Kikuchi with another strong game yesterday is encouraging.

Matthews
Tavares

No love for the Leafs in the NHLPA player poll.

If they'd asked me, I might have Marner in the mix for best passer.

Pop quiz: Who has more points in 2023?

a) Mason Marchment
b) Denis Malgin

Marchment

Ooooh, close but no. Care to try again?

Malgin since Jan 1...what do I win?

Your Bunting for HM campaign just didn't really get any traction right off the start there ZBBM.

I'm not sure if it was the Iqualiut reference that fell on deaf ears, or suggesting Bunting is cool, but something just didn't resonate with the people.

Keefe confirmed the team would be going with 11-7 tonight (and 12-6 tomorrow) but didn't say which extra defencemen would be in the line-up so I'm just assuming Gustafsson

https://twitter.com/markhmasters/status/1636746998287159298

The human eraser steps in.

Samsonov
Rielly

Me too.

The Flyers' PR staff just don't get any breaks.

I can roll with the argument that they're keeping all the d-men in game shape, and O'Reilly's line can't gel anyways with O'Reilly being out.  I also can buy into the idea that they're moving things around so as to not give TB any homework tips.

Matthews
HM Nylander

Sure.

How the F is Luke Schenn 33 years old?

Marner
Tavares

Nylander, Matthews and Acciari had a Great game as well.

I vote this way too

I can be convinced. 

Samsonov hasn't been overworked but he's at 33 games played right now.  I'm expecting that they will probably split games 50/50 down the stretch so that will have him at 43 games by the end of the year.  If he is the playoff starter and just based on current results he probably should be, that's going to end up being a big increase in games played off his previously career high of 44 games. 

This is a good opportunity to give Murray a chance to be ready but also not overwork Ilya.

If Murray can stay healthy and plays just as well down the stretch here, he'll be the starter come playoff time. You go with the guy with the proven record.

Yeah. I really hope Murray is the man between the pipes come playoff time. That's the main reason he was brought in IMO. To be that guy.  If he isn't the guy, then his last bunch of games (the ones coming up) will have been a disaster , or it'll mean he's injured again :(

I was thinking about it after reading this this morning, and I actually think it's Samsonov that's earned the start in the playoffs.

He's had better numbers, and Murray just hasn't proven to be durable enough...and Murray may have been the guy years ago, but he ain't no more.

Ride the hot hand and all that for sure, but I think it's Samsonov that has earned the first right if he's just as hot as Murray.  I think you put the vet in a position to be called upon if needed.

He's currently enjoying more ice time with Carlson being out. He'll come back to earth some when Carlson returns.
When the dust settles, I think he'll be a decent top 4 at ES & PP and not much PK.
Next year, at $1.4 mil, he'll be one of the better cap values in the NHL along with Liljegren.
If he stays healthy, he'll have a good NHL career.

Yeah. I think he'll end up being a pretty standard 2nd pairing guy - which is good for him, but nothing to really cry over losing. There's a good number of those types around the league and they move around pretty frequently.

He's like a Paul Martin or a JM Liles - a good piece to have around, but not really a game changer.

Archived. 

I think they're going to have to get Simmonds into some games at some point here.  He may be needed for Boston, if they get that far.

Totally related...Clifford has 16 points in 33 games this season for the Marlies...4 points in his last 5.