On Facebook
On Flipboard
Maple Leafs using Bruins' past choke job as rallying cry
The Toronto Maple Leafs face long odds in their first-round playoff match against the Boston Bruins. They enter Tuesday night's road contest down 3-1 in the series.
Multiple Leafs players said on Tuesday morning, however, that the team isn't giving up and is using their opponent's 2023 playoff collapse against the Florida Panthers as a rallying cry.
Jake McCabe on Bruins blowing a 3-1 series lead to Florida last year: “Yeah, it's definitely been brought up. Trying to put pressure on their group over there. Obviously they're sitting comfy at 3-1, and we want to put pressure on that. It starts with a win tonight.”
— luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) April 30, 2024
Jake McCabe says the Leafs believe that if they win Game 5 they can put some doubt in the minds of the Bruins: “Yeah, for sure. That’s the plan. Start with one, keep rolling.”
— Jonas Siegel (@jonassiegel) April 30, 2024
Ryan Reaves: "You gotta get excited for these ones.... Until the series is over, it's not over. You know, this team gave up the exact same 3-1 lead last year. So, sports is a crazy thing. I think we've all seen some crazy comebacks in our lives."
— luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) April 30, 2024
The Bruins won the Presidents' Trophy for the most regular-season points in the NHL last spring during head coach Jim Montgomery's first year at the helm. After setting an NHL record with 65 wins and 135 points, though, they fell to the Panthers in a seven-game classic in the first round.
Boston held a seemingly insurmountable 3-1 series lead going into Game 5 before suffering an overtime loss and a 7-5 defeat in Game 6. On their home ice, the Bruins were down 2-0 in Game 7 before scoring three straight goals. Florida then tied it late in the third period and stunned the Bruins in overtime for a 4-3 victory.
The Bruins dominated Toronto in Game 1 in Beantown, 5-1, before five-time All-Star Auston Matthews' game-winner gave the Maple Leafs a 3-2 victory in Game 2. Boston bounced back with a 4-2 road victory in Game 3 on Wednesday and a 3-1 road triumph in Game 4 on Saturday.
Matthews — who led the NHL in goals this season (69) — is questionable for Game 5 due to an illness.
More must-reads:
- NHL futures: Should you bet on a Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup?
- Watch: Bruins' Brad Marchand delivers another questionable hit in series vs. Leafs
- The '1971-72 Boston Bruins' quiz
Breaking News
Trending News
TODAY'S BEST
Canadiens Player Sends Clear Message After Senators Targeted Ivan Demidov
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Jayden Struble didn’t hesitate when Ottawa Senators forward Nick Cousins came back through Bell Centre on Saturday night. Weeks after Cousins’ preseason slash on Canadiens rookie Ivan Demidov, Struble delivered his own message during Montreal’s 4–3 overtime win. The Habs defenseman dropped the gloves with 18 minutes, 45 seconds left to play in the third period and the game tied at 2, settling a feud that lingered since training camp. “When you have a guy like that taking a shot at your star young player, that was a bad play,” Struble said. “None of us liked it. We were thinking about it. This is the first time we played him since. That’s on our minds. You can’t go around trying to hurt our best players.” Cousins spent most of the night trying to avoid both Struble and Montreal’s usual enforcer, Arber Xhekaj, before finally being caught after two full periods. The fight was brief but decisive, ending with Cousins bloodied and leaving the game. Struble, 24, said there was no personal vendetta, just a need to hold opponents accountable for their actions, even more in preseason exhibitions. Back in October, the NHL fined Cousins $2,148.44, the maximum allowable under the collective bargaining agreement. Cousins was only assessed a minor penalty for slashing during that preseason matchup. Struble made it clear on Saturday that Montreal won’t forget when a player crosses the line, saying, “We’ll protect our guys. That’s how it should be.” For the Canadiens, the moment carried meaning beyond retaliation. Demidov, the target of Cousins' slash in September, tied the game late in regulation before Alex Newhook sealed the win in overtime. The Canadiens and the Senators will meet three more times this season, the next matchup scheduled for Dec. 2 once again in Montreal.
Intriguing reunion on table for Steelers with trade deadline nearing
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a team that is looking to solidify itself as a competitor in the AFC for the 2025 season, and the franchise should be looking to make some moves around the trade deadline. The organization already brought in safety Kyle Dugger from the New England Patriots, and he made an immediate impact in a win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. The Steelers could use some help on the offensive side of the ball as well, but more additions could be made to shore up the defense as well. There is some positional uncertainty at safety for the Steelers as well as a bunch of injuries. The position has changed a ton throughout the season, and the Steelers could certainly use some more depth in the area. Unfortunately, Minkah Fitzpatrick would only be an option if he were to be cut as Pittsburgh cannot trade for him within two years of trading him away. However, his former running mate, Damontae Kazee, is a potential option for the Steelers after he was released by the Cleveland Browns on Monday. Kazee is a veteran with a good amount of experience, and he could certainly sign with Pittsburgh if the front office wants him to return to the black and gold. However, there are other safety-needy teams throughout the league as well. The coaching staff in the Steel City understands and appreciates familiar voices on the roster, and Kazee could provide decent depth while also being familiar with the defense and everyone in the building. Juan Thornhill and Chuck Clark have been other contributors at safety for the Steelers in 2025, but there is a real chance that Kazee might be a better option than either of those players. Both Thornhill and Clark have seemed to be at the center of communication issues in the secondary, and whenever there is an obvious coverage bust, Clark seems to always be one of the players closest to it. Kazee signed with the Browns during the 2025 offseason, and he had only played in four games through the first nine weeks of the season. He had been on the field for just 11 defensive snaps, as he seemed to be more of a special teamer in Cleveland. Despite the reduced role in 2025, he could provide some value to Pittsburgh, even if he is just signed to the practice squad. The fan base in Pittsburgh might not have always loved Kazee, but he played a lot of football for the Steelers throughout the three seasons he spent with the team. At the very least, he provides depth for Pittsburgh at a position of need, and he wouldn't be expensive to sign. This is the type of signing the Steelers would make, and it completely makes sense to do so. Pittsburgh Steelers have found a successful safety combination Ahead of Pittsburgh's game on Sunday against the Colts, it was announced that cornerback Jalen Ramsey would be playing exclusively free safety. He had been playing some safety throughout the year depending on what the opposing offense was doing, but on Sunday, he did not leave the position. It was Ramsey and Dugger leading the way in the defensive backfield, and the duo had a pretty good day. It will be interesting to see if that is something the Steelers continue to use in the coming weeks, but it probably should be since it was so effective against the best offense in the NFL.
The 'Most 300-yard, 4 touchdown NFL games' quiz
Since the renaissance of Sam Darnold’s career in Minnesota last season, one of the reputational issues the veteran needed to shake was his play in primetime. Against the Washington Commanders on ‘Sunday Night Football,’ he did what he could to put that narrative to bed by completing 21-of-24 passes for 330 yards, four touchdowns and an interception in a dominant 38-14 win. Darnold was deadly accurate Sunday night, completing every pass he attempted in the first half before throwing just eight times in the second half and giving way to Drew Lock in the fourth quarter with the game out of hand. The Seahawks gave Darnold a three- year, $100.5 million contract after his career-year in Minnesota last season. So far he’s rewarded them with 2,084 passing yards with 16 touchdowns and five interceptions en route to a 6-2 record through eight games. Which brings us to today’s quiz. It was the third time of Darnold’s career – and second already of the 2025 campaign – that he’s thrown for at least 300 yards and four touchdowns in the same game. With that being said, can you name every NFL quarterback in the Super Bowl Era to do that at least three times? Good luck! Did you like this quiz? Are there any quizzes you’d like to see us make in the future? Let us know your thoughts at quizzes@yardbarker.com, and make sure to subscribe to our Quiz of the Day Newsletter for daily quizzes sent right to your email!
Three offseason trade targets for Blue Jays to add an impact bat
The Toronto Blue Jays and their fans are fresh off the most heartbreaking loss in franchise history. Putting the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers on the brink of elimination with two cracks to win the World Series at home, only to lose two nail-biters that each came down to the final out. It’s going to take a long time to get over it, if that’s even possible to do. However, they'll have to turn the page rather quickly because in just three days, the negotiating window for free agents expires, and all are free to sign wherever they so choose. Toronto will be busy in an attempt to retain the likes of star shortstop Bo Bichette and starting pitchers Shane Bieber, Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer. At the same time, the front office must be active in improving its roster from the outside, whether that’s via free agency or trade. While there are some intriguing names for the Blue Jays to target on the open market, given their needs, heading down the trade route could make the most sense. Here are three ideal trade targets for the Toronto Blue Jays to add an impactful left-handed bat to their lineup for 2025-26 and beyond: Oneil Cruz | Pittsburgh Pirates Cruz’s name popped up in trade rumors ahead of the deadline in August, and it’s fair to wonder if he still could be available if Pittsburgh gets the right offer. The 27-year-old has all of the tools to be one of the best hitters in baseball, standing at 6-foot-7, 240 pounds with extreme power and bat speed. His numbers last season (20 HRs, 61 RBI), while solid, didn't reflect his talent, but it's understandable given the lack of protection around him on the Pirates. In Toronto, Cruz could slot in behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bichette, immediately becoming the most dangerous left-handed hitter in a right-heavy lineup. Matt Wallner | Minnesota Twins The 39th overall pick back in 2019 may not publicly be on the trade block, but after its sell-off at the deadline, it doesn’t feel like anyone is untouchable in Minnesota. Like Cruz, Wallner, at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, has big-time power, and the Blue Jays saw that firsthand when he crushed three HRs and six RBI during their three-game series in Toronto in late August. He does have some swing and miss in his bat (.231 career average), but with how often the top of the Blue Jays lineup gets on base, all it takes is one swing for Wallner to put up a crooked number on the scoreboard. Jarren Duran | Boston Red Sox The 2024 All-Star Game MVP has been in constant trade discussions for over a year now, and it feels inevitable that he gets dealt out of Boston this winter. Duran had more of an up-and-down 2025 campaign, though he's displayed the ability to drive in runs (84 RBI) and has power with even more untapped potential. Combine that with his speed and athleticism, and you can see why so many teams would love to acquire him. Trading within the division is never easy, but the 29-year-old would be a perfect fit in the middle of Toronto's lineup, so it's something they should absolutely look into.
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
PRIVACY POLICY EDITORIAL POLICY CONTACT US
ABOUT YARDBARKER TERMS OF SERVICE
Use of this website (including any and all parts and
components) constitutes your acceptance of these
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
This site is for entertainment purposes only.
There is no gambling offered on this site.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
