Quick Shifts: Tensions wildly high for Maple Leafs, Bruins

A quick mix of the things we gleaned from the week of hockey, serious and less so, and rolling four lines deep. Mark Howe > Bronny James.

1. Their captain is getting chewed out on the bench for sloppy play.

Their normally deadly power play is among the worst eight in the league.

They're routinely taking more penalties than the guys on the other side, and that lack of discipline is digging them into holes they're struggling to score their way out of.

They have one of the top two active playoff-qualifying streaks in the NHL, yet with November nearing, they find themselves outside of the post-season picture and sinking to the bottom third in winning percentage.

We're talking about the Toronto Maple Leafs, of course. Or is it the Boston Bruins?

Try both.

And these familiar foes find themselves unusually hungry for an October win when they meet Saturday at TD Garden — for the first time since Game 7.

"It's a big hockey game," Mitch Marner told reporters before flying to Boston. "We're not happy with our game right now. We need to turn it around, or else it's going to be ugly."

Ugly was the Maple Leafs' porous defensive effort in getting hung for 11 goals over consecutive losses this week.

Ugly is Jim Montgomery's Bruins — who started 11-1-1 last season and 10-1-0 the season before that — limping out the gates with a 3-4-1 record and captain Brad Marchand having to explain that it's OK for a hockey coach to call out a hockey player's poor play.

"We’re usually just gangbusters," Charlie McAvoy said. "We don’t like these results. We’re acknowledging that."

Accustomed to life in the Atlantic Division penthouse, the quotes spilling out of both rooms could be applied to the other.

Like this from Marchand: “A lot of the mistakes that we’re making and the reasons that we feel we’re losing is because of our lack of respect for the game and consistency in details. Those are things you can fix. When you have a lack of effort and guys just not caring, that’s a whole different issue — and that’s not what we have.”

Or this from Auston Matthews, after posting consecutive minus-3 nights for the first time in his career: "It's hockey. You get yelled at sometimes. Coach yells, you just kind of take it as it goes. There's obviously an impact. We obviously all respect him and his presence and everything on the bench. It's not anything you take personal."

Surely Marner speaks for all the players involved in Saturday's prime-time event (and the frustrated fan bases) when he says: "We're not happy with how it's going right now."

No one is.

Leafs-Bruins is always heated and forever charged, and with the thrill/devastation of Game 7 still fresh, this one was already circled on the calendar.

But who knew there would be so much desperation baked in as well?

"Certainly ramped up emotions, especially given our last couple games," Jake McCabe said. "I think that's more of a focus than last year. Just getting this season back on the right track here."

Ditto.

2. Brayden Point looks across the dressing room at Lightning-turned-Predator-turned-Lightning Ryan McDonagh and says: "Feels like he's never left." 

Coach Jon Cooper is quick to bring up the stabilizing defenceman's name when asked about how the leadership void of Steven Stamkos is getting filled.

But how has McDonagh himself navigated the situation, getting traded away from a championship team, then reacquired a couple years later?

"Yeah, it was sad to be traded the first time, but when the opportunity came up to come back, I really didn't think too much about what had happened in the past. All the guys in the room here, the staff and everybody in the city has been great. Hockey-wise, it was a good fit, and my family loves it," McDonagh says.

"I was just excited. I mean, obviously a familiar place for me, so didn't feel like a stressful move ahead of us. We knew where wanted to live, what to expect, our surroundings and our kids' school, all the things that you think logistically (could be stressful) dealing with moving your family to another city. It was a move that we were excited about. Right when we got back into town, we felt really comfortable."

Yet soon after he arrived, hurricane warnings popped up. Fortunately for the players, their families and pets, Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik stepped up and helped them evacuate to Raleigh, N.C., two days before opening their season on the road.

McDonagh's wife, Kaylee, and their three children returned safely to their Minnesota summer home.

Naturally, it was challenging for the Lightning to focus on the Hurricanes instead of the hurricane.

"The night before the storm hits Tampa, you don't know exactly what kind of shape your house is going to be in, or the status of some of your neighbours and friends in the community. So, it's kind of a waiting game. Hockey, the game itself, is a good distraction for a lot of us. But as soon as it is over and you're getting ready to fly home, you're just praying that everything's at least close to the way it was when you last saw it," the thoughtful veteran says.

"Very tough to live through and see your city and your neighbours deal with. We didn't have significant damage, thankfully. But our community is still feeling the effects."

McDonagh and his teammates quickly checked in on the people left behind. The club held a community day where players met with members of the Coast Guard, fire department and police department who dealt with the wreckage head-on.

"Just to show face, to show our support for all the things that first responders do and have been doing, working overtime for us," McDonagh says.

"You want to be an inspiration and maybe lift some people's spirits by playing well and having a good start and winning some games."

3. Which happens first: the Winnipeg Jets (7-0-0) lose a hockey game, or the San Jose Sharks (0-6-2) win one?

With some tough travel and a slate of opponents, the odds are against the undefeated Jets keeping this up another week, but what a fantastic story they've been.

4. Quote of the Week.

"Where is Rut-ger?" — Jets fans, in unison, during the Pittsburgh Penguins' annual trip to Winnipeg, sans AHLer and Jets draftee Rutger McGroarty.

5. The Lightning's new top line of Point, Jake Guentzel and Nikita Kucherov has piled up a combined 26 points through their first seven games and is outscoring the opposition 7-3 when sharing the sheet 5-on-5.

"If you look at his career, he's played with elite players both in Pittsburgh and Carolina," Cooper said of his decision to load up Guentzel with his best options.

"He's got an IQ that's off the charts and, to me, you need those type of guys to play with elite players. Anybody can't just sit here and say, 'I can go play with Connor McDavid or Nikita Kucherov' or go down the list of elite players, Auston Matthews. But you need somebody who's on that wavelength, and Jake is definitely on that wavelength." 

With the McDavid and Matthews lines hitting rough patches early, Tampa's top trio may be the standard when it comes to early offensive chemistry.

(Although, the Vegas Golden Knights' top unit of Ivan Barbashev, Jack Eichel, and Mark Stone might like a word.)

"It's been awesome," Point says. "It's been a lot of fun to start this year, and hopefully we keep it going."

6. More instant chemistry!

We've been impressed by the immediacy of offer-sheet-signer Philip Broberg's impact in St. Louis.

The defenceman has hopped on the scoresheet in seven of his first eight games as a Blue, and has posted a plus-7 rating, tilting the ice against top forward lines.

"Opportunity," states captain Brayden Schenn. "You got to get the feeling inside of yourself where you feel like you can believe it.

"Maybe when the team's not giving you full opportunity, to come here and now he's playing 20 minutes a night in different situations. You have a good start, and confidence builds. So, he's been a huge piece for us. He shuts down teams' top lines. He skates so well. He defends with his feet and his stick."

We loved the kid's mobility watching him in the playoffs, but he popped even more in Thursday's 5-1 thumping of the Leafs in Toronto. He could've had a three-point night and looked equally comfortable without the puck.

No wonder Broberg and veteran righty Justin Faulk are the Blues' most-used pair; they've skated 121:12 together at 5-on-5, outscoring opponents 4-1 in the process.

"Certainly, we want to put him into positions to have success. Him and Faulk have been outstanding for us. There's a lot of chemistry with those two," says coach Drew Bannister.

"If you look at the overall picture of the player and what he brings — the size, the skating, physicality, being able to get up in the play and create offence — there's a lot of good tools there."

Hmmm ... I wonder which team could use a defenceman like that.

"He's been unbelievable," raves Jordan Kyrou.

"He's really showed what he's capable of in (eight) games. He's fast. He's skilled, smart, has a big body, good defender. So, it's been awesome having him here."

7. Bannister has coached Jordan Binnington in the OHL (Owen Sound Attack), AHL (San Antonio Rampage) and now the NHL (St. Louis Blues). So, it should come as no surprise who would get his vote to start between the pipes for Team Canada in February's 4 Nations Face-Off.

"When you're looking at the Canadian squad, his name's gotta be at the top of the list," Bannister said, hours before Binnington went out and turned aside American Auston Matthews's Maple Leafs Thursday.

"High hockey IQ, very efficient getting out to pucks and moving pucks. Binner's going to be there at the end. He's going to be a guy who pushes. He wants that. He's a competitive guy. Like, he's not going to give up that spot."

Combine Binnington's Stanley Cup résumé with the fact his club GM, Doug Armstrong, wields great sway with Hockey Canada, and the slow emergence of a guaranteed better option than Binnington and his .914 save percentage, and he's got to have one of the three goalie spots. Right?

"He works every day. That's on the ice, off the ice. He's doing little things to try and make him better and be the best he can be," raves Schenn. 

"His determination is like no other, where he tries to be the best he can be. And he's had a good start to year so far."

Roster decisions need to be finalized by Dec. 2.

8. Fashion corner!

On the topic of 4 Nations, the sweaters for all four squads dropped this week. Gotta say, they're sharp. Fairly safe and traditional but crisp and detailed on the crests.

One nitpick: I'd like to see the tournament patch on the shoulder instead of the chest for a cleaner look.

The NHL also linked with Fanatics and loungewear brand Lululemon to release a new line of casual clothing that hits shelves next week. They're launching with gear from 11 teams this season and incorporating all 32 for the 2025-26 line.

What's interesting is the ad creative, which features stars John Tavares, Dylan Larkin, Mark Stone, Matty Beniers and Morgan Geekie alongside their partners.

Word is, the next edition of the NHL's Amazon Prime docuseries could feature more involvement from wives and families as well. There is a conscious marketing effort here to highlight hockey stars' better halves.

9. Goalie prospect Anthony Stolarz posted a shiny .928 save percentage in his first seven games with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2016-17 and even better numbers once he joined the Anaheim Ducks in 2019-20.

So, what happened in between? Why did Philly, then Edmonton — a couple teams long in search of stable goaltending — move on from a young guy with a good pedigree and better size?

Well, Stolarz's right knee sustained an MCL tear and his left knee a torn meniscus in 2017-18 and got stuck rehabbing in the AHL and ECHL while the Flyers got wowed by Carter Hart.

The Oilers took a chance on Stolarz for all of six appearances (and zero wins) in 2018-19, but his knees still weren't quite right. They let him walk.

Seeking an up-and-comer in free agency to play under John Gibson, the Ducks visited Stolarz in his native New Jersey and discovered why he'd been struggling since his leg surgeries.

"One of his legs is a third the diameter of the healthy one. He had essentially been playing on one leg for two years. They were in shock," goalie expert Steve Valiquette detailed this week on Real Kyper & Bourne.

"He really got screwed over, to a certain degree, by two organizations."

The Ducks invested in Stolarz's rehab and his confidence, helping him become an AHL stud and then a dependable NHL backup.

Last season, the Florida Panthers reaped the benefits. And now Toronto is doing the same, early in Stolarz's biggest contract and best chance to become a No. 1 goalie.

10. Interesting scene in Stolarz's stellar win over Tampa Bay on Monday.

The goalie lost his right skate in the flow of play, yet despite pleading to the official, he could not get a whistle even when the puck moved down to the Lightning zone.

Unlike a skater, a goalie with a busted skate can't hobble to the bench in the flow of action — and leaving a sharp piece of loose metal hanging around the blue paint isn't the wisest idea. Plus, goalies depend on their edges to push off for saves.

"At the end of the day, it's about player safety. And I'm sitting there not realizing and kicking out and my groin is kinda just going. So, if it's an imminent scoring chance. I understand it. But the puck is at the other end of the ice," Stolarz argued.

"I don't really understand the reasoning why they can't just blow it. Fix it. Even if they make the next face-off in our zone. But I don't think any goalie decides to do it on purpose to try to get a whistle."

Dislodging a post or flicking off a mask is one thing. Kicking off your blade is always accidental.

11. Matt Rempe — hands down the active league leader in publicity per 60 — has been returned to the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack, which is for the best when it comes to his development.

A frequent scratch on a New York Rangers roster loaded with capable forwards, Rempe had appeared in just two games and seen a grand total of 11 minutes and 17 seconds of ice time this season.

No fights, no penalties, no shots, no noise.

Peter Laviolette maintains that the two-metre-tall 22-year-old has been working hard, will be part of the mix and that lineup changes will occur throughout the winter. But even an old-school coach like Laviolette acknowledges the role of the enforcer has changed drastically since he entered the league at the turn of the century.

"A completely different set of rules in the way it's played," Laviolette says. "But, for us, Matt brings more to the table. I mean, he's a really good hitter. He goes to the net hard. He's a big body, and, yeah, he can fight if he wants to, or has to. But there's more to his game.

"As a young player, just trying to make sure that we're handling him the right way, developing him, whether it be in practice or games, and he gets those opportunities every day to play at a higher level. So, he's a good young prospect. And I definitely think there's got to be more to it than just being able to fight nowadays.

"You got to be able to play the game — and he's working on that. He had a good summer. He worked on his skating and his skills, and he's trying to make an impact every game, to earn a regular spot in the lineup."

Rempe says he devoted his summer to edgework and net-front skills, knowing he must park himself near the blue paint and keep pace to deliver those monster hits legally.

And, of course, there was his mini-fight camp with Georges Laraque, who reached out last season with a few pointers after catching the rookie's wild first two career fights on TV.

It was then Laraque suggested the two pugilists meet over the summer for three days to work on technique, stressing Rempe's need to protect himself while delivering blows with that long reach.

"That guy's a legend in the game. Tough as nails," Rempe says. "I'd jump on any opportunity to learn from a guy like that. So, it was good."

Some may wonder if teammates are rolling their eyes over the Rempe hype train, but that's not the case.

"He's been great. He's been putting in the work, doing everything he needs to get in the lineup, and his energy spreads throughout our team," says K'Andre Miller. "He came into camp in shape, and he looks really good. So, proud of him."

Miller says the big guy has handled the circus of Madison Square Garden, where REMPE replica sweaters get worn whether he's playing or not, "unbelievably" well.

"Everybody's looking at him from all these different angles, wanting him to be the rough and rowdy guy," Miller says. "He did a great job handling himself the right way, and he carries himself the same way in the locker room, that he does out in public."

12. When it boils down, athletes like to win.

So, perhaps it shouldn't be a surprise that two of the most intriguing and coveted free-agents-in-waiting, Vegas's Shea Theodore (UFA) and the Rangers' Alexis Lafreniere (RFA), re-signed seven-year extensions when their teams are a combined 9-3-2 and looking every ounce like contenders.

Locked in through the remainder of their prime at AAVs of $7.425 million and $7.45 million, respectively, the Theodore and Lafreniere contracts feel destined to look like bargains as the cap keeps escalating.

Ask GMs Kelly McCrimmon or Chris Drury: It's always smart to get your Christmas shopping done early.