The Maple Leafs still have one more game to play to finish off their annual tour of Western Canada. They will face the Oilers tomorrow night at the Toronto friendly time of 7:00 p.m. EST. The Oilers picked up their fourth straight win last night against the Canucks. I say that streak needs to be broken and the Leafs are the perfect team to do it, having handily defeated the Oilers when they visited Toronto last month.

I’m sure the Leafs will be happy to get home to rest after this game. Next week’s schedule looks brutal with four games to play in six days including; the Lightning, Blackhawks, and Flyers here in Toronto, and then the Senators in Ottawa on Saturday (though that’s basically a home crowd).

There’s now only 30 days left in the Maple Leafs’ regular season. It’s crunch time. Every game has implications for the final standings that determine the playoff opponents and home ice advantages. One upside for Leafs fans in Toronto is there are no more late games on the calendar. There’s one game against the Predators starting at 8:00 p.m. EST, but all others are 7:00 or 7:30 p.m. starts.

However, some games are worth staying up late for. You can watch the Toronto Furies begin their playoff series against the Calgary Inferno tonight via the CWHL website.

Meanwhile, the Marlies play a second game in Laval tonight after defeating the Rocket 4-3 in OT on Tuesday.

ICYMI
The Leafs have been busy signing players this week, adding another to an Entry Level Contract yesterday.

Leafs sign prospect Mac Hollowell entry level contract - Elseldo
The Maple Leafs sign their 2018 4th round pick.

Hollowell: ‘Biggest thrill of my career’ - Sault Star
“On the biggest day of his life in hockey, Soo Greyhounds defenceman Mac Hollowell couldn’t help but take a step back. The 20-year-old native of Niagara Falls, Ont., thought of his days as a young prospect, a 12th-round (No.237 overall) choice of the Hounds in the 2014 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selections draft.”

Some other Leafs prospects are up to exciting hockey business these days too.

Leafs prospect report: Playoffs are on their way - Elseldo
Dakota Joshua and Ryan O’Connell win their first title.

Other News

The Wild caught Andrei Vasilevskiy trying to play the puck a bit too slowly.

Now this is some flow.

Ted Lindsay: one of the names that, for me, meant hockey at its best - Michael Langlois
For all the memorable names, perhaps the guy who stirred the intense rivalry the most was the player who would become known as the years went on as “Terrible Ted”, Ted Lindsay.

NCAA Clarifies Video Review Rules After Controversial Calls - SB Nation College Hockey
Two plays last weekend have forced the NCAA men’s ice hockey rules committee to release a memo clarifying the rules and intent of video review, including for their "five feet from the bench" too many men on the ice rule.

Is the NHL the future of marijuana in pro sports? Why it could be. - ESPN
Of the 123 major sports teams, 82 percent play in areas where it's legal to purchase medicinal or recreational marijuana. The NHL has noticed. Who's next?

Fan records Blondie parody music video to convince Karlsson to re-sign - Fear The Fin
If Erik Karlsson gets this song stuck in his head, he’ll have to re-sign.

From The Branches