The Toronto Marlies forced a deciding Game 7 in the Calder Cup Western Conference Final with a 3-1 win over the Texas Stars at Cedar Park Center on Monday night.
Carter Ashton scored twice for Toronto and team captain Trevor Smith scored the game winner early in the second on a power play. Drew MacIntyre was spectacular once again, making 36 saves on the night and lost his shutout bid late in the third on a Curtis McKenzie deflection.
Game 7 is at 8:30pm in Texas and can be seen on Leafs TV and heard on TSN 1050 Radio.
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As the Stanley Cup Final begin on Wednesday, a critical off-season for the Toronto Maple Leafs draws closer. It is expected that GM Dave Nonis will attempt to make impactful changes to the roster as an answer to the club’s late season misfortunes the last three seasons, which means we will hear all sorts of rumors from now until the dog days of summer.
On today’s Hockeybuzzcast, Josh Rimer reports of talk involving a trade the Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes that would swap team captains Dion Phaneuf for Eric Staal.
The 29-year-old Phaneuf can be traded without limitation before his new seven-year, $49 Million contract goes into effect on July 1, while Staal has two years remaining on his current deal at $8.25 Million per season and has a no trade clause.
There has been speculation that new Canes GM Ron Francis is looking to make significant changes and started with the firing of head coach Kirk Muller, but players like Staal and goaltender Cam Ward, who have been with the club going back to their 2006 Stanley Cup Championship are reportedly on the block.
Improving on the blueline has been something that the Hurricanes have been trying to do for the last few seasons. Last year they attempted to plug holes with a combination of veteran free agents like former Leaf Mike Komisarek and Ron Hainsey, youngsters Justin Faulk and Ryan Murphy and swapping Tim Gleason to Toronto for John-Michael Liles.
This would not be the first time of a rumor involving Phaneuf going to Carolina, as there were rumors involving a swap for the Canes 2013 first round pick, but that did not come to fruition as they kept the pick and selected center Elias Lindholm fifth overall.
Veteran hockey scribe Howard Berger reported Monday of another rumored blockbuster involving the Leafs captain, center Nazem Kadri and the Leafs eighth overall pick for the Panthers first overall pick and veteran blueliner Ed Jovanovski.
This rumor is similar to one mentioned by Edmonton Journal columnist David Staples over a week ago with the added wrinkle of including the 23-year-old Kadri and the 37-year-old Jovanovski, who missed all but six games of the 2013 season with a knee injury and half of last season with a severe hip injury.
A trade to move up seven slots would be costly for Toronto, but player aspect is so imbalanced that it makes little sense. Kadri did not match his nearly point-per-game pace from the lockout-shortened season, that does not mean that Nonis is anxious to cast the 2009 first rounder off in a deal, especially for an injury-plagued Jovanovski who is close to retiring and might be the victim of a compliance buyout before the month is out.
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For all you lovers of the Montreal Canadiens, here is some video of their mascot Youppi having to pay up for losing a bet with Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon.
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