Pierre McGuire on Leafs/Rangers Tonight Ahead of Big Road Trip

I want to ask you about the Leafs penalty killing, because I don't think anybody had it on their bingo card that as we sit here in late October now through, what is it, 11 games for Toronto this season, that their penalty kill would be the very best in the National Hockey League.

97.4%.

They've killed 37 of 38 players.

penalties so far this year.

I mean, that is really something you can hang your hat on because that swings emotion and swings momentum in games.

It really does.

And I really did think their penalty killing would take a huge step forward.

When they got Teddy Bluger from Vancouver, when they got Nick Paul from Tampa, when they brought in Brandon Duhame, these are all guys that are elite penalty killers.

Colton Sissons.

And I said it, and I know some people were kind of rolling their eyes.

Teddy Bluger was the most undervalued asset when it comes to penalty killing in the National Hockey League.

He doesn't get points.

If you're just taking the guy to get points, forget it.

He's not going to help you.

But if you use him in specialized boutique-type hiring situations where he's penalty killing, where he's winning face-offs, where he's blocking shots, where he's getting in the way, where he's initiating against other teams' best players and doing a hit-and-run act, then Bluger helps.

Nick Paul, I had him in Ottawa.

He helps a ton with that.

Colton Sissons, part of a Stanley Cup winning team in Vegas, helps a ton with that stuff.

Brandon Duhame's big and he can skate and he creates shorthanded opportunities.

I thought their penalty kill would be a ton better because of the off-season acquisitions.

I truly did.

Yeah, well, it really has come to fruition.

And, you know, they always say your best penalty killer is your goaltender.

And both Bobrovsky and Stolarz, you know, have played pretty well this season.

Bobrovsky will get the start against the Rangers tonight.