Andrew Moffatt had the gift of making people comfortable in the toughest circumstances.

When his uncle Joe was dying of ALS, Lou Gehrig’s Disease  a few years ago Andrew was the one who brought the donuts for the vigil.

There are few places lonelier than a hospital room bereft of hope but a wellspring of kindness in every vigil comes from the people who bring the donuts and fill up the room with talk.

Conversations, remembrances, stories, are a link to a world outside the hospital where people aren’t sick and life continues ...

The Leafs’ impending return to the post season has made talking about last year seem silly.

Indulge me.

Here then are the 10 reasons this year’s Leafs team need never again be mentioned in the same breath as last year’s team.

1.   James Reimer. Reimer has emerged as one of the league’s most dependable goalies. His return to health stands as the major reason why the Leafs lowered their goals against to 2.63 GAA from last season’s dismal 3.16.

2.   The penalty kill. While the Leafs power play numbers haven’t changed from last season, ...

Tonight with the Maple Leafs playing the final regular game of the regular season against Montreal (7pm CBC, TSN1050Radio) tonight’s Toronto Marlies #TMLtalk Tweet Of The Night winner will take home  four tickets to the Marlies home playoff game on Sunday, April 28th against the Rochester Americans!

The Marlies are the North Divsion champions for the second consecutive season and they will once again meet Rochester in the first round best of 5 playoff series.

To be eligible to win the tickets, just use #TMLtalk in your tweets during the game. There are a few rules so please ...

The Leafs returned to practice ahead of Saturday’s game against Montreal without Mikhail Grabovski. The Leafs forward was in New York being looked at by doctors as he has been dealing with some gastrointestinal issues leaving his status for tomorrow in question.

Head coach Randy Carlyle told the media that Grabovski has been losing weight and when the team was in New York a decision was made to keep him back and have testing done on Thursday and Friday morning. Grabovski is expected back in Toronto this evening.

Carlyle was also asked ...

Yep. Best fans in hockey.

I find no great enmity between the Maple Leafs and the Ottawa Senators but I do find fault with those who describe the two teams as rivals. Call me if the Senators beat the Leafs in a playoff round. The heavy bag is not a rival to the boxer.

I like Ryan Miller, find a level of noble industry in the Boston Bruins and enjoy John Tortorella the way I enjoy watching Monster Trucks steamroll pickups a couple of times a year at the Rogers Centre. ...

Tonight with the Maple Leafs playing the first of a home-and-home with the New York Rangers (7pm Sportsnet, FAN590) tonight’s  Real Sports #TMLtalk Tweet Of The Night winner will take home  a Leafs 2014 Winter Classic sweater!

Real Sports Apparel is your home for the 2014 Winter Classic collection that includes the sweaters, coaches jackets, hats and more.

To be eligible to win the tickets, just use #TMLtalk in your tweets during the game. There are a few rules so please read them

With the 2014 Winter Classic taking place in the Big House between the Leafs and Red Wings, here are a few FAQ’s regarding the Winter Classic sweater:

When and where can I purchase the Winter Classic sweater?
The sweater can be purchased as of now exclusively at Real Sports Apparel and shop.realsports.ca

How much is the Winter Classic sweater?
The blank premier sweater: Men’s: $139.99; Women’s: $119.99; Youth: $99.99
*Winter Classic patch is sold seperately

The crested premier sweater: Men’s: $199.99; Women’s: $179.99; Youth: $159.99
*Winter Classic patch is sold seperately

How much is the Winter Classic patch?
The patch ...

The Maple Leafs practiced Friday at the MCC without Joffrey Lupul who left Thursday’s game against Philadelphia with an upper body injury.

Head coach Randy Carlyle told the media following the practice that Lupul is day-to-day. Leafs assistant GM Claude Loiselle was on TSN1050Radio and said that Lupul will not travel with the team to New Jersey for Saturday’s game.

In the absence of the Leafs winger, it appears that the Leafs will get Clarke MacArthur and Leo Komarov back against the Devils.

Without Lupul on the ice, here is how the Leafs lines looked ...

Tonight with the Maple Leafs taking on the Montreal Canadiens (7pm CBC, TSN150Radio) tonight’s Toronto Marlies #TMLtalk Tweet Of The Night winner will take home  four tickets to the Marlies vs. Oklahoma City Barons game on April 16th.

The Marlies have clinched a playoff berth and currently sit in second place in the AHL’s Western Conference with 89 points.

To be eligible to win the tickets, just use #TMLtalk in your tweets during the game. There are a few rules so please read them

No one outside the Maple Leafs management suite will know how close the team came to acquiring Roberto Luongo but when the horn blew on trade deadline day everybody wearing blue was where they were the day before.

The only new body coming in is six-foot-five depth defenceman Ryan O’Byrne, gleaned from Colorado for a fourth-round pick in the 2014 entry draft. A 28-year-old right-handed defenceman who will be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, O’Byrne is a stay-at-home type who has 300 NHL games, four goals and 363 penalty ...