On Facebook
On Flipboard
On Twitter
So the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Ottawa Senators. Good. This piece will serve as a bit of a retrospective on the series that had a lot of highs, some very low lows, but ultimately a successful end result.
This series was complicated for me, and I’m not sure how to feel. So, as is often the case, I’ve chosen to write in the hopes that putting some words on paper clears my head and allows me to proceed with a bit of a clear slate.
Demons slayed?
Let me start off by saying I am overjoyed that the Leafs won, despite this being the expected and frankly only option they had. As I wrote before the series, the Leafs absolutely had to beat the Senators, and I am very glad they did.
However, I do think there is still a lot left to prove. The Leafs proved one thing with this win, and that is that they are not the catastrophically cursed losers they once were. Blowing a 3–0 series lead to the Ottawa Senators and losing in seven, as I was worried would happen at multiple points in Game 6, would have been a nightmare to end all nightmares. I honestly would have called for Auston Matthews to get traded.
The Leafs didn’t do that, although it seemed like after Game 5 they were trying to get there. While I know it is in the past, Game 5 was one of the most pathetic sporting performances I have witnessed in my life. The team had no drive, no determination, all encapsulated by the non-effort that was William Nylander’s back-check on the shorthanded second goal.
I have never wanted to watch a hockey game less than Game 6. All the demons came back, memories of 2013, 2018, 2020, 2021, and all the years in between and since. But the Leafs proved me wrong. They proved that they weren’t losers. Now they have to prove they are winners.
Looking ahead
The Florida Panthers are an excellent hockey team, and while the Leafs did have more regular season points, I think we’d be kidding ourselves if we didn’t consider Toronto the underdog. I saw a take on Twitter after Game 6 that feels prescient:
The Florida Panthers are a great hockey team, and losing to them would be nothing like losing to the Senators. But the Leafs also consider themselves a great hockey team, and great teams beat other great teams on the road to the Stanley Cup. The Leafs have an opportunity to prove they are a great hockey team, and they have to beat the Florida Panthers to do it.
I also disagree with the first line. The Toronto Maple Leafs are not a normal hockey team, and until they prove they can win, I don’t think they ever will be. In the 107-year history of the club, this is probably the best lineup they have ever put on the ice. They have the most talent they have arguably ever had, and they have had this talent for the last eight years. They have nothing to show for it. Beating the Ottawa Senators in six games, especially after the Game 5 performance, does not eliminate the heartbreak of the better part of the last decade. Nothing is ever simple with the Leafs.
Beat Florida
I have written before that maybe I’m too jaded, too cynical. Frankly, I think I’ve earned the right to be. I am proud of our boys for the comeback after Game 5 and closing it out in a hostile barn. They’ve talked about resiliency and pushing through adversity, and they certainly showed some in the first round. But now is the true test against a bona fide Cup contender, hell, the defending champions.
Win, and I do think the monkey is off the back. Win, and it goes a hell of a long way to forcing those demons away. Win, and I’ll argue that we should bring back this core for another attempt. We should try as hard as we can to sign Marner, bring back JT on a (hopefully) team-friendly deal.
In my last piece, I wrote about how this team feels different. They play differently. In Game 5 we saw shades of the old Leafs, the panic, the pressure, the flipping stretch passes down the ice to nobody. But they persevered, and I thought they played their game in Game 6 and won.
I do think this team can beat the Florida Panthers. Hell, I think this team can beat any team in the NHL. I do think they have the makings of a championship roster. Ultimately, it’s a mental game now, and whether they have the sheer force of will to make it happen. Time will tell.
Go Leafs Go!
More must-reads:
- Carter Hart, others found not guilty in Hockey Canada sexual assault trial
- Hurricanes take care of business, sign star winger to lucrative eight-year extension
- The 'NBA Summer League MVPs' quiz
Breaking News
Trending News
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
TODAY'S BEST
Top NHL Analyst Provides Update on Canucks Possible Offer Sheet for Two Star Players
Top NHL analyst Stephan Roget of 'Canucks Army' believes the Canucks could definitely offer sheet Mason McTavish or Marco Rossi, but they likely won't. Offer sheets remain one of the less common NHL deals, so a midsummer offer sheet from the Vancouver Canucks would remain highly unlikely. The player must be a restricted free agent (RFA) to be offer-sheet eligible, and come mid-July, there are not many remaining who are. Two of them are strong possibilities for whom the Canucks would consider making an offer sheet: Anaheim Ducks' Mason McTavish and Minnesota Wild's Marco Rossi. And offer sheets are a two-part process. Your team has to first make an offer. And then there has to be acceptance of a player before his current team is in a position to counter. That is uncertainty enough. Any offer sheet from the Canucks would have to be at least $11.7 million per year The Canucks would only be able to give Mason McTavish or Marco Rossi at the absolute highest compensation level, above $11.7 million annually. That would cost four protected first-rounders across five drafts to the Canucks. While both Rossi and McTavish would certainly appreciate an offer of this nature, whether either is truly worth this kind of investment of this size, especially for Vancouver, a club not comfortably in a playoff position, is questionable. 'As it stands, the Canucks are still eligible to make offer sheets to McTavish and Rossi - but only certain offer sheets. 'Whether it's realistic to expect a mid-summer offer sheet from the Canucks, is no'. - Stephan Roget Bottom line: While theoretically, a Canucks summer offer sheet is conceivable, too high a price, in cap space and future equity, makes it extremely unlikely, per NHL analyst Stephan Roget of 'Canucks Army.'
Why Yankees' trade for All-Star 3B is disappointing
The New York Yankees’ first move ahead of the July 31 MLB trade deadline falls a bit flat. They traded two prospects most fans have never heard of to acquire Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon, a lackluster move that indicates New York is throwing in the towel on the 2025 season. McMahon is an upgrade — but only a slight one. Yankees GM Brian Cashman replaced a .147 hitter in Oswald Peraza with a .217 hitter in McMahon, who also happens to lead the National League in strikeouts (127). But really, New York just added another Anthony Volpe — one of the biggest problems in the Bombers’ lineup — to the left side of their infield. The two infielders’ 2025 stats tell virtually the same sad tale: McMahon: .217/.314/.403, 16 home runs Volpe: .214/.286/.400, 13 home runs The Yankees should have risked a top prospect or two for Arizona Diamondbacks power-hitting third baseman Eugenio Suarez. A 2026 free agent, Suarez is a rental, but with his .252/.325/.593 slash line, 33 home runs and MLB-leading 86 RBI, he’d be a huge upgrade at third base, rather than a slight one. Instead, the Yankees opted for a player who they’ll have control over until 2028 and cost them almost nothing to acquire. Apparently, they believe McMahon will prove valuable in the long run, based on his advanced analytics. After all, he’s been crushing the ball in 2025, averaging a 94 mph exit velocity. However, his ability to hit the ball hard doesn’t mean he’s just been unlucky this year, as his xBA is just .232 — not too far below his .240 career actual batting average. Compare that to another guy who’s known for hitting the ball hard in Yankees first baseman Ben Rice, who is hitting just .232 but has an xBA of .289. It doesn’t matter how hard McMahon hits the ball if he tends to hit it directly at a fielder. There’s still a week until the trade deadline, but don’t expect the Yankees to make any truly splashy moves. Suarez was the better choice to fix New York’s third base issues, and their pivot to McMahon was disappointing.
Why as many as 100 NFL players are facing fines and potential suspension
There is not a bigger sporting event in North America than the Super Bowl, and tickets are only getting more expensive every year. There is also a ridiculous secondary market for tickets where seats sell for well above the original face value. It is usually fans or ticket resellers going for a quick profit. But as was reported on Friday, sometimes it can be players in the NFL looking to make a profit. According to multiple reports, including the Associated Press and ESPN, more than 100 players are facing fines and potential suspensions for selling their allotment of tickets to this year's Super Bowl between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs for above face value. Players are reportedly facing fines of one-and-a-half times the face value they originally paid for the tickets, while they are also prevented from purchasing tickets to the Super Bowl for the next seasons. The Associated Press obtained a memo from the NFL detailing the violation and investigation. That memo was as follows: “Our initial investigation has determined that a number of NFL players and coaches, employed by several NFL Clubs, sold Super Bowl tickets for more than the ticket’s face value in violation of the Policy. This long-standing League Policy, which is specifically incorporated into the Collective Bargaining Agreement, prohibits League or Club employees, including players, from selling NFL game tickets acquired from their employer for more than the ticket’s face value or for an amount greater than the employee originally paid for the ticket, whichever is less. We are in the process of completing our investigation into this matter, but the investigation has revealed that club employees and players sold their tickets to a small number of ‘bundlers’ who were working with a ticket reseller to sell the Super Bowl tickets above face value.” If players are not willing to pay the fine, they could be facing suspension from the league. It seems unlikely that any of the players — none of whom have been named, or their teams — would refuse to pay such a fine. It's also one of those moments where you can say, professional athletes — they're still normal people trying to make a quick buck. The most logical answer here is perhaps some of the players caught up in this are younger players who have not yet struck it rich on a big contract or perhaps even practice squad players who are not making top dollar.
Go Inside Raiders Training Camp & What I Saw Today?
HENDERSON, Nev.—Day three of the Las Vegas Raiders' 2025 NFL Training Camp is officially in the books, and from inside camp, I saw plenty of things to tell you about. As your Las Vegas Raiders Beat Writer On SI, I will share what stood out to me. Please note that I will be commenting on any specific information that could harm the Raiders strategically, should their opponents process it. Additionally, please remember that the game of football is played with pads, and until Monday at 8:30 AM PT the Raiders are not in pads. For that reason, I will, in some cases, speak very generally. The Offense It is going to be fascinating to see how Chip Kelly, the Raiders' offensive coordinator, works this offense. He is an offensive genius, and that is already showing up in camp. · While I can’t and won’t share schematic details, many of the things Raider Nation has been bemoaning for the entirety of my six years covering this team are being addressed. · Certainly, a lack of pads would hasten one to tap the brakes, but early indications are that this is going to be an offense the Silver and Black faithful are going to love. · I spent significant time today with the offensive line. True offensive lineman Thayer Munford’s footwork, to me, was the best I have ever seen from the proud Buckeye. In several drills, he moved fluidly to his right and left. · Interestingly, he has played well for a young player, but it is evident he has worked diligently on that part of his game. · I shared with you last year that the Raiders liked UDFA Will Putnam. While I still think he is destined for the practice squad on a team that is loaded with offensive linemen, he is improving, appears to be in terrific shape, and is demonstrating that he may not be ready to make the 53-man roster in 2025; however, he is well on his way. · Sticking with the offensive line, I want to talk about rookie OT Charles Grant. · The youngster is an absolute sponge. He is swimming right now, in my opinion, as he makes the major leap to the National Football League, but his willingness to learn and take corrections from coaches and teammates will go a long way for the young man. · You want FAT players. Faithful, Available, and Teachable, and that is Grant. · Alex Bachman, the second-year WR, keeps doing things that show up on film. He is explosive, and his effort is impressive. · There is a spot to be won at WR on this roster, and Bachman is doing everything he can to get seen. · Multiples today, and in the offseason, he has made his presence known. Remember that young man. · Today’s ones on the OL were LT Kolton Miller, LG Dylan Parham, C Jackson Powers-Johnson, RG Alex Cappa, and RT Delmar DJ Glaze. · I wouldn’t read anything into that other than the LG battle is going to be intense, and they are experimenting and competing. · I know that RB Raheem Mostert is incredibly talented. However, he appears to be back and healthy, and today, he demonstrated his balance, which was nothing short of stunning. · His athleticism is impressive, and his balance is not reflective of a man who is injured. While I am not a doctor, his balance looked impossible, even if he was healthy, let alone if he wasn’t. · He was nearly parallel to the ground and with one hand pushed his body up like a one armed push up, regained balance and never stopped moving forward. · WOWZA. Until I learn differently, there is a block S under that jersey. · That is an easy opinion to have without pads on, but all we can judge is what we saw today, and he looked great. · Every single day, RB Ashton Jeanty does something to show off the athleticism that made him the best RB in the 2025 NFL Draft. · He made a jump cut today for a long TD that simply left the defender in his wake, trying to tackle the wind. · He is a back that runs aggressively behind his pads, something that usually doesn’t show up in shorts. Monday can’t get here soon enough to see that side of his game. · Sincere McCormick and Zamir White are firmly locked in a battle for RB3, and both had nice practices today. · McCormick broke off a long TD and continues to run angry. · Don’t construe that to be criticism of White, it isn’t. He also had a great run, and both men competing is what Pete Carroll craves, and it is what he got. · That competition is making both of those young men better, and the Raiders for sure. · While there is ZERO QB competition to anyone here at practice, that doesn’t mean that Aidan O’Connell is digressing. He isn’t. · Today, he showed off a quick release, and one that up to this point I had never seen him use. · He didn’t and hasn’t played as well as Geno Smith, but the young man is getting better, and the gap between him and Cam Miller is wider than the gap between him and Geno Smith. There is NO comparison between the Boilermaker and Smith. · O’Connell missed a terrific touchdown opportunity, but on the very next play, in the red zone, he flashed his quick release like an old west gunfighter for a quick strike touchdown in which he threw an absolute strike in a very tight window. · It is throws like that that make it easy to say we haven’t seen enough to rule him out as a QB1 in this league, and it was passes like the previous one that makes us declare we haven’t seen enough to say he is. · O’Connell is a terrific young man with a ton of talent; he now has to find consistency. Don’t bet against him; people did Geno Smith. · That touchdown pass was to TE Carter Runyon, who made a terrific bang-bang play. · I reported on Wednesday that the Raiders will consider keeping four tight ends. I am not predicting that they do it, but they are considering it, and Chip Kelly loves the weapons in that room. · Without revealing anything schematic, I can tell you that the Raiders' tight ends are very active, and Geno Smith and Brock Bowers have already established a special bond. · TE Ian Thomas is like the Energizer Bunny. He is just a steady force. He keeps making plays and is very disciplined. · I mentioned on Wednesday that Qadir Ismail, the young TE, survived the field like a QB. I was informed by his father, the legendary “Missile,” Qadry “The Missile” Ismail, that he indeed did play QB in his recent past. · QB Cam Miller isn’t NFL-ready yet. But you can see it. The young man is swimming in the NFL and should be, like most rookies. · You can also see what Tom Brady liked about him. · Raiders GM John Spytek told reporter Dan Pompei of The Athletic after the draft that, "He (Brady) liked the way (Miller) threw it, his technique, throwing from the ground up and his motion." · Under pressure today, it was nice to see QB Geno Smith wait until the last second and then scramble for a TD. · Geno is not the same QB many remember from his youth. · He now uses his athleticism as a weapon, and not as a crutch like many young men, blessed with his talent, do. · That type of discipline can only come with patience and maturity, which is why people have to be patient with young QBs. · Collin Johnson, the young WR, and Darnay Holmes, the veteran CB, were battling today. It was fascinating to watch the competition at all levels of the team that Pete Carroll is building. · Carroll wants a culture of competition, and while it is early, it is developing. The Defense · Maxx Crosby is the best defender in the NFL, and at Raiders practice, he is the best player. On any side of the ball. · He anticipated the snap today on play, and was in the backfield before the OL even moved. · He nearly had another interception. · While I am not ashamed to admit my bias, is it bias if it is true? I think not. · Remember that there are officials at practice, and he spends the entire day running up and down the field wreaking havoc. · His nickname is the Condor, but it should be the destroyer. · A name I have not talked about before is JT Woods, the safety. Today, his effort was evident every time he got on the field. · I don’t think he can make the 53-man roster, but the 2nd year player out of Baylor flashed the skills that get young men on the practice squad, and the effort is what eventually earns them spots. · Pete Carroll told us today that Jamal Adams is a WILL LB. His speed is awe-inspiring. · I asked Carroll if he saw his role as primarily as a pass rusher, and he doesn’t. With that speed, he is going to let him compete as a three-down backer. · It is no secret that I like LB Amari Gainer. Today, watching him move laterally and vertically was the most comfortable I have seen him. · What else I like about the young man is that he is grabbing reps on defense and special teams. · Gainer is hungry to make the roster, and he is trying to put a ton of film out there for John Spytek and Pete Carroll to see, so he can’t be ignored. · Lonnie Johnson, the perennial special teams star and Raiders free agent, made his presence felt in a big way today at camp. · He has played well since arriving in the desert, but today, with a monster pass rush, QB Geno Smith made his only bad pass, and Johnson turned on the jets, accelerated, picked off the pass, and was off to the races. · If that man can be more than a special teams star, the Raiders are in terrific shape at S. · LB Devin White and CB Sam Webb were celebrating today after a big play. What stood out to me is what I call the “Pete Carroll Syndrome.” · Carroll is instilling in these players that they PLAY a game. They PLAY a game. They need to find their first love and start having fun. · Players having fun play fast and have more success. · Watching White and Webb was like watching a group of young men playing in the backyard at Grandma’s on Thanksgiving afternoon. · Pete Carroll’s enthusiasm is catching on, and while it was a good play, it was not the type of play that would have been celebrated like it was in my previous five seasons covering the Silver and Black, under any coach. · These men are having fun, and that says something. · Adam Butler, the talented DT, is having a terrific camp. As both a leader and a player, Butler is a disruptive force that looks to be playing like a man on a mission. · Patrick Graham and Rob Leonard love Butler, and he has done nothing but reward their loyalty to him. · I am very excited to see him on Monday with pads on. · I have seen Butler as a leader in the past, but this offseason, he has developed that into almost an assistant coach role. He is taking the young guys under his wing and there is nobody better to learn from than him. · Speaking of impressive men, Tyree Wilson is playing like the youngster we saw in college. · Hearkening back to the second half of 2023, Patrick Graham is using him inside and outside, and he is fluid, athletic, and having fun. · His athleticism, size, and physique should be illegal, but he has the perfect defensive end body, and his effort and heart are showing up. · Today, while being held, he pressured Geno Smith on more than one occasion, and spent most of the day in the Raiders' backfield. · Sure, the OL had no pads, and that is a legitimate point, but Tyree is on a mission, and Monday, for that young man, can’t come soon enough. · Many times since John Spytek signed CB Eric Stokes, I have told you that if he can back to being healthy, he can be the superstar he was as a rookie. · He sure looks it. He made more than one play today, but he is playing at a terrific pace and level right now. · He is a ball hawk, and it is evident. · If Jakorian Bennett remains healthy, and Stoke is back to 100%, the one perceived weakest part of the team could shut the mouths of many doubters. The Intangibles · The offense had two penalties today, and the defense had three. That is nearly insignificant when you consider it was the third day of practice. That was impressive to me. We'd appreciate it if you would follow us on X @HondoCarpenter and IG @HondoSr , and let’s talk about the Silver and Black’s training camp.
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.
