Toronto Maple Leafs

[DusterDave]

And Chris Johnson just reporting that Sparks is not on waivers but his status is still unclear.

Okay I’m done now.

[Auston'sWilly]

It's too bad really - I think it was an unavoidable decision to choose Sparks over McElhinney.
Like most people, I would have done the same thing, and even knowing today how badly Sparks has played since the decision, I would still say it was the right thing to do.
Like Babcock though, I have very little confidence in Sparks going into the playoffs.

[lucafen4]

Toronto Marlies respond - Enter Joseph Woll

[2014olympicgold]

Confirmed Hutch to backup Andersen moving forward:
https://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/16...rt-of-playoffs

[ericdaoust]

https://twitter.com/kristen_shilton/...14226065858567

Garret Sparks will spend the next 10 days away from #Leafs, working with #Leafs and Marlies goalie coaches to get his game back and confidence back

[2014olympicgold]

https://twitter.com/kristen_shilton/...14226065858567

This is prolly the most important part of the Hutch situation.

Take it 2 ways:
1 - Leafs aren't giving up on Sparks
2 - Are the Leafs giving a short timeline on how long they'll wait? Why 10 days? Is that the max allowed time per the CBA a player can be away from the team?

[ericdaoust]

This is prolly the most important part of the Hutch situation.

Take it 2 ways:
1 - Leafs aren't giving up on Sparks
2 - Are the Leafs giving a short timeline on how long they'll wait? Why 10 days? Is that the max allowed time per the CBA a player can be away from the team?

There's not really any limitation to the roster come playoff time. I think it's possible they have given up on Sparks and are going about it this way to lessen the media drama. In 10 days there's going to be more important things to talk about.

[Auston'sWilly]

While anything is possible, I highly doubt they've given up on Sparks. It wouldn't make much sense to extend a player and then give up on him a month later.
There was no urgency to extend him, and it's not like he was anything special before March 5, so I think face value applies here. They just want to help him find his confidence.

[2014olympicgold]

Marlies won't play a playoff game till like March 19th-ish. So in the perfect world, Hutch comes up, Sparks finds his game (I don't know how you figure that out, AHL Rehab Stint?), Hutch gets passed through Waivers, Sparks backs up, Hutch starts Marlies playoff games.

[ericdaoust]

While anything is possible, I highly doubt they've given up on Sparks. It wouldn't make much sense to extend a player and then give up on him a month later.

Well they extended him and then sent him away from the team a month later so it's not like they have a ton of faith in him either. Extending him isn't a sign of huge faith IMO. It's only $750k and can be waived/demoted without any cap penalty in the fall if they decide to go in another direction at backup. He'll either be a backup or an organizational depth guy with NHL experience. I'm voting for the latter as I think they will bring in a better backup this summer.

[2014olympicgold]

Leafs Lines at Practice:
Hyman-Tavares-Marner
Johnsson-Matthews-Kapanen
Marleau-Kadri-Nylander
Moore-Gauthier-Brown
Petan, Ennis

Rielly-Hainsey
Muzzin-Zaitsev
Gardiner-Dermott
Marincin-Rosen

Andersen
Hutchinson

Ennis not in the lineup is a bit surprising, but who would you pull out for him? Babcock loves him some Gauthier, even though he hasn't be good lately, but maybe the big body will help.

[lucafen4]

Polak has become Muzzin
Bozak has become Tavares
Kapanen & Johnsson are full timers
Moore & Gauthier newbies on the 4th line.

So much the same vs. last year.

for the leafs to win this series.

1. Matthews plays with an edge
2. Gardiner keeps his game simple. Forgets the mistake and does less not more the next shift
3. Avoid turnovers in the neutral zone to limit Boston's transition game
4. Nylander goes into the corners vs. Chara & drives the net rather than turning back to the blue line
5. Fred-Ex returns

[2014olympicgold]

1. Matthews plays with an edge
2. Gardiner keeps his game simple. Forgets the mistake and does less not more the next shift
3. Avoid turnovers in the neutral zone to limit Boston's transition game
4. Nylander goes into the corners vs. Chara & drives the net rather than turning back to the blue line
5. Fred-Ex returns

Bolded is literally the key. Everyone plays the same, and those 2 things happen, they are the faves.

[Axeman33]

Anyone else in T.O. land think this is a make-or-break it playoffs for Babcock?

[Eskimo Brother]

Anyone else in T.O. land think this is a make-or-break it playoffs for Babcock?

I think it could be. If they go out with a whimper he is going to be seriously re-assessed.
If they go out in a hard fought series on an OT penalty, then you shrug and say not much else the coach could have done.