All of the attention — and tension — now shifts to the May 5th draft lottery, after the 2025-26 Maple Leafs suffered one final indignity of losing to James Reimer and the Ottawa Senators in game #82, capping a truly miserable season. There is a silver lining to the Maple Leafs finishing in 28th overall […]
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Game two of three in Milwaukee. I have such a dislike of Bud Selig that I don’t I could go to Milwaukee to watch a game. I know he doesn’t own the team anymore (and that he’s over 90 years old), but he worked very hard to kill off my Expos and was just an […]
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a dysfunctional mess, and everyone around the NHL knows it. The Leafs went from giving the Florida Panthers their biggest test during their Stanley Cup championship run, to a dismal offseason which saw Mitch Marner head for Vegas, to a regular season loaded with unmet expectations. There's been plenty of chatter recently about how CEO Keith Pelley was trying to influence Brad Treliving with AI-created trade proposals, and now head coach Craig Berube is on thin ice a...
We know that Morgan Rielly, the longest-serving Toronto Maple Leaf , wants to maintain that title. He doesn't want to leave Toronto. But as most observers have noted this season, it might finally be time. The team needs to completely remake its blueline. They finished 30th in the NHL in Expected Goals Against. Insider David Pagnotta was asked on the DFO Rundown on Wednesday if he feels it's time for a change of scenery for Morgan Rielly and the Maple Leafs: The short answer is 'Yes...
After failing to make the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs, we assumed things couldn't get any worse for the Toronto Maple Leafs . They haven't won a championship since 1967, and have been early-outs in recent playoff performances, winning only 2-rounds of postseason hockey. Now, dysfunction within the front office is making waves, as fans are only learning of executive meddling in the affairs of the front office. Keith Pelley of MLSE has made some erratic decisions that have us an...
Folks, the vibes are bad. The Brewers, after a wonderful start, have lost six in a row. The bullpen, an expected strength, is hanging on by a thread, and there are urgent questions about the closer’s role. Three of the team’s five best hitters are on the shelf, with no returns expected for at least […]
The Cleveland Cavaliers will take on the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the playoffs starting on Saturday. The Cavs lost all three of their regular-season games to the Raptors, but each came before December. Let’s take a look at what the numbers say about this Raptors team. Overall team efficiency Offensive rating: 116.8, […]
A loss — in extra time or regulation — for the Maple Leafs tonight, or one point for the Seattle Kraken tonight or tomorrow, and Toronto will slot in fifth-last ahead of the May 5th draft lottery (7:30 p.m. EST, Sportsnet). TSN1050 will broadcast Joe Bowen’s final call of his broadcasting career tonight. Be sure […]
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INDEPENDENCE — The Cleveland Cavaliers have struggled to stay healthy all season. This has led to them having 41 different starting lineup combinations and just three players participating in 65 or more games. For context, a team like the Boston Celtics had 23 different starting lineup combinations and nine players available for 65 or more […]
Ahead of the final game of the season against the Ottawa Senators, head coach Craig Berube discussed the end of a disappointing 2025-26 Leafs season. There is a lot to dissect in the days and weeks ahead, but what is the message to the group ahead of the final regular-season game? Berube: Play the right […]
The post Craig Berube, on the final day of the season, on what it’s meant to coach the Maple Leafs: “I love Toronto, and I love the Leafs” appeared first on Maple Leafs Hotstove .
One more to go before the big show!
This one is the ultimate.
The Cleveland Cavaliers will be taking on the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the playoffs. Game 1 between the Cavs and Raptors will be on Saturday, April 18. The game will be broadcast exclusively on Prime. The schedule for the rest of the games can be seen below. Games five through seven will […]
The Cleveland Cavaliers finished the season 52-30 and have a first-round date with the Toronto Raptors on Saturday. Before we look ahead, let’s reflect on the regular season and hand out some report cards. All grades are based on our expectations for each player before the season began. Donovan Mitchell 27.9 points, 5.7 assists, 4.5 […]
Well that was dramatic. Two teams in deep skids early in what were supposed to be their years. Whoever lost was going to have serious questions about their season, while whoever won would have to wonder if this represented turning the corner. It was about as dramatic a game as it gets, too, with multiple […]
This is the first of three games with the Brewers. And I’m still somewhere in Japan. I know nothing about Milwaukee. I never watched Lavern and Shirley. I understand they make Miller Beer there and that’s my sum total of knowledge of the area. I guess Happy Days was set there too. They have the […]
The Milwaukee Brewers will look to end their five-game losing skid tonight, and they’ll have to do it against the reigning American League champions. On top of that, they’ll have to do it without another one of their top players in Christian Yelich. The Brewers officially placed Christian Yelich on the 10-day IL on Tuesday […]
Leafs Nation is holding its breath for words from the captain himself this week. Auston Matthews is expected to answer a number of questions at the team's locker cleanout day on Thursday. But in the meantime, insider Chris Johnston reports that Matthews is still bought in to staying with the Toronto Maple Leafs . But there's a big caveat. "All things equal, Auston Matthews still wants to be a Maple Leaf, but he needs to have some confidence that can happen here" This morning on #FirstUp , @rep...
Now that the regular season is coming to an end, teams around the NHL (in particular, those out of the playoffs) are looking at some bold moves for the summer to get themselves back into contention. With the UFA market pretty depleted, however, the trade market will have to be the main source for significant roster upgrades. For that, analyst Anthony Di Marco of Daily Faceoff has offered up this list of the top 5 blockbuster trade candidates for the offseason: Auston Matthews The Toronto...
The James Norris Memorial Trophy was first handed out in 1954 when Red Kelly was named the inaugural winner of the NHL’s best defenceman award. Kelly led NHL defenders in scoring with 49 points in 62 games, and offensive totals have always had a heavy influence on who wins. It isn’t the only criteria, but…
Good luck in the playoffs this year!
It took 81 games to find an opponent this year, but after the Tampa Bay Lightning’s overtime win against the Detroit Red Wings, and the Buffalo Sabres’ regulation win against the Chicago Blackhawks, the playoff match-ups are set. Well, at least for the Lightning. Since Buffalo won in regulation, they hold the tiebreaker over Tampa Bay and clinched the Atlantic Division. So that means the Lightning and Montreal Canadiens will face-off in the playoffs for the fifth time in history.
While th...
The 2000 New York Yankees were not a team of destiny like in 1998, or the well-oiled machine that dropped but a single playoff game en route to a title in 1999. They were a squad that needed help. Jockeying for position with the Red Sox and Blue Jays in a crowded AL East, the […]
Thank you, Joe. Joe Bowen’s sign-off for his final Leafs home broadcast Bowen: I’ve often said that I don’t know what I was going to say when the Leafs won the Stanley Cup. But I thought about this, and what I want to say now. I said I had to put it down in writing. […]
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It’s the final home game of the Maple Leafs’ disappointing 2025-26 season and Joe Bowen’s illustrious broadcasting career (7:30 p.m. EST, Amazon Prime). SN590 will broadcast Joe’s final call at the SBA tonight. Be sure to follow us on X for the game highlight clips featuring Joe’s calls. Game Day Quotes Forward Ryan Tverberg ahead […]
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