Matt Larkin

Toronto

Managing Editor and Senior Writer at Daily Faceoff

Managing Editor & Senior Writer at Daily Faceoff. Big hair, big eyebrows, big love for the game. Read the article before you comment. Opinions are my own.

Articles

How much farther can Leafs go with a merely mortal Auston Matthews this postseason?

1 day ago | yardbarker.com | Matt Larkin

Welcome to the deep waters, Toronto Maple Leafs. Having fun? It sure didn’t look like it for much of Game 4 against the Florida Panthers Sunday night. It was a physical, chippy affair, with both teams taking plenty of liberties before and after the whistles. For the Panthers, now playing their 10th playoff series in the past three springs, the trench warfare is comfortable. It’s where the NHL’s toughest team does its finest, grimiest work. For the Leafs? It’s new, at least for much of the core group.
How much farther can Leafs go with a merely mortal Auston Matthews this postseason?

2 days ago | dailyfaceoff.com | Matt Larkin

Welcome to the deep waters, Toronto Maple Leafs. Having fun? It sure didn’t look like it for much of Game 4 against the Florida Panthers Sunday night. It was a physical, chippy affair, with both teams taking plenty of liberties before and after the whistles. For the Panthers, now playing their 10th playoff series in the past three springs, the trench warfare is comfortable. It’s where the NHL’s toughest team does its finest, grimiest work. For the Leafs? It’s new, at least for much of the core group.
10 times an NHL team instantly regretted trading a superstar

2 days ago | dailyfaceoff.com | Matt Larkin

The Colorado Avalanche understood the risk of trading Mikko Rantanen. He was a Stanley Cup champion, a second-team all-star, a 50-goal scorer, a two-time 100-point scorer and a future Hall of Famer. But even by that standard, what has transpired since they parted ways in a Jan. 24 blockbuster is the stuff of nightmares for GM Chris MacFarland. It didn’t look that way at first.
Which Round 1 loser inspires the most - and least - hope for next season?

5 days ago | dailyfaceoff.com | Matt Larkin

For this week’s Roundtable, we pour one out for the fallen teams of Round 1. Perusing the wreckage of the Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, Ottawa Senators, Tampa Bay Lightning, St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild and Los Angeles Kings…which Round 1 loser’s trajectory are you MOST and LEAST optimistic about going forward? MATT LARKIN: It’s all relative according to expectations. Optimistic: Montreal Canadiens.
Leafs look like a team that can go all the way - with a few crucial fixes

6 days ago | yardbarker.com | Matt Larkin

Who are these guys? The Toronto Maple Leafs of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs continue to look unrecognizable compared to their previous recent incarnations. For the second consecutive game, they slugged it out with the defending champion Florida Panthers and, to the presumed surprise of so many jaded fans expecting the worst, Toronto emerged from the cloud of dust the winner again.
Leafs look like a team that can go all the way - with a few crucial fixes

1 week ago | dailyfaceoff.com | Matt Larkin

Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn ImagesWho are these guys? The Toronto Maple Leafs of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs continue to look unrecognizable compared to their previous recent incarnations. For the second consecutive game, they slugged it out with the defending champion Florida Panthers and, to the presumed surprise of so many jaded fans expecting the worst, Toronto emerged from the cloud of dust the winner again.
Night of rare statistical milestones in Oilers’ Game 1 comeback over Golden Knights

1 week ago | yardbarker.com | Matt Larkin

Coming back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 1 Tuesday night mattered most for the Edmonton Oilers. But they also accomplished an array of impressive milestones, both team and individual, in the process. Stick tap to Oilers Nation’s Zach Laing for laying out the list cleanly on Twitter. In rallying to win 4-1 at T-Mobile Arena, Edmonton became the first team in NHL history to record five consecutive come-from-behind victories in the playoffs.
Night of rare statistical milestones in Oilers’ Game 1 comeback over Golden Knights

1 week ago | dailyfaceoff.com | Matt Larkin

Coming back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 1 Tuesday night mattered most for the Edmonton Oilers. But they also accomplished an array of impressive milestones, both team and individual, in the process. Stick tap to Oilers Nation’s Zach Laing for laying out the list cleanly on Twitter. In rallying to win 4-1 at T-Mobile Arena, Edmonton became the first team in NHL history to record five consecutive come-from-behind victories in the playoffs.
The Leafs’ statement win in Game 1 comes at a cost

1 week ago | dailyfaceoff.com | Matt Larkin

The Toronto Maple Leafs passed a crucial test Monday night. Barely. And a completely different one looms now. From the 33-second mark, when William Nylander beat Sergei Bobrovsky with a short-side wrist shot, it appeared the Leafs would enthusiastically ace Game 1 of their second-round matchup against the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. Twelve minutes later, Nylander settled down a rebound, showed silky poise and deked out Bobrovsky to put Toronto up 2-0.
Which NHL franchise needs a new name?

1 week ago | yardbarker.com | Matt Larkin

It appears the cat, er, Mammoth is out of the bag, as Utah Hockey Club’s name was more or less leaked this week. That news inspired the latest Roundtable question: Imagine you had the power to rename any NHL team right now. Which franchise nickname would you change, and what would you change it to? MATT LARKIN: I’ll leave some of the better picks for you guys and get controversially nerdy with this one.