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Morgan Rielly shines for Maple Leafs in well-executed victory over Rangers

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TORONTO – Fitting that a blueliner would be first star of a defensive gem.

Yes, in a game buzzing with Auston Matthews and Artemi Panarin, Mitch Marner and Mika Zibanejad, the only man who could locate the back of the net was a defenceman.

In a battle of two improving groups decked out in iconic sweaters, Morgan Rielly scored not once but twice in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ well-executed 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers Thursday.

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The win halted the Blueshirts’ streak at four, increased Toronto’s streak to five, and improved the Maple Leafs’ record at Scotiabank Arena to a sparkling 9-2-1. No NHL club has more salutes on home ice.

“They’re playing really good hockey, and they’re a very dynamic, high-powered team,” Rangers power forward Chris Kreider said.

“One of the best teams in the league.”

What makes a good hockey team?

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Superb goaltending? Check.

Centre depth? Check.

A power play that sends shivers? Check.

A serious commitment to defence? Check. (Believe it.)

Over a smartly played 60 minutes by both sides, there was sense of mutual respect for the other’s greatest weapons. Odd-man rushes and sloppy gaffes were difficult to come by, as Toronto and New York skated through some organized hockey, trying to keep the other to the outside as best as possible.

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“We’ve simplified a lot,” Rangers defenceman Jacob Trouba said.

“Not as many high-risk plays. Not as much up and down the ice. It’s more establishing an offensive-zone presence in a shift and trying to build off that. When we get a D-zone shift, we play strong D zone. There’s less transition and more zone play.”

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Trouba could’ve been breaking down either side with that slice of analysis.

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As they did against Nashville here Tuesday, the Leafs backchecked with purpose and waited for their openings to strike.

Morgan Rielly pumped Toronto on the board before the night was four minutes old.

Benefitting from a nice cycle shift by the Leafs’ fourth line, the No. 1 defenceman floated a high wrister from the point through a Michael Bunting screen that beat Igor Shesterkin.

Reilly’s second was prettier and, ultimately, more important.

With a second-period power-play winding down, Rielly drove toward the Rangers’ goal, flustered Trouba with a silky toe-drag and snapped the puck five-hole.

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Dryden Hunt narrowed the gap in the third period when he slammed a Ryan Strome rebound past Jack Campbell.

But Campbell and a committed defensive effort from the Leafs hung on strong.

“He’s just getting better and better,” defenceman Rasmus Sandin said of Campbell. “Sometimes it’s hard to think he’s going to get better, because he’s playing on top of the world right now. So, he’s been unreal.”

The Maple Leafs are rolling four lines, winning special teams battles, and have now won 10 of their past 11 games.

They look — dare we say it? — consistent.

Fox’s Fast 5

• Chris Kreider gave a very measured answer when considering why he has exploded to his 12-goals-in-16-games start. The power forward figures if you generate enough chances in good spots, a certain amount are bound to go in.

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“It’s the law of averages,” Kreider says, matter-of-factly.

Yes, his shooting percentage (24.0) is abnormally high, but 79 per cent of Kreider’s goals come from between the slot and the goal line. Leaguewide, that percentage is 63. Pays to drive the net, kids.

• Nice to see Simmonds get on the scoresheet after watching Saturday’s win from the Buffalo pressbox.

“First time for me in 14 years I’ve ever been healthy-scratched during the regular season,” Simmonds reflected. “It was a little bit of a tough pill to swallow, but we got a lot of depth here, right?”

Keefe explained Simmonds’ sitting on the back-to-back as an exercise in load management. The 33-year-old has shown well since.

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“My role’s been reduced a little bit this year, so that’s up to the coaching staff,” Simmonds said. “If it’s up to me, I’m playing every game.”

• Jason Spezza believes what has vaulted Shesterkin among the world’s best goalies is his ability to read the play: “You can tell he thinks the game well, because he’s beating passes to posts and stuff like that.”

• Rasmus Sandin’s response to being asked yet another Auston Matthews question at the morning skate was priceless.

“Auston, Auston, Auston,” the Swede said with a smile and a headshake.

• 2015 MVP Josh Donaldson was in the house. The hockey crowd erupted with a loud ovation for the former Blue Jay.

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Analyst Names 1 Key Player In Raptors’ Pursuit Of Damian Lillard

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(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

 

The Portland Trail Blazers continue to look for the best trade offer they can get for Damian Lillard, and with multiple teams jumping on board, it seems like the Miami Heat are no longer a lock to get him.

The latest reports show that the Toronto Raptors are heavily involved and interested in getting him to Canada, regardless of Lillard’s desire to play in South Florida’s warm weather.

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With that in mind, NBA insider Danny Marang reports that Masai Ujiri and the Raptors won’t even consider trading former Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes to get Lillard (via Dru).

Instead, it’ll all depend on whether they’re willing to include O.G. Anunoby in the transaction, even if the Blazers don’t want to keep him and look to move him to another team instead.

Truth be told, it’s hard to think that Lillard would want to play for the Raptors.

The reason he wants to leave Portland is because they don’t have a championship-caliber team, and things wouldn’t be that much different up north.

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Pascal Siakam is entering the final year of his contract and seems unlikely to extend his stay in Canada, and Barnes regressed vastly last season.

They lost some depth and could be even more undermanned if they also part ways with Anunoby, who’s obviously going to be instrumental in getting Lillard in the first place.

At the end of the day, though, Lillard doesn’t have a say in where he’s traded to, and the Blazers will only take the best offer, regardless of how he feels.

The post Analyst Names 1 Key Player In Raptors’ Pursuit Of Damian Lillard appeared first on The Cold Wire.





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Steve Kerr Says He’s ‘Excited’ About 1 Warriors Player

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(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

 

The Golden State Warriors have had to give up on almost every single one of their youngsters.

They parted ways with James Wiseman and recently traded Jordan Poole.

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Still, they held onto Jonathan Kuminga, who has shown flashes of outstanding two-way play but has struggled to find consistent playing time, especially last season.

That might not be the case next year, as coach Steve Kerr recently raved about him, stating that he’s had a very positive summer and that all the coaches have given him rave reviews throughout the course of the offseason (Via 95.7 The Game).

Kuminga is an elite athlete and his defensive potential is through the roof.

He’s strong, physical, and can finish through contact, and while his shot is a work in progress, he has shown the ability to consistently knock down shots from mid range.

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Some analysts believe he’s in for a breakout season, granted that he’s likely to have Chris Paul running the second unit.

Paul has always been wonderful for young players on the verge of a breakout, and he’ll give him the ball in the spots he needs them to be more efficient.

Kuminga has reportedly been frustrated with his lack of playing time and there were even some rumors of a potential desire to be traded.

Also, there were reports of him not seeing eye-to-eye with Draymond Green.

But he’s still quite young, and while the Warriors don’t usually favor young players or player development, this might finally be his year.

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Analyst Says Joel Embiid Should Focus On 1 Team Ahead Of 2024 Olympics

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(Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)

 

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid has a little less than two weeks to make up his mind about playing for France in the upcoming Olympics.

The French set an October 10th deadline for the star big man, who could also choose to play for Cameroon or the United States.

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However, NBA analyst Justin Termine believes Embiid shouldn’t even consider playing for any of those teams next summer, and he should focus solely on the Philadelphia 76ers instead (via SiriusXM NBA Radio).

Termine explained that Embiid isn’t going to be able to hold up for an entire season after playing in the Olympics, saying that he’s got the body of a 33-year-old player despite being 29 years old, and pointing out the fact that he’s never played 70 games in a season.

He stated that the Sixers organization, Daryl Morey, and everybody around him should be quite emphatic about this, urging him to stay focused on his NBA career.

Termine also pointed out that Embiid is often worn out and far from his best come playoff time, which is also a fact.

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Truth be told, Embiid would be a prime addition to every team’s roster, even if the French team might not need him as much as Cameroon or Team USA.

The reigning MVP could be replaced by Rudy Gobert or Victor Wembanyama, but there’s simply no way to fill in for him in Philadelphia.

Everybody wants to play in the Olympics, but Embiid’s injury history and proneness could force him to make an uncomfortable decision.

The post Analyst Says Joel Embiid Should Focus On 1 Team Ahead Of 2024 Olympics appeared first on The Cold Wire.





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