Goooood morning Leafs fans,

A shootout loss to the Sharks isn’t anything to be sad about. The Leafs played very well against a top NHL team and if they play this well against Pittsburgh on Saturday, baby the future is so bright we’ll have to wear welding goggles.

Here are some recaps of this game:

Mine! (Therefore the best)

The Leafs Nation, Maple Leafs Hot Stove, Fear the Fin, Editor in Leaf, The Athletic,

Also out yesterday was the Lou Marsh award winner: Penny Oleksiak. A record setting Olympian who still shines at the top of her sport even when the cameras (or hockey writers) aren’t watching.

Now there were some grumblebums on Twitter (shocking!) saying Crosby should have won, but hold on, why is that? He wasn’t the best hockey guy in 2016.

The best hockey guy in 2016 was clearly Mitch Marner.

The criteria naming Crosby best hockey guy was:

Yawn. First, the World Cup isn’t a real thing and shouldn’t count. It’s like calling the Presidents Trophy winners the ‘True NHL Champion’, it’s nice but no one really cares.

Plus the Stanley Cup and World Cup are team awards, so they shouldn’t count.

Here’s Mitch Marner’s 2016

  • 116 points in 57 RS games (2.04PPG) (No, I won’t figure out how many of these were actually in 2016)
  • 44 points in 19 playoff games (2.32PPG)
  • OHL First Team All-Star
  • Red Tilsson Trophy (OHL Most Outstanding Player)
  • OHL Playoffs most Goals
  • OHL Playoffs Most Assists
  • Wayne Gretzky 99 Award (OHL Playoffs MVP)
  • CHL Player of the Year
  • Stafford Smythe Award (Memorial Cup MVP)
  • Ed Chynoweth Award (Memorial Cup most points)
  • Memorial Cup All Star Team
  • And if we count team awards:
  • J. Ross Robertson Cup (OHL Champion)
  • Memorial Cup (CHL Champion)/

FOUR MVP AWARDS for one player, and you silly boys think Crosby was the most deserving hockey guy?

Silly grumblebums.

Anyway, congratulations to Penny Oleksiak on her win of the Lou Marsh award! Well deserved and I hope this counts as a pass for Gym class.

Here are your other non-Lou Marsh links:

Editor in Leaf wants Josh Leivo to get another look from the Leafs

Vintage Leafs Memories looks at some good takeaways from the first 30 games

Raw Charge wants Garret Sparks from the Leafs

Blueshirt Banter looks at their coaches creation and handling of controversy

Down Goes Brown looks at hockey’s best own goals.

Crosby wants to be the next Michael Jordan, from Pensburgh

The Bloggers Tribune on Spencer Watson, and how he can help the Steelheads turn around their season.

Enjoy the day.

From The Branches