We’re now just three Vegas wins away from Mitch Marner elaborating on what he meant when he referenced the “dark times” he experienced in Toronto.
What a wild Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. Shea Theodore tallied a goal and two assists as Vegas outlasted Carolina 5-4 to take a 1-0 series lead.
That’s where the conversation started on the Wednesday edition of Leafs Morning Take as David Pagnotta filled in for Jay Rosehill. Nikolaj Ehlers scored the game’s first two goals, but the resilient Golden Knights battled back once again. Marner chipped in with an assist, while Brett Howden scored his playoff-leading 11th goal.
From there, we shifted our focus to the NHL’s annual Stanley Cup Final State of the League address on Tuesday afternoon. Most notably, changes are coming to All-Star Weekend. We weighed in on the proposed format tweaks and debated whether either of us actually cares about the event at this point.
Additionally, we previewed Game 4 of the Marlies’ Eastern Conference Final series against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Toronto dropped Game 3 by a 5-3 score but still has an opportunity to grab a commanding 3-1 series lead. We also discussed Easton Cowan’s status. He’s missed the past two games with an undisclosed injury.
Meantime, there still isn’t a ton of movement on the Leafs’ coaching search. That said, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger, Patrick Roy and Peter Laviolette are among the candidates involved in this latest stage of the interview process. At this point, it’s anyone’s guess where things go from here. The Leafs appear to be conducting a thorough search and taking their time with the decision—which, given the importance of the hire, is probably the right approach.
After that, long-time NHL head coach Gerard Gallant stopped by to discuss his coaching future and the Maple Leafs’ vacancy. Gallant revealed he’s feeling 100 percent after stepping away from his coaching position in Shanghai due to health reasons earlier this year and is eager to return to the NHL. He admitted frustration with the lack of opportunities coming his way despite his extensive résumé and made it clear he’d have interest in the Leafs’ job. Gallant also weighed in on Craig Berube’s dismissal, Toronto’s defensive shortcomings, and shared his overall coaching philosophy. Additionally, he offered his thoughts on Vegas’ Game 1 victory, too.
Rosie will be back in the mix for the Thursday edition. We’ll tee up Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final. Plus, Jackie Redmond will drop by as well. PROGRAMMING NOTE: Thursday’s show will be starting 10-15 minutes early, so keep tabs for that.