The media was unleashed on the Leafs and Management for the first time since game 7. The expectations weren’t high for what we would be getting out of questions asked of Dave Nonis, but he delivered a press conference that offered more insight than past years. Brian Burke offered nothing in the way of an honest answer of substance. Nonis, rather, spoke honestly and elegantly while giving Toronto media a little something to chew on.

Former Leafs GM Biran Burke and Current Leafs GM Dave Nonis in 2010. (Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports)

In terms of players available to pursue during the off-season Nonis explained his thoughts on what would be best for the team. Starting with buyouts, Nonis didn’t circle the question hoping to avoid it at all costs, he gave it a thoughtful answer. He probably doesn’t have a blueprint of what he’s going to do with each guy yet, and that’s fine to admit. Nonis gave much more insight into what he is thinking now, as opposed to what Burke would have forced through his pursed lips and furrowed brow.

Will the Leafs buyout Tim Connolly? (Jeanine Leech/Icon SMI)

Question: When do you make a decision on the buyout option and what kinds of things might go into making those decisions?

Burke’s Potential Answer: There is not one player on the Toronto Maple Leafs roster that will be bought out by the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Nonis engaged in discussion: “We have up until July to decide on compliance buyouts. The thinking there will be cap space. Is there a better way of using cap space if we create some more? Creating cap space and then spending it foolishly doesn’t help us…”. Nonis went on to mention spending all your money on your players doesn’t necessarily mean you have improved your team, or have the best team. “If there’s a way to spend that money better, then we may look to create some more cap space”.

Q: Is this summer going to be different in that there are teams in cap trouble that you’ll be able to kind of leverage or be able to look at their talent and pluck away at some of that stuff?

BPA: Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment as well as The Toronto Maple Leafs are not about bullying other clubs into giving us their assets. This organization operates with respect for other GM’s and their clubs. As long as I’m GM of this historic franchise, we will not be making moves to take talented players away from the teams that need them because they can’t afford them.

Nonis answered “We are in a fairly good position cap-wise. We have some players we have to re-sign so that’s going to eat into that cap space a little bit. We’re not in a position where we have to shed money which some teams clearly are. There’s going to be two ways for teams to do that, one is going to be compliance buyouts, the other is to move bodies.” He continued to explain the situation the league is in this year as opposed to other years; “I would expect the weeks leading up to the draft are going to be fairly busy and I think the draft itself will be busy. You could see some bigger movement this year just because of the cap situation. This is the first time, if you go back to when the cap came in, I believe this is the first time the caps gone down. This is the first time as a league we’re going to have to adjust to a lower cap.”

Nonis mentions there are no “untouchables” on the Leafs roster.(Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports)

Q: This is your first off-season as a GM and I guess people are curious how bold are you willing to be, is anyone available, would you trade Dion Phaneuf, would your trade your captain?

BPA: Dion Phaneuf is the Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs and is the face of this franchise. He is a player you build a team around. He’s an active member of the community, he plays with truculence, belligerence, and testosterone. He is the personification of the product we at MLSE want to put on the ice at the Air Canada Centre. Dion is a great guy. As far as I’m concerned he’s untouchable.

The typical Brian Burke response met with some contrast from Dave Nonis. “I’ve always felt that the world ‘untouchable’ is really silly in this sport. There [are] players that would be unlikely you would move, there are players that we see as being long-term solutions to success here, so there are guys that are unlikely to get moved. I think untouchable doesn’t help you if you’re looking to get better.” Maybe Nonis was biting his tongue all those years as Burke’s right hand man; “If there’s something out there that makes sense for us, there’s not a player you would look at and say ‘No, we’re not willing to move him’.”

Q: Does the way Monday night went in any way change your view on what needs to happen with, or how the group needs to be adjusted going forward?

BPA: The team Dave Nonis and myself put on the ice is the team that showed up on Monday in game 7 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. We wouldn’t change a single roster player that we had lace up their skates for that game. The best team was suited up for the Toronto Maple Leafs. I wouldn’t change a thing if I had to do it again. I can’t say what will happen this summer, but I can tell you I am confident moving forward with this team representing the City of Toronto.

Sometimes, simple answers are the best. In the middle of the question asked by Hockey Night In Canada’s Elliotte Friedman, Nonis says “No, no, it doesn’t. What happened was disappointing… if we play that game 100 times I don’t think it happens again. The notion that there was 10 bad minutes is just not true. If you watch that game again I think they had 2 or 3 shots from the time they scored that second goal until we got to under 2 minutes. It happened. We have to deal with the pain and the heartache and the disappointment, but it doesn’t diminish the improvement we made over the course of the year, it doesn’t take away from the 7 games we played which I think were excellent.”

(Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports)

Q: What did you learn about James Reimer this season and do you think he’ll be back as the number one goalie next year?

BPA: I believe you have to build a team from the back out. You start with goaltending, move to defense, and then you look at your centreman. I feel the Toronto Maple Leafs have starters in James Reimer and Ben Scrivens. I believe we have found two guys that can share the net and compete at a high level. If you asked a GM do you want a number one goalie or two goalies that can compete for that spot, what do you think they would say? Competition will bring out the best in your goaltending situation and this organization is content with having two world class athletes compete for the job of starting goaltender for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

After just mentioning making the team better and stronger for the next season is not an opportunity any team would pass up, Nonis comments honestly on his evaluation of Reimer: “At this point I would say he’d be back as number one. He did a very good job for us , I think his mental make-up or mental strength is something people questioned maybe last year and I think it was clear that a lot of his issues a year ago were based upon his health. When we needed quality goaltending I think for the most part, and I would say that’s the same for every goaltender- no one’s going to hit it 100% of the time- James was very good and I don’t think anyone can point to goaltending as an issue with our team.”

To listen to the full press conference with Dave Nonis, Randy Carlyle and player interviews click here.

Help Me, Help You

Dion Phaneuf’s name was brought up in a question to Dave Nonis by Michael Grange of Sportsnet. His name has been fluttering around town as the whipping boy for Maple Leafs fans. Some of it deserved, most of it not. Phaneuf may not be the Leafs most talented, or productive defenseman, but he plays the minutes allocated to one.

Sportsnet and TheFan 590′s Gord Stellick who was the General Manager of the Leafs from 1988-89, joined Tim Micallef on Tim and Sid Thursday. He talked about the situation the Leafs are in with Phaneuf and agreed with Sid Seixeiro and Jeremy Roenick that Phaneuf should not be re-signed. “The question you can ask is not are you going to buy [Phaneuf] out, not are you going to strip the ‘C’ off, I mean those things aren’t going to happen but contract extensions, you can start talking in July. I would have been interested hearing what they had to say in either case.” Host Tim Micallef asked if Dion Phaneuf’s contract was front and centre for the Leafs to which Stellick answered “Maybe the fact [Phaneuf's contract] is not being discussed is there’s nothing to discuss. Fact is, one year left, he’s not going anywhere, he was Ron Wilson’s teachers pet, Randy Carlyle loves him too. They gave him the ‘C’ which unfortunately clouds the issue all the time but he didn’t do that to himself. The guy has played well but unfortunately we expect Norris Trophy things here in Toronto”.

Dion Phaneuf (Icon SMI)

As a captain of an NHL team, you should always be able to produce. Niklas Lidstrom, Jarome Iginla, Sidney Crosby- they all perform their best and put up great numbers for themselves as well as doing their best for their team. I’m not accusing Phaneuf of being a bad captain. The decision to make him captain wasn’t a bad one at the time. NHL captains are highly overrated in terms of how much you need one. What you really need is a few leaders to motivate. Phaneuf’s role as captain has placed unrealistic expectations upon him to be the best defenseman. As Stellick said, Leafs fans expect a Norris Trophy nod, or a season worthy of one. What those fans don’t realize is Phaneuf had the talent early in his career to get there, but has since developed into a much different player. He doesn’t score like he used to, he doesn’t hit like he used to and he doesn’t fight like he used to. He’s dependable- most nights- as your fourth best defenseman.

Where do the Leafs go from here? Giving him the C has given him the right to a big long-term contract that his play hasn’t warranted. Would he take a pay cut to stay on as captain of this team and relinquish minutes to defenseman like Jake Gardiner and Carl Gunnarsson? It’s unlikely that kind of shift won’t create tension within the locker room.

As Jeremy Roenick and Sid Seixeiro suggested on Tim and Sid (Sportsnet Fan590 May 15th) you might as well leave Phaneuf’s contract as is and let him play out the last season. If he plays well and is a productive defenseman, you can talk about him taking a pay cut, but if he does not improve his game, and as Dave Nonis said, there are other better options, so there’s no harm in letting your captain walk. The team can be turned over to someone else, and that person is speculated to be Joffrey Lupul.

The Leafs should use their money elsewhere, instead of keeping their captain on a team he where he sits half way down the depth chart. Use that money to reward James Reimer, Nazem Kadri, and Phil Kessel. Those are players you need for the future, Phaneuf is expendable.

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Katie Flynn

Katie Flynn is in her final year at U of T, pursuing a career in sports journalism while completing a Bachelor of Arts, English Specialist. Although the NHL is the apple of her eye, she enjoys MLB, NFL, and NBA, in that order.

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The Leafs are stunned after an epic collapse in game seven (Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports)

The glass is finally half full in Toronto. At least it should be.

Of course, when you have a three goal lead in the third period of a game, you need to win that game. This rule applies in the preseason, the first game of the year, but is an absolute must in the seventh game of a playoff series.

On Monday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs lost their first round series with the Boston Bruins in the most heartbreaking of ways. They held a 4-1 lead with roughly 10 minutes to play and proceeded to allow the Bruins to tie the game with 50 seconds left in regulation.

From there, the Bruins carried play in overtime, eventually earning the victory and series win on Patrice Bergeron’s second goal of the game.

As tough as it is to lose a game in that way, the Maple Leafs surprised everyone and acquitted themselves very well in this series. Save for their game one clunker, they played a vastly more experienced Bruins club tightly throughout the seven games and pushed the series to the ultimate limit.

The effort displayed in the series was not out of character for this Leafs club. From the very beginning of the season, they were counted out. More analysts and prognosticators than not had them finishing in the bottom third of the conference and missing the playoffs entirely.

Adam Proteau of the Hockey News had them finishing 11^th in the Eastern Conference, which was one of the more favorable predictions.

Defiantly, the Maple Leafs emerged from the lockout a changed club. They played more physically, more defensively sound, and played for each other. They received improved goaltending and their young players began to thrive.

Potentially lost in the disappointment of a series comeback coming up just short are the big strides that the club made throughout this shortened season.

It appears that the Leafs have found a coach in Randy Carlyle, capable of providing a stable system and getting the most out of his players.

Young players like Nazem Kadri, Jake Gardiner, Cody Franson and even James Reimer have come into their own at various points throughout the season and playoffs.

Most importantly, as the youngest team in the league, the Toronto Maple Leafs gained valuable experience. They encountered a number of new circumstances and found a way to look adversity in the face and still move forward. They dealt with several injuries throughout this series and every player who stepped into the lineup made a positive contribution and helped to get to a game seven.

They are far from perfect, but what first time playoff teams are? The Blue and White are still a few pieces from being a true contender, but the building blocks are clearly there.

No, losing a three goal lead at the end of a seventh game is not acceptable. Yes, that is a game that experienced, veteran teams likely follow through on and win. But hopefully for Leafs Nation, and the Leafs themselves for that matter, perspective can settle in and everyone can realize that this team defied expectations all season long and accomplished more than even the most optimistic of fans could have predicted.

The future is bright in Leaf Land for the first time in a very long time. Next year is another opportunity to grow and become the team that this fan base has been so long in waiting for.

They’re getting close, but they’re not quite there yet.

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Kevin Pentz

A graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University, Kevin has been a Toronto Maple Leafs contributor for The Hockey Writers since April 2013, having previously worked as a Contributing Editor at Maple Leafs Central. Kevin can be contacted at k.am.pentz (at) gmail (dot) com.

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A Maple Leafs hockey fan- and I’m not talking about the ones that come out of the woodwork and jump on the bandwagon posting Facebook statuses revealing their lack of knowledge- has gone through the heartbreak of missing the playoffs for 9 years. Making the playoffs was a treat. It was better than looking forward to the circus of a draft lottery- much better.

The way the Leafs lost was impossibly believable. To collapse in the last eleven minutes and twenty two seconds of the third period of game seven was not something I expected, rather, it was something I hoped wouldn’t happen. Experience in the playoffs is the true killer. The Bruins have it, and no matter how they have performed in the series, experience in the playoffs outweighs any type of momentum coming into an elimination game.

(Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports)

When Kadri scored that goal from Kessel… I felt a weight lift off my chest. Who wouldn’t? A 4-1 lead is just about indestructible if you have any playoff experience. Oh… the Leafs current roster has just about zero. The roller coaster of emotions that filled my living room and overpowered any sense of logic I possessed about professional sport were eclipsed by the start of the end. Nathan Horton crushed hearts all over Canada who bleed blue.

If the Leafs managed to keep that goal by Horton out of the net by refusing to collapse down in front of Reimer like they have done time and time again, the narrative may have been completely different. It baffles my mind how the Leafs can make themselves so small in their own end. They refuse to stand up and cover the points which creates so much space for the Bruins to not only set up, but get the Leafs running around. How did the Leafs hang on to the lead up until the third period? They were aggressive and they knew collapsing down would mean the end of their season. In order for Reimer to make those saves, he has to see the puck and be in position. With Phaneuf’s backside in your face, it’s hard to track the puck.

I’m not picking on Phaneuf. Since his performance in game 4, he turned into a mother with superhuman strength lifting a car off her children. His play elevated significantly, and where there was cause for concern early in the series. That all dissolved after the OT loss in game 4. Adversity was the best medicine for Phaneuf. The same could be said for Lupul and Kadri who started to score when the pressure was on.

The Faceoff Situation

Number one centre, Tyler Bozak.

Through this series the Leafs number one centre Tyler Bozak had struggled to be effective winning an average of 30% of his face-offs in the first three games. That is no where near what a number one centre should be producing, especially in the playoffs. If you don’t start with the puck you will always be chasing it. It’s impossible to score without the puck. The Bruins won 68.5% of face-offs overall. They controlled where the puck was going 68% of the time. Again, in game 7, the Leafs only managed to win 22% of their face-offs. The rest of the draws were scrummed and I can only assume more of those were won by the Bruins given their size.

I’m not outright blaming Tyler Bozak. I’m aware he didn’t play the last two games due to an upper-body injury. The offseason mission has to be a centreman, which has been key on the list of potential suitors for years now. Tim Connolly wasn’t it. David Steckel wasn’t it. Tyler Bozak isn’t it. If I was told I was going to be the Leafs number one centre the whole year there’s no way I would turn that down. The coaches need to realize he is not the one to support not only the first line, but the second line. He is not dominating the face-off circle, and he needs to be demoted. Who knows if he stays or goes, but if he stays he cannot be the Leafs number 1 or 2 centre next season.

Goaltending

James Reimer: The Toronto Maple Leafs saviour. (Icon SMI)

James Reimer showed a flash of brilliance last season before sustaining a concussion in Montreal in a brush with Brian Gionta. His great play was carried over from his first extended stint with the Leafs finishing the 2011 season as the starter. There’s nothing negative you can say about Reimer’s game. He’s back, he has battled through concussion issues, and there was no distraction that could shake his concentration through this series. Some goals weren’t his fault, some he would like to have back. That’s just the way it goes. But nothing can take away from the fact that he stood on his head and was stealing games in the playoffs for the Leafs- which is exactly what skeptics said he couldn’t do.

The Water Bottle

Professional water bottle thrower Brad Marchand (Greg M. Cooper-US PRESSWIRE)

As I sat on the floor (too uneasy to sit on a couch), late in the third before the tying goal was scored, I saw Claude Julien trying to get the attention of his players. It wasn’t working. I thought to myself “Drop the puck! Hurry up!” but for some reason there was a significant hold up. My dad asked me what was going on and I said “Julien is trying to get his players attention and they can’t hear him, WHAT IS THAT?! WHO THREW THAT?!”. Immediately I knew some funky business was going on when that green and orange gatorade bottle came cascading across the ice. The puck should have been dropped, the hold up on the face-off at centre ice was excruciating. Brad Marchand threw that water bottle on the ice to halt play so Julien could position his players where they needed to be. I saw it, I could see something coming, and it’s perfect that Marchand was the kid to do it.

The Refs should have dropped that puck. The Leafs were lined up and ready to go and the Bruins were stalling. I’m not being bitter, but this is what happened. In my mind, you shouldn’t be able to stop play by intentionally throwing a water bottle on the ice. Sure, great play by Marchand to waste a little more time and get the players’ attention. It’s just SO Marchand.

Help Me, Help You

It’s one thing to be completely into the game. Cheering, yelling, crying, swearing, rolling on the floor… But just stick with it. I understand things might be going wrong, not the way you planned. Things didn’t go the way I had hoped or planned either with the Leafs up 4-1 in the third and losing 5-4 in OT. Just stick with it.

I am the kind of person that is genuinely into the game for its duration. If I start a game, I finish it. Many Bruins fans tweeted that they had given up after the Leafs went up 2-1. They tweeted saying they were done with the team, they knew it would happen, and they were going to do something else while the Bruins were eliminated by the Leafs in game 7. They quit on their team, and when the game went to OT, they came back.

Can you just have a little faith in your team? I don’t mind you leaving, go ahead and leave. Tweet about how you hate your team, and you can’t stand to watch them anymore. But if you’re going to do so, don’t come back on twitter after a game 7 OT win and declare your love for them. The second round awaits you, and you have already given up on your team once. I don’t get that logic.

Maybe I’m just being bitter- nope, I’m not. The love/hate relationship between a fan and their team is a constant juggle between anger and affection. Surprisingly, the balance achieved between both emotions only comes after a terrible collapse by the Leafs, but a sense of adornment of their accomplishments through this first round series. Don’t give up on your team in the playoffs, anything can happen.

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Katie Flynn

Katie Flynn is in her final year at U of T, pursuing a career in sports journalism while completing a Bachelor of Arts, English Specialist. Although the NHL is the apple of her eye, she enjoys MLB, NFL, and NBA, in that order.

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This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

The Maple Leafs gave Boston everything they had. Sadly, they fell short in the final two minutes, leading to a 5-4 overtime loss.

If you are a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the lockout shortened 2013 season will go down as somewhat of a roller coaster ride.

With few of the experts picking the Leafs to make the playoffs, Toronto shocked many by finishing fifth in the Eastern Conference standings (good enough for ninth overall) earning the Blue and White their first playoff birth in nearly a decade.

Toronto finished the 2011-12 with a record of 35-37-10, which was “good enough” for 26^th overall in the standings. The lottery pick aside, the 2011-12 season was another disappointing season in a long line of futility from the Buds.

The Maple Leafs poor finish in 2011-12 could be attributed to a number of factors. An early season injury to netminder James Reimer was a huge factor, poor coaching also helped derail the Maple Leafs, as did their horrific penalty killing, which was amongst the league’s worst.

Fast forward to the 2013 season and the view is much better for Leaf fans. Despite a few minor setbacks, goaltender James Reimer established himself as a true number one netminder, finishing the season with a 19-8-5 record. Reimer’s numbers were solid across the board, registering a 2.88 goals against average (13^th best), 0.924 save percentage (seventh best) and four shutouts (sixth best).

Reimer also held his own against Tuuka Rask and the Boston Bruins, finishing the playoffs with a solid 3-4 record, 0.923 save percentage and a 2.88 GAA. Reimer faced more rubber than any other goaltender in the first round, stopping 251 of 272 shots on goal.

With all that in mind, Reimer appears to be Toronto’s goaltender of the future, which answers one of the Teams’ biggest question marks heading into the 2013 season.

Like Reimer, there are a number of players with Toronto’s forward corps that give the fans of the Blue and White a measure of hope for the future.

Kessel was awesome in the series against Boston, averaging a point-a-game.

After a number of terrible efforts against the Bruins, Phil Kessel exercised his Boston demons in the playoffs, scoring four goals and adding three assists for seven points in seven games. Kessel also asserted himself as a much improved defensive player throughout the season and in the playoffs, finishing the regular season with a plus/minus-3 rating (he finished the 2011-12 season with a plus/minus-10 rating) and a plus/minus rating of plus+3 in the playoffs.

Despite all the crying about what former Maple Leaf general manager Brian Burke gave up for Kessel, his scoring prowess has proven beyond a doubt that he has a chance to be a perennial All Star and the talent to eventually evolve into a solid all-round player.

Boston fans can often be heard chirping Kessel when the Leafs visit town, especially on nights when Tyler Seguin scores a goal against Toronto. For the record, Kessel finished the 2013 season 20 points ahead of Tyler Seguin- who had one assist in seven playoff games against the Leafs. “Thank you, Boston!”

Another bright spot for the Maple Leafs up front continues to be Joffrey Lupul. While he does not wear the “C” on his chest, Lupul has quickly established himself as the Leafs leader on the ice and his offensive contributions are well documented.

If not for some injuries, Lupul could have finished the season in the top-20 in the NHL scoring race. Sadly, injuries are part of the game, so until Lupul gets them under control Leaf fans will have to accept him for what he is- an All-Star calibre player that is injury prone.

Nazem Kadri has shocked everyone with his impressive play this season (Kevin Hoffman-US PRESSWIRE)

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the 2013 season was the play of youngster Nazem Kadri. After taking a ton of flack for showing up to training camp with questionable body fat levels, Kadri quickly established himself as one of the Toronto’s most valuable players, registering 18 goals (18^th overall), 26 assists (25^th overall), 44 points (21^st overall) and a solid plus/minus rating of plus+15(25^th overall).

Kadri followed up his regular season dominance with a decent playoff effort, notching one goal, three assists and a plus+ 5 rating. Where many felt Kadri’s best hockey would be played in another NHL uniform, it now appears that Kadri will play a huge role in any future success the Maple Leafs have.

After a quick start to the season, off-season acquisition James van Riemsdyk’s play tailed off. His 18-goal, 44-point effort cannot be ignored. That said, Leaf fans are hoping he brings a more consistent effort to the table in 2013-14.

Of course, one of the biggest reasons for Toronto’s success in 2013 was establishing their penalty kill as the Leagues sixth best, up from their abysmal 26^th ranking PK in 2011-12.

Jay McClement. (Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports)

A number of factors contributed to the Maple Leafs’ success on the PK, including a better system, solid netminding and a better overall defensive effort. That said, no player contributed more to the Leafs’ PK than unsung hero Jay McClement, who was solid both 5-on-5 and on the PK all season long.

On the back end, Mark Fraser (team-leading +18 rating) and Cody Franson (team-leading 29 points from a defenseman) were huge factors in the Buds success. Franson came from nowhere to establish himself as a candidate for team MVP, while Fraser finished with the League’s 14^th-best plus/minus rating.

Of course, captain Dion Phaneuf also had another solid season, finishing with nine goals, 28 points and fifth overall in time on ice, averaging 25:22 per game.

While there is plenty to be optimistic about in Toronto, there are some concerns. Defenseman John-Michael Liles appears to have played his last game in the Blue and White uniform of the Maple Leafs and will need to be replaced. After a decent run in the early goings of the season, rookie defenseman Mike Kostka’s play fell off, leaving many fans wondering if he has what it takes to put in a consistent effort in an 82-game season.

Jake Gardiner appears to be ready to take on more ice time, and late season acquisition Ryan O’Byrne could pick up some slack. In the end, Maple Leafs general manager Dave Nonis will likely scour the free agent market in an attempt to bring in another veteran defender to help shore things up on the back end.

Mikhail Grabovski was terrible against the Bruins, culminating in a two-assist, minus-10 effort. (Icon SMI)

Up front the play of Mikhail Grabovski is of great concern. Grabbo saw little action in Toronto’s top-six this season, which contributed to his 16-point effort. Still, when you are making the kind of money Grabbo is, a 16-point effort is unacceptable, as is his plus/minus-10 rating. Grabbo followed up his questionable 16-point effort with a horrific playoff, notching two assists and a plus/minus-10 rating in seven games. Grabbo was the only Leaf player to finish the playoffs with a double-digit plus/minus rating; in fact it was a league-worst, just behind linemate Nikolai Kulemin, who finished the playoffs with a minus-9 rating.

Going forward, a further reduction in Grabovski’s icetime or a trade out of town would seem most likely, while Kulemin will be given another chance to succeed.

The Boston Bruins took advantage of the Maple Leafs in the faceoff circle, underlining an alarming need for the Buds, which is to find a player that can help them out in the dot. Tyler Bozak had a decent regular season in the circle, but his is not an elite faceoff man, and should never be cast as one.

Rumors will swirl that Roberto Luongo or another veteran goaltender could join the Leafs, but it appears as if Nonis will be content to stick with Reimer and backup Ben Scrivens. Both goaltenders were solid this season, and with teams looking to cut salary where they can both Reimer and Scrivens provide the Leafs with cheap/reliable options.

In terms of free agents, Nonis will have to make a decision on Clarke MacArthur, Tyler Bozak, Colton Orr, Ryan Hamilton, Mike Kostka and Ryan O’Byrne , who are all UFA’s. Bozak should get some interest across the league, as should MacArthur and Orr, while Kostka and O’Byrne might become victims of the numbers game.

Nazem Kadri, Leo Komarov, Joe Colbourne, Frazer McLaren, Carl Gunnarsson, Cody Franson and Mark Fraser are all restricted free agents. Nonis will have his work cut out for him getting all of these players resigned, especially when you consider the tremendous seasons Kadri and Franson had.

With Brian Burke gone, Nonis will show a measure of patience with his roster. (Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports)

According to capgeek.com, Nonis will enter the off-season with 12 players under contract at a cost of $45,104,167 ($2 million of which will go to buyouts for Darcy Tucker and Colby Armstrong), which leaves him with $19,495,833 in cap space with which to re-sign his players and/or do a little free agent shopping to augment his already talented roster.

Some potential free agents Nonis may be interested include veteran left winger Brenden Morrow, and power forwards Nathan Horton and Ryan Clowe up front, while Mark Streit, Douglas Murray and Kostka may get consideration for backend duties.

While Toronto`s 5-4 overtime defeat to the Bruins will leave yet another scar on an already tortured fan base, there is hope that the future is promising for this young, energetic team. Nonis has proven to be patient in the past, let`s hope he gives the majority of his troops a chance at redemption next season.

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Mark Ritter

Known as an honest, opinionated and trusted writer, Mark Ritter brings a unique view on the Maple Leafs and the NHL in general. Mark has been writing about hockey for almost ten years and is known for bringing an honest view on the Maple Leafs. You can view more of Mark's work at www.theslapshot.com Please follow Mark on Twitter: @theslapshot

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Here’s a secret no one tells you: columns and articles are written ahead of time. Sometimes, way ahead of time.

Maybe not full pieces, but the skeletons of what will be the final product are sketched out. It might be a bunch of quick notes jotted down on a piece of paper or bulletpoints listed in a Word document that need to be expanded on and constructed but still, there’s a story in there.

(Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports)

When the Boston Bruins were down 4-1 late in the third period of Game 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, my column was finished. If I’m being honest, my column was finished Sunday night, a few hours after the conclusion of Game 6, with the exception of some quotes that I would pepper in from players and coaches.

As far as I was concerned, the Bruins were done. Toast. Finished. Maybe even looking ahead to the rest of the week’s weather forecast to plan out their rounds of golf. With 11 minutes left in the third period of Game 7, the Maple Leafs had a three-goal lead and were on their way to erasing a 3-1 series deficit to beat the Bruins and advance to the second round of the playoffs.

My column addressed all of this. You know, how the Bruins gave up and how they never could really put it together all season. There might have been a line about Nathan Horton’s last game in a Bruins’ uniform and one about Claude Julien being on the hot seat.

I thought that the Bruins wrote themselves off. Turns out, I had no idea what I was about to witness.

When Horton scored to pull the Bruins within two, it was a sign that there was still life left. Maybe the 2013 Bruins didn’t want to die yet. Maybe they did have a heartbeat left. A comeback would be nearly impossible, but at the very least, the Bruins were going to go out at least trying to make it a series.

But it couldn’t be, right? The Bruins were rotating five defensemen, two of which were Matt Bartkowski (who played his best game in a Boston uniform) and Dougie Hamilton (who may have played his worst) with Dennis Seidenberg out with an injury. Zdeno Chara had already logged close to 30 minutes and the Maple Leafs weren’t giving up either.

The Bruins were down two with less than two minutes left and Tuukka Rask out of his net when Milan Lucic, positioned perfectly in front of James Reimer buried a rebound home to cut the deficit to one. Following a timeout, perhaps Julien’s most timely of the season since it wasn’t used to regroup the Bruins after going down 4-1, the same six skaters took to the ice and 31 seconds later, Patrice Bergeron fired off a shot past a screened Reimer.

Tie game.

This is when it happened. If you were at the TD Garden, you felt it. I can try to explain it, but I’ll never capture it in words.

(Greg M. Cooper-US PRESSWIRE)

It was electric. A sea of yellow towels raised and waved in unison with every fan who decided to stick around on their feet. The upper deck on Level 9 where the press seating is located was vibrating. I felt it and if you were there, you did too. It was the loudest the TD Garden had been all season. Right then, you knew something special was happening. Those around me did too.

When you’re a writer covering a team, you ditch allegiances best that you can. You can root for certain players or maybe certain angles in order to fit with deadlines but for the most part, you’re on the clock. What doesn’t ever go away is the love of the game. There’s this rush you feel at puck drop that lasts all of the way until the final horn or if you’re lucky, the game-winning goal in Game 7 of the playoffs. It’s one of the reasons why hockey is the greatest sport in the world.

Maybe that’s what I felt. Maybe everyone around me felt it too. This was playoff hockey at its finest, filled with robust storylines and a dramatic plot twist. This was like nothing I have ever covered. A lifeless Bruins team rose from mediocrity to play their hearts out for one another and for themselves. They battled back from a three-goal deficit with 10 minutes to play in the game to force an overtime. The confidence and energy of the players on the ice were as high as any time in the playoffs thus far. The Bruins were winning Game 7.

(Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports)

And they did, after all. Bergeron capitalized on a rebound that Reimer couldn’t control and like that, the Bruins had four unanswered goals and a ticket to the second round. Like nothing anyone could ever predict, but yet another validation as to why playoff hockey is one of the most exciting times in sports. That’s why we do it.

Every hockey player dreams of scoring the game winning goal in Game 7 of the playoffs. Every hockey writer dreams of covering it. And if anyone disagrees, they’re lying to you.

It was 30 minutes in real-time between Lucic’s goal and Bergeron’s game-winner. One half-hour to prove why hockey can be so unjust. Boston moves on after playing a lightning-fast, tough 10-minutes of hockey while Toronto goes home after taking their foot off of the pedal. The Bruins probably shouldn’t be here but if this is the effort they put forth when tested, maybe they should be.

A Game 7 win could very well be the difference for the make-up of this team going forward. Maybe they do still have some magic left. Whatever happened at the TD Garden in Game 7 showed that. The challenge now becomes maintaining it.

I’m not sure if the Bruins will continue to win. I’m not even sure if they’ll get past the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. I am sure that the team extended their lives, regained a ton of momentum, and will be together for another run for just a little while longer.

In that old column I wrote, I said that the Bruins scripted the end of their own season long before the playoffs started. In reality, they wrote a new chapter.

And I wrote a new column.

Follow Mike on Twitter for more Bruins updates, news and commentary.

Author information

Mike Miccoli

Mike Miccoli has covered the Boston Bruins for three years with TheHockeyWriters.com and is a credentialed member of the media for all Bruins' home games. As a former player, coach and official, Miccoli has been around the game of hockey since the age of three. Along with his work on THW, Miccoli has also been published in the New England Hockey Journal, Improper Bostonian magazine and on BostInnovation.com. You can follow him at twitter.com/mikemiccoli.

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

I tweet a lot during games. It’s definitely a coping mechanism to know other fans are absolutely experiencing symptoms of cardiac arrest- at least that is what WedMD will tell you.

So without further adue, please enjoy game 6 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs between your Toronto Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins.

#TMLtalk Image: All rise for the National Anthems: twitter.com/MapleLeafs/sta…

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) May 12, 2013

Leafs anthem guy is the best. Not one of the best. The best.

— Down Goes Brown (@DownGoesBrown) May 12, 2013

Scott Newlands was called upon on a Toronto radio show Tim and Sid before the playoffs started to get some energy into the crowd. Who showed up looking dapper and ready to send shivers down your spine? Scott Newlands. Any time he would come out and sing the anthem(s), you could not help but smile and be moved by not only his voice, but oh boy, that passion.

GO LEAFS GO!!! YOU CAN’T SHAKE THE TREE!!! #TORONTOMAPLELEAFS

— Drizzy (@Drake) May 13, 2013

I’m also really hoping that was a terrible Maple Leafs pun. Otherwise, I have no idea what he was trying to say about shaking a tree.

Leafs announce Bozak is out. Now that’s a game-time decision.

— Bruce Arthur (@bruce_arthur) May 12, 2013

It was a mad scramble on twitter that started with “Bozak taking warm-up, he’s in” to “Colborne taking warm-up, likely in for Bozak.” “Bozak only using one arm in warm-up”. Then the craziness began as Colborne was announced in the ACC as a scratch for game 6. So… Bozak is in, playing with one arm. But, wait! “Bozak is out with an upper body injury, Colborne takes his place.” And this went on for about 2 minutes before Scott Oake of Hockey Night In Canada reported Bozak is definitely sitting out. Everyone was confused.

This game is a Raycroft and Kaberle away from deciding the winner of every Leafs-Bruins trade ever…

— James Mirtle (@mirtle) May 12, 2013

Sigh, yea. I’ve got nothing to say about that one.

If you’re a Leafs fan and you see John-Michael Liles and Ryan O’Byrne on the ice at the same time, remember, this too shall pass.

— Adam Proteau (@Proteautype) May 13, 2013

Seeing that pairing together was quite scary. All in all, they played a solid game, but I’ll use the term shakiness loosely to describe the first period.

Good penalty kill for the #leafs after a tentative start to the game.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) May 12, 2013

The delay of game penalty early could have really hurt the Leafs and set them back. This was the perfect opportunity for the Bruins to get an early goal, but the Leafs penalty kill did it’s job, while the Bruins couldn’t get their power play set up. The Power play for both teams has been a struggle.

Clarke MacArthur – always underrated – is skating miles tonight. Just drew penalty with hustle. #Leafs

— Howard Berger (@Berger_BYTES) May 13, 2013

Still a scoreless game, Clarke MacArthur (inserted into the line-up in game 3) gives a spark to the Leafs with a power play chance.

I’m not a Leafs fan. But that seems like some kind of BS penalty call there.

— David Cochrane (@CochraneCBCNL) May 13, 2013

Even a non-Leafs supporter didn’t agree with the penalty on James Van Riemsdyk for goaltender interference. In that situation, it’s a battle for position. If Chara wants to push Van Riemsdyk into his own goalie, be my guest. In a position battle in front of the net, blatant crosschecks, high sticks and slashes should be called, when a guy falls into your goalie because you pushed him… let’s not call that goaltender interference.

#Leafs #bruins played a penalty-free second … It is the first period of this series in which neither team was assessed an infraction.

— Kevin McGran (@kevin_mcgran) May 13, 2013

The Leafs should apply the NHL94 video game logic & just check every opposing player who crosses their path and never draw a penalty #leafs

— Ryyyyy (@ryan_mills) May 13, 2013

So we go to the second period where no penalties are called and no goals are scored. What did happen? I can’t believe you don’t remember how big a deal it was that Reimer had to switch masks. Glenn Healy of Hockey Night In Canada could not believe Reimer was not shaken up about having to switch masks. Of course, it’s a nuisance. If switching your mask out while your primary goes for repairs and is back in 5 minutes throws you off your game… you might have a problem with focus. James Reimer had no such problems with remaining focused.

And the best of the best Reimer Mask tweets:

CBC is in full speculation mode re: Reimer’s mask.

— Rick (@Rick_City) May 13, 2013

What if Reimer took his mask off and it was actually Tim Thomas?

— Zachary Nogueira (@ZackNogueira) May 13, 2013

Nice to see Reimer battling hard! Mask switch: remember stick got hooked on a skate, then fell forward in 1st. Maybe knocked something loose

— The Goalie Guild (@TheGoalieGuild) May 13, 2013

Reimer is having mask issues. I wonder if Healy had to have the equipment manager work on his hats during his playoff runs.

— Ryan Parker (@kidparker) May 13, 2013

Thanks, Glenn Healy, for another Reimer mask update.

— Rick (@Rick_City) May 13, 2013

James Reimer has changed his mask twice, which will make it hard for Bruins to pick him out of the lineup when he’s charged for robbery.

— theScore (@theScore) May 13, 2013

All of that aside, the third period was upon us and it was about to get bananas. Kadri and Phaneuf were about to do something that has never been done before… combine to score a goal that means the world to the Leafs.

plot twist: Dion Phaneuf scores the winning goal

— theo issaris(@theoissy) May 13, 2013

Nazem Kadri from high slot w/Dion Phaneuf tipping shot in front of the net. Good dirty goal there for Leafs Captain. TOR up 1-0 #BruinsTalk

— Joe Haggerty (@HackswithHaggs) May 13, 2013

Dion Phaneuf gets the goal. So, are the Leafs still supposed to trade him, or…

— Jeff Veillette (@Jeffler) May 13, 2013

And it was about to get real serious up in the ACC.

Phil Kessel gets his third goal of the series. ACC is rocking.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) May 13, 2013

A Must Watch! Maple Leaf Square Crowd Reacts to Kessel Goal: bit.ly/10COJ6C @mapleleafs Beat Bruins

— Leafs TV (@Leafs_TV) May 13, 2013

And it wouldn’t end there, Milan Lucic would score with 25 seconds left in the third to not only silence the ACC, but scare the living daylight out of any Leaf fan sweating and screaming expletives at their television.

Milan Lucic scores his first goal of the series. #leafs lead 2-1 with 24.5 seconds left.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) May 13, 2013

Twitter became eerily quiet until the conclusion of the game where this tweet greeted me and it said basically everything you needed to know about the Leafs taking this to game 7 in Boston:

EMOTIONS!!!@@;”8 $*7@^@5“! $! $! 444:::DF #Leafs

— Steve Dangle Glynn (@Steve_Dangle) May 13, 2013

And then a few other good ones to round out a win:

This is #Leafs first home-ice playoff win vs #Bruins since March 31, 1959

— Dave Stubbs (@Dave_Stubbs) May 13, 2013

Updated Playoff Wins Stats:James Reimer – 3Cory Schneider – 0Roberto Luongo – 0#leafs

— Sid Seixeiro (@Sid_Seixeiro) May 13, 2013

Ok!!!! I have to admit it! I’m bang into this Ice-Hockey now!! Unbelievable Play-off resolve by the Leafs!#GOLEAFSFGO

— Danny Dichio (@DannyDichio) May 13, 2013

Malfunction with Bruins plane means they’re staying in Toronto overnight. Leafs will beat them there…

— James Mirtle (@mirtle) May 13, 2013

I’m told the #bruins flight is now scheduled to depart at 9 a.m. They’ll get home a little more than nine hours after #leafs landed.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) May 13, 2013

Help me, Help you

Home of the Leafs, The Air Canada Centre

The national anthems before every game are the one time where you can hear a pin drop. The silence between the time when the crowd stands, removes their hats, and is introduced to the anthem singer is the perfect time to hear the tension, expectation, and excitement for what is about to happen. The anthems get the players hyped up and excited to play. Ever wonder why they scrape the ice between their skates back and forth creating little piles of shaved ice under their feet? They’re nervous and they’re ready to go.

As a Canadian, I still feel pride when the American anthem is being sung. I respect their country and what they stand for. I would never boo their anthem. I would never boo any country’s anthem. It is the epitome of classlessness. Stay quiet, remain standing and wait your turn to sing your anthem louder than they sang theirs. Instill support behind your home team by belting out the words to the anthem you learned as soon as you gained the ability to talk.

The booing at a part of the USA’s national anthem last night at the ACC apparently happened because Chara was shown on the big screen at centre ice. The opposing team is always shown- a pan down the bench of the Boston Bruins who happen to be the American team (go figure) shouldn’t have inspired rage in some arrogant fans who decided to boo. If anyone saw the same thing I did, anthem singer Scott Newlands was a bit confused and thrown off by the boos. It’s hard to accept boos while you are singing your heart out and man, does he put everything into those anthems. The boos were not directed at him, but the boos should not have even taken place.

So Leaf fans, keep your boos to yourself. There will be plenty opportunities to boo a play on the ice, a botched call, or a goal. But please, do not boo the anthem of a Country- the identifier of that country and the words that represent that country should never be shamed.

Author information

Katie Flynn

Katie Flynn is in her final year at U of T, pursuing a career in sports journalism while completing a Bachelor of Arts, English Specialist. Although the NHL is the apple of her eye, she enjoys MLB, NFL, and NBA, in that order.

Twitter

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.