{"id":2693,"date":"2024-01-11T21:04:34","date_gmt":"2024-01-11T21:04:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oldprof.nhltradetalk.com\/?p=2693"},"modified":"2024-01-11T21:04:34","modified_gmt":"2024-01-11T21:04:34","slug":"good-bad-ugly-maple-leafs-romp-sharks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oldprof.nhltradetalk.com\/index.php\/2024\/01\/11\/good-bad-ugly-maple-leafs-romp-sharks\/","title":{"rendered":"The Good, Bad, & the Ugly in Maple Leafs 7-1 Romp Of Sharks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Stan Smith<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Toronto Maple Leafs made it a perfect four-for-four in \u201824 with their 7-1 win at home against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With so much good to report about the Maple Leafs in this game and their recent stretch of games, I will get my Bad and Ugly out of the way first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related: So Where Exactly Is the Maple Leafs\u2019 Robidas Island?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bad<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While it was an excellent game by the Maple Leafs and a total domination of the woeful Sharks, it was not by any means a perfect game.\u00a0San Jose did score a goal.\u00a0The \u201cBad\u201d in this game was not only the goal but the events leading up to the goal.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It started with what looked like a trip of David Kampf by Henry Thrun. I get it, the Maple Leafs were up 4-0 at the time and the entire game had been played in the San Jose end of the ice. I can see the referees going out of their way to not make things any harder on the Sharks.\u00a0The play then came down into the Toronto end and Anthony Duclair attempts to get around Simon Benoit.\u00a0Benoit does a good job knocking the puck off of Duclair\u2019s stick but the referee calls Benoit for hooking.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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David Kampf, Maple Leafs<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The NHL rule on hooking is very vague leaving it wide open for interpretation. It simply states \u201cthe act of using the stick in a manner that enables a player or goalkeeper to restrain an opponent.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Usually, you see a hook called if a player uses the blade of his stick as a hook, to tie up an opposing player’s stick or any part of his body.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It Didn’t Look Like Hooking to Me<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I watch numerous replays of the play.\u00a0I even watched the slow-motion replay shown on the broadcast slowed down even more on my PVR and Benoit\u2019s stick never hooks any part of Duclair\u2019s stick or body.\u00a0It never comes close to the hands which is usually always called.\u00a0Benoit was using one hand to push Duclair; and, Duclair did turn in toward Benoit\u2019s push which could have resulted in a holding call if Benoit had not removed his hand.\u00a0In fact, Benoit pulled his hand back like a player does when he might have done something wrong and overreacted to it.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, hooking?\u00a0Not even close.\u00a0Either the referee was reacting to Benoit\u2019s pulling his hand back or the referee was looking for anything to call on the Maple Leafs because the game was so lopsided.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Martin Jones, Maple Leafs<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

As it is, the Sharks would score their only goal on the power play as Thrun would deflect a pass from Mikael Granlund past Martin Jones.\u00a0To add irony to injury on the next shift Benoit was obviously hooked by Justin Bailey with no call being made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related: Three Reasons Knies Thrives Playing with Matthews and Marner<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ugly<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The only Ugly incident in the game also involved Benoit.\u00a0He got a stick across the nose by Scott Sabourin early in the third period.\u00a0Benoit went down in a heap on the play and stayed down as a referee blew the play dead.\u00a0Once the play was called dead, Benoit got up under his own steam and exited the game with blood streaming from his nose.\u00a0He did return to finish the game after getting some attention in the locker room. It would not surprise me if Benoit had a black eye or two the next day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Good<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Where to start?\u00a0It was a point night for Toronto. Mitch Marner along with the newly crowned $92-millionaire William Nylander made the most of it\u00a0 Marner had two goals and two primary assists, while Nylander had three assists in the game.\u00a0Altogether 13 Maple Leafs\u2019 players had at least one point in the game.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mitch Marner<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

With the four points, Marner moved past Maple Leafs\u2019 legend Frank Mahovlich into seventh place in all-time Toronto scoring.\u00a0Marner did so in 175 fewer games than Mahovlich.\u00a0He now has 598 points in 545 games played.\u00a0Marner needs 42 points to catch Ron Ellis for sixth place on the list.\u00a0With 44 games left in the season and Marner having scored more than a point a game in his career I think it is likely he will accomplish that feat before the end of the season.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

William Nylander<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Obviously having his new eight-year, $11.5 million deal in his back pocket did not faze Nylander at all or have any effect on his play.\u00a0His three points in the game put him in a tie for third in NHL scoring with David Pastrnak and Artemi Panarin at 57 points.\u00a0A few weeks ago I wrote that Nylander was on a 117-point pace for this season and I did not expect him to keep up that pace.\u00a0Well, now Nylander is scoring at a 123-point pace for the season.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jake McCabe<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Talking about all-time Maple Leafs\u2019 scorers, Jake Mccabe jumped 18 spots from 432nd to 414th in Maple Leafs franchise history.\u00a0McCabe had the most productive night of his career scoring a goal and adding two assists.\u00a0If my research was correct, it was the second three-point night of McCabe\u2019s 536-game, 11-season career. His last three-point game was back in 2017 when he was playing for the Buffalo Sabres.\u00a0McCabe had a goal and two assists in a 5-4 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jake McCabe makes it 5-1! #LeafsForever<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/cO9wU7UkjL<\/a><\/p>— Maple Leafs Wave (@LeafsWave) January 10, 2024<\/a><\/blockquote>