Ladies Talkin’ Leafs

October is in the rearview mirror, and the Leafs have just returned from a stellar road trip, going 3-1-1 and are 5-2 and 1 to start the season! A much improved record when compared to the slow start a year ago. On the cusp on a new month, November could be a wildcard, with a trip overseas, something the Leafs haven’t done in a long time, and never during the regular season. To kick things off, in "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly” we take a look at the road trip that was and sing the praises of a couple of our veteran leaders, as well as delve into the challenges on the Penalty Kill. We also lament a trend that we do not want to see make a come-back as our ugly. In the The Ladies Talkin’ Leafs Highlight Reel we feature standout performances from Matthew Knies, William Nylander, and Morgan Rielly. These 3 gave us multiple plays to celebrate this month. Tune in to see if your favourites made the cut!  Then, we are happy to have our Insider, Mike Augello back on the show for The Third Period to give us his

As a new NHL season begins, we thought we’d kick things off this episode by sharing our Podcast origin story for any new listeners that may have recently joined the LTL community. From fandom to becoming best friends and hockey buddies, we’ve channeled over 30 years of passion for the Blue and White into this show and we’re so grateful to have all of you along for the ride! Of course we want to hear your stories too—connect with us on social media @LTL1917 or via email at LadiesTalkinLeafs@gmail.com. Speaking of social media, we've got some exciting content on our YouTube channel (@LTL1917). Join us for in-game videos and highlights from the matches we attend. Plus, stay tuned for a big announcement later in the show! It’s still early days for the 2023-24 NHL season, but that doesn’t mean that there’s any shortage of great plays and news to discuss! We open the show and get back to our regular season format with "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly," discussing early standout performances, the new goal

Can you believe it, it's just 11 days until the regular season kicks off, and the anticipation for the Leafs' home opener is off the charts! The preseason is well underway, and the Leafs are holding a middling record of 3 wins and 3 losses. Plus, we've got 2 more games to go, with the final two preseason clashes with the Red Wings. Speaking of things to look forward to, how great is it that the legendary Joe Bowen is back in the booth, calling the shots for the Leafs alongside Jim Ralph? It adds a level of comfort and excitement knowing that we’ll be hearing their familiar call on TSN Radio and The Fan. Leafs hockey would not be the same without these 2 in the booth! As we get into the heart of the show, it's time to talk about the Leafs defense and goaltending. While the pairings may seem set in stone, we'll share our insights on the performance on the back end in the preseason games so far and give our thoughts on how we think Treliving and Keefe may deploy the D-corps and goaltenders during the regular sea

Get ready, Leafs Nation! The most exciting time of the year is here as the Toronto Maple Leafs training camp opens its doors. Welcome to Season 5 of Ladies Talkin’ Leafs! It's great to be back and t’s exciting to see the guys back on the ice!  The start of training camp feels a lot like stepping onto a fresh sheet of ice--unmarred, inviting and full of potential. In our season opener we take a look at the possible forward combos emerging in training camp. With very few roster spots up for grabs, it comes down to what is the best fit. We'll discuss how we think the Leafs' stars should be deployed and where the newcomers and promising prospects fit in. Could be a few surprises as the roster takes shape, especially with all the salary cap constraints. For the Third Period, what better way to kick off a new season of Ladies Talkin' Leafs than by having our LTL Insider Mike Augello on with us to give us his impressions of training camp so far. In this episode Mike shares his insights on everything from the Leafs D

It’s an extra special show for a couple reasons - there is a lot of Leaf news to talk about and it’s also the 4th anniversary of our show! In this episode, we'll be reflecting on the incredible milestones we've achieved "Talkin' Leafs" with all of you! We wouldn't be here if it weren't for our listeners, so what better way to kick off this show than by paying tribute to you! Its been 4 incredible years, and we look forward to many more talkin' about our favourite team! Packing up all the patio furniture sadly signals the end of summer, but it also brings excitement and anticipation because it means the NHL season is just around the corner! Brad Treliving, while having a fairly quiet summer, managed to do a couple of tidy pieces of business in August, signing Auston Matthews, and extending Sheldon Keefe. We'll discuss these two deals and how they affect the bigger picture for the team leading into training camp. In our second segment, we dust off the Ladies Talkin' Leafs Highlight Reel and roll our t

We are well into Patio Season and since our last show the Leafs have made some additions to their coaching and management staff as well as made some decisions with regards to their goaltending. G.M. Brad Treliving added Derek Clancey as an Assistant G.M., Player Personnel, which brings the number of Assistant G.M.’s to 5. With this hire, Treliving rounds out his staff adding a highly experienced team member with a Stanley Cup pedigree and someone he has worked closely with in the past. With the front office set for the most part, the team got to work with their first order of business–Samsonov’s arbitration case. Going into it, the Leafs and the player were quite far apart, but the Arbitrator ultimately awarded Samsonov with a 1 year, $3.55 million deal. To dissect the goaltending situation as well as the other looming contract negotiations, we are pleased to welcome David Alter, long time Leaf reporter, and veteran of radio and print sports media, to our Third Period segment. If like us you have been trying

Welcome to Ladies Talkin’ Leafs’ Patio Season! Where Leaf fans come to either drown their sorrows (owing to another early playoff exit) or raise a hopeful glass to the potential of the season ahead! The sun is out, the weather has warmed, the draft is in the books and the free agent window is now open. Nothing could be better than pulling up a chair, sipping a cold beverage and talkin’ Leafs! In this our first episode of the off-season, we have a ton of ground to cover! We start with a few NHL headlines, then get right into discussing the landmark partnership that was brokered by the Mark Walter Group and Billie Jean King Enterprises, bringing together the PWHPA and the PHF. This is a huge milestone for professional women’s hockey, and we hope a sign of big things to come for the league and its players!  Then, in our Third Period segment, we dive into all the Leafs news coming out of the NHL Draft and the early days of free agency with our LTL Insider Mike Augello. We covered a lot of ground with Mike, from h

Congrats to the Vegas Golden Knights on winning the Stanley Cup! The hardest trophy to win in all of professional sports, and the most beautiful trophy to boot! And with this begins the 2nd season–the NHL Offseason–beginning with the NHL Awards, followed by the NHL Draft and the start of the free agent signing period July 1st. Leafs Nation has had much too much time to think since our earlier than desired playoff exit, and we’re sure that, like us, Leaf Fans can’t wait for the drama to begin to unfold, as we watch our 2023-2024 team take shape. What will Brad Treliving do to make his mark? His first move was bringing in Shane Doan as his assistant. In our first segment we discuss this hire, and what we think Doan will bring to the table. Next, with the front office setting up, particularly with Doan joining the team, our thoughts inevitably drift to Auston Matthews. Can’t hurt to have his childhood idol on the negotiation committee right? Beyond Matthews, there is a lot of work to be done. After AM34 none mor

Welcome to June!  No shortage of Leaf news to talk about, that’s for sure and we love it! Its been tough to be patient in Leaf Land with so much riding on the off season, and there was no time to waste for Brendan Shanahan and MLSE in hiring Kyle Dubas's successor! On May 31st, Brad Treliving was named the 18th General Manager in Maple Leafs franchise history! While there were several experienced candidate names floating around, the consensus pick by most was Treliving. In this episode we will look at the Leafs' new hire, and discuss what we think he brings to the table, as well as his most pressing orders of business. To that end, with 10 UFA's looking for contracts and some key RFA's as well, we discuss who we think will be staying or leaving, and what it might take to keep a few key individuals. Then in the Third Period, with Dubas "turning up" in Pittsburgh at the very moment that MLSE was introducing his replacement, we thought we would weigh in on his new gig and how things shook out since his

Some big and surprising news from the Leafs with President Brendan Shanahan announcing in a Friday afternoon press conference, that Kyle Dubas will not be returning as General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs. We welcome back to the show our Ladies Talkin’ Leafs Insider Mike Augello to help us make sense of all the chaos! With Mike's help we attempt to dissect the timeline that lead to Dubas's demise. Then we get his perspective on some of the candidates that may be available to take the helm. No doubt there there is no time to waste! With Auston Matthews waiting in the wings, time is of the essence if the club wants to get his signature on the dotted line on July 1st!  This is a make it or break it moment for Shanahan and MLSE, and we'll have to wait to see if his gut instinct pays off. He hired Dubas as a 27 year old, after firing one the highest regarded GM's in league history on a hunch too! We think we can all agree, despite playoff rounds that ended earlier than we all would have liked, for the most

The Maple Leafs season is done and the Stanley Cup drought continues at 57 years and counting. As we all know, the Leafs lost their 2nd round series to the Florida Panthers in 5 games and there are a lot of questions going into the offseason. When Mike Babcock said "there will be pain", we certainly didn't think it would last this long, or cut this deep! Syl's Dad had a saying for the way the Leafs made their exit, he called it 'victory after letdown', and boy does this sum it up! He was a bit like Yoda that way. In this episode we are going to try and make sense of it all in the playoff edition of the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. While the end result was not what we all wanted, they did have some incredible moments, and achievements, and we give out our LTL "Ugliest of Them All" trophy to the Refs, for their stellar (cough, cough...) performance throughout these playoffs! For our final Playoff Highlight Reel, we're going with a defense oriented theme, as we celebrate 3 performers on our ba

Not the greatest feeling right now with the Leafs down to the Panthers in their 2nd round series. LeafsNation has gone from elation to disbelief in what feels like a heartbeat! It's all in the player's hands now, and of course we, like all fans, pray the Leafs live to fight another week. Not much has gone right for the Buds so far, and we are curious as to what Keefe will do to help get them some sort of edge. A couple areas where they need to be a lot better - starting on time and just being smarter with the puck. No more dumb drop passes and keep skating - don’t give the Panthers time to set up! In addition, key players will have to rise to the occasion, and we discuss whether William Nylander can become a difference maker in this series. Despite the lacklustre effort and results, we were still able to pick out a few key plays to feature in the LTL Playoff Highlight Reel. There have been a few moments to celebrate, and one that was especially bittersweet. In the Third Period we welcome back our Ladies Talki

They did it!  The 19yr drought without a series win is OVER! How we feelin’ LeafsNation….. The elation could be felt far and wide, and for many fans this was their first victory celebration in their lifetime! We say enjoy it to the fullest!  As usual though the team did not make it easy on themselves and made us all wait with baited breath, taking game 6 to yet a 3rd overtime in the series, before new Dad, Captain JT, would seal the deal at 4:36 of OT. Watching the team burst into a combination of relief and epic joy was incredible, and seeing fans take to the streets, honking their car horns, brought back so many amazing memories. We are so grateful that we're going to get to make some new ones! Its' time to put a bow on the first round, so we'll start with some Leaf Talk and recap the last 3 games of the series with the Lightning. We discuss how the team grew through the first round, as well as key adjustments, and moments. And for the first time on our show we are going to be able to look ahead toward the

This is what we’ve been waiting for LeafsNation - playoff hockey! And so far it hasn’t disappointed! The Leafs are in a good spot right now, leading the series despite a poor start in Game 1, and somehow the team has found a way, in every game since, to win! It's been both thrilling and nerve-racking to say the least! We start things off with some Leaf Talk and assess the state of the series between the Maple Leafs and Lightning. There's been plenty of drama, starting with a loss in the opener and Michael Bunting's 3 game suspension. Then Bunting's fate opened the door to the NHL debut of Matthew Knies in game 2 and the kid has not looked back! Together with line-mates Acciari, and O'Reilly, he's certainly been a "Factor" in the success of the line and the team thus far. The GBU is on hiatus for the playoffs, but the Ladies are still rolling a special Playoff Edition of the LTL Highlight Reel. For this first instalment of the second season, we celebrate the unbreakable Samsonov, a long serving, unsu

The wait is finally over and the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs are upon us! Knowing the Leafs would be playing Tampa since basically November has made things a bit anticlimactic but now that the day has arrived the excitement is beginning to boil!  Before we dive into playoff talk, we have some final regular season game moments to cover. In the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, we shine a light on two newcomers, one a rookie and the other a returning vet, and both could end up being wildcards in the playoffs. For the LTL Highlight reel we give a lot of love to our back up net-minders. These guys step into difficult situations and never complain, so it's high time they got some shoutouts! We also celebrate a sniper that we hope is just warming up for a long spring run. Then we welcome back our LTL Insider Mike Augello for the Third Period to help us break down the Tampa/TO series. Mike gives us his thoughts on the possible lineups, his keys to the series and who may emerge as the difference makers for the Leafs. Lastly,

We're baaack! It feels like forever since we've been together over the airwaves! The Leafs have been holding firm over the last few weeks, with the Buds continuing to hang on to 2nd in the Atlantic, destined for a first round clash with the Tampa Bay Lightning. There's still 5 games to go though before the 2nd Season begins, and plenty of plays and stats to breakdown before the 2022/23 NHL regular season comes to a close. In the GBU we give kudos to a couple of line mates, and lament Keefe's 11 and 7 experiment. Then for the first time in LTL Highlight history, a confection makes the Reel, and of course, some on ice excellence also made the list. In The Third Period we revisit our pre-season predictions, so tune in to see whether Chris's guesses were on target. We also give our opening round playoff roster suggestions, discussing the line up in depth, as well as whether Keefe can finally best Cooper in the coaching showdown. Will the team finally get the job done? The Ladies both "beleaf" that this

It’s been a busy couple weeks for Kyle Dubas! Trade deadline is over, and the Leafs have made a lot of changes bringing in 6 new players! This episode is dedicated to breaking down the deals that were made, as well as some that weren't but maybe should've been.  We evaluate all the Leafs' deals and start things off with a special edition of the LTL Highlight Reel, where we rank our top 3 Leafs' trades! Then we'll break it all down with our special guest, LTL Insider Mike Augello, and get his perspective on the all the moves the club made. Did they do enough? Too much? Will they have time to gel? We'll discuss it all, and put Mike in the hot seat, as to whether all these moves are enough to get them over the hump and into the second round for the first time in 19 years! Also, a quick reminder that we'll be off the air for a few weeks, back with a new show April 5th. In the meantime you can catch us on social media or YouTube where you can see our game day shorts from all the recent games we've attended. Be sur

Only a few days away from trade deadline day! A lot is going on and a lot is still going to happen! To date we have welcomed new members Ryan O'Reilly and Noel Acciari who have made quite an impression on and off the ice already. No doubt Kyle Dubas still has a lot up his sleeve and we're here for it!  With the all the deadline buzz in the air, some of this electricity has spilled over onto the ice too, giving us lots to discuss! We take a look at the best and the worst in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Then we roll the LTL Highlight reel, where we celebrate a warrior veteran and a high impact forward making their debut on the Reel! In the Third Period we take a deeper dive on Noel Acciari and Ryan O'Reilly, and the effect they have already had on the club, as well as look at what additional moves may still be in the offing. No doubt Kyle Dubas still has much more up his sleeve. Its go big or go home for the Leafs GM, and with that in mind we have a programming note to let you know about. To make sure we hav

Seems like forever since our last show! Probably because the Leafs have only played 3 games! In between, we had the All Star break which wasn’t that exciting. We talk a bit about Miami Mitch and the Mascots, as well as what might be coming to TO in 2024 in our opener. Let's just say we are hoping for an improved product! Then, for GBU "light", we look at what was good, bad or otherwise over this small sample size of games. It's been a mixed bag to say the least! With the lack of games, and since we are coming up to trade deadline day, we thought we'd have a little fun and discuss some hypothetical trade possibilities involving the Leafs in a new segment called "Who Says No". Tune in and let us know which one of us you think is on the money or out to lunch! To wrap up the show, we take a trip through the NHL conferences and pick some teams that we are going to keep an eye on in the official second half. Will the deadline dealings of these teams help or hinder them? One of the teams we discu