Opinion | Leafs mailbag: Spezza, Giordano and Simmonds make up a kid line when it comes to veterans combining for goals

The countdown is on for the Maple Leafs. Six points up on Tampa Bay. Four games left (at Florida and Washington, home to Detroit and Boston.) The Lightning have five games left.

Home-ice advantage for the Leafs is on the line.

And real home-ice advantage. By that, I mean fans in the stands. They earned home-ice in 2020 in the qualifying round against Columbus. And they earned home-ice last year for the first round against Montreal. They lost both series.

Outside of a handful of employees, media and — in Game 7 against Montreal — 500 or so front-line workers, the Leafs haven’t had the advantage that the boost of fans cheering can give teams. Outside of last change, that’s the big thing about having home ice for four games.

Would fans in the stands have made a difference against the Canadiens or Blue Jackets? I guess we’ll never know. I think it might have made a difference in 2019 against Boston.

The playoffs are looming. Given their recent history in the post-season, the Leafs could use any advantage they can muster.

To the Mailbag. As always, if you have a question, email me at [email protected] and I’ll answer it in the next Mailbag. As for this one, we deal with the loss in Tampa, Jason’s Spezza’s old-man goal, Alex Ovechkin and more.

Well, I guess Tampa put the Leafs in their place on Thursday. A Toronto team that has no concept of defence and defensive zone coverage. That is why they will disappoint again this year. This is on the coaching staff, and the way they play in their own zone. You watch them all running around with no concept of defence, or who to cover and what their responsibilities are. On offence, they don’t have one defenceman with any kind of shot. They are all programmed to pass, pass, pass, and Morgan Rielly is the biggest culprit. As a Leafs fan who is 78 and has been watching the Leafs since Kyle Dubas became GM, it does not surprise me. I will likely be disappointed in the first round again.

Mike B.

Given you’re a long-time Leaf fan, how many bandwagons have you jumped on and off after one game? I mean, they are 11-2-1 in their last 14 games.

Hey Kevin. So I gotta ask. That veterans’ goal — Jason Spezza from Mark Giordano and Wayne Simmonds — was a treat to watch. That has to be the “oldest goal” for quite some time. Any idea how far back you have to go to find one older? Do they even keep stats for that? And on the subject of stats, where does this season fit into Leafs history for best winning percentage?

Andrew D.

I’ll admit I got a little help from the folks that work the stats in the back room of the NHL PR department. (Good folks, crazy good at what they do.) Simmonds is 33, Spezza and Giordano are 38. Added together, it’s 109. However, the league tracks not just years, but months and days, making it 111 for the trio. The PR folks told me this was indeed the oldest goal scored this season. The last goal scored with three players involved with a combined age of 111 years or more was on March 7, 2021 when Alex Ovechkin (35) scored a goal assisted by Zdeno Chara (43) and T.J. Oshie (34).

The oldest such goal in Maple Leafs history (114 combined years) occurred on April 3, 2004, when Joe Nieuwendyk (37) scored with assists by Brian Leetch (36) and Ron Francis (41).

The oldest goal (involving three players) was scored on Nov. 2, 2002 when Detroit’s Brett Hull (at 38 years and 85 days) scored from Chris Chelios (40 years, 281 days) and Igor Larionov (41 years, 334 days). Average age, 40.31. Combined age 120.9.

Hi Kevin. Are referees allowed to review video between periods of penalties they called to see if they got it right or infractions that they didn’t call and should have been penalties? Might influence their calls in the periods still to be played.

Daryl B.

They absolutely are and, for better or worse, I do believe that’s where the make-up calls come from.

Hello Kevin. I hope you’re well. I don’t understand how Dryden McKay was allowed to play for Minnesota State the rest of the season and in the Frozen Four. He used the time frame to respond to get past the Frozen Four and then said, “OK, I’ll take my punishment now,” when it means nothing to him. And don’t tell me it wasn’t his fault, he put the stuff in his body, the onus is on him.

I hear and read people saying Alex Ovechkin tied Mike Bossy for nine 50-goal seasons. To hear that at anytime bothers me but right after Bossy passed away? Leaves a sour taste in my mouth when it really isn’t the same. Ovechkin didn’t do it nine straight years from the start of his career, and to have the name of the greatest pure goal scorer ever sullied with comparison to a Putin supporter is distasteful I think.

Craig M.

To your first point, I laughed when I read McKay was taking his suspension in the off-season, and I think the reason it was allowed is that there was some sympathy for how the banned substance got into his system. (It was included in an over-the-counter vitamin that didn’t list it as an ingredient, and at doses so low it was clear it was a one-time ingestion, not long-term use.)

As for your second point, you can’t hide facts. Ovechkin joined Bossy and Wayne Gretzky as the only players with nine 50-goal seasons. That his political support of Putin turns your stomach, I get it. But facts are facts and milestones like that should not be ignored.

Not a popular view in Toronto, but even before Auston Matthews missed the last few games, I would have been more inclined to give the Hart Trophy to Jonathan Huberdeau, who doesn’t get enough love when it comes to discussions about the league MVP. He’s now ahead of Connor McDavid in scoring and it’s hard to believe that the Panthers would be as dominant as they are without the kind of season he is having. Granted, he is surrounded by a lot of talent (especially Aleksander Barkov), although the same argument could be made for Matthews (especially Mitch Marner).

Igor Shesterkin would also be a worthy candidate, although personally, I believe the team’s recent elite run has a lot to do with the excellent mid-season trade acquisitions that Chris Drury made, which has made the team’s offence formidable (and more well-balanced). Shesterkin also benefits from playing behind one of the best blue-line groups in the NHL. And let’s not ignore the contributions up front from players like Chris Kreider or Artemi Panarin.

Still, Huberdeau would be my guy.

Marshall A.

I feel the passion. I don’t think Huberdeau is winning but he will get huge consideration. It’s an interesting year with so many 50-goal scorers, 100-point players, point-producing defencemen and one goalie (Shesterkin) who has done so much.

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