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Edmonton Journal
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
RICK VAIVE: If you can't stand the heat in Toronto, time to go
Article content It's too bad we're discussing break-ups and changes again after just two playoff rounds, but you have to give Florida credit. They exit the zone so well, took away space from Toronto's offence and when they come at you and play heavy. It's a combination that is hard to beat. That said, what a terrible effort for a Game 7. A few Leafs looked afraid to touch the puck, such as Marner and William Nylander. Matthews played as well as he can — I still think he was hiding an injury — but as Auston said, too many passengers. The worst for me was seeing Max Domi's goal to give the Leafs and the building some life and then Florida scores 47 seconds later. That was the end. I did like the job Craig Berube and his assistants did this season. It's not easy to win one of the hardest divisions in the NHL. But his challenge looking ahead is to get a buy-in from everyone. That might not be possible with this group without some changes. The Toronto Sun thanks former Leafs captain and three-time 50-goal scorer Rick Vaive for contributing again to our playoff coverage. He played 16 NHL and WHA seasons and is the author of 'Catch 22: My Battles in Hockey and Life.' He can be heard on Squid and The Ultimate Leafs Fan podcast with Mike Wilson and special guests.
Edmonton Journal
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
RICK VAIVE: How Auston Matthews can beat the goal blues
Article content Matthews is not the only one who has to get the job done. The whole top six weren't doing much against Florida in Game 4, despite some great chances by Matthew Knies and William Nylander. The whole team took a lot of penalties, which didn't help, and now Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky is getting hot. It has been tossed around out there that Florida is gaining the edge in toughness and intimidation. Maybe that's a bit true from the position of a team that's very experienced at playoff time. Two years ago they made the final while decimated by injuries, and last year they won it all. It can get in your head if you're the Leafs. But I see no reason Toronto can't still win this. The Maple Leafs are yet to trail in either series they have been in, Joseph Woll was named a game star on Sunday when everyone had begun to doubt him, and now they have two out of three at home with an extra day off. It just means it won't be easy to pull off. The Toronto Sun welcomes former Leaf captain and three-time 50-goal scorer Rick Vaive to our 2025 playoff coverage. He played 16 NHL and WHA seasons and is the author of 'Catch 22: My Battles in Hockey and Life.' He can be heard on Squid and The Ultimate Leafs Fan podcast with Mike Wilson and special guests.
Edmonton Journal
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
RICK VAIVE: To win in playoffs, the best teams can't lose their heads
Article content I can see where people who grew up watching a different National Hockey League — and those playing in it now — can sometimes get frustrated. Article content Article content On one hand, there was Anthony Stolarz of the Leafs getting hurt without a penalty called on Sam Bennett. One the other, it seems you can't get away with anything, including justifiable retaliation. There weren't two referees when I played, so a lot less was penalized. Yet today, the silliest things get called, such as a stick if it's up in the wrong place, a quick hold-and-release or a tap on the gloves that's ruled a slash. Article content That's what makes a few guys on the Florida Panthers so effective at sucking you into penalties or getting away with one themselves. For Bennett, Matthew Tkachuk and Brad Marchand, that's such a big part of their game. When I played, you could count five or six guys on every team who could do what they do and get away with it. Which is why it was so important for the Leafs to skate through all that bull in Game 1. It looked like Craig Berube had his guys well prepared for what Florida was going to bring. It's a big part of the Panthers' plan that won them a Stanley Cup and they're certainly not about to hide it now. A smart team knows the way the game is called, learns to deal with it and, above all, stays away from payback — at least until the timing is right — and one that's never too caught up with guys on the other team who chirp. Man, there were some you really hated putting up with through the years, but it's an art form in a way. They know how to push your buttons with words. Article content I saw the Schenn brothers gabbing at each other in Game 7 of the Winnipeg-St. Louis series. You know their parents are in the crowd, yet they can't help themselves in the heat of the deciding battle. My view of the Stolarz injury, after seeing it a few times, was maybe not as bad as first looked. I thought Bennett was trying to go around Stolarz, though he did raise his elbow to dot it and glanced it off the side of his head. There was that hard shot Stolarz took on his mask earlier that might have contributed to him throwing up at the bench — which is another thing I don't recall being broadcast on national TV before, somebody shown getting a barf bucket. Thankfully, the Leafs now have something they've lacked in playoffs — a second goalie. Woll did really well for someone off the bench and the rest of the team bent but didn't break. Both teams had physicality, but there was a big difference in the hits total, 51-24 for Florida. That speaks to the Leafs being able to that that punishment — and stay out of the box. The Toronto Sun welcomes former Leafs captain and three-time 50-goal scorer Rick Vaive to our 2025 playoff coverage. He played 16 NHL and WHA seasons and is the author of Catch 22: My Battles in Hockey and Life. He can be heard on Squid and The Ultimate Leafs Fan podcast with Mike Wilson and special guests. Article content Latest National Stories
Edmonton Journal
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
RICK VAIVE: Don't over-crowd the Leafs bandwagon just yet
Article content And how important was that Auston Matthews power-play goal? Like everyone has been saying, just get pucks on net. I know they have lots of skill with the five forwards, who love to throw it around on the outside while looking for the perfect seam shot. But when you have men in front such as Matthew Knies, you must use their talents. You know Florida is going to do that heavy work in front on its power plays. It was good that William Nylander was able to be around to score two goals. I heard about the pre-game lineup mix-up with his brother Alex. It reminded me of the night at the Gardens in October of 1989, the home opener for the Leafs, when I was playing for the Buffalo Sabres. On the bench as the anthems were ending, I noticed Gary Leeman's No. 11 had been circled on the game sheet as a starter, but Vince Damphousse, No. 10, was out there in the centre-ice circle. I told our assistant coach, who let the officials know and the Leafs were penalized. Dave Andreychuk scored for us on that power play and we won, 7-1. Writing lineups seem like a such a simple task, but messing them up can happen in the rush before a game. A guy on my son Justin's team, the Cincinatti Cyclones, had to leave an ECHL game this year because his name was not recorded. Let's hope it's the last time a Leafs star is almost left off the guest list. The Toronto Sun welcomes former Toronto captain and three-time 50-goal scorer Rick Vaive to our 2025 Leaf playoff coverage. He played 16 NHL and WHA seasons and is the author of 'Catch 22: My Battles in Hockey and Life.' He can be heard on Squid and The Ultimate Leafs Fan podcast with Mike Wilson and special guests.
