The game last night started with a silly fight off the faceoff that was meant to wake everyone up. It didn't quite work even though the Leafs scored first, but ended up down 3-1 after slogging gracelessly through the first half.

Auston Matthews scored on the power play:

And Radko Gudas didn't want that happening again:

No one responded in any direct way, but JT got some revenge on the power play:

Max Domi managed to get two and a ten with 12 minutes left in the game to try to make winning this harder, but...

Bo Groulx! He's been hot like burning in the AHL, and he got an NHL goal, an insurance goal, a goal in a chaotic and emotional game. Go Bo!

This was so much fun to see. With Matthews out for the final half of the game, Groulx took on a big role. This makes watching worthwhile to see him have some success. All of Groulx's prior NHL games were with the Ducks, too.

I should say as well the Michael Pezzetta did more than his silly fight off the opening faceoff, he played a good forechecking shift now and again in very low minutes

Not how anyone wanted the team to wake up. And yes, lots of conversation will be had about the total lack of response by the Leafs to their captain lying on the ice.

I think the initial lack of reaction was part shock, just part how they roll. But I mean, come on! This is Radko Fucking Gudas, you should be irate that he's there, forget about this chickenshit move because he's too old to defend now.

Eventually they got into it and everyone remembered what checking is, what clearing the crease after a whistle is for, what all those pounds they work so hard to add can do for them.

Easton Cowan fought the Ducks new it-boy Jackson LaCombe. (But he waited until it was 5-3.)

Final score was 6-4 after an ENG from Matt Knies and, uh, Joe Woll pooped one in, but never mind, he waited until it was 6-3 to do it.

We may have word today on Matthews. We'll let you know.

And now the news:

Bottom line from Insider Trading: The Leafs are not making changes before the end of the season. Management, coach, players, all as is.

- TSN
TSN’s Hockey Insiders on Ottawa getting their first-rounder back, the Ducks and John Carlson, the struggling Leafs, why Rasmus Andersson hasn’t extended yet and a UFA crop thinning with Nick Schmaltz’s signing.
TSN

Caveat: "as of this moment".

It's that time of the year when NCAA graduates get contracts:

There was an AHL level trade of NHL-contracted players:

Wait, there were two:

Wait, three:

NHL modifies penalty to Senators for cancelled trade | NHL.com
The National Hockey League announced today that it has decided to modify the disciplinary sanction originally imposed on the Ottawa Senators’ franchise for its role in connection with the July 2021 trade of Player Evgenii Dadonov from the Senators to the Vegas Golden Knights and the subsequent,
NHL logoNHL Public Relations

Have a good Friday, everyone, there's two games this weekend, so who knows, they might be fun now everyone is awake.

From The Branches