want to read this post on The Athletic for free? Sign up for...

» How rare is it for first overall picks like Taylor Hall to play for this many teams?
29/01/25 14:20 from Down Goes Brown
Friday night’s Mikko Rantanen blockbuster was such a monster trade that the inclusion of a former Hart Trophy winner felt like a footnote. But there was Taylor Hall, heading to Carolina and his seventh stop in the NHL. That led to what I...

» Weekend rankings: The Mikko Rantanen blockbuster shakes up the league
27/01/25 13:24 from Down Goes Brown
The word “blockbuster” gets thrown around a little too often in today’s NHL, often for trades unworthy of the term, in the same way that anything might feel like a five-star meal to a starving man. But the deal that dropped on Friday nig...

» Do you know your defensive defensemen? The ‘Who Didn’t He Play For?’ quiz returns
24/01/25 14:01 from Down Goes Brown
Folks, it’s time to honor the noble defensive defenseman. I don’t mean with a new trophy, although that idea popped up again recently. Sharks’ blueliner Marc-Edouard Vlasic is the latest to call for a new award , an idea that Daniel wrot...

» Every goalie goal ever scored, ranked, in way too much detail
22/01/25 13:24 from Down Goes Brown
These goalies are out of control. You already know about Alex Nedeljkovic’s record-breaking Friday night , as he became the first goaltender in NHL to record a goal and an assist in the same game. But that goal doubled down on the histor...

» NHL weekend rankings: McDavid’s cross-check, an imminent trade and a goalie goal
20/01/25 13:27 from Down Goes Brown
The Panthers have earned a break, meaning they drop off the Top 5 for the first time all season and free up a spot. And there are more than a few teams with a decent case to make. By points percentage, the East’s next team is the Maple L...

» The 9 levels of bad sports owner hell
17/01/25 14:30 from Down Goes Brown
It’s been an interesting week for NHL owners. In Buffalo, Terry Pegula watched his team get embarrassed while fans chanted for him to fire the GM or sell the team. In Philadelphia, Comcast dropped a surprise announcement of a new arena, ...

» Which non-Hall-of-Famer played the most career games for your favorite team?
15/01/25 13:25 from Down Goes Brown
The Hurricanes retired Eric Staal’s number one Sunday, a well-deserved moment for one of the most popular players in franchise history. Sending a player’s number to the rafters can be tricky business, and some teams handle it better than...

» Weekend NHL rankings: The Blue Jackets are the league’s best story and it’s not close
13/01/25 14:19 from Down Goes Brown
We’re past the midway mark of the season, which means we can’t just hand-wave away any surprises with a dismissive “too early”. That’s bad news for people like me who make preseason predictions, because it means we might have to accept t...

» DGB Mailbag: Ovechkin’s record-breaker, the Jack Adams curse, and 4 Nations fights
10/01/25 13:34 from Down Goes Brown
We haven’t done a mailbag since just after the season started. Remember back then? When the Rangers and Bruins were elite, the Predators were ready to contend, the Habs and Blue Jackets were write-offs and the Sabres were going to take t...

» Ranking 25 of the NHL's biggest blockbuster trades from the last 25 years
08/01/25 21:46 from Down Goes Brown
Happy new year. How did you enjoy the first quarter-century of the 2000s? That question probably makes you either feel old (because there’s no way it’s been that long) or young (because you haven’t even been around that whole time). I’m ...

» NHL weekend rankings: Offseason regrets, Lightning surge, and are the Habs good?
06/01/25 13:36 from Down Goes Brown
The holidays are done, you’re sitting in a home surrounded by all your new stuff, and you’re probably thinking: I don’t need some of this junk after all. I hope I kept the receipts. A few NHL teams know how you feel. We did this last yea...

» Mid-season mailbag?
05/01/25 19:48 from Down Goes Brown
Hey folks... It feels like a good time to do amidseason mailbag. I need your questions. Fun ones, silly ones, complicated ones, simple ones, about everything from fictional awards to history to real, actual hockey news. Topics could incl...

» Florida vs. California: Debating the NHL's best state of the salary cap era
03/01/25 17:06 from Down Goes Brown
Which state has been the NHL’s best of the cap era? There are four states with multiple NHL teams, but two stand out above the others for our purposes today. New York has three teams but no championships to show for the cap era, and are,...

» Ranking the 10 best (and 5 worst) games for Alex Ovechkin to break the record
01/01/25 17:20 from Down Goes Brown
Alexander Ovechkin is back, and the chase for history has resumed. Ovechkin returned to the Washington lineup on Friday, needing 27 goals to pass Wayne Gretzky for the all-time crown. He wasted little time in getting the first of those t...

» NHL weekend rankings: Change finally comes in Detroit, plus I was wrong but it's fine
30/12/24 14:17 from Down Goes Brown
We’re right in the middle of the holiday season, meaning you’re probably still fighting off a turkey coma and/or dealing with overstimulated kids and/or planning your New Year’s party. What you’re probably not doing is obsessing about th...

» Filling in history's awards gaps with once-a-decade bonus trophies that I made up
27/12/24 15:32 from Down Goes Brown
We’re almost at the end of 2024, which means we’re almost half through the 2020s. That reminded me of a decades-based idea I’ve had kicking around for a while, and since I don’t have the patience to wait five more years, we’re doing it t...