The 2024/25 Toronto Maple Leafs run for the Stanley Cup - by Moses (a.k.a Stacey Marc Goldman)

 

       It was 1966/67 the last time the Maple Leafs won the vaunted Stanley Cup.  Toronto used to be a great Hockey team in the sixties with Coach and G.M Punch Imlach and the likes of Frank Mahovlich, George Armstrong, Dicky Duff, Johnny Bower, and Terry Sawchuk.  The Leafs looked like they were going to do some damage in the late seventies when they had Darryl Sittler, Lanny McDonald, Borje Salming, Ian Turnbull, Jerry Butler, Tiger Williams, and Mike Pamateer, but came up short in 1977/78 losing in the Semi-Finals to the Montreal Canadians.  The fact is that Harold Ballard traded away Lanny McDonald to the Colorado Rockies for Wilf Paiement in late 1979 and it resulted into a downward spiral to Toronto for the eighties.  It is my contention that had Ballard just signed Paeiment in Free-Agency the year before and kept Lanny than the Leafs would have had a shot at being in the class of the New York Islanders in the early eighties.  The Maple Leafs had shown in the 77/78 playoffs that they could beat the Islanders as evidenced by the Leafs beating the Islanders four games to three on a game seven overtime winning goal by Lanny McDonald.  Ballard was known to give up on guys (Randy Carlyle) and we saw the parting of ways of greats like Sittler and Palmateer who decided they didn't want to play for him anymore.  Harold Ballard was not a bright spot in the minds of Leafs fans.  Had Ballard spent a dollar (like Conn Smythe did when building the prestigious Maple Leaf Gardens), the Leafs would surely have had won a few more Cups by now.     

  Although the Leafs had their first fifty goal scorer in Rick Vaive through the eighties, they were rarely in the playoffs.  It was a hard time for the organization until Cliff Fletcher arrived on the scene.  When Fletcher orchestrated the Gilmour trade in 1991 it looked like Toronto was going to finally do it.  The Leafs looked poised in 1992/93 to reach the Stanley Cup Finals as they were the better team against the Los Angeles Kings in game six (needing just one more win).  After Kerry Fraser blew the call when Gretzky slashed Gilmour, we lost the game, and game seven to boot.  The kicker being that Fraser gave the Kings the powerplay in the overtime game, just after negating the slash that Gretzky gave.  Although the Leafs made Semi-Finals in 1993/94 against the Vancouver Canucks they just couldn't get over the hump. When Sundin took the helm in the mid-late nineties we saw a competitive team but the curse was still there and although we got great goaltending in the playoffs with names like Felix Potvin, Curtis Joseph, and Eddie Belfour in the nineties we just haven't shaken the curse of Kerry Fraser and the non-call on Gretzky.

  The Leafs have been competitive in the last thirty years but we haven't even reached the Stanley Cup Finals since 1967.  The fact is that since we picked Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Morgan Rielly, Matthew Knies, Bobby McMann, and Joseph Woll in the drafts from yesteryear, the Leafs have been one of the best teams in the N.H.L in developing their talent in the A.H.L with the Toronto Marlies and harmoniously adopting them into the big-club philosophy as an organization.  In  2018/19 the Toronto Marlies won the Calder Cup with ex-Leaf coach Sheldon Keefe at the helm.and the Marlies have been a top A.H.L team over the past 10 years.  The Leafs also signed Free-Agent John Tavares in 2018 and he has provided us with perhaps the best 2nd line Centerman in the game neigh Leon Draisaitl.  The Toronto Maple Leafs have shown this year with Coach Craig Berube that they are resilient and efficient as a team.  The Leafs play excellent defense and their top two line are always dangerous.  The third line consists of Scott Laughton, Nick Robertson, and Max Domi and on the fourth line Pontus Holmberg, Steven Lorentz, and David Kampf.  Both lines are excellent defensively and the reason as to why Brendan Shanahan picked up Scott Laughton at the trade deadline.  The first line of Matthews, Marner, and Knies is one of the best lines in the game and by saying that, our second line of Tavares, Nylander, and McMann makes our offence formidable.  

  In net for the Toronto Maple Leafs to start this year's playoffs was Anthony Stolarz.  Stolarz was the N.H.L leader in save % this years ranking .01 point higher than Connor Hellebucyk with a mark of 0.926.  This is Stolarz first time starting through a post season but he looks poised to deliver, and the Leafs also have a healthy Joseph Woll in emergency.  Will Stolarz step up his game as he has through the regular season?  I believe so.          
            

Alexander Ovechkin - by Moses

 

      Alex Ovechkin is now the career N.H.L goal scoring leader as he scored his 895th goal last Sunday against the New York Islanders.  Wayne Gretzky himself handed over the laurels to Ovechkin for being considered the greatest goal scorer of all-time (at the game in Long Island).  

  Ovechkin earned the distinction of being considered a great hockey player right from the start of his career.  In his inaugural campaign of 2005/06 he scored 52 goals and had 54 assists for 106 points in 81 games.  Alex won nine Rocket Richard Trophies including a stretch of four Richard Trophies in a row (2012/13-2015/16).  He has accumulated a total of 895 goals and 725 assists for 1620 points in 1488 games played.  In Ovechkin's average N.H.L 82 game season he scores 49 goals with 40 assists for 89 points.  Alex had four seasons in which he totaled 106+ points and ten season in which he had 81+ points with six seasons with 10+ in the plus/minus.  Ovechkin is the greatest player to come out of the former U.S.S.R (currently Russia) and has dominated on the World scene in the Olympics, winning in 2018 for Russia, and was perhaps the greatest player of his era.  The argument of who the better player in the N.H.L at that time of 2005/06 was between Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, and that man would be the greatest player of his era.  Ovechkin won the Calder Trophy in 2005/06 ahead of rival Sidney Crosby.and compares well.  He won the Conn Smythe in 2017/18 leading the playoffs in goals scored with 15 over 24 games when the Washington Capitals won their first Stanley Cup.  All Ovechkin did in playoff hockey over his career with the Washington Capitals was score 72 goals with 69 helpers for 141 points over 151 games.  Ovechkin and Crosby were also both considered the best Juniors when they played against each-other before their N.H.L days in 2005.  The tournament was in Grand Forks, North Dakota and showcased the two greatest Hockey players of our era playing for their countries in the finals of Canada vs Russia, in which Canada was victorious.    

  Sid 'the Kid' Crosby vs Alex Ovechkin

         Sidney Crosby was born in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia.  Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon were both born there, and were both 1st overall picks in their respective years of the draft.  Sid 'the Kid' was the first to make it to the N.H.L and shone in his rookie campaign of 2005/06 in which he comprised 39 goals and 63 assists for 102 points finishing a close second to standout Alex Ovechkin in the Calder Trophy voting.  Then in his sophomore year Crosby won the Hart and Art Ross Trophies comprising an impressive 120 points with 36 goals and 84 assists.  He has had six years with 100+ points and fourteen seasons with 84+ points.  What distinguishes Crosby in this comparison is the fact that Crosby has excelled at the World level in Olympic competition and shown he's the greatest Hockey Olympian for the 2010 and 2014 Canadian Olympic Gold Medals for Team Canada.  Crosby showed in 2010 in Vancouver, B.C that he was ready for the spotlight as our games best player when he went short-side on Miller to ice victory for Canada.  We defeated a worthy U.S.A led by the goal-tending of Ryan Miller and furthered success by winning the next Olympics of 2014 in Sochi, Russia again led by Sid 'the Kid'.  He has sustained a career in which he has totaled 1349 GP with 623 goals and 1060 assists for 1683 points with a plus/minus of + 196 over a twenty year career to date.  His average campaign shows that in an 82 game season he scores 38 goals with 64 assists and 102 points with a + 12 in the plus/minus.  Crosby played with the Pittsburgh Penguins and when the playoffs hit they were always there winning three Stanley Cups with Crosby and Malkin in 2008/09, 2015/16, and 2016/17.  Sid won two Conn Smythe Trophies in back to back years of 2015/16 and 2016/17 and has impressively totaled 201 points in post-season play in just 180 games played with 71 goals and 130 assists.

  The problem with talking in infinitives with these two legends of the game is that they're so even in many intangibles that the numbers don't show.  Both Crosby and Ovechkin are pure winners.  One is Canadian, the other is Russian.  They've played against each-other in the Junior rank, the N.H.L playoff rank, and the Olympic rank and they're considered the two greatest players on the ice when they play.  Maybe one of the two will surprise and play another ten years like Gordie Howe did and play until 50.  Surprise us guys.  In actual fact I don't see either slowing down over the next couple of years.  The reality is that Ovechkin has a real shot at getting to 1000 goals in his N.H.L career.  If he scores 40 a year over the next two years, he'll be twenty five away from 1000 by the year 2027 when he is 42 years of age.  It seems likely he'll be able to produce.  Crosby is currently 37 years of age.  By the time he is 41 he'll likely to have accumulated another 270 points to make his career total 1953 points.  This paradigm of one being a one thousand goal scorer versus a two thousand point scorer.  In my book that is pretty equal.              

The 2025 Toronto Blue Jays - Moses

 

      Here is a look at how our 2025 look going into this season;

      Manager - John Schneider

      Projected Record - 98-64

      Current Record - 12-10

      With Daulton Varsho starting the year on the disabled list here is a look at how our Jays shape up;

Batting Lineup against Lefties

1.  Bo Bichette (SS) - bats right

2.  George Springer (CF) - bats right

3.  Vlad Guerrero Jr. (1B) - bats right

4.  Anthony Santander (DH/OF) - bats both

5.  Davis Schneider (LF/2B) - bats right

6.  Ernie Clement (3B) - bats right 

7.  Addison Barger (RF) - bats left

8.  Alejandro Kirk (C) - bats right

9.  Andres Gimenez (2B/3B) - bats left

Batting Lineup vs Righties

1.  Bo Bichette (SS) - bats right

2.  Andres Gimenez (2B/3B) - bats left

3.  Vlad Guerrero Jr. (1B) - bats right

4.  Anthony Santander (DH/OF) - bats both

5.  George Springer (CF) - bats right

6.  Addison Barger (RF) - bats left

7.  Alan Roden (LF) - bats left   

8.  Alejandro Kirk (C) - bats right

9.  Ernie Clement (3B) - bats right  

Pitching Staff

Starters

1.  Bowden Francis (RHP)

2.  Kevin Gausman (RHP)

3.  Jose Berrios (RHP)

4.  Chris Bassitt (RHP)

5.  Max Scherzer (RHP) *

6.  Easton Lucas (LHP) 

7.  Yariel Rodriguez (RHP)

8.  Paxton Schultz (RHP)

Relievers

1.  Yariel Rodriguez (RHP) 

2.  Paxton Schultz (RHP)

3.  Brendan Little (LHP)

4.  Mason Fluharty (LHP)

5.  Chad Green (RHP)

6.  Nick Sandlin (RHP)

7.  Yimi Garcia (RHP)

8.  Jeff Hoffman (RHP)

Bench

1.  Tyler Heineman (C) - bats right

2.  Will Wagner (2B/3B) - bats left

3.  Myles Straw (OF) - bats right

4.  Nathan Lukes (OF) - bats left

5.  Daulton Varsho (CF) - bats left *

* - currently on the disabled list

The 2028 Canadian Men's Olympic Basketball Team - by Moses (a.k.a Stacey Marc Goldman)

 

Canadian Men's Basketball Team for the 2028 Olympics

 

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (PG/SG)
2. Jamal Murray (PG/SG)
3. Andrew wiggins (F)
4. R.J. Barrett (SG/SF)
5. Zach Edey (C)
6. og anunoby (sg/f)
7. Bennedict Mathurin (sg/SF)
8. Shaedon Sharpe (SG)
9. andrew nembhard (SG/PG)
10. luguentz Dort (sf/sg)
11. Brandon Clarke (PF)
12. dillon brooks (sf/sg)
13. dalano banton (PG)
14. Olivier-maxence prosper (PF)
15. Chris Boucher (PF/C)
16. Trey Lyles (PF)
17. Tristan Thompson (C/PF)
18. Nickeil Alexander-Walker (SG)
19. Kelly Olynyk (C/PF)
20. Cory joseph (pg/sg)

   

     In my estimation this will be the strongest a team as canada has ever fielded for an Olympics in Men's Basketball.  While there are powerhouse U.S.A, france, camaroon, Croatia, Serbia, bosnia and herzegovina, Greece, turkey, Spain,, and germany,.  here is my forecast for the 2028 Men's Basketball Tournament;

1.   Canada

2.  U.S.a - Stephen Curry (PG/sg), trae young (PG), Damian Lillard (PG), KArl-Anthony Towns (C/PF), anthony davis (PF/C), KAwhi Leonard (SF/sg), jalen brunson (pg/SG), jayson tatum (F) , jarrett allen (C), donovan mitchell (SG)

3.  France - Victor wembanyama (PF/C), rudy gobert (C), guerschon yabusele (PF/sF), bilal coulibaly (pg/SG/sf), zaccharie risacher (F), rayan rupert (PG/SG), alexandre sarr (PF/C), moussa diabate (PF), ousmane dieng (SG), pacome dadiet (SF)

4.  Camaroon - Joel Embiid (C) Pascal Siakam (SF/PF), yves missi (C), and ulrich chomche (PF)

5.  Croatia - Luka Doncic (PG/SG) and ivica zubac (c/pf)

6.  Serbia - nikola Jokic (C/pf) and bojan bogdonovic (F)

7.  Spain - Santi Aldama (PF/C), serge ibaka (PF) and Ricky Rubio (player/coach - pg)

8.  Bosnia and HErzegovina - jusuf Nurkic (C/PF) and Karlo matkovic (PF)

9.  greece - giannis (C/PF), kostas, thanasis, and alex antetokounmpo

10. Germany - franz wagner (SF) and Dennis Schroder (PG/SG)

11.  Italy -  Marco Spissu and Davide Moretti

12. turkey - alperen sengun (C), omer yurtseven, and cedi osman

13. Austria - Jakob poeltl (C) and rasid mahalbasic  

14. Israel - zach lavine (SG/SF/PG) and norm powell (SF/SG)

15. united kingdom - luol deng and nikola jovic

16. Switzerland - Toni Rocak and yoan granvorka

17.  Brasil - tristan da silva (F) and gui santos (g/f)

18.  Portugal – neemias queta (C)

19.  Latvia – Kristaps Porzingis (C/PF)

20. Nigeria – Precious achiuwa (PF)

 

  Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will win the tournament MVP.  By 2028 Canada will have Shaedon Sharpe Bennedict Mathurin, and Zach Edey performing at All-Star levels and also Jamal Murray, Andrew Wiggins, and R.J. Barrett to go along with Shai.  My thinking in the here and now would be to secure OG. Anunoby to play for Canada in the 2028 Olympics.  He was born in Great Britain so for him to compete for Gold he really only has a plausible chance to do so for canada (as great britain are not basketball giants)   With Anunoby in the mix for Canada that gives canada a versatile sixth man who can play shooting guard, small forward, or power forward. at the highest levels.  keep in mind that to compete in the N.B.A today a successful team is usually 8-9 men deep.  Canada has the look to compete at every position on the court with vigor.

  Shai gilgeous-alexander is the best point guard in the game today and Jamal murray is an all-star shooting guard.  Andrew wiggins was a former 1st overall pick who won a championship, played in an all-star game, and was rookie of the year in his inaugural campaign.  R.J. barrett was traded by the knicks for anunoby last year and has showcased his talents in his hometown toronto with the raptors.  I look for all three barrett, mathurin, and sharpe to be 25 ppg men by the year 2028.  zach edey looks to be poised to be a 37 mpg player.  i forecast him to be in the vicinity of 22 ppg and 14.3 Rpg.  if anunoby plays for canada he'll be at a 22-23 ppg by the year 2028, and andrew nembhard looks poised to be at least a decent 6th man by then.