Good morning on this Toronto Maple Leafs game day!
Let me mosey on down to the schedule to see who we’re playing tonight. Ottawa? Aw man. Wait, what do you mean we have to play the Sens twice in a row? NINE TIMES THIS SEASON?! That is way too much.
Well, we have to start somewhere. Please let it be an easy night for everyone wearing blue.
Various Leafs Branches
The Leafs were sloppy, and that’s not ok in the first game of a shortened schedule | by Katya
Optimist vs Pessimist on the Leafs first game of the season | by Arvind
European Report: Stretch Drive in the KHL | by Katya
The story on the mainstream was finding the line on cross checking | by Luke Fox (Sportsnet)
In cap news, the Leafs swapped Alexander Barabanov and Mikko Lehtonen during the off-day in order to give Lehtonen a day of NHL pay. The lineup will be unchanged for Game 2 as Barabanov is going to be brought back from the Taxi Squad. This was all done via paper transactions. The Leafs did not gain or lose any deadline cap space with this move as Barabanov and Lehtonen make the same money in the NHL. I was hoping they would bank as much space as possible on the off days, but alas.
The Leafs have sent Alexander Barabanov to the taxi squad.
— James Mirtle (@mirtle) January 15, 2021
But... this is purely a cap maneuver to get Mikko Lehtonen up and some NHL pay. Barabanov expected to be back and playing Friday. Lehtonen is not.
Going to be lot of weird cap shenanigans this year.
Zach Hyman is officially a father! Welcome Baby Theo Hyman to Leafs Nation!
BABY THEO HYMAN pic.twitter.com/r4JfDUXNB9
— bobbi :) (@mo_toews) January 14, 2021
Egor Korshkov scored this very KHL goal yesterday. You can read more about his season in the European Report.
Yegor Korshkov scored a beauty for his 14th goal of the season in a 3-0 victory for Lokomotiv today. #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/ISZSUuN7MT
— Nick Richard (@_NickRichard) January 14, 2021
Wednesday’s season opener was Sportsnet’s most-watched game of all time. And with these numbers, it is 100% clear that the Leafs are at least six times more important than the Oilers and Canucks.
Have you heard? #ItsOn! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/dPJ8ENgbog
— Sportsnet PR (@SportsnetPR) January 14, 2021
I feel like this needs repeating:
On Wednesday night, Harnarayan Singh became the first non-white play-by-play announcer to call an NHL game on national TV in English. Singh has been the PxP announcer for Hockey Night in Punjabi since 2008.
Congratulations to our very own @IceSinghHNIC, who is making his play by play debut on @Sportsnet as the @Canucks take on the @EdmontonOilers tonight! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 pic.twitter.com/Isr9HxltUp
— Hockey Night Punjabi (@HkyNightPunjabi) January 14, 2021
Sammy Blais was suspended two games for this high hit on Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews.
St. Louis’ Sammy Blais has been suspended for two games for an Illegal Check to the Head on Colorado’s Devon Toews. https://t.co/XpZPbNbRMS
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) January 15, 2021
Some people are just not meant to go left.
Would you look at that. DeActivated once again. https://t.co/zmA3WcuNLN
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) January 15, 2021
Censored in the penalty box.
Tony DeAngelo called for holding and then two more for unsportsmanlike conduct. #Isles 4-on-3 power play coming up.
— Christian Arnold (@C_Arnold01) January 15, 2021
