The Leafs have recalled goalie Antoine Bibeau from the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League. Goalie James Reimer, who was out for more than a week with a lower body injury, is listed as day-to-day.
Was this where Reimer was re-injured? #Leafs pic.twitter.com/yEK2Roof0U
— Michael Augello (@MikeInBuffalo) December 5, 2015*******
After an opening month that the Toronto Maple Leafs scored four goals or more only twice and earned one win, the Blue and White went 7-4-3 in November due mostly to improved special teams and the play of goalie James Reimer.
The Morweena, Manitoba native returned from injury and played well in St. Paul on Thursday, but the Leafs could not overcome a second period power play goal from Matthew Dumba in a 1-0 loss to the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center.
While defensive structure that was absent in the 6-1 loss to Winnipeg on Wednesday returned against the Wild, the Leafs inability to generate offensive chances at even strength and on the power play was the determining factor for the loss.
Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk made 28 saves for his fourth shutout of the season, but other than an early Shawn Matthias opportunity and Morgan Rielly’s shot off the crossbar in the third, Toronto’s best chance of the night was the negated goal from Peter Holland that was taken off the board after video review determined that Holland was offside.
Leafs goal is overturned after Wild successfully use a coach's challenge for missed offside call pic.twitter.com/KrTMZXIfds
— Stephanie (@myregularface) December 4, 2015The Leafs appear to have slipped back into their October form, where good goaltending or tight checking can keep them in the game on most nights, but a lack of offensive talent does not allow them to win on a consistent basis. Between November 10 – 21, Toronto went 5-1-0 and scored 19 goals (3.16 GPG), while averaging less than two goals per game. In the last six games, their record is 1-4-1, they have scored nine goals (1.5 GPG) and allowed 17 goals. Toronto completes their mini three-game Central Division road trip against the St. Louis Blues on Saturday before returning home to start a four-game home stand against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday. The club will be off for seven days before facing Tampa Bay, Los Angeles and San Jose.
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TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that the NHL’s policy towards draft pick compensation for coaches and executives will be debated at the Board of Governors meeting in Pebble Beach, CA in the wake of the Columbus Blue Jackets surrendering a future 2nd round pick to Vancouver to hire former Canucks head coach John Tortorella.
Dreger indicates that the policy could be discontinued as of January 1, 2016, but there has been no indication whether draft picks surrendered while the policy was in place would be wiped away.
Besides the Canucks garnering an extra 2nd rounder, the Boston Bruins are currently owed a future third round pick from Edmonton for GM Peter Chiarelli and the Maple Leafs have to surrender a pair of third rounders to Detroit and New Jersey for the hiring of Mike Babcock and Lou Lamoriello.
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RIP Scott Weiland, one of the great rock voices of the 90’s and my college years:
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