A Tuesday Night round-up? With a Leafs/Bruins game on the dockett?
Yes, please!
Well, I’ll admit, when I sat down to watch the second game in 4 days between these two rivals, I expected to see a bit of a different start.
When the B’s scored a first-period power-play goal before the clock had burned off 5 minutes, it didn’t look like the Leafs were poised to push back very hard after being doubled up on shots in the Saturday matchup (a 5-3 Boston win). Toronto’s favorites then followed up by giving up 47 shots on net in a 5-4 Carolina win on Sunday.
A Steven Lorentz shorthanded marker to tie the game up at 1-1 seemed to offer a flash of hope for fans of the blue buds.
But then…after another PP goal less than three minutes later…
I…Am Steeves
Former Leaf castoff Alex Steeves scored his first goal as a Boston Bruin just three days after being recalled from Providence to make it 3-1 before the end of the first.
I joked with some friends in a group chat that Craig Berube might strangle a couple of players in the dressing room during the first intermission. Then, after the Leafs came out on the ice for the 2nd period, two defensemen watched David Pastrnak blow by them and score the Bruins’ 4th of the night.
In the words of my dad, one of the few die-hard Leaf fans who remembers their last Stanley Cup win, “This team might not win 20 games this year”. I don’t know how right MarmoGramps is about that one, but watching the TSN broadcasters’ meltdown in the second intermission was almost as sad as it was funny.
Almost.
The Leafs pushed back a bit in the third, but it’s tough to show much grit when the toughest guy on your team is wearing a suit and tie and standing up behind the player bench.
Despite a late push, the Leafs couldn’t stomach a plate full of Pasta. (More on that below).
Here’s what else I saw in Tuesday night’s Remembrance Day/Veteran’s Day NHL action…
Alex Steeves – 1 G (1), +1, 2 SOG, and 8:06 of ice time. As I outlined above, Steeves was signed by the Bruins after hitting free agency on July 1st. 36 goals in 59 games with the Marlies (2024-2025) is nothing to turn up your nose at, but the recall is a bittersweet one in Beantown as it comes at the cost of placing Elias Lindholm on the IR. Lindholm is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury.
Jeremy Swayman – 28 saves on 31 shots and the win (6) vs TOR. That’s the Bruins’ 7th consecutive win, and the longest streak Boston has seen in two years. So much for all of that trade rumor chatter…for now.
David Pastrnak – 2 G (10), 1 A (12), 3 SOG, 1 PPG, 1 PPA, 1 H. That’s 27 goals in 34 games against the Leafs and #400 and 401 for #88’s career. He’s the second fastest Bruin to score 400 (behind Phil Esposito). Once again, the pasta proved to be too spicy for the Leafs. Parmesan not included.
Hampus Lindholm – 1 G (1), 1 A (4), 2 SOG, 1 PPG, and 21:35 of ice time. I know I lean one way when it comes to hockey, and that way is pretty close to the Atlantic coastline in a town with a Sam Adams brewery, so take this for what it’s worth. Don’t fall for this point output and rush out to add this guy. He will disappoint you if you’re looking for a 40-point season.
Charlie McAvoy – 2 A (14), 2 SOG, 1 PPA, and 26:11 of ice time. This was McAvoy’s first game in 5 days after being away from the team (personal). He’s still looking for that first goal, though.
Anthony Stolarz – 7 saves on 10 shots and the loss (4). Is this the same Anthony Stolarz who threw his teammates under the bus in October for not doing a better job of defending in front of him? Yes. I wonder if anyone will blame this one on his inability to stop (or even face) a dozen pucks. The official word is he’s sidelined with an “upper body injury”.
Auston Matthews – Speaking of upper-body injuries, Matthews left after getting hit by Nikita Zadorov. He’s day-to-day now, too.
Jake Oettinger – 27 saves on 29 shots and the win (7) at OTT. A nice bounceback of sorts for the Minnesota native after surrendering 10 goals in his last two games (total). The OT win boosts Oettinger’s record to 7-3-2 and pushes his SV% even closer to that .900 mark (.896).
Jason Robertson – 1 G (4), 2 A (13), +1, 6 SOG, 1 PPG, 3 H, and 20:11 of ice time. That’s 4 PTS in 2 GP and points in five of his last six games. The list of potential Team Canada forwards is a long one, but Robertson is playing like he wants a spot on that roster in February.
Mikko Rantanen – 1 G (9), 1 A (14), -1, 3 SOG, 1 PPA, 1 BLK, and 21:43 of ice time. 23 points in 17 games is good for 6th in scoring (tied with William Nylander).
Roope Hintz – 1 G (4), 2 SOG, 4 H, and the overtime winner. Hintz was one of the Stars whipping around the offensive zone in OT and sent Sens fans home with some frosty tears.
Linus Ullmark – 30 saves on 33 shots and the overtime loss (8) vs DAL. Poor Linus. It’s bad enough that his name rhymes with a not-so-appropriate-for-conversation male body part. Now he’s expected to make 4 consecutive saves in a sniper-sequence during OT while 3 of his teammates stand around the crease trying to figure out who’s going to give their guy some defensive support? The good news is Linus managed to flop around and stop the first 3 shots. The bad news? Well… look above at the Roope note.
Darcy Kuemper – 21 saves on 22 shots in a 5-1 win (6) at MTL. That’s three straight dubs for Darcy and a cool 3 GA on 78 shots over his last 180 minutes. Don’t look now, but the LA Kings are looking like they’re putting together a group that could be a serious threat in the West.
Quinton Byfield – 1 G (3), 1 A (11), +2, 5 SOG, and the game winner. 19:55 of ice time. I joined a startup dynasty league this year with 30 teams (yes, it’s as crazy as it sounds) and targeted this kid as an early pick. So far, so good.
Kevin Fiala – 1 G (8), +2, 3 SOG, 1 H, and 18:29 of ice time. Fiala just keeps doing what he’s done for years. If you’re hoping for blocked shots or hits instead of goals, you’re barking up the wrong tree. Joel Edmundson, Joel Armia, and Joel Foegele also scored in this one. Ok, you got me. Maybe it wasn’t Joel Foegele. It was Warren.
Sam Montembeault – 21 saves on 25 shots and the loss (4) vs LAK. With 10 wins in 15 games, the Habs came into last night’s game with a lot of room for error. Unfortunately, Montembeault’s .863 save percentage also shows a lot of reasons for errors.
Josh Anderson – 1 G (2), -1, 2 SOG, 1 H, and 17:01 of ice time. When I saw that Anderson scored, I assumed it was on the power play. It wasn’t. And I was even more surprised to see that he logged 17+ minutes of TOI.
Lane Hutson – 1 A (14), -3, 1 SOG, 2 BLK. I’d try to lock this kid in on every dynasty team if I could, but the minus knocks him down to an even zero on the year. He’s still the brightest light in Team USA’s defensive future, no matter what his +/- says.
Logan Thompson – 30 saves on 31 shots and the 4-1 win (7) against CAR. His 1.56 GAA leads the league, and his .935 is tops in the league (tied with Devin Cooley). You think this guy still has a chip on his shoulder for being left off the Canadian roster for last year’s Four Nations tourney?
Alex Ovechkin – 1 G (a billion), 1 A (8), +2, 2 SOG, 1 BLK, and 14:48 of ice time. Ok, so it was his 4th goal and not his billionth, but it certainly feels like it’s been more this year. The fact that this guy is still blocking shots at 40 years old is almost as insane as his goal totals. Even if you’re not a Caps fan, how can you not love this guy?
Dylan Strome – 1 G (5), +1, 1 SOG, and the game winner. Well, Strome made that one shot count. The more important news is the Pierre-Luc Dubois injury, though. That should pave the way for Strome to reclaim the 1C spot, and continued production should keep the Russian sniper on his RW. Buy in now if you can.
John Carlson – 2 A, +2, 1 SOG, 1 PPA, 4 BLK, and 22:51 of ice time. The second most valuable Carlson in the league (see ANA below) just keeps on producing.
Frederik Anderson – 24 saves on 27 shots and the loss (4) vs WSH. Removed with a concussion late in the third period and replaced by last week’s lede Pyotr Kochetkov. It might be time to go grab Brandon Bussi in those super deep leagues.
Nikolaj Ehlers – 1 G (3), +1, 4 SOG, and 14:09 of ice time. Second line duty and first line PP time don’t match the TOI from last night. Hopefully, he can get on a roll and increase that time on the ice.
Alexander Nikishin – No points to report from the Russian rookie, but our preseason Hurricanes’ rookie pick added 4 SOG, 1 H, and 3 BLKs in last night’s game. That’s added value in those leagues with more categories than just goals and assists.
Dustin Wolf – 28 saves on 31 shots and the 3-2 loss (11) to STL. Remember that dynasty league I said I drafted Byfield in? Well, I also drafted a young goalie that I thought would be one of the top guys in the league as early as this year. I won’t say who that was, but I will say he’s got 10 losses and one OT loss on the year so far in 15 starts. Oof.
Matt Coronato – 1 G (4), +1, 6 SOG, in 18:48 of ice time. If your league counts shots on goal, this is a guy to take a look at. If your league also counts +/-? Maybe pass. (He’s a -12).
Rasmus Andersson – 1 G (3), 2 PIM, 7 SOG, and 25:12 of ice time. That this guy is averaging around 25 minutes a game with the Flames and has a +/- of -1 is a huge feat in itself.
Jordan Binnington – 38 saves on 40 shots, and the win (4) vs CGY. This guy could rip off 5 shutouts in a row, and I still wouldn’t give him much of a second thought. Is it because he beat the Bruins in a Game 7 of the finals in their own barn? May-to-the-be. Does it still make me laugh when my kids refer to him as “Jordan Pee-Pee-Ton from the Saint Poo-is Poos”? That’s likely. Is it because he pulls stuff like this? That’s much more likely.
Matthew Kessel – 1 G (2), 2 SOG, 1 BLK, and 11:41 of ice time. OH! Please tell me this is everyone’s favorite hot dog aficionado, but with a sneaky first name change. No? Well, one can dream.
Oskar Sundqvist – 2 A, +1, 1 SOG, 4 H. That’s 7 PTS in 9 GP for Sundqvist. He’s still looking for his first goal, though.
Yaroslav Askarov – 28 saves on 29 shots and the OT win (5) at MIN. Let me Askarov you a question. Are you looking for a young goalie who has as good a chance as any to turn into a star in your keeper league? Because if you are, Yaro need to have a look at this guy.
Macklin Celebrini – 2 A, +1, 0 SOG, 1 PPA, 1 BLK, and 19:03 TOI. This kid is a shoo-in for Team Canada, right? RIGHT?!
Filip Gustavsson – 16 saves on 18 shots in the loss (9) to SJ. The 3.09 GAA and .896 SV% aren’t terrible, but the Wild are going to need to give him a lot more offensive support if Filip is going to fill-up the win column anytime soon.
Matt Boldy – 1 G (9), 5 SOG, 1 PPG, and 23:15 TOI. That’s 5 points in his last 4 games, and 18 points in 18 games overall.
Zeev Buium – 1 A (7), 4 SOG, 1 PPA, 2 BLK, 26:08 time on the ice. 26 minutes! So much for thinking this guy would be exclusively used on the PP and a third pairing.
Lukas Dostal – 32 saves on 35 shots in a 4-1 loss (5) to COL. Not to overuse baseball analogies all the time here, but the Avs feel like the Dodgers in MLB. Just a juggernaut of a squad.
Leo Carlsson – 1 G (11), and his 6th goal in his last 4 GP. True story alert. I typed up the John Carlson note above, stating he was the second most valuable Carlson (or Carlsson) in the league before Leo scored. That’s how much confidence we should have in Anaheim’s star forward. He’s breaking out.
Troy Terry – 1 A (15), -2, 4 SOG. He’s on a 5-game point streak.
Scott Wedgewood – 35 saves on 36 shots and the 4-1 win vs ANA. His 5th straight W. I’ll spare you the Steve Winwood reference again this week and just say that the Avs are definitely not as worried about the Mackenzie Blackwood injury as they were back at the beginning of October. Blackwood is back now, but the Avs can afford to ease him back into action with Wedgewood proving he can more than handle a regular turn between the pipes.
Gabriel Landeskog – 1 G, +1, 2 SOG, 5 H. Landeskog picked a good time to score his first of the year, as it turned out to be the game-winner.
Nathan MacKinnon – 3 A (18), +2, 3 SOG, 1 PPA, 2 BLK. He’s got a 10-game point streak going and is sitting at 32 points in 17 games. If you landed him in a redraft league, you’re laughing. If you have him in a keeper league, it’s even better.
Cale Makar – 1 A (17), +2, 3 SOG, 2 BLK, and 5 points in his last 3 GP.
Artturi Lehkonen – 1 G (7), 1 A (10), +1, 2 PIM, 4 SOG, 1 PPA. This guy’s on a 5-point-in-3-games streak, too.
Connor Hellebuyck – 30 saves on 33 shots in the 5-3 win at VAN. Between this guy and Jake Oettinger, anyone looking to bury the biscuit against Team USA at the Olympics in February might be out of luck more often than not.
Josh Morrissey – 1 G (3), 2 A (13), +1, 1 SOG, 1 PPG, 1 PPA, 3 BLK in 24:23 of ice time. I’ll save the “Smiths” clip for another day.
Jonathan Toews – 1 G (3). Oh! The Marmo-Bounceback pick from our preseason picks! I’m not crazy enough to expect a 60+ point season from the former Blackhawks captain, but if you grabbed Toews as a late-round flier pick, you’re in good shape. He should push for 40 points (if he can stay healthy).
Jet Greaves – 22 saves on 23 shots and the 2-1 win (4) at SEA. I’ll resist the urge to make a medieval shin armor joke here. Kind of.
Adam Fantilli – 1 G (4), 5 SOG, 1 PPG. He’s “only” got 11 points in 16 games, but he’s still someone I’d target in dynasty leagues. The upside is significant.
Matt Murray – 33 saves on 34 shots and the OT SO loss. Winless in 4 starts. Yes. That Matt Murray. I remember sitting behind this guy on a hotel bus that was shuttling players and NHL staff to and from the arena at the 2012 NHL Entry Draft in Pittsburgh. True story. We sat in front of Ron Francis and Joe Nieuwendyk on the way back to our hotel after the first round was over. In other not-so-breaking news, I am old.
Ryan Winterton – No. Seriously. This isn’t a made-up name. I did have to double-check that it wasn’t “Winkerton”, though. With all the snow we’ve got outside, “Winterton” is pretty fitting. And he’s got 2 goals now, too.
I hope you enjoyed it. If you have any questions or comments, leave them below and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can!
Happy Wednesday, and I’ll see you next week!
Follow me @marmosdad on Twitter/X and Bluesky @marmosdad.bsky.social
