It’s the last day of 2019, a year that I mostly want to forget as a Maple Leafs fan. There’s been a lot less fun than I expected over both the second half of the last season and the first half of this one.

There’s a long list of grievances.

  • Losing in the first round of the playoffs. Again.
  • To the Bruins. Again.
  • In Game 7. AGAIN!
  • The Mitch Marner contract fiasco
  • The Mike Babcock faisco
  • The salary cap shenanigans requiring fans to study 400 pages of CBA to understand what is happening
  • The injuries
  • Even more injuries
  • Still more injuries!/

I don’t want to your year-end FTB to be all negative. There’s a lot to be happy about like Rasmus Sandin, Nick Robertson, and several more prospects. This December has had a stretch of fun times longer than any since December 2018. That’s a good sign for 2020, and the reason why I am ready and happy to move on from 2019.

After all, there’s far worse franchises out there to be a fan of.

But we can’t move to 2020 quite yet. There’s still one more game for the Leafs to play tonight in 2019. The Leafs will finish the year in Minnesota playing against the Wild. We’ll have a preview of today’s game later this afternoon when lineup information is available.

The Marlies are closing out the year here in Toronto playing the Cleveland Monsters at 3:00 p.m. Hardev will be at the game with all the updates for you.

Marner got a lolipop after leaving though.

ICYMI
Here’s what we wrote about yesterday.

Andersen and Matthews named to 2020 NHL All-Star Game - Hardev
This is Frederik Andersen's first nomination and Auston Matthews fourth.

Leafs recall two Marlies defenders ahead of their roadtrip - Katya
I don’t think they’re allowed to play two at once to replace Jake Muzzin, though.

The new Leafs offensive system could change the NHL for the better - David St-Louis
Sheldon Keefe and Kyle Dubas have made hockey fun.

World Juniors

Rasmus Sandin is playing at 9:00 a.m. ET this morning on Team Sweden against Slovakia. Team Canada will play the Czech Republic at 1:00 p.m.

Today’s games will bring the round robin to a close. Tomorrow is a day off, and the quarterfinals start on Thursday.

Other News

The Penguins against the Senators was the only game last night. The Penguins won with help from a nice goal by Jake Guentzel but it came at a high price. Guentzel left the game after this.

Which team gives up the most first career NHL goals? - Broad Street Hockey
LOLSNES

From The Branches