Monthly reviews below
Tom's Sports Corner
Tom has a passion for watching baseball and hockey, having enjoyed watching hockey games with his brother Jason and aunt Karen for about 20 years. Tom’s favorite teams are the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Toronto Blue Jays. There’s a friendly rivalry in the family, as some members cheer for the Montreal Canadiens—“Boo!” . He possesses an impressive memory for game statistics, able to recall dates and details that are truly remarkable.
Tom shared that he watched the Blue Jays play at the Canadian National Stadium during a high school trip, and informed us that the Blue Jays moved to the Sky dome in 1989, which is now called the Rogers Center. Tom shared that “they won the World Series back to back in 1992 and ... 1993”. His favorite currently players are Bo Bichette and George Springer. He commented that Bo is a good hitter, catcher and infielder, and that Springer is a good outfielder.
Tom entertained us with his history of the Toronto Maple Leafs stating that the last time they won the Stanley Cup was 1967, adding that he wasn’t born yet. He continued to add that from 2009-2012 they did not make the playoffs. He informed us that they had a “lock down strike in 2012” and that “after negotiations they had to get playing right away and they had no time to train”. They had a "draft and took out the old players and replaced them with younger ones” and then made the playoffs, adding that in “2017 they got back in”.
Tom’s favorite players are “Austin Matthews, William Nylander, Mitch Marnier, Morgan Riley, John Tavares” - Tom
April
Review
Tom's got Maple Leafs fever and he's spreading it like wildfire! Bursting with excitement, he announced the Leafs snagged the top spot in the Atlantic Division and are currently playing the Ottawa Senators. After four nail-biting games, they've won three and just need one more victory to advance!
Tom's thrilled to report that three of those games went into overtime—with lots of action! He's crossing his fingers and toes for a win in game 5 so they can breeze into round 2.
Next up, they'll face either the Tampa Bay Lightning or Florida Panthers, but Tom's rooting for a round with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The games have been a rollercoaster of action and scuffles, and Tom's loving every minute of it. He can't stop raving about his star players: Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Auston Matthews, and John Tavares, with Auston Matthews holding the crown as his absolute fave.
Tom's dream? For the Leafs to keep playing like great, as a united front, and skate their way to the Stanley Cup!
Go Leafs, go!
March Review
Tom spilled the beans that the Leafs strutted through March with 13 games, snagging 6 wins and enduring 7 losses. They've got just 10 more regular-season showdowns ahead. Tom couldn't resist bragging that they're sitting pretty in 1st place in the Atlantic division and holding 3rd in the Eastern conference. As of the 28th, he shared they are still in the playoff shuffle!
On the trade front, Tom excitedly announced that they've snagged Scott Laughton from the Flyers, Brandon Carlo from Boston, and Reese Johnson from Minnesota. He dished on a potential swap—Mitch Marner for Mikko Rantanen from the Hurricanes—but alas, Mitch pulled the "No Trade Clause" card and said, "Nope!"
Tom gave Coach Craig Berube a nod, reminiscing about his days playing for the Leafs back in 1991-92. He then raved about the goalies, with Joseph Woll stealing his favorite choice. Max Domi’s energy reminds him of his dad Ty, who skated with the Leafs in the '90s.
Tom emphasized that the team shines brightest when they work together. Their passes are on point, though sometimes they end up giving away the puck. Tom enthusiastically rattled off his faves: Matthews Knies, Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Nick Robertson, and John Tavares.
February Review
Tom was on fire while sharing his report, serving up some juicy details! When the topic of wins and losses came up, he quickly chimed in that they’ve only played seven games because to the 4 Nations games. He shared that they snagged victories in six of those!
With a grin that could light up a room, he talked about the 4 Nations games. Tom dropped some star player names: Auston Matthews is led the charge for Team USA, Mitch Marner played for Canada, and William Nylander played for Sweden. Tom’s eyes lit up when he shared that —Canada snagged a thrilling overtime win! He was quite excited to have watched the game!
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When asked about penalty kills and power plays, he gave a shout-out to the Leafs for their killer penalty kills, praising the goalie as “marvelous” and highlighting their Power Plays as top-notch. If you’re looking for players to keep your eye on, Tom’s all about Auston Matthews and John Tavares, saying they’re “playing really well”!
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When asked about goalie Anthony Stolarz, he reported that he made his comeback on February 6th against the Seattle Kraken and walked away with a win. As for suspensions, Tom couldn’t remember a recent suspension but remembered Ryan Reaves and Morgan Rielly both getting a five-game time-out for an illegal head check. He also mentioned that major suspensions come with a fine!
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And just when you thought it couldn’t get better, he wrapped things up with a burst of enthusiasm: “the Blue Jays started their training camp, and they started off against the Yankees!
January Review
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How has your team played so far?
Toronto is playing good. They have won five out their last ten games. Austin Matthews and William Nylander have been doing really good with getting goals and assists. They have trouble playing against Ottawa.
What great things have the team done so far?
They have been scoring goals and winning.
Are any bad moves the team has made lately?
They have to watch when they pass the puck, to make sure the puck is not being stolen by the other team.
Have there been word on any trades so far?
I have not heard of anything so far.
Are there any great players that you think will be leaving? The goalie Anthony Stolarz is hurt. He has missed a few games from a knee injury. But on January 28th he started to practice again.
What are the chances that your team makes it to the playoffs?
They will make it to the playoffs. They have done it many times and usually lose in the first round. I hope not this year. They are first in their division at the present.
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