TEMPE, Ariz. — A few days ago Albert Pujols woke from a late afternoon nap to see that his phone had exploded. “I had like 3,000 calls,” Pujols said. “What happened? I turned on the TV to see if something had happened. Somebody told me it was all about a post.” That would be an…
Angels’ Albert Pujols says he isn’t thinking about retirement — Daily Bulletin
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (15-4-2 – 32 Points) vs.
EDMONTON OILERS (14-8-0 – 28 Points)
FEBRUARY 27, 2021 ▪ 7:00 PM EST
ROGERS PLACE (EDMONTON, AB) ▪
TV: SPORTSNET ▪ RADIO: SPORTSNET 590 THE FAN
MAPLE LEAFS HISTORY versus EDMONTON
| ALL-TIME RECORD: | 54-44-8-2 (108 Games) |
| ALL-TIME on the ROAD: | 24-25-6-2 (57 Games) |
| 2020-21: | 2-1-1 |
| LAST FIVE: | 2-2-1 |
| LAST 10: | 7-2-1 |
MAPLE LEAFS CAREER LEADERS versus EDMONTON
| GAMES PLAYED: | Joe Thornton (68), TJ Brodie (43), Jake Muzzin (35) |
| GOALS: | Joe Thornton (12), Jason Spezza (10), Wayne Simmonds (9) |
| ASSISTS: | Joe Thornton (58), Jason Spezza (19), TJ Brodie (17) |
| POINTS: | Joe Thornton (70), Jason Spezza (29), John Tavares (22) |
| PENALTY MINUTES: | Joe Thornton (28), Wayne Simmonds, (24), Zach Bogosian (23) |
MAPLE LEAFS – OILERS TEAM STATS
| TORONTO | EDMONTON | |
| GOALS FOR (Rank): | 74 (2nd) | 79 (1st) |
| GOALS AGAINST (Rank): | 55 (17th) | 65 (27th) |
| POWER PLAY [%] (Rank): | 21/67 [31.3%] (4th) | 22/81 [27.2%] (7th) |
| PENALTY KILL [%] (Rank): | 54/68 [79.4%] (17th) | 55/70 [78.6%] (19th) |
| SHOTS PER GAME (Rank): | 30.0 (t-18th) | 30.9 (t-11th) |
| SHOTS AGAINST PER GAME (Rank): | 28.5 (7th) | 32.5 (27th) |
| 5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPTS FOR (Rank): | 859 (9th) | 914 (4th) |
| 5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPT % (Rank): | 49.4% (t-18th) | 47.3% (27th) |
| FACEOFF % (Rank): | 52.5% (6th) | 50.2% (14th) |
MAPLE LEAFS – OILERS NOTES
| First Matchup between Clubs: | Nov. 11, 1979 (Toronto 6, Edmonton 3) |
| All-Time Record: | 54-44-8-2 (108 Games) |
| All-Time Record at Home: | 30-19-2-0 (51 Games) |
| All-Time Record on the Road: | 24-25-6-2 (57 Games) |
| Last Win vs. Opponent on the Road: | Jan. 28, 2021 (Toronto 4, Edmonton 3) |
MAPLE LEAFS LEADERS
| CATEGORY | LEADER |
| GOALS | 18 (Matthews) |
| ASSISTS | 21 (Marner) |
| POINTS | 31 (Matthews) |
| POWER PLAY POINTS | 9 (Marner, Matthews, Rielly) |
| SHORTHANDED POINTS | N/A |
| PIMs | 22 (Simmonds) |
| SHOTS | 82 (Matthews) |
| FACEOFF WIN% | 59.1% (Spezza) |
| 5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPT % | 57.8% (Thornton) |
| BLOCKED SHOTS | 35 (Holl, Muzzin) |
| TAKEAWAYS | 20 (Marner, Matthews) |
| HITS | 37 (Hyman) |
| TOI PER GAME | 23:52 (Rielly) |
| PP TOI PER GAME | 3:38 (Matthews) |
| SH TOI PER GAME | 3:22 (Holl) |
MAPLE LEAFS PLAYER NOTES
| Frederik Andersen | – Tied for the NHL lead in wins (11).- Tied for seventh among NHL goaltenders in saves made (411).- Has a 14-1-2 record with a 2.36 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage in 18 career games against Edmonton. |
| Travis Boyd | – Averaging 2.58 points per 60 minutes of ice time at 5-on-5, which ranks fifth among Toronto skaters who have appeared in multiple games. |
| TJ Brodie | – Averaging 18:40 in even-strength ice time, which ranks second among Toronto skaters.- Fourth among Maple Leafs defencemen in points (0-5-5). |
| Jack Campbell | – Is 2-0-0 with a 2.00 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage this season. |
| Justin Holl | – Ranks 29th among NHL right handed defencemen who average at least 15 minutes of 5-on-5 ice time (17:04) with a shot attempt percentage of 50.6%.- Is 13th in the NHL in shorthanded ice time per game (3:22). |
| Michael Hutchinson | – Has a .929 save percentage at even-strength through two starts this season. |
| Zach Hyman | – Leads Maple Leafs forwards in shorthanded ice time per game (2:20).- Has the second-highest on-ice goals for percentage (68.0%) at 5-on-5 among Toronto forwards. |
| Alex Kerfoot | – Has five goals and four assists in 11 career games against Edmonton.- Ranks sixth among Toronto forwards in shifts per game (19.9).- Has seven points (3-4-7) in 11 games during the month of February. |
| Mitch Marner | – Tied for third among NHLers in assists (21)- Fifth among NHLers in points (9-21-30).- Tied for second in the NHL in even-strength goals (9).- Leads NHL forwards in time on ice per game (22:52).- Has played 39.1% of Toronto’s shorthanded ice time.- Has the highest on-ice goals for percentage (74.2%) at 5-on-5 among Toronto forwards.. |
| Auston Matthews | – Leads the NHL in goals (18).- Tied for third among NHLers in points (18-13-31).- Averaging 21:54 in time on ice per game, which is tied for fifth among NHL forwards.- Ranks fourth among Maple Leafs forwards in 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage (51.7%).- Third in the NHL in shots on goal (82).- Tied for the NHL lead in scoring during the month of February (12-9-21). |
| Ilya Mikheyev | – Ranks third among Maple Leafs forwards in shorthanded ice time per game (2:08).- Has an average of 16.1 shot attempts per 60 minutes of shorthanded ice time, which ranks second among NHLers who have played at least 40 minutes of shorthanded ice time (44:49). – Has started 36.4% of his 5-on-5 shifts in the offensive zone, which is the lowest percentage among Maple Leafs. |
| Jake Muzzin | – Tied for 19th among NHL skaters in shorthanded ice time per game (3:13).- Tied for 16th among NHL defencemen and ranks sixth among Maple Leafs in points (1-11-12). – Has started 48.0 percent of his 5-on-5 shifts in the offensive zone, which is the lowest mark among Toronto defencemen. |
| William Nylander | – Has the seventh highest points per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 (1.73) among Toronto skaters who have appeared in over five games.- Has a 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 52.8%, which is the second-highest percentage among Maple Leafs forwards who have appeared in at least five games.- Has an on-ice goals for percentage of 52.9% at 5-on-5.- Averaging 2.26 takeaways per 60 minutes of ice time, which ranks third on the Maple Leafs. |
| Morgan Rielly | – Leads Maple Leafs in average time on ice (23:52).- Tied for sixth among NHL defencemen in points (2-14-16).- Has eight assists in eight games on the road this season.- Has nine points (1-8-9) in 11 games during the month of February. |
| Jason Spezza | – Has the fourth-highest points per 60 minutes rate (2.73) at 5-on-5 among Maple Leafs who have appeared in over five games.- Has won 59.6% of his defensive zone faceoffs, which is the fifth highest percentage among NHLers who have taken at least 75 defensive zone draws. |
| John Tavares | – Tied for 16th in the NHL in power play goals (4).- Tied for the fifth-highest faceoff win percentage (58.9%) among NHLers who have taken at least 300 faceoffs (304).- Has a goal and seven assists in eight games on the road this season.- Has four points (1-3-4) in four games against Edmonton in 2020-21.- Has an on-ice goals for percentage of 56.2% at 5-on-5 in 2020-21. |
| Joe Thornton | – Has the highest 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage among Toronto skaters at 57.8%.- Has three goals and six assists in nine games this season. |
CURRENT POINT STREAKS
| None | |
UPCOMING MILESTONES
| Zach Bogosian | Two points from 200 NHL points |
| Travis Boyd | Two games from 100 career NHL games |
| Jake Muzzin | Two games from 600 career NHL games |
| Joe Thornton | Five assists from 1,100 career NHL assists |
RECENT MILESTONES
| Justin Holl | 100th NHL game (Feb. 20 at MTL) |
| Auston Matthews | 300th NHL game (Feb. 20 at MTL) |
INJURY REPORT
| Frederik Andersen (Lower Body) | Did not play on Feb. 22 vs. CGY. |
| Jack Campbell (Leg) | On injured reserve. |
| Jake Muzzin (Face) | Did not play on Feb. 22 vs. CGY. |
| Wayne Simmonds (Wrist) | On injured reserve. |
| Joe Thornton (Lower Body) | Did not play on Feb. 22 vs. CGY. |
| Man Games Lost: 55 | |
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
| None | |
TORONTO RAPTORS COACHING STAFF UPDATE
Due to health and safety protocols, six members of the Raptors’ coaching staff, including head coach Nick Nurse, will not be on the bench beginning with Friday’s game vs. Houston. They will continue to work remotely, and details on their return will be communicated when appropriate.
Raptors general manager Bobby Webster will speak to the media Friday at 5:45 p.m., during the head coach’s pregame availability window.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 38 points, Khris Middleton added 31 and the Milwaukee Bucks outlasted the New Orleans Pelicans 129-125 on Thursday night. It was the fourth straight win for the Bucks, who finished their first half of the season in third place in the Eastern Conference. Zion Williamson scored 34 points and […]
Antetokounmpo scores 38 as Bucks outlast Pelicans 129-125 — The China Post, Taiwan
If the Red Sox need a man for the job — any job — Alex Verdugo is available. The last time they had a player who exudes this much confidence was probably in 2016, when David Ortiz went on his farewell tour while tearing up the league on his way to an MLB-best 1.021 OPS.…
Mastrodonato: Alex Verdugo has the confidence to replace Jackie Bradley Jr. in center field — Boston Herald
Looking at individual stats reveals nothing about the Utah Jazz. They have one player among those with the 50 highest scoring averages so far this season. They have only one player among the top 50 per game in rebounding. They don’t have anyone with a top-30 assist average. And they have the NBA’s best record […]
Take note: At 26-6, Utah Jazz are the NBA’s best team so far — The China Post, Taiwan
PHOENIX (AP) — Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker was selected Wednesday to replace injured Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis in the NBA All-Star Game. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver choose Booker to take Davis’ spot a day after Booker was snubbed by the league’s head coaches for a reserve spot in the March 7 game […]
Suns’ Booker replaces Lakers’ Davis in NBA All-Star Game — Island Times
Earlier this month, Beasley was sentenced to serve 120 days in the workhouse after pleading guilty to a felony count of threats of violence.
Report: Timberwolves’ Malik Beasley Suspended 12 Games — WCCO | CBS Minnesota
TORONTO MARLIES (4-3-0-0 – 8 Points) vs.
STOCKTON HEAT (1-2-0-0 – 2 Points)
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021
| 1 | 2 | 3 | OT | FINAL | |
| TORONTO | 1 | 0 | 1 | – | 2 |
| STOCKTON | 1 | 2 | 1 | – | 4 |
GAME SUMMARY | GAME SHEET | PHOTOS | SCRUMS
SCORING SUMMARY
Toronto: J. Duszak (2) (T. Gaudet, N. Robertson), T. Kivihalme (2) (N. Robertson, R. Chartier)
Goaltender: A. D’Agostini (24/28)
Stockton: Z. Leslie (1) (C. Poolman, C. Zary), A. Ruzicka (1) (M. Philips, C. Mackey), A. Petrovic (1) PP (E. Pettersen, A. Ruzicka), A. Ruzicka (2) PP (Unassisted)
Goaltender: D. Wolf (33/35)
ON THE SCORESHEET
OF NOTE…
RECORD WHEN…
MARLIES LEADERS
POSTGAME QUOTES
HEAD COACH GREG MOORE
On how Stockton’s special teams performed against Toronto:
They made it difficult for us. As we talked about in the last couple of games, they’re going to get better and better every game in the series. It’s early in the year. We know their staff is going to keep tightening up their details. They did a great job on the penalty kill, making it difficult for us to gain entry and get set up. And then in zone, they definitely made it challenging for us to get pucks to the net
On whether he saw growth from his team in this game:
We think so. We came out with a good start. We haven’t had the greatest starts in the last few games. Today was a little bit better. They came out a little slow but they gained a lot of traction towards the end of the first. We definitely were on the wrong side of chances for and against by the end of the first period. We kept fighting, we kept coming back and finding a way. This team has been very resilient. They’re coming together as a really strong group. It was positive to see them fight through this game and claw their way back. Not the outcome we want at all but there’s definitely some positives to build off of it.
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
February 19: Recalled defenceman Noel Hoefenmayer from loan to Wichita (ECHL)Signed defenceman Dakota Krebs to an ATO
UPCOMING GAMES:
*All times Eastern Standard Time
February 26 at Stockton – 4:00 p.m.
March 1 vs. Manitoba – 7:00 p.m.
March 3 vs. Manitoba – 7:00 p.m.
March 5 vs. Stockton – 7:00 p.m.
March 6 vs. Stockton – 3:00 p.m.
CALGARY FLAMES (9-9-2 – 20 Points) vs.
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (15-4-2 – 32 Points)
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021
| 1 | 2 | 3 | OT | FINAL | |
| CALGARY | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| TORONTO | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
GAME SUMMARY | EVENT SUMMARY | FACEOFF SUMMARY
ON THE SCORESHEET
SHOTS ON GOAL (5-on-5 in brackets)
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | OT | TOTAL | |
| CALGARY | 7 (6) | 11 (10) | 3 (2) | 1 (0) | 22 (18) |
| TORONTO | 11 (8) | 15 (14) | 12 (8) | 1 (0) | 39 (30) |
SHOT ATTEMPTS (5-on-5 in brackets)
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | OT | TOTAL | |
| CALGARY | 16 (14) | 14 (13) | 11 (8) | 1 (0) | 42 (35) |
| TORONTO | 16 (11) | 25 (24) | 27 (16) | 1 (0) | 69 (51) |
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
| Record at Home | 9-3-1 (13 Games) |
| All-Time Record vs. Calgary | 64-61-12-5 (142 Games) |
| All-Time Record vs. Calgary at Home | 37-20-7-3 (67 Games) |
MAPLE LEAFS LEADERS
| Shots | 6 (Nylander) |
| Shot Attempts | 9 (Nylander) |
| Faceoff Wins | 9 (Tavares) |
| Faceoff Win Percentage | 100% (Nylander – 1 won, 0 lost) |
| Hits | 2 (Bogosian, Hyman, Spezza) |
| Blocked Shots | 3 (Holl) |
| Takeaways | 3 (Marner) |
| TOI | 25:34 (Rielly) |
| Power Play TOI | 4:56 (Matthews) |
| Shorthanded TOI | 2:28 (Brodie) |
| Shifts | 30 (Dermott) |
| 5-on-5 Shot Attempt Percentage | 86.7% (Boyd, Spezza – 13 for, 2 against) |
RECORD WHEN…
| Opponent scores first | 5-2-1 |
| Tied after 1 | 5-1-0 |
| Tied after 2 | 5-0-1 |
| Do not score a power play goal | 4-3-0 |
| Do not allow a power play goal | 8-1-1 |
| Outshooting opponent | 6-2-1 |
| Overtime | 2-2 |
| Wednesday | 4-1-0 |
OF NOTE…
UPCOMING GAMES:
Stats reflect official NHL stats at the time of distribution. Please consult official NHL game sheets (links above) to confirm no statistical changes were made.
INJURY REPORT 1:30 PM WEDNESDAY
TOR@MIA Miami Heat Bradley, Avery Out Injury/Illness – Right Calf; Strain
Dragic, Goran Questionable Injury/Illness – Left Ankle; Sprain
Herro, Tyler Questionable Injury/Illness – Right Hip; Contusion
Leonard, Meyers Out Injury/Illness – Left Shoulder; Surgery
Silva, Chris Questionable Injury/Illness – Left Hip Flexor; Strain
Vincent, Gabe Probable Injury/Illness – Right Knee; Soreness
Toronto Raptors Harris, Jalen Out G League – Two-Way
Lowry, Kyle Probable Injury/Illness – Left Thumb; Sprain
RAPTORS NOTES
• The Toronto Raptors play the second of a back-to-back set Wednesday night when they visit the Miami Heat at AmericanAirlines Arena. This marks the third and final meeting between the two teams this season. The Raptors and the Heat split consecutive games in Tampa in January. Toronto is 1-4 on the second
night of a back-to-back this season. This is the Raptors only home-road back-to-back in the first half.
• Kyle Lowry missed his fourth straight game (Feb. 18-23), and seventh of the season, Tuesday vs. Philadelphia due to a left thumb sprain. Lowry injured the thumb in the first quarter Feb. 16 at Milwaukee. The Raptors are 6-1 this season without Lowry in the lineup and 18-3 dating back to the start of last season.
• After a 7-9 (.438) record in January, Toronto has responded with an 8-4 (.667) record in the month of February, including a 4-1 mark against the top-3 teams in the East Conference; Philadelphia (1-1), Brooklyn (1
-0) and Milwaukee (2-0). After tonight, the Raptors will have already faced Miami, Milwaukee and Philadelphia three times and play their third and final game against Boston on March 4. This season Toronto will
face Eastern Conference opponents three times and each opponent in the West twice.
• The Raptors outscored the Sixers 54-30 in the paint last night. Miami (40.2) and Toronto (40.6) currently rank first and second, respectively, in the NBA in points in the paint allowed. In their two meetings last month (Jan. 20-22), the Heat had the scoring advantage in the paint 82-64.
• Pascal Siakam tallied 22 points, six rebounds, seven assists and three steals in 42 minutes Feb. 23 vs. Philadelphia. Siakam has now recorded at least five assists in a career-high six straight games (Feb. 14-23). He is averaging 6.3 assists and has a 3.45 assists-per-turnover ratio (38-to-11) during this stretch.
• Norman Powell is averaging a career-high 17.3 points and shooting a career-best .426 (72-169) from three-point range this season. In February, Powell is averaging 21.8 points and has scored 20+ points eight times, including a season-high 31 points Feb. 19 at Minnesota.
• Aron Baynes led the reserves with 11 points in 30 minutes yesterday against the Sixers. Baynes has now come off the bench in each of the last five games (Feb. 16-23), averaging 6.2 points and 5.0 rebounds.
• Fred VanVleet recorded two steals and a career high-tying four blocks Feb. 23 vs. Philadelphia. VanVleet currently leads the NBA with 55 steals and has blocked 27 shots this season. He is one of just five players with 40+ steals and 25+ blocks, along with Giannis Antetokounmpo (40 stl, 41 blk), Robert Covington (45 stl, 31 blk), Matisse Thybulle (42 stl, 28 blk) and Andre Drummond (40 stl, 29 blk).
• For the first time since the 2012-13 season the Raptors will not have at least one all-star. Toronto had at least player selected for seven straight seasons, with two Raptors going each of the last five years.
The Toronto Raptors announced their 2020-21 second half schedule on Wednesday. The Raptors will play 35 games in the second half, including 19 at home, starting Thursday, March 11 when they host the Atlanta Hawks at Amalie Arena. Toronto announced earlier this month the team will finish the season in Tampa, Florida because of ongoing border restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The longest homestand of the second half schedule is five games from Apr. 13-21, while the longest road trip is four games which occurs Apr. 29 – May 4. The Raptors will have eight back-to-back sets.
The second half schedule features four U.S. national television appearances with one game on ESPN and TNT and two on NBATV. The Raptors local television schedule will be released at a later date.
Each team will play 72 games in the 2020-21 season, facing each opponent in its conference three times (42 total games per team) and each opponent in the other conference twice (30 total games per team). In the first half, the Raptors will have played 37 games with 17 at home in Tampa.
RAPTORS 2020-21 SECOND HALF SCHEDULE NOTES
Atlantic Division
Brooklyn (H: 4/21, 4/27); New York (A: 4/11, 4/24); Total (H: 2, A: 2)
Central Division
Chicago (A: 3/14, 5/13); Cleveland (H: 4/26, A: 3/21, 4/9); Detroit (A: 3/17, 3/29); Indiana (H: 5/16); Total (H: 2, A: 6)
Southeast Division
Atlanta (H: 3/11, 4/13); Charlotte (A: 3/13); Orlando (H: 4/16); Washington (H: 4/5, 5/6); Total (H: 5, A: 1)
Northwest Division
Denver (H: 3/24, A: 4/29); Oklahoma City (H: 4/18, A: 3/31); Portland (H: 3/28); Utah (H: 3/19, A: 5/1); Total (H: 4, A: 3)
Pacific Division
Golden State (H: 4/2); Phoenix (H: 3/26); LA Clippers (H: 5/11, A: 5/4); LA Lakers (H: 4/6, A: 5/2); Total (H: 4, A: 2)
Southwest Division
Dallas (A: 5/14); Houston (A: 3/22); Memphis (H: 5/8); San Antonio: (H: 4/14); Total (H: 2, A: 2)
| Games by Month | |||
| March: | 12 (5 home, 7 road) | April: | 14 (10 home, 4 road) |
| May: | 9 (4 home, 5 road) |
| Games by Day | |||
| Sunday: | 7 (3 home, 4 road) | Monday: | 4 (2 home, 2 road) |
| Tuesday: | 5 (4 home, 1 road) | Wednesday: | 5 (3 home, 2 road) |
| Thursday: | 4 (2 home, 2 road) | Friday: | 6 (4 home, 2 road) |
| Saturday: | 4 (1 home, 3 road) |
| Longest Homestand |
| 5 games: 4/13 vs. Atlanta, 4/14 vs. San Antonio, 4/16 vs. Orlando, 4/18 vs. Oklahoma City, 4/21 vs. Brooklyn. |
| Longest Road Trip |
| 4 games: 4/29 at Denver, 5/1 at Utah, 5/2 at LA Lakers, 5/4 at LA Clippers. |
| Back-to-Back-Games | |
| Overall: 8 | |
| Home game, followed by home games: 3 | Home game, followed by road game: 1 |
| Road game, followed by home game: 0 | Road game, followed by road game: 4 |
-RAPTORS-
The view from left field 