Well that was a stinker of a game yesterday evening. The Maple Leafs lost 5-3 to the formerly last place Blackhawks—that win pushed them up one point past the Ducks into a tie for second-last place. It’s yet another instance of the Leafs getting clobbered by the worst teams in the league, though the Leafs still hold on to fifth overall by points % across the whole NHL.

Goals and Highlights: Maple Leafs at Chicago

Why one of the best teams in the league cannot beat the worst teams in the league remains a mystery, but we did solve another: what was Ilya Samsonov’s mystery illness?

The Leafs have an unusual schedule ahead for this week, playing on Tuesday and Friday, then they get Saturday off before departing for a road trip through the Pacific Division, with the first game on Sunday against the Kraken.

The Marlies play their traditional Family Day game today at the Scotiabank Arena. They will face the Utica Comets, a team they beat 2-1 at the school day game Wednesday morning last week. Indeed, the Marlies have beaten the Comets by one goal every one of the four times they have played so far this season. Today’s game starts at 3:00 p.m.

Other News

Nazem Kadri got kicked out of a game between the end of the third period and the start of the OT. It’s not exactly clear what he did during the break, but he was not happy about being told to leave. (Also the Flames have a comical number of coaches, assistant coaches and other staff members crammed in that bench area.)

There’s a nice outfit to show up to your new job.

The Miwaukee Admirals turned it into a jersey for the team to wear.

Blackhawks release statement from Jonathan Toews - Second City Hockey
Toews has not played since Jan. 28 against the Edmonton Oilers, missing all six games since the team returned from the All-Star Break. As referenced in the statement, Toews also missed the entire 2021 hockey season while dealing with an ailment that was called “Chronic Immune Response Syndrome.” This raises another round of questions related to Toews’ long-term hockey career, as he’s on a contract that expires at the end of this season.

Local speed skating club raises alarm over possible Leafs takeover of home rink - CBC
Ken George, the president of the Toronto Speed Skating Club, says the club has been warned by the Ford Performance Centre about plans to convert the Olympic-size ice surface they currently use into the size of a NHL hockey rink to accommodate the Leafs. [SPECIES: I have seen Hockey Canada use the Olympic-size rink on occasion too. It’s not clear from the story why the Leafs need it converted as they already can and do use the other three NHL-size rinks in the complex.]

From The Branches