Rink Rat Report

This week on the Rink Rat Report we hit on the elephant in the room, what do the Leafs do with Michael Bunting vs. the Referees? We also touch on the most recent games, after we had a few games in a row of continuity we have once again moved away from having set lines, and what it means for the playoffs. We also touch on our goaltending situation, what to do with our 2nd and 3rd RD spot, and how our in-zone defense is improving.

Don't forget to drop a review, follow us on socials, and tell us your thoughts on today's show⬇️

00:00 Introduction

03:50 Dipping into the games this week starting with the Columbus Blue Jackets game

14:50 Lack of continuity and what it means for the playoffs?

22:15 Are the Leafs getting to the dangerous area enough?

27:30 In Zone Defence is improving

31:30 The Michael Bunting situation

41:57 Goaltending situation

45:40 Liljegren vs Holl vs Schenn

51:56 Around the league

In honor of the Leafs clinching the playoffs for the 7th year in a row, we start this episode by taking a trip down memory lane and looking at what has transpired with the Leafs over those last 7 years. Then we get back into the thick of things by looking at the previous 3 games and seeing if the underlying numbers have improved from the recent stretch that we've had. Then we look at the forward lineup with Matthews' resurgence back to his old self as he is reunited with Marner and with Järnkrok on their flank and we look at the 2nd line with JT and Nylander and ask who should be their winger. We close off by discussing our d-core and how much better they've looked with the consistency these last couple of games.

Welcome back to the Rink Rat Report podcast, where we bring you weekly updates on everything happening in Leaf land. This week the Buds pulled out two wins lost one game in overtime and lost another game in regulation. Today the boys get into a quick recap of the disgusting display of the Leaf against the Islanders. Then they talk about the struggles the team has been facing since the trade deadline and how they have been, uncharacteristically, struggling to win the expected goals battle. Finally, we discuss all of the line juggling from both the forwards and the defense, if Auston Matthews can fly solo on his own line, and our ever-changing game-one forward lineup.

00:00 Introduction and Quick recap of the Islanders game 09:00 The lineup shuffle and team struggles since the trade deadline, are these concerns overblown? 35:00 Discussing the forwards shakeup and how Auston Matthews works on his own line without Nylander and Marner 48:00 Positives of the week and playoff lines

We got a light slate with only 2 games this week, after 4 games last week, and the Leafs outside of Marner, Matthews, Nylander, and Tavares looked super sleepy these last two games. To kick off the show we recap the loss to the Sabres after going up 2 goals early in the game. Then we get into the Oilers game and discuss the goaltending situation with the team including who should be starting in the playoffs and who should be the backup. Finally, we close out by discussing the viability of 11 and 7 in the playoffs versus the more traditional 12 and 6.

After a flurry of trades on from the Buds on Tuesday and a newly acquired first-round pick on hand, Leafs Nation was expecting one more move to be made before the trade deadline on Friday, but alas to the surprise of everyone, no deal was made. This week on the Rink Rat Report, we are joined by Zack Phillips from the Leafs Digest. Today, we take a look back at all of our moves from the trade deadline and see how they fit with the vision Kyle Dubas has with this team moving forward. From there we discuss the Canadian Western road trip that saw the Leafs playing the Flames, Canucks, and Oilers, closing out with the Devils game. Finally, we close out by giving out player grades to the new acquisitions and how they fit with the team.

Don't forget to drop a review, follow us on socials, and tell us your thoughts on today's show⬇️

Follow Zack Phillips on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZackPhill

Check out Leafs Digest on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LeafsDigest

00:00 Introduction

WHAT IS HAPPENING?? Kyle Dubas was in full form the past 2 days making 4 different moves and completely reshuffling the look at this roster... and we don't think he is done yet. In this episode of the Rink Rat Report podcast, we cover the Mccabe and Lafferty trade and how they may fit on the team. From there we talk about the three trades that went down Tuesday during the Leafs' practice. We talk about Pierre Engvall, Luke Schenn, and Rasmus Sandin being flipped for Erik Gustafsson and 1st round pick. Finally, we talk about the new lines we could see and lines we want to see for game 1 of the playoffs.

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rinkratreport/

Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RinkRatReport

Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rinkratreport

In this week's episode of the Rink Rat Report, we break down all the pieces in the O’Reilly trade and discuss if the Leafs “won” the trade or if they gave up too many draft picks. From there we evaluate Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari’s individual games, their style of play, and if it fits with the style of the Leafs. We also discuss deployment and what we believe to be the most optimal deployment of the players. Finally, we get into the past two games and discuss some more trade targets.

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rinkratreport/

Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RinkRatReport

Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rinkratreport

Welcome to the latest episode of the Rink Rat Report, to start the show we recap the Leafs' last three games where they won two games against the Chicago Blackhawks and the Columbus Blue Jackets and lost one game to the Columbus Blue Jackets. We touch on the Connor Timmins and the ripple effect it can have on the team next year. From there we take a look at 5on5 stats and how the Leafs rank against other cup-contending teams. We then turn our attention to Patrick Kane and discuss his dip in production this year and if his style of play could be a fit for the Leafs'. Finally, we close out the show by looking at how some trade deadline targets stack up against players we currently have and which players could be considered an upgrade from our current roster.

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rinkratreport/

Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RinkRatReport

Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rinkratreport

The show begins with a thrilling review of the All-Star game, giving an in-depth analysis of its exciting moments (spoiler alert: it was terrible). We then delve into the Chicago Blackhawks players who are generating buzz in the trade market, including the talented defencemen Jake McCabe and Connor Murphy, as well as depth forwards like Max Domi and Sam Lafferty. Our discussion then shifts to former Leaf James van Riemsdyk. To wrap up, we present a comprehensive ranking of the Toronto Maple Leafs' assets, including their most valuable players and prospects who could be on the move. Get ready to learn about the rising stars, like Matthew Knies, Fraser Minten, and Nick Robertson, as well as the cap casualties like Alexander Kerfoot and Justin Holl, and the young NHL talents such as Rasmus Sandin and Pontus Holmberg who might be up for grabs in the near future.

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rinkratreport/

Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RinkRatReport

Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rinkratreport

For this week's episode of the Rink Rat Report, the boys dig into the latest week of Leaf's action and cover the games between the Bruins, Capitals, Rangers, and Senators. We touched on some fake news being spread about the NHL ratings. Then we get into some recent lineup changes with Auston Matthews being sidelined for the next 3 weeks, we also look at how the team looks without him and who is stepping up to fill his role. Finally, we close out the show by looking at some options on the wing and on defense for the Leafs at the trade deadline, which position do you think the Leafs need to improve before the playoffs?

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rinkratreport/

Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RinkRatReport

Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rinkratreport