Far Away Leaf

2011/12 Season

2011-08-14T21:15:00.000-07:00

Hello all, it's been almost a a calendar year since I wrote in this blog. Looking forward to the upcoming season for the Leafs brings out the blind faith in all the downtrodden fans. I too believe the playoffs can be attained. How? Defensive, opportunistic play. If Wilson can't get the team to play his "style" this season, he may well be out of a job by November. Sure, the Leafs haven't had an 0-9-1 start in a few years, but Leafs fans know better than to get their hopes up when the season starts 4-0(or do we?). The new assistant coaches bring their own styles to the positions and special teams that are their lot. Let's see if this can trump the public player bashing that Wilson will surely start into in October. Are you getting the vibe that I'm tired of Wilson's technique? I can't believe I'm the same man that thought Toskala would play better after his groin healed. I may come around yet to the side of the rational, but not until the end of October to see where the Leafs are in the standings(but more importantly, how they look getting to that position). This is more of a "hey I'm still here" post than anything thought provoking. Here's to another season of ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN. And probably will....................

Leafs Turnovers Against Playoff Teams will Spell the End

2010-11-21T11:32:00.000-08:00

Yes, the title of this blog is a little doomsday, but no less true. If you watched the National broadcast of the Leafs game Saturday against the Ole' Habs you will have heard the endless chatter of the leagues worst perpetual turnover machine. If you've been watching hockey for at least the last decade you will have heard the the prototypical playoff mold is the never-give-the-puck-away Detroit Red Wings. Don Cherry will tell you that off the glass and out is an effective and respectable method of playing defense. The Leafs have combined the two theories and decided that they should get the puck out of their own zone at any cost, but not do it over knee height. As in the past 4 fruitless seasons, the Leafs can get the puck to their blueline, but inevitably try and press it through the boards or pass it back into their own zone.

I ask you logically: Can 18 separate men all make the same horrible decisions with the puck given the infinite options in any situation? I'd answer yes for John Mitchell who just won't shoot unless he's already passed through the slot and any screen has disappeared. But for the rest of the team I would say that the coaching has given them a few options that are either too hard to remember or execute. Team panic is high now, and after 2 absolutely terrible turn over goals(I cannot address the Komisarek turnover as I am clinically dead inside ofter the 5th replay), the Leafs went back into "Holy-crap-we'll-never-score-again" mode. You can't teach good decision making skills, but you can teach good habits. In the 6 games the Leafs have won, 5 of them have been full of quick, clean break-outs and penetrating fore-checks. These things are possible when you don't give the puck away. I think it's important to mention that it does count as a turnover when you just throw the puck up in the air and give it away. The Leafs are in constant retreat mode. They give the puck away when they just don't have to and their opponents don't have to work for their offense(Komisarek's give away).

These woes still beg for an overall defensive zone system. At this level, under this much scrutiny, the lack of system, or of buying into said system, is overwhelmingly apparent. And just to be redundant I would like to add that Zigomanis is still languishing in the minors while John Mitchell spins down the ice with his stick in one hand playing helicopter collecting penalties. The next week offers ample practice time before playing teams the Leafs have traditionally folded for. Buffalo on Friday and Ottawa on Saturday. With the Stars on Monday the Leafs have an unfamiliar foe that they may get away with a win, like the Nashville game last week. But they better get their nerves settle before the weekend.

One thing for sure is it wasn't Gustavsson's signature on this loss. His frustration on his wasted effort on display after the powerplay give away goal with a wide open Cammalleri in the slot. How many things went wrong on that play? It wasn't just Komisarek's pass into the slot(really, who does that when you have possession on a penalty kill?) but the fact that he was the only Leafs player within 30 feet of the net. This is not behavior that encourages your goaltender to continue to play lights-out.

I'm not suggesting a coaching change for these issues to be resolved. I'm suggesting almost ALL the coaches be replaced(keep Allaire). None of the things these people are coaching are working. I'm not fooled by two games that the powerplay is fixed. The penalty kill was batting 0.000 on Saturday. The power-play was scored on again and they couldn't buy a faceoff. It would be a big difference if this was anomalous, but the Leafs have 19 games behind them. Winning 6 games per 20 brings the season point total to somewhere around 70 points. Spend money to watch that for how many more years?

Leafs Versus Nashville Versus The Odds

2010-11-15T17:02:00.000-08:00

No, not the Vancouver Rock band. You know, The Odds. Odds are Wade Belak will be inserted into the lineup. If you haven't seen the article on Wade Belak now being the longest in the NHL without a goal, it goes like this. Wade Belak hasn't scored a goal in 121 NHL contests which makes him the non-scoring King after Derek Boogaard scored against the Oilers and broke a 235 game drought(if that's what it is when a 265 lb bruiser doesn't score for a while). The record is 255 games. Odds are Belak will score on the Leafs.

The Predators have won 2 in a row after dropping 5 consecutive prior to that. Coming into Tuesday's game the Preds have scored 11 goals in the last 3 games. The Leafs will need to get some better goaltending in the last 8 minutes of the game to get some points. The 64+ foot shot that beat Giguere will put some pressure on him to settle down right after the puck drops. Odds are he'll play well again, as he hasn't had a real stinker this year and seems to be playing pretty confident(which may have lead to the goal in the first place).

Steve Sullivan will be in town Tuesday. He has 9 points in 15 games and is one of the only plus players on the team. Odds are he's due for a multi-point night, as the Leafs usually have a cure for what's ailing the opposition. In this case, it's a slow start for the Preds offense overall. The difference between the Preds futility and the Leafs is that the Preds have put together 3 brief winning streaks that have them in the thick of 8 teams that have 17 through 20 points and 6th place through 12th. The Short version of that sentence; win 3 in a row and the Preds are in 8th. If the Leafs win 3 in a row they might get into 10th or 11th place in the East. Odds are they won't.

The Predators would be a great place to start a streak, though. The Leafs have been historically good at ending streaks of other teams, whether it's no-business wins against contenders on a win streak or the Edmonton Oilers on an infinity losing streak. Odds are the Leafs could squeak a tight game out tomorrow and get at least a point. Then move on to slap around the terrible New Jersey Devils. The Leafs always seem to get it up for the Habs on a Saturday, which could garner another single point. These points all depend on a much higher commitment to positional play. It's the middle of November now and there really isn't any more room for talk of new guys not being used to the "systems". The only real system I've seen this season is when Mike Zigomanis was winning faceoffs on the penalty kill and the Leafs weren't letting in goals 3 seconds after the PK started. Other than that, the forwards positional play has been horrendous, with the wingers standing around when the puck is in their own end. The Leafs forwards' ineptitude at clearing the zone has returned from last year, as well. Possession 3 inches inside the blue line turning into a goal is unacceptable at this level(who am I kidding, at the JR level).

We've all heard this and are getting sick of it, but the Leafs need some scoring. One of the things I liked about Kris Versteeg when he was in Chicago is he was an interesting interview. Now he is coming off as aloof and uncaring. Quit talking about having fun and get professional. As a fan who pays to watch, I would like to have a little fun myself. Odds are, I won't this week.

Leafs Look Sloppy

2010-11-07T14:17:00.000-08:00

Good day people. Long time no whine! I have to tell you, it's been a bit of a struggle to get back to writing about the Leafs. When they were winning(a month ago) I was having issues with my PVR, so watching games was a chore. SO, through that, I have seen the Leafs win 2 games. I know that's 40% of their wins, but, come on, throw me a frickin' bone. Not to mention he fact that, living in Victoria, the Habs - Sens game was on THREE channels and I couldn't see the Leafs game, because (I'm assuming) there is no deal in place with Centre Ice for the specific purpose of me getting to see the leafs play when other Canadian teams are winning more games.

Do I have any ideas for the Leafs to start playing better? Sure, thanks for asking!

Score.....ever. The Leafs are 2nd last in the conference in goals-for, only leading New Jersey by 6 goals
Toronto has only allowed 3 more goals against than for and are 9th in the league in average goals allowed per game at 2.46. Goaltending is (for once) not a problem(you could argue against that stat with the timing of some of those goals against, but that stat is still impressive). This stat doesn't reveal how some of those goals are from mind-numbingly tragic turnovers from the defensive corp. My fix for this is STOP DOING THAT PLEASE....off the glass and out....even Juniors know this
2 of the 31 goals against have been penalty shot and two losses in shootouts. Please practice these skills, it may come up again in the next 69 games
All is not lost! A point per game and a few 5 or 6 game streaks and this is still a playoff team(end fantasy time). the Leafs had a great 4 game win streak which can be repeated a few times with some motivation and confidence
Speaking of motivation....calling out the players in public has been working so well for two years, Wilson should keep doing that FOR SURE. My fix, hold a few practices. Is it just me or does the schedule seem REALLY lax this year? No excuse to not get the team playing Wilson's "systems"
If players aren't performing, start living up to promises that players will be sent down if they don't perform. It wouldn't break my heart to have Zigomanis back in the line up(why was he swapped out for Mitchell? I will always hate that guy, such a waste of decent skillset).
I'm not jumping on the Kadri should be playing bandwagon....until Kadri is a point per game in the minors and can play in his own end, I'm not interested.
Korbinian Holzer gets a callup for zero points and a minus 5?
The day Komisarek is tied in scoring with Kris Versteeg and Tyler Bozak, the coach should be fired....oh LOOK!

I could go on forever because I haven't written this year, but that's enough for today. I need to get a little more focused before the next game......just like the Leafs.

Peace.

Vancouver Defeated In Game 6

2010-05-12T07:30:00.000-07:00

2010 1st Round Playoff Skinny - Eastern Conference

2010-04-18T11:34:00.000-07:00

With the Leafs out of the playoffs again, I thought that I would give some insight from the timezone in North America that can watch any games they choose. Being in Victoria you might think that I'd be cheering for the Canadian team closest to my home town....you would be wrong. Below are the big stories this playoff season for the Eastern Conference(okay, I didn't feel like doing them all today):

Montreal (8) vs Washington (1)

Washington may just have finally realized, after two goals on two shots, that they should have buried Theodore in the minors and got a proven goaltender months ago. Symeon Varlamov may not be able to pull of the heroics he did last playoffs. Having to score their way out of 3 goal deficits will eventually take it's toll. But if anyone can save this team, it's Nicklas Backstrom. Eschewing his usual role of puck-disher, he has 4 goals and an assist in 2 games so far. Playing at a point-per-game clip last playoffs, expect more of the same this season from Backstrom. Washington in 7

New Jersey (2) VS Philladelphia (7)

I think the only things going on here is Ilya Kovulchuk finally showing up for the playoffs and Brian Boucher having to stop him. The only true weapon that the Flyers have is Mike Richards. This kid can carry a nation on his back, why not an NHL Team? I give this one to New Jersey on the goaltender showdown alone(have you seen? Brodeur is growing a BEARD!!!1!) New Jersey in 6

Boston (6) VS Buffalo (3)

I couldn't figure out who to cheer for here. I think I'll have to wait til the next round for the winner of this abomination of a playoff round out for good. Miller is looking human, but so is Tuuka Rask. The offense advantage goes to Buffalo. Chara can't score every goal. Buffalo in 6

Pittsburgh (4) VS Ottawa (5)

This is a true goaltending duel. As in, who will let in the worst goal from the furthest distance from the net. Both teams can score while neither team is playing defense. Look to this series to be one of the highest scoring in the first round. I will give Pittsburgh the advantage here, but the Penguins will need Crosby to basically run the show; including saving goals from in the crease. Pittsburgh in 6

Leafs Will Beat Buffalo Thursday

2010-03-31T22:03:00.001-07:00

Do you know how I know? I crawled out from under a soiled Leafs practice jersey to see if I would see my shadow. I blinked from the glare of the static left after the Punjabi Leafs coverage has gone off the air(we don't get Leafs games out west anymore on Saturdays). I saw a long, very wide, shadow along the wall leering down over me in my living room. This was surely the sign I was waiting for. It was a sign that the Leafs would finally solve Ryan Miller. I read up on my favorite team's activity today and found that they were going to play that new fella from the higher learning barn they just signed. You know, the guy who had the 15 goals and it was supposed to impress me. Well at least he will be the largest Leaf in the ice tomorrow. Maybe he and Luca can work out together and get those final 15 pounds onto Caputi's frame.

After taking 6 weeks off from blogging about the Leafs, I think I can hammer out at least this one before I start getting ready to watch the playoffs with aloof belligerence. Even old faithful Miikka Kiprusoff let me down this year(not really, even with all those high-scoring ex-Leafs, Calgary can't be averaging a goal for a game). So basically, I have the mild curiosity of which over-rated goaltender will be in the finals; Fleury or Theodore. I'm sure Jimmy Howard will get the Carey Price introduction to the playoffs and be a shattered hull of a man for the rest of his North American career. The true hockey highlight the last month, other than the second over .500 month of the season, had to be the Don Cherry movie on CBC. I was truly amazed and the story has stuck with me. To be honest Cherry had crossed the line into get-off-my-lawn-isms and become a caricature of the person the masses had always thought he was. I grew up in Alberta, I'm used to people without book smarts still being a great human being with tonnes to offer. That was how I viewed Cherry for decades. Then he broke when his wife, Rose, died. He went downhill and hasn't really recovered. The movie reminded me of who I used to look forward to watching between periods(back when I couldn't fast forward the breaks).

I'm going to try my damnedest to get blogging 'til the end of the season and see if I can get my readership back up over 4 per day. I'm sure they're looking for Russian brides or blankets with armholes, but I never look a gift horse in the mouth.

Leafs Use Adrenalin To Steam-roll Devils

2010-02-02T22:06:00.000-08:00

I knew I better get something up about tonight's game. The Barilkosphere will be awash with opinion after a win like the one over New Jersey tonight. The impression left by Phaneuf is an accurate one. He is playing the same as he always has in Calgary. His shot is almost always on net, averaging, I'm sure, 95 MPH. He didn't get too many chances to rush the puck, but when he does he can get to the net and has moves when he gets there. He dropped the gloves capably and landed several decent hits. Don't be shocked when he misses one, though and gets caught a little out of position. That's why he's with Beauchemin.

Let's move on to the one of the other two additions. Fredrik Sjostrom truly is fast and showed the rest of the Leafs just how you kill a penalty. He rushed the point and swung his stick with abandon, blocking a shot in the process. Looks a little better out there than Blake, which I compare him to because of his speed. The difference is that Sjostrom goes to the net, not past or around it.

The final debut to talk about is Jean-Sebastien Giguere. The Leafs have had decent luck with French Canadian goaltenders. Especially in the last 20 years. I have been critical of Giguere....and I don't see that changing too much. Giguere is a little slow and relies on technique and angles. That's fine and good when you have a little luck on your side, as he did tonight. Overall he played a good game and I will save the scathing opinions until he inevitably has a bad run. I hope his bad run this year has passed. I watched the game against the Edmonton Oilers where he snapped on Ryan Smyth for getting too cozy in the crease. Giguere pulled himself from the game and went on a horrendous run afterwards. I like a little passion in Leafs goaltenders(like Belfour and Cujo), but it can get out of hand too.

The Leafs cruised to a 3 - 0 win tonight on the juice added to the drink and a Dion Phaneuf straw to stir it. Dion will end up with at least 17 goals this season and a C on his chest b y October(yeah, I know I said that the other day, just making sure you heard me).

Burke Hits Reset on Rebuild With Phaneuf Trade

2010-01-31T14:46:00.001-08:00

I would like to chime in with my 100% emotional response to today's trades. While obviously giving up way more goals than he got back, Burke is trying to shore up the leagues worst defense. Say what you will about Phaneuf's "attitude", but he brings something the Leafs have lacked for many seasons; heart. By the way, NHL teams don't give A's to locker room misfits. Oh, and you heard it here first, Phaneuf will be Toronto's next Captain. You might not like it, but I would welcome it, for sure.

With the Flames being my "backup team" for several seasons, I have seen quite a few games in the last 10 years. Phaneuf has been waylaid by being essentially replaced by Jay Bowmeister. Not to mention the Avery "drama". The flames were roasted in the playoffs last year and not by lack of defense or goaltending.

Speaking of goaltending, I have spent the better part of the last few months hoping against all hope that J.S. Giguere was not coming to Toronto. Well, he is. And he brings with him his 4-8-5 record, 3.12 GAA and .900 SP. Not astounding numbers. They are better than Toskala's, but at double the price. Back to how I feel about the trade? I will never be as happy to see a goaltender leave Toronto. Yes, even happier than when Raycroft left. I've never witnessed a longer leash on a more terrible goalie.

The biggest heartbreak for me will be Niklas Hagman leaving. Hagman gave it 100% every night and was one of the only players to show any emotion from playing on such a terrible team. Hagman was easily the worst healthy scratch decision on this team all season.

What we were looking for back from the trade never materialized; a draft pick....ANY draft pick. If you asked me what the players were worth in "pick value", i would say the following:

Hagman and White - First rounder
Mayers and Stajan - Second rounder

Did we get the equivalent back? Time will tell with Aulie. He is a big kid and primarily a shut-down defenseman. Sjostrom is fast as hell and looks like a Draper-esque defensive specialist. He had an offensive flair in his history, which Wilson may choose to draw on.

Overall, the Leafs will be a fundamentally different team on Tuesday. Especially since they will need to call up at least one forward. A biting disappointment to me is the added responsibility to the least deserving players on the roster; Mitchell and Wallin. I have a feeling that Mitchell's name was proffered a few times and the response was a resounding "We have enough pucks, thank you."

I'd Like To Enjoy Watching The leafs Again

2010-01-25T20:56:00.001-08:00

Wouldn't you? I've grown tired of the predictability of the outcome of every game. I am weary of how far people will stretch to find a story in a lost season. My favorite is the trials and tribulations of Kessel trying to get his groove back. Matched with the stories of the lost draft picks and how we would have gotten Taylor Hall, for sure. Does the possibility sting? Hell, yeah. Can w, as fans, do anything about it? Not a chance in hell...... What's left after all the whining, conjecture and grave digging is done? Maybe actually getting entertained watching the product we pay to see. My Maple Leafs don't need to make the playoffs every year. They do have to entertain me. The biggest slap in the face this season for me was that the Leafs at Florida game was set to be televised on CBC. It was then switched for the Montreal/Rangers game. With no alternate feed, not even the Punjabi telecast, I was left to watch updates on a borrowed iPod. Having dropped over $200 CAD on Center Ice, I found that I was being mocked by a universe where big money had lost interest in it's prime market.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have finally become what all of the Leaf-haters have been calling them all these years......irrelevant. As far as I can see it, the one thing I better start seeing fast, before I completely lose interest out of contempt, is some kind of effort to entertain. I find myself missing Colton Orr picking a fight for no good reason, like the beginning of the season. Maybe seeing SOMEBODY score a bloody goal here and there. Thomas Vokoun is not an elite goaltender anymore. Nor does he have a shut down defense. Let's see some action Leafs. Give me something to keep my passion. I've watched some lousy Leafs teams in the last 20+ years, but at least I had some icons to cling to or ten point games to reminisce about. It's time my beloved Maple Leafs......it's time to give back. (oh, and you owe me $2.38 for the game I missed on Saturday).

Leafs Look To Rebound.......Hard

2010-01-12T09:43:00.000-08:00

With the Maple Leafs only winning once in their 6last games, I am sure that Ron Wilson will eventually run out of witticisms. Toronto lost 6 -5 in a shootout against Carolina in November for their last meeting with the 'Canes. Having a friend that is a 'Canes fan is a mixed blessing. On one hand he can more than feel my pain regarding the suckitude of his team (especially because he watches them in person) and on the other if the 'Canes beat the Leafs it is more than humiliating. I can always say "At least I'm not a 'Canes fan", except when we lose to them. All he has to do is rub in the fact that the 'Canes lottery pick will look great in red next year. Then I weep, like a small child.

I'm getting to the point where I have to stop looking for the small moral victories, too. I can't even celebrate a PK because the Leafs let 4 of 5 in over 2 games. Honestly I can't see how anyone can still think that the Leafs have a chance to get back into the playoff picture. When they were 3 points out, they may have had a chance if they had gone on a 5 game win streak. Alas, this did not happen. This leaves us as Leafs fans to watch a team that may or may not be getting better in the next two years. This leads me to........Please Let Me See The Kids If They Are Going To Lose Anyways! And WHY NOT NOW!?

Yes, my stress level has risen and my patience has worn. Also the "FF" is wearing off on my PVR remote. All I'm really asking for is a little hope. That is a hard thing to grab onto with the PK the way it is. I turn my head and wait for the goal horn to let me know it's over. Moving forward I will be watching for the scoring droughts to end. Once that fails, what's next?

Maple Leafs New Years Report

2010-01-04T11:08:00.001-08:00

I have been slowly stewing in my own juices for the better part of 3 weeks while watching the Leafs effectively eliminate themselves from the postseason. I am back now and will attempt to make sense of my emotions connected to my insane attraction to the Maple Leafs train wreck. With the Leafs having gone 3-5-2 in their last 10 games, they have firmly entrenched themselves in 14th place in the Eastern Conference. The fact that the Leafs cannot put together a good 10 game stretch also lets me know that the playoffs are a moot point. What if they made the playoffs? You need to win 4 of every 7 games. Am I left to hope that there is another 8th-seed-makes-it-to-the-finals scenario like the Oilers?

The injuries to be felt the most over the next while are the Primeau and Mitchell injuries. Primeau's because the third line has been stopping the bleeding somewhat defensively and the Mitchell one because he will be coming back Tuesday. I can't wait to watch John Mitchell circle the offensive zone twice before turning the puck over. It's like it was just yesterday that Mitchell was being overhyped by Don Cherry(he will again, too, probably saying that Mitchell has been sorely missed). Grabovski will definitely learn from the press box while he is off. His 1 shift on the 4th line probably didn't teach him anything on Saturday night. Grabbo has been probably leaned on a little hard with our lack of depth at center, the break will do him wonders.

I have been watching the WJC these last few days and watching our prospects on the big stage. I have to tell you that I am happy Kadri has been kept in Junior for this year( I vote for next year, too). A bit surprise for me(because I had never heard of him) is Jerry D'Amigo. He is dangerous in the slot, but looks as though he has tho have a setup man to succeed. I know that Burke likes him from all the reaction shots TSN had of him. I also noticed that all the Brayden Schenn love from this past draft may have been a little displaced. He shows flashes of competency, followed by atrocious turn-overs and blatant give-aways. He's at least 2 years from the NHL with L.A. Especially with all the young guns ahead of him on the depth chart. I'm not upset the Leafs "missed out" on him in the draft for sure. I have a feeling that won't be a popular opinion amongst Leaf fans, but my cup is definitely half empty this season.

I think we still have a few more seasons of sub-mediocre play. I say this as the relief from the bottom doesn't seem to be there. Management is holding off on kids coming up from the minors. Stalberg is on the 4th line for "energy". They must not feel that Bozak is ready, even with the season going as badly as it is. Beyond that, are there any young hopefuls that I should add to my please-someone-help-this-franchise list? I need someone to fill my cup......please make it runneth over!

Toronto Seeks Redemption And Validity in Buffalo

2009-12-17T14:31:00.000-08:00

After the Leafs came out flat for the better part of two periods on Wednesday against Phoenix, they will need a substantially better effort against the Sabres tomorrow in Buffalo. Media is blaming the Grabovski line for the -3 they laid in the 2nd period. Wilson is blaming the defense(*cough*Finger*cough*). But a better reason is the busy schedule and the fact that the Leafs don't have the time to address any of the nagging issues left over from the October/November melt down. Among those, the obvious deficiency on the penalty-kill, the free-falling power-play and the general defensive positioning of the team.

As long as the Leafs continue to forecheck and get the puck out of their own zone at the right times, they can get back to winning. Pretty easy to type from where I sit, but with the holidays around the corner and families to think of, these players may still have 4 more games before then to plummet to that final spot in the East again. There are 2games against a Buffalo team that always presents a problem, a game against a Boston team that continues to embarrass Kessel and the Leafs as well as a 1 off against the Islanders. The Leafs could either be sitting pretty in 10th or licking their wounds in 15th. I'll try to get another article or 2 in before the holidays, but if I don't have a great week!

Leafs Simply Have To Fix The Penalty Kill

2009-12-11T09:08:00.001-08:00

I know this isn't news to anyone, but the Leafs powerplay is still rock bottom and letting in goals at the worst possible times(ever?). While the Leafs are way down on the number of penalties they take compared to last year, their ability to kill them has gotten substantially worse. I literally cringe every time they take a penalty, I have that little faith in their abilities. When looking at the stats to write this, I was amazed to see that the PK is equally atrocious at home and on the road. I was at least hoping that their penchant to lose at home may have been precipitated by an extra bad PK there. Nope. Their PK is actually fractionally better at home at 70.8%, compared to 70.4% on the road. That just leads me to believe two things: the PK coaching is really bad and we don't have the players to play the roles. Ranked 13th being short-handed 119 times, the Leafs have let in 35 goals. That's practically 1 in 3 PK's lets in a goal.

I don't think people should be running around screaming about making the playoffs when we can't kill a penalty. Playing in fear of taking a penalty and loathing going on the ice to kill it, will not get the Leafs above 8th. What do they expect in the playoffs? That they can score 5 goals a game for 16 wins? Living in Victoria, I don't get much insight as to how the Leafs actually train for their jobs, but with the schedule this month there will be a whole lot of optional morning skates without much coaching or direction.

I think it's easy to get caught up in a streak or a decent short term record. Although at times it may make watching the season unfold a little more painful, I like to take the games one at a time. What worked? What didn't? Then, how is that looking over time? Short term; what a great kill of a double minor in the first period last night! Over time; the PK is looking worse every game. The Leafs are guaranteed to let in one short-handed goal per game. That doesn't really add to the entertainment value we've been promised as fans, either.

So, just in case you get too excited about jumping past some teams and sliding into the playoffs in the final week of the season, keep watching the penalty kill and hope that Ron Wilson can do something before it's too late.

Leafs Rebound Against Atlanta

2009-12-07T22:07:00.000-08:00

Tonight the Maple Leafs showed the forecheck that made Ron Wilson famous. The first and second periods saw the forwards chasing hard in the opposing corners and finishing checks. The goaltending was passable with a few in-tight saves made by Vesa Toskala near the end of the first period, showing the rest of the Leafs corps that he was in the game and willing to win. As the game went on Toskala slowly lost control of his rebounds and needed to be bailed out by his oft-times maligned defense. Blake's new found lust for the net has waned a bit, but he still wants to throw the puck at it as often as possible.

The main story to me, unlike the fawning broadcast crew, is the schizophrenic play of Mikhail Grabovski. I'm not sure that the management and coaching staff could show much more confidence in this kid. So the proverbial ball is in Grabbo's court. It's finally time to man-up. I do believe I saw several signs of it tonight. Although the play he converted on wasn't as spectacular of the ones he either passed up shooting on or missed the net completely, it does mark a goal for two games straight for the future line-mate of Phil Kessel. Yeah, I said that. When are they going to give Kessel a shot with Grabovski. He's a fantastic area passer and Kessel has shown he can hit the tape of a moving target from 100 feet. I'm not sure I understand how they haven't played together, even on the powerplay, when Blake was on the first line for weeks. Even when it was painfully obvious that the Americans weren't clicking.

Here and There

Kessel had a great game after wetting his pants in Boston

Rickard Wallin returned.......to do absolutely nothing

The Leafs penalty kill came through in the third when it really needed to, although it it was only 1 for 2 on the night

The Leafs could not convert on a 5 on 3, but settled down to eventually score moments after a powerplay late in the third

Showing someone actually cares every game, Hagman blocked a puck point blank at the blueline, 5 on 5, with a 5 - 2 lead

Looking Forward

The Isles will most certainly play Roloson on Wednesday December 9th. I'm not sure that it will be enough. The Islanders are coming in playing .500 over the last 6 games, only averaging 2 gpg. Her's hoping Vesa can pull off another game before he goes Mr. Hyde again

Leafs Can Recover From Latest Slaughter

2009-12-06T17:00:00.000-08:00

I have to be honest; I fast-forwarded through the better part of Saturday's Leafs game in Boston. The first sign of the apocalypse was when Tuuka Rask got the call in net for the Bruins. Every time the Leafs face a player that they cast aside in a nonsensical trade, that player is destined to have an amazing game......EVERY TIME. This is a parallel curse to that of any Toronto born player coming into the ACC under the age of 30 must score a hat-trick. And these anomalies are not going to be present every game. Ergo the Leafs can't possibly stink all the time. Remember that the Leafs performance against the Bruins had absolutely nothing to do with the horrid down-low coverage, undisciplined play and subsequent ineptitude in penalty-killing, or complete disinterest in playing at all. It was all just a little bit f head-games based on Tuuka Rask being much better than all 3 of the goaltenders the Leafs have attempted to trot out as first string netminders(and to anyone thinking that Gustavsson is better, he's not, not yet).

Let's get to the point of the post today; the guaranteed recovery from the absolutely embarrassing display in Boston. It's really quite simple. The Leafs need to get back to the way they played against the Montreal Canadiens. A hard-hitting forecheck that gave no quarter. A defense that was willing to collapse and block shots(as opposed to screening the goaltender and deflecting the pucks into the net). A little bit of pride never hurt anything either.

So what do I see for Atlanta when they are in Toronto Tomorrow? Oh crap, I just remembered that Antropov was given away for a late second round pick and probably has a hat-trick to prove against Brian Burke. Well, let's call it 5-2 Atlanta.

Why Are The Leafs Winning Now?

2009-12-04T07:41:00.000-08:00

There's some really great reasons the Leafs have seemed to turn around their play of late.

Their penalty killing, while not fixed, is looking a lot more aggressive at the points and in the corners. Every member of the PK is blocking shots, regardless of the size of their paycheque. They're also getting the puck over the blueline when they get it. This may sound simple, but recall a few games in November and you will remember many pucks making it to the blueline, but never past it.
An team-wide investment in defense. Nikolai Kulemin is finally getting credit for what he has been doing all along. You know why he hasn't been sent down to the Marlies(like many have screamed for)? Koolaid forechecks hard and backchecks harder. He's better than any other Leaf at rubbing out an opposing player before they get to our blueline in the neutral zone
The Leafs have turned the forecheck up all the way to eleven. Keith Primeau is opening up space for his linemates after moving up to the third line. The fourth line is doing what they are built for; pounding defensemen into the glass and laying the groundwork for the other three lines. Colton Orr has a game winning goal, 'nuff said
Jason Blake knew that if he was going to turn his game around he needed to start from his own net forward. Blake has been playing great on the fourth line and all his defensive efforts has lead to more chances offensively. Scoring two even-strength goals off of brilliant passes from Grabbo surely has his confidence higher. Evidence of this is the five alarm wreck around Mathieu Garon when Blake was looking to complete the hat trick
Turnovers are down, but definitely not gone. I think that Stempniak's extra work on the penalty kill has sewn up some of his turnover issues. Also, taking him off the point on the powerplay has brought his turnover rate down as well.
Crisp hard passes out of the zone, you just can't beat them. Even Komisarek has got his poop in a scoop with his first passes. And this leads to......
Luke Schenn's ice time is down. I'm not sure on this, but if anyone can tell me, is Luke back playing on the proper side? Schenn is composed with the puck again and making hard chips along the boards that had him stymied so far this season. He's also laying opposing players out on the boards. His pinches are more calculated and his shots are getting through and not rushed. Apparently the Leafs coaches still want to see more offense out of him, but at least he's trying responsibly now.
Francois Beauchemin and Tomas Kaberle continue to quietly lead the team. Much has to be said about Ian White, too. At the beginning of the season he was the only good player. Now that the rest of the team has caught up, he's quiet. Which is great, because that means he's still a part of the solution and not causing new problems. Thanks for help leading us out of the worst funk in franchise history, Ian.

That's about how I see it. What did I miss?

Platoon

2009-12-02T07:49:00.000-08:00

Well the Leafs found a new and improved way to platoon goaltenders..........in the same game. All lame jokes aside, our number one goalie is now Joey MacDonald. MacDonald showed that he can play competently in front of the "conscientious" Leafs defense, but still needs to show that he can play in front of the "perpetual turnover machine" defense. The defense were clearing pucks from the crease after rebounds and not panicking in the corners. The two biggest culprits of blue line turnovers, Stempniak and Blake, had their backs covered. Although Grabbo decided the game hadn't been exciting enough and left a drop-pass bomb on the Montreal blue line with 2 minutes left to go. Again the much-tightened defense corralled the puck and sent it to center.

If we can play a complete game like this against an also-struggling Steve Mason, I may still be able to shave before New Years. Only 3 wins to go to reach 10. Let's go Leafs, let's go for double digit wins this season.

Is it just me or is Phil Kessel looking like a hell of a setup man? Is anyone still wondering if this kid relied on Marc Savard? Seriously, Kessel is a point per game playing with Matt Stajan, the second least obvious first-line center behind Shawn Horcoff. Good for Stajan, though. That's the second breakaway snipe in a week. Thanks for stepping it up, Matty!(I'm sure he reads my blog).

So is anyone missing the lateral sweeps through the slot of John Mitchell yet? Not me. Hanson was guilty of a few turnovers, but otherwise is playing great 4th line energy player-style hockey. This also allows Primeau to pop up to the third line, where he has been a force in the corners. Overall I like the current make-up of the team. They came back after being shut out and played the same style of forechecking hockey and beat the second-coming of Patrick Roy last night. Not sure if anyone has ever actually said that about Price before, but it seems he has those expectations. All told last night was the most enjoyable game of the year for me and look forward to a few more of that caliber before seasons end.

It's A Crying Game

2009-12-01T12:53:00.000-08:00

After reading an article from Slamsports, a particular quote jumped off the screen at me. Toskala said, “It was a minor tweak. I just have to get it out of my head that I’m not afraid to jump on that side. That will come with practice.” The last thing I am looking forward to is The Vesa playing with any trepidation. I'm not sure my heart can take it. As far as tonight's game, I am almost positive that Carey Price is due a complete meltdown. I remember that precious game last year when Caring Carey cried talking to the press about how terrible he had been that night losing 5-2. Hey, there's nothing wrong with having a wee cry. I think it showed a lot of balls being honest in an interview. With Jeremy Roenick retiring, who else is going to say it as it is? Jeff Finger is in tonight, replacing the vaguely injured Gunnarsson. If anything, there might be some more shots getting blocked with Finger and Komisarek back in the lineup. Let's look for a tighter defensive outing and more saves of shots from outside the top of the circles; that's Toskala's job letting those in.

My Face Is Itchy

2009-11-30T07:40:00.000-08:00

Well, after 2 months and 6 victories I still have the beard that I promised to grow until the Leafs won 10 regular season games. With their penchant to lose mightily in Buffalo I'm not sure whether I should think that the Leafs are "due" to win in Buffalo or accept the inevitable. I would imagine that (My name is) Jonas is starting tonight, so there is a good chance that the score will be 4-3. I don't really have a lot to say today, besides mentioning how unprofessional I look at work with the Unibomber-style facial hair. I did shave off the Whoville jaw tufts as I had to visit a client onsite one day. So now I look like DeNiro in Deerhunter, without the forbidden relationship with Meryl Streep. I'm still wondering if any graphically-minded person in the Barilkosphere might want to give me a hand with a banner. If so please contact me. I'd like to add some professionalism to an otherwise passionate project. Thanks for listening.

Daddy, No More Pull-Ups!

2009-11-19T07:15:00.000-08:00

Those classic words were the final words spoken in the movie 2012. Never before has such a monumental movie been summed up by one line of dialogue. Why do I mention it here on my hockey blog? Because these words were spoken after a world wide catastrophe happened and 98% of the human population was wiped out. Kind of how the Leafs season is going so far. Let's accept the inevitable here. The Leafs are second last in the league, are playing the last team in the league tonight(The 'Canes are last only because the Leafs have a game in hand), and the fans are left with the exciting prospect of playing for last in the league. Oh yeah, the Leafs don't have a first round pick in the draft next year.

Don't get me wrong. I still watch every game and get excited every time the Leafs come back from a one - nothing deficit to tie it and eventually lose. Phil Kessel has cheered up my household greatly. I now only swear too loudly and bother the neighbors in the third period when the game is finally out of hand as Toskala lets in another back-breaking goal. Nope, we're all full of good cheer and pessimistic optimism here at Far Away Leaf.

Now for those of you who haven't seen 2012. Let's just say that we may still yet get our Pull-Ups Moment(tm). The clouds will part, the shine will shine through and the Leafs will open the first round of the playoffs. They will look up and Daddy Burke and say, "Daddy.....no more pull-ups!". And we as a nation will CHEER!

They Deserved A Better Fate!

2009-11-15T01:02:00.000-08:00

I, for one, am tired of hearing it. With a tired Calgary team, they couldn’t take advantage of it. Why? Their team game still isn’t anywhere close to being there. Their polar opposite special teams definitely didn’t help. The Leafs came into the game with the 3rd ranked powerplay and it’s the first time I have seen it function as such. In a game against Anaheim they brought their powerplay percentage up by clicking 5 times. The Leafs needed 42 minutes and 23 seconds to get a powerplay against Chicago the Friday night, mostly because you need to forecheck and frustrate the opposing team to draw penalties.

The Leafs penalty killing continues to be atrocious. So every time they take a penalty it’s a sphincter agitating proposition. Not to mention Toskala has not quite redeemed himself after just one competent game. After facing few shots and the Leafs pressing hard, Toskala once again failed to hold his team in the game. Then let’s take a penalty, down 2 late in the 3rd period. This is the familiar recipe for a 5 – 2 Leafs loss.

Don Cherry, who would have to practically wear my ass as a hat to get me to agree with him lately, is spot on in his assessment of Rickard Wallin. Where has this guy been so far this year? I know he’s supposed to be a third line checker with a slight offensive upside, but he has done nothing. Basically, he’s wasting a roster spot. Speaking of which, there has been a gross mismanagement overall of the roster. Jamal Mayers was one of the only men on the ice in blue that looked like a hockey player. He’s been sitting out, not due to an overflow of talent in the roster, but of some idea that he isn’t benefitting the team? I like Primeau in the line-up as well as Orr, but who should be sitting? Wallin as it is right now. Primeau wins face-offs, Orr beat the living snot out of McGrattan(great fighting name by the way) and the usual fall-guy, Kulemin, is the only forward who finishes every check and backchecks. Lets give the Wallin experiment a break, shall we?

With 3 total wins there is a time to admit defeat. How about now? Our goaltending saviour is human, our $4 million backup has the worst numbers in the league and our expensive back end can’t keep a puck out of the net. Let’s get the kids up to the big team. I shelled out for Center Ice this year to watch my favourite team play. I have only seen it happen half of the time. Last year’s team that never gave up is gone. We’re looking at winning over 70% of the rest of the season to get into the playoffs. ENTERTAIN ME ALREADY.

Happy?

2009-11-01T10:16:00.000-08:00

I read today that Toskala is "happy" with his performance and said it was his best start of the year. That is saying a lot about how far Vesa has come since platooning with Raycroft two seasons ago. Raycroft and Toskala were easily the two most deluded goaltenders in the league when they played together. It was never a reflection on them when they lost and they always felt "great" about their performance. If I had that first goal scored against me in NHL 10, I would be emailing EA and saying there was a glitch in the game and could they please fix it. No NHL caliber goalie should let that in. Ever. Seriously, Vesa, they showed us footage of you practicing fundamentals with Allaire in a montage(MONTAGE!) on HNIC. I'm not going on too much about this other than, I hope Jonas Gustafsson learns to love it in Toronto despite losing. He is only under a one year contract and the Leafs are moking it very hard to put him in a situation where the better bid would be coming from the TML office in

How Quickly They Forget

2009-10-31T12:38:00.001-07:00

Just one short week ago the Maple Leafs were winless and at the bottom of the league. Well, they are still at the bottom of the league, but have put together three solid games, one win and two OT losses. I'm not sure what part of that modest success would make Niklas Hagman think that he needs to do a pass across the middle of the ice from a prime shooting position with bodies going to the net. There are WAY too many drop passes for a team with maybe 3 players that could be classified as "skill players". Seriously, let's keep it simple stupids. Hit the net when you shoot from a decent angle that doesn't make the puck leave the zone if you do miss. Get somebody over 5'10" in front of the net to pound home some rebounds. I'm not dissing their overall play, but remember what brought the slight return from the basement; hard work and a solid forecheck. That goal with 37 seconds left, short handed, is not going to happen very often this year. As a final note; can the Leafs go ONE game without a power play goal against?(Yes, I know they have had one game without a goal against on the PP, but come on). My last, LAST P.S., does Toronto really have the number 3 powerplay right now? A lot of things change when you play the Anaheim Ducks!

From Out Of Nowhere

2009-10-30T08:15:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons it's sometimes hard to be a Leafs fans is the level of expectation that comes with an over-saturation of information. Being a sports fan in general is all about the unexpected things that can happen within an environment bound by strict rules. One thing Leafs fans don't really get to see is something happen that wasn't already thought about, predicted, reviewed, panned or just plain-old bitched about. Other NHL teams have had small surprises, like the Oilers' Sam Gagner on 2007/08. Or huge surprises, like Steve Mason winning the Calder trophy with veteran-like numbers last season. I tried being scientific about finding who the last great surprise in Toronto was, but our spotlight on prospects is a little too bright too. How many teams, in any sport, has a prospect system under as much pressure. Jiri Tlusty can attest to the pressure and the down side of being under a microscope. Back to that last surprise sensation; I would have to say the last stand out that made the camp with little fanfare would be Tomas Kaberle. Some of you may say, "What about Luke Schenn?". I would say that so far he hasn't been an impact player and really won't ever be a gamebreaker in the league. I see Schenn as more of a Adam Foote-type or Robyn Regher-like player that can give some guys some stitches in the crease. But that time hasn't come yet. What's the Leafs next big surprise? I'm, not sure, people like us little bloggers almost make that impossible now-a-days.

Who's The Better Burke Team?

2009-10-26T07:45:00.000-07:00

Going into Anaheim, one has to ask which is the better Burke team. Obviously, since Anaheim has a win, they are the better team. I'm not facetious there, either. Coming in at 3-5-1, they still have a better record than the Leafs. Their Achilles heal has also been goaltending, with Giguere not living up to his contract for quite some time. Hiller has matured into a starter, sporting a .921 S% and a 2.72 GA average. This doesn't stop Anaheim from having only 3 plus players on their current roster. Anaheim has 2 bonafide power forwards with Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf. Getzlaf is under-performing and being outscored by Teemu Selanne. Corey Perry is a point-per-game in 9 games but is a -2. Anaheim is currently 24th in the league at 2.33 goals per game, well about Toronto's 1.88. the only team scoring less goals per game than the Leafs is Nashville at 1.70, but they have 3 wins this season. All these stats aside, who has the better chance of winning tonight? Toronto, hands down. Seriously, how can they not win at this point. They made their point that they were the worst Leafs team ever Saturday with the longest opening to a season without a win or a tie. Get ready for a win, Leafs fans!

Take That Vancouver!

2009-10-25T01:38:00.000-07:00

The Maple Leafs took their 6 days off and banded together in order to bring their west coast fans something to cheer about; 25 minutes of good hockey. Unfortunately they also brought their atrocious penalty killing and undisciplined play. Almost full ten minutes of the first period was spent on the penalty kill. Not quite full because Vancouver scored twice on the power play. While McDonald was steady, he wasn't brilliant. It did prove that goaltending isn't the Achilles heal that the media and fans have been grousing about. Putting all your eggs in a basket that has 17 NHL wins is sad day for this franchise. So is wringing your hands waiting for a goalie with no wins to come back and play backup. This team has been losing games. Hopefully the 3rd period is something to build on. While Wilson makes his willie-nillie benchings and scratches, this team is feeling lower and lower. Sooner than later Burke has to make up his mind if he has the team he told us he made and if he has the right motivator running the show on the bench.

On Enemy Soil

2009-10-24T10:45:00.000-07:00

The Leafs wind their way onto the ice tonight at GM Place. And in true Leafs fashion the game has been scheduled at 4pm PST. I'm sure that the 18,000+ Canucks fans have already started blogs just to complain about the injustice of having to drive in non-rush hour traffic in order to go to a game(updating them live on their iPhones). They'll also have to turn their hydroponic operations over to their third cousins for the entire afternoon which may end up in a bum crop for the year. All truth aside, not being a superstitious man, I will be wearing a Leafs jersey all day and explaining my Beard-in(tm) to everyone I meet to somehow affect the outcome of the game over 27 kms of ocean. I am growing the beard until 10 Leaf wins have been attained. If the Leafs can find a stride on this road trip there is an outside chance that I won't be Santa's doppelganger by Christmas. Barring that I won't be taking any ID pictures either. Popping out now to get pumpkins to smile and slowly rot on our front porch....somewhat like the season so far. Have a great Once-a-Year-Chance-To-See-The-Leafs-in-Vancouver Day!

Random Thoughts And Generally Judging Without Merit

2009-10-22T14:06:00.001-07:00

The Leafs last played to a degrading and debilitating loss last Saturday to the Rangers. A game where their early season problems manifested once again. Those being:

The inability to score first or in the first period
Forget secondary scoring, where's the tertiary scoring?
The lack of trust in there goaltender following a soft goal
Forwards not coming back for defensive coverage
Not being able to clear pucks over the blueline from 5 feet inside it
Players being arbitrary healthy scratches
John Mitchell not hitting the net and being somehow exempt from being scratched
Jason Blake shooting from 1 degree angles and thinking no one has ever tried a wrap-around and what a great plan it would be

All of this may sound frightfully similar to last year. And the biggest change is that quite a bit of scoring left with Nik Antropov, Pavel Kubina and (not-so-much) Dominic Moore. Not to mention the offense that left with unsigned AHL players that signed elsewhere. Here's a good time to mention that Anton Stralman is looking pretty serviceable in Columbus. Not looking any worse than, say, Jeff Finger or Garnet Exelby. Honestly, the money playing on the back-end is making the people who signed them look horribly inept. The only signing starting to take a little shape is Beauchemin. After a horrid first week, he has settled down and is only turning the puck over at the offensive blueline 2 or 3 times a game. Most of those turn overs are actually a change in the coaching style this season. I've heard that Wilson is asking all(good grief, WHY?) of the defense to stand up on the boards and keep the puck in the offensive zone. This is landed a few of the defense in hot water and a slash in the minus column. The hard part will be watching players that are not already good at this(Beauchemin, Kaberle) trying to get better at it(Komisarek, everyone else). I think that Burke thought this might be a little easier transition that it has actually been. Racking up 7 losses probably wasn't in the Powerpoint Presentation at the opening day meetings. The last thing I want to comment on is the obvious kid gloves being used with Luke Schenn. They constantly have him changing partners and monitor his time. That's all well and good, keep the faith in him. But for crying out loud stop switching sides. Especially when I know that there is an obvious push from within the coaching staff for Schenn to improve offensively.

: I encourage EVERYONE to join the beard-in

Oh, the picture I promised of the beard-in is above. I used my cell-camera which is almost as good as a burnt log writing on a flat rock. I know, it's not the camera's fault.

Old Man Winter

2009-10-13T09:34:00.001-07:00

I have started my own personal sit-in for the Maple Leafs playing woes. Just before the season started I decided to stop shaving. I thought that I would stop shaving until the Maple Leafs got their first Regulation win of the season. After the Montreal season opener I thought one game might be a little silly as they could have fluked out a win that night and raised my games-won to 10. After last night's debacle, the Leafs are a paltry 0-4-1 and look to have another slapdown coming this evening from the Colorado Avalanche. The Avs are 3-1-1 on solid goaltending(?) and bring in a cast of under-rated muckers and scorers. The long and short of my sit-in/beard-growing is that I was being a little cup-half-full for a change and thought that there was no way I would be unshorn into December. Right now I have a 2 week beard that my wife is finally used to. The unfortunate part is that I haven't given the hair a cut in the same amount of time and I am stating to look like Dr. Phil.

Last year the Leafs iced a team that at least entertained and tried like hell until the final horn. The year's Leafs look lost, like "the system" has somehow eluded them. Are there any quick fixes to Burke's allusion to the post-season? A few, really. How about working on penalty killing, for one? Ron Wilson joking about icing the puck is the first time I thought, "You know that you're actually making fun of your staff and not the players, right?". And the endless debate on whether there is a problem with Vesa Toskala(there is) isn't helping the fact that the forwards don't backcheck deep enough into there own end. We are having the same problem as last year of turning the puck over 6 feet inside our own blueline when trying to get it out.......5 on 5. For all the changes to personnel, the system is still either not being adhered to or the system doesn't work. Team defense is not a concept that is being embraced in Toronto. Half-fullers will tell you that the team (mostly the defense) needs more time to "gel". Are you kidding me? October is the month as the Leafs have a few times with 5 days between games. Bag skates are something my Midget coach did when we sucked. Mostly because in 1986 there was no such thing as a "system" in minor hockey. When you have guys making millions to play a game, do you really think that a bag skate is going to "wake them up"? Hopefully being down after tonight until a Saturday rematch against the Rangers, they can work on the defensive play that has made Toskala look so horrid.

In the meantime (and in-between time) are there any bloggers willing to join me in my Beard Protest? I didn't have the presence of mind to take a picture, but I will later tonight and put it up with this post. Is anyone out there good with Photoshop? I was thinking of using whatever pic I get up as a new banner(or at least an avatar).

The Race For The "C"

2009-10-02T06:58:00.000-07:00

So as the three alternate captains vie not-so-secretly for the the captaincy, we can watch their performances over the next month and see who's winning. Komisarek took several penalties last night, the most heinous one being an unnecessary elbowing penalty with minutes left in the game, allowing Montreal to tie it. Komisarek had been the focus of the refs all night and should have been may aware of his physical play being under scrutiny. Definitely 15 minutes in penalties is not leading a team to victory. The one thing a team famous for coughing up third period leads could use from it's leader is composure in the dying minutes - Komisarek minus one Captain Token. Beauchemin overextended himself and took unneeded risks pinching all night. I know that the Leafs strategy this year is to crowd the boards with the defense on the forecheck, but a veteran offensive-defenseman should know when to pinch - Beauchemin minus one Captain Token. Tomas Kaberle was wheeling all night and distributed the puck quickly and sharply throughout the game. Kabby accumulated one assist and was the catalyst for Stajan's second goal. Plus one Captain Token. So as far as I can see it, Kaberle's composure under pressure and team play mentality have him in an early season lead for the Captaincy.

Side notes:

Each fight in last night's game ended up giving Montreal momentum and their fourth line dissected the defense and was huge on two goals.

Toronto's face-off percentage was atrocious outside of Wayne Primeau, who had a 78% on the night.

John Mitchell missed the net an estimated 314 times. If he backs through the slot with his legs spread one more time I'm writing an angry letter. Also, he was under 50% in the faceoff circle and a minus 1

Beauchemin and Schenn being a minus 2 is hopefully not a sign of things to come.

Mikhail Grabovski had an assist and was a plus 1 with 20:14 of ice time. Put him with Stalberg for a shift or two, you won't be disappointed. (Or at least get Kulemin back in the line up)

Do we really need Rosehill AND Orr?

Who Will Be The Leafs Next 50 Goal Scorer?

2009-09-02T06:53:00.000-07:00

Not since Dave Andreychuk in the 1993/94 season has a Maple Leaf scored over 50 goals when he scored 53. Going into the new season there's a pretty good chance that we won't see 50 goals scored by one line, let alone one player. So how will the Leafs attain their next prolific scorer? If it's through the draft then fans will be waiting until well into the 2000-teens for the next player to cap 50. In my estimation we haven't drafted that scorer yet. Could that athlete come via free agency? Well, there aren't too many players capable of doing this. Would we be able to pick up, Heatley, Iginla, Ovenchkin or Lecavalier? Not likely and no, thank you. At this point it would be great if we could have another 30 goal scorer. The last Leaf to score at least 30 was Mats Sundin in 2007/08. We won't be seeing a 50 goal man for quite some time and from I-don't-know-where, but here's hoping that one of or young guns can challenge the 30 goal plateau!

Don't forget to read this and more at the resurrected blog Buds Banter!

Will Brian Burke Land That Top Six Forward For The Leafs?

2009-08-27T11:12:00.000-07:00

With summer on the cusp of fall Brian Burke has had a busy summer. His spring was pretty busy too, reaping rewards from the College system. Looking through the roster as it stands, or may stand, when October rolls around, the first two lines may look like this:

Kulemin - Grabovski - Hagman/Ponikarovsky

Blake - Mitchell/Stajan - Stempniak

One thing the Leafs are not short of are options. Those options, though, have only four players scoring 20 goals or more. Those options max out at 25 goals for Jason Blake. Jason Blake isn't defensively responsible enough to play top line minutes, although his -2 wasn't the end of the world. Burke is taking a huge chance that one of Mitchell or Grabovski can play against other teams' best players and still produce offense(not that I am on the Mitchell-is-a-solid-two-way-player train).

This brings me to the title of this installment; Will Brian Burke Land That Top Six Forward For The Leafs? What options are out there? From the free agent pool:

Maxim Afinogenov at 29 made $3,500,000 in 2009

Alex Tanguay at 29 made $5,375,000 in 2009

Mike Comrie at 28 made $4,000,000 in 2009

Not a really thick crop. Comrie is a center and we're thick with those. Also Comrie doesn't have a great team player reputation. Jason Blake would have to pummel him in practice.

Trade possibilities are, of course, endless. But what makes a trade make sense? Not losing any prospects or picks, getting a young player that can produce offensively in the next 2 to 3 years and maybe having to pick up some salary in the process. I went through all the wings in the league on NHL.COM and didn't see any players that I would personally fawn over. Obviously the rumors abound and it will be interesting to see what Burke does, especially now that Tomas Kaberle can no longer be traded. I think the roster will get October and the better part of November to find itself before Burke starts looking at what is available on the market for wingers. Here's hoping we get that one piece that gets the Leafs over 93 points this season. Yes, I am that optimistic.

NHL 10 Demo: First Thoughts

2009-08-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

Well August 20th is the new Christmas. The NHL Demo came out this morning and here are my thoughts after playing through a period of Be A Pro on Hardcore settings as a RW Playmaker:

The Upside:

- The new passing is as advertised; a lot harder to connect a tape to tape pass, but the possibilities are limitless with more control over the power of the pass.

- I completely forgot about the slowing down of the speed of play because I had so much more control over my player.

- The goalies animations are impressive and they follow the puck much better. I have already seen a "bat the puck away" desperation move that was also batted out of the zone out of the air by the defenseman

- The puck stays loose and the physics are no longer run by the players' internal magnets. There were a lot of realistic goal-mouth scrambles that didn't always turn into a goal.

- One of the two goals I scored was a sweet cross crease one-timer that was setup from the opposite corner from behind the net, that I didn't have to call for. The offensive awareness of the AI has improved a great deal

The Downside:

- There's going to be a massive learning curve for me; the passing, while awesome, will take a lot of getting used to

- I got a penalty using the new "mush the guy in the boards like NHL 2K3" feature, for doing it 3 seconds after the puck left the area. DO NOT mash on the Y button until it works, you'll get burned

- I will miss destroying guys with a cross-rink hip check; the hit assist is gone

Remember that all of this was one game, before work, on Hardcore. You can play however you like. You can turn down the new features and all the 2K veterans will cream over the sliders for all the effects of the game. I have no real negative comments on this Demo so far. I will play a tonne more in the next few days. I probably won't do another review as there will be eleventy-billion out by 5 pm today. I cannot wait for the full game(and of course October 1st Leafs vs Habs!)!

{edit} Oh Yeah, I got drafted 10th overall after the game with A+ Position, D+ Teamplay and A+ Stats. Started the game ranked 15th overall. The D+ Teamplay was helped by the penalty taken for smooshing a guy agaiunst the boards without the puck

Will It Really Happen?

2009-06-18T06:51:00.001-07:00

Well my looking back was a good time, let's look forward! Below I'll list my Top However-Many-I-Come-Up-With highlights of next season:

1. Luke Schenn will hospitalize 3 men, one of which will be a Penguin (seeing his penchant last year for exploding Malkin and rag-dolling Kennedy)

2. Mikhail Grabovski will get 75 points next year

3. Kulemin scores 20 goals (10 against Carey Price)

4. Tyler Bozak returns to Junior form and makes the team out of camp

5. I find better ways of utilizing Youtube

Did It Really Happen?

2009-06-16T10:37:00.000-07:00

So the season is over for real now. Now the question I have for myself is: did this season really happen? What did the average(read: non-games-going) Leafs fan get out of it? My list is below:

1. Luke Schenn blew our pants off with his stay at home, Adam Foote-like, bone-smashing hits
2. Mikhail Grabovski wowed, bored, then wowed us again as he worked through getting his work ethic consistent(honorable mention; Grabs double flipping off the Habs fans)
3. The emergence of Niklas Hagman as a leader and bonafide two way player with offensive upside
4. Nikolai Kulemin turning into the next Michael Peca(when Peca didn't suck)
5. Ian White (and his mustache) being so overrated that I almost gave up on life
6. Poni having a career year and making it possible to trade Antro at next to nothing
7. Brian Burke bringing his own personal brand of dynamite to the head office
8. Pogge completely destroying any chance he had of being a Leafs starter(yes, the ridiculous way that Wilson/Burke played him didn't seem fair....but it helped in assessing his progress, as it made Pogge accountable and revealed how he would respond to pressure down the road)
9. John Mitchell being a potty-mouthed third liner playing on the first line
10. Matt Stajan absolutely shitting the bed after a freak eye injury(if the rest of the team had only allowed him in their pretending to be European, he could have had an 80 point season)
11. Jason Blake rebounds with a 63 point season and plays with the grit of a wet rat(yes, I like him again)
12. Jeff Finger passes the 100 game plateau, earns eleventy-billion dollars per game
13. Boyd Devereaux, other than being a metal-head, proves he still belongs in the NHL, so the Leafs will probably let him go

You know, I thought this list would be short and to the point. After rambling for 13 points of fact, maybe I will pick this up again another day. Three posts in three months. I'm starting to look like He Score/He Shoot, but without the humor.

Final Finally!

2009-06-11T13:44:00.000-07:00

Although I've skipped the entire playoffs, I thought I'd pipe up to let everyone (one at the most, heh) know that I am still around. Going into tomorrows game I have little emotional attachment to it other than the fact that the Stanley Cup will be won. My wife did notice that my swearing was up a bit on Tuesday when Pittsburgh let in their only goal against. This lead me to believe I must want Pittsburgh to win. Better yet, I want Detroit to lose. I've been told that a dynasty sets the bar by which other teams can be measured. I think it gets boring for the fan that is heavily vested in a favorite team. In the 80's I actually got bored of the Oilers in the finals every damn year. It's like, hey, we get it, Datsyuk was drafted eleventy-billionth in his draft year and wow, isn't Detroit's drafting AWESOME. Step aside, old man, give the kids a shot. Or better yet, how about a Canadian team actually win a Cup in the next 10 years. I won't get into that ex-NBA commisioner's ideas of selling the game to Americans that are more interested in betting on bowling than watching a Stanley Cup final, but let's just say I'm still waiting for my chance to jump off my couch when a Cup is won. Even if it's not the Leafs.

Ducks/Wings Game 6

2009-05-07T13:36:00.000-07:00

I'm back from holidays and watching non-stop playoffs!!!!1!! The game last night had the Ducks' signature style on it, but with the won ton penalty-taking excluded. There is a key element to the style of players that the Ducks have on board. A ability to play a system and the willingness to stick to them. Watching the Ducks get the puck from behind the net to the boards and out over and over is a sight to behold after watching the Leafs stall at the blue line again and again. Once the puck is in the neutral zone, the team spreads across the zone to defuse any trap-like qualities in their adversaries. This is something that Burke should be bringing to the Leafs in short order. I think watching the Ducks in the post season will give us a good idea about where the Leafs are going in the next two years. Not that I'm saying we'll have a Pronger and some Niedermayers in the next two years, but maybe some Getzlafs and Perrys. Here's hoping. And, oh yeah, Ducks won and I am pulling for them for Thursday(I can't stand Detriot fans).

Brief Playoff Chime

2009-04-17T07:30:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd pipe up a little before I ship out........I watched the Calgary game last night. As an avid Leaf fanatic(ALF), I whole-heartedly support Mike Cammalleri's hit to Martin Havlat.

Having Mike come back and score a goal was nice, too. One thing I'd like to see less of is dim-witted defensemen pushing players into their goaltenders. This cost Calgary the game and the Oilers the cup when M.A. Bergeron broke Roloson in the finals. With the Calgary game ending poorly, I was excited to watch the Bruins get their poop-in-a-scoop in the third to throttle the Habs. Yes, I hate the Habs more than Boston so I'm rooting for the Bruins. Hiller getting a shutout against the "powerhouse" Sharks was a treat. I like that he got the shutout, but does anyone know why Giguere isn't playing? Has he sucked that bad? This is his time of year. That huge jersey and his bear hug on rebounds are legen-(wait-for-it)-dary. Those are all the games I watched last night, I should be watching the 'Nucks game when I get home. I want to cram as much playoffs in before I leave for N.O. I also want to cram a few NHL09 games in too. Own an XBox and play NHL09? Add me! My Gamertag is Haeyena

DING! Seasons Done!

2009-04-09T07:05:00.000-07:00

This is an NHL size, regulation net(pictured here with Matt Stajan inside it just before his "roughing" penalty). For some reason (the tank?), the Leafs were unable to bury about 43 empty net shots last night. It's not that I have to live the rest of my life knowing that I watched the game that handed Cujo his dubious record, it's that it will be that last memory I have of Cujo. Well, it better be. Cujo is not a viable option for the backup position next year. A saving grace from last night is that Dom Moore was once again thrown around like a ragdoll and didn't accomplish much. I'm waiting to see what that 2nd round pick turns into so we can HAHA the Sabres a bit more. Can you tell my passion is waning with the tailend of the Leafs season. Draft day is the next big day for Leafs fans, then July 1st. Until then I will hunker down and watch Calgary in the playoffs. I'll be off for a holiday in sunny(?) Louisiana and Mexico for the core of the playoffs, so there won't be much happening in between the first round and the finals around here. But know that I will be drinking swamp water thinking of my tens of fans!

Metalhead!

2009-04-08T08:15:00.000-07:00

I read the other day, through a link on PPP that Boyd Devereaux was a metal head and owned his own record label. Well, my inevitable link to that information, is that he must have had ball-bearings in his head to try and skate the puck up the middle on the penalty kill with his teammates going for a line change. Other than that play, the Leafs played a decent defensive game, despite the shots differential. The defense did a fantastic job of clearing the crease, making Gerber look a little better than his rebounds should have allowed. Jay Harrison did a great job in the defensive zone (all terms American)corners and in front of the net. Ian White is becoming less and less visible lately. The only other complaint I have about the play last night(and in the past few months) is every time I hear Stajan's name I see him laying on the ice or just picking himself up. Can someone please hire this kid a full time strength coach for the summer? Preferably this nice young man:

Buffalo Blues

2009-03-27T08:29:00.000-07:00

Cujo pooped the proverbial bed last night. Perpetuating this young Leafs team getting effed in the "A" by their goalies early in a game. I can't remember seeing much of a defensive breakdown on the first goal. A 41 year old not covering his post is kind of in-excusable. Of course the highlight of the game is Dominic Moore getting one-punched to the ice by Schenn. Not sure what he was thinking there as he must know first hand how strong this Schenn kid is. One thing Moore does not lack is balls. Choice making skills may be a distant second on his attributes list. The almost comeback falling short is par for the course. How many 4 goal comebacks should we really expect from a team that has iced rookies for a league high 340 man games this year. Should I be wanting to harm myself because I can't wait for the return of Martin Gerber? (Don't answer that).

Predictions Are For Carnac

2009-03-20T06:59:00.000-07:00

Well, I know I don't stick to much of a format here, but I think predicting results of the game should be left to the professionals. And by professionals I mean fictitious comedic embodiments of fortune tellers by dead comedians. I find it hard to figure out how to attack this blog each day(when that happens). I think I'm a fairly witty guy that hits the mark here and there. I'm also very opinionated, but try to stay away from the "Did you ever notice how this one thing sucks and you should all hate it like I do" vitriol. That left me predicting Deveaux and McCabe would act like a hockey players last night. It was definitely a case of wishful thinking on the case of Deveaux and bitter fan-dom on the case of McCabe. Although I did giggle a bit when I first saw McCabe wearing a hamster cage at the beginning of the game. I was thinking. "Aww, look at him, he's trying so hard to make the playoffs. He's playing through the pain." Douche. You can never make me like McCabe again! I lost faith in him when Chara tossed him like a rag doll years ago. Anyways, I know that you ALL dislike McCabe as much as I do. And if you don't you should. Because he sucks............

Deveaux Hat Trick!

2009-03-19T13:33:00.000-07:00

Sportsnet emailed me every Canadian team's starting lines except Toronto's. I am predicting Andre Deveaux score his first NHL goal. There's no reason why a guy his size can't smack a goal line tap-in after 20 games. He has 11 in the AHL in 28 games. I just watched on Leafspace that he gets more ice time in the minors, so maybe Ronnie could pop him on the first line with Mitchell and Blake. You know, 2/3rds of our old FOURTH line. I would like to start today by officially pleading to have Hagman back. At least have him drop every opening face-off puck. How about getting him on the bench? Maybe Grabs can start scoring again with a heaping helping of Hagman. I will miss Kulemin tonight. I can't wait to see who they put Grabs with, Stempniak probably. Here's the overall prediction; McCabe scores(not saying which net), Deveaux takes the NHL seriously and a)wins a "fight" b)scores first goal, Leafs win 3-2, Schenn has a sunburn and creams everything in sight.

Blake A Swell Guy? Flop

2009-03-18T09:23:00.000-07:00

Yeah I took it to Blake yesterday, but I am now officially flip-flopping. This would be my third or fourth flop on this guy. My favorite part of last nights game was after Blake scored what would turn out to be Mitchell's goal. He skated to the bench to slap (fist pump) hands and wound up for the first high-five. It more resembled a punch. I wonder if the person on the other end of that pump/slap/high-five? Grabovski? Does anyone know? That would RULE. Apparently Grabs and Blake hugged it out in front of the cameras after yesterday morning's workout. The competition level being raised seems to have helped. Everywhere but the powerplay. While they controlled the puck for long periods of time in the Tampa zone, there were no real scoring threats. They did give the Tampa penalty kill a few nice chances. After the half way point of the game it turned into The Luke Schenn Show. I'd actually been thinking lately that Schenn has gotten a little less noticeable. Schenn knocked about 8 players senseless last night and pulled a sweet spinnerelli at the left(off)point to walk the puck in for a shot. I am sticking with my conspiracy theory of the Super-Secret Schenn Producing Offense Project. I keep seeing Schenn do things on the ice that don't seem quite natural for him. Such as pinching at the point or trying to unleash a slapshot. His wrist shot is quite effective and he is getting better at getting shots through where they were hitting shin pads and producing break aways before. Here's to a 10 goal season next year. ANd Ron/Brian....I'M ON TO YOU!

Back From The Sickness

2009-03-17T07:26:00.000-07:00

I've been off for a week with what I'll call "Hockey Sadness". It makes me sad that Jason Blake doesn't get along with Mikhail Grabovski. The saddest part of that is that they are two of our heavyweights with our current lineup. Though I can't vouch for the actual reason for the dust up, I would imagine it had something to do with who had the longer scoring drought recently and this didn't make either one of them laugh. Blake makes a comment about being a ten year vet, while leaving out he's actually only played decent hockey in 4 of those years. I'm sure Mikhail let him know that with his signature two fingered salute. Other things I've missed blogging on; Mikhail's almost hat trick, Kulemin's foot goal, Ondrus trying to fight everyone, Oreskovic being ok, 8 - 6 win over the Flames?????, Gerber being ok-ish, and the Leafs being a zillion points out of the playoffs.

The End.

Or IS it?

Lack Of Star Factor Apparent

2009-03-10T08:40:00.000-07:00

On a night when your favorite team is playing against a true bottom feeder, playing their rookie goaltender, it's a great time to notice that they no longer have any gamebreakers. Jason Blake was already on a downslide before Moore left, Antropov carried his line and I think there is a missing persons out on Stajan. Watching Matt Stajan play lately makes me miss Alex Steen(which is grounds for removal from my blogging privileges). The lack of a true difference maker was appallingly clear sitting through the give-away-fest last night. Alfredsson walking in and blasting a slapshot over Cujo uncontested spoke to the inadequacies of this floundering Leafs team. I am thinking that the tank may be started in earnest for all those waiting for it. Gerber is set to start against the Islanders tonight. Watching two teams with nothing to lose should be a spectacle similar to 2nd graders fighting under the monkey bars. Hopefully we can at least get a 7-6 blowout instead of waiting 2 periods for a goal, as has been customary the last month or so. Prediction: 5-2 Islanders.

Cujo to Start, Van Ryn Done

2009-03-09T10:33:00.000-07:00

Cujo will get the start for the Leafs tonight. This will add fuel to Don Cherry's idea that Gerber is a little emotionally soft and couldn't handle the taunting he would be sure to receive. After reading an article saying Mike Van Ryn needs knee surgery, I was left wondering if we'll ever get to see what he can do for us. Van Ryn will go for surgery for a torn MCL and should be able to resume skating in 8 weeks. Next year will be another debut of sorts for Van Ryn with the Leafs. Probably to a much larger role. Hopefully he can stay healthy. I've watched after each of his returns(3 in total) and Mike never holds back and has no fear of the corners or of being hit. This is something that Brian Burke should recognize and want to keep around.

Gerber a Sens-Killer?

2009-03-09T08:35:00.000-07:00

I truly hope that he can be. Although the common joke at PP is aboot losing every game for the rest of the season( and Gerber's hand in helping do that), I just don't find it fun or entertaining. Like losing to the s'Oilers, down 2 defensemen. It's taken me two days away from the slaughter to blog about it. It hurt that much. My Father being an avid s'Oilers fan doesn't help either. I am hoping that Gerber can take it to the Sens tonight, just so I can have a fun game to watch. I'm not overly excited about dropping games to such douchey teams. One thing that can make this time of the misery and woe a little more enjoyable is the watch the young talent from the minors get their break in the big league. I look forward to Phil Oreskovic beating the poop out of a Senator. But who will it be?

Gerber Spectacular

2009-03-06T07:33:00.000-08:00

We've seen it before from the other side. Gerber can either shut you down or just shut down. Last night was shut you down night. Quite a few shots went wide on Gerber, making him look better. There were actually two exploding sticks that kept him safe on sure open-net goals, as well. It was also another "Who the hell is this John Mitchell kid and why didn't you call him up earlier" night. I've been hard on Mitchell all year, not quite understanding the allure to the coaching staff. He can skate, pass and, when it suits him, shoot the puck. Last night he held the puck while screaming behind the net, passed it to the point and it resulted in Kubina's 13th goal on the season. Usually Mitchell would have held that and passed to a waving opponent's stick, but this time the hockey gods saw the pass through. The end result was still funny, though. It only could have been better if the game ended in a drum solo.

Jeff Hamilton Set To Make Debut

2009-03-05T13:33:00.000-08:00

Diminutive forward Jeff Hamilton will make his Leafs debut tonight. I have yet to figure out why. Why sign a guy who was out of a job yesterday to play for a team with Gerber in net(read: bound to lose). Where are the kids I keep hearing about? When I read "Jeff Hamilton" my brain computed it as "Ryan Hamilton". You know, the huge left wing that we traded Earle for? I find this very curious.

Gerber Gets The Start

2009-03-05T10:58:00.000-08:00

Gerber gets the start tonight. One of the saddest things about the Gerber pickup is that I can no longer take the satisfaction of knowing that at least the Leafs didn't have a goalie as bad as Gerber......That being said though, I think Gerber's going to do really well tonight, only letting Ovechkin score twice. I have a feeling that our defense will be pretty piss-poor. I am waiting to see who else dresses tonight with Antro and Moore gone. Tim Bits was sent down and I haven't heard anything of him being called back up yet. Kaberle is still hurt, but White can fill in. White looked sort of uncomfortable back up front, anyways. Ben Ondrus will be called up filling in for Hagman, who is still feeling the effects of Witt's cheapshot. Prediction Leafs 4-3

Moore Leaving

2009-03-04T07:10:00.001-08:00

Semi-Official word is that Moore is being moved for sure. Contract negotiations have stopped and Burke is looking for the best deal to move him.(source TSN.CA online audio stream)

Witt Sucks, Stapleton OK

2009-02-27T07:07:00.000-08:00

Dear Brendan Witt,

It's not our fault you play in New York. I hope Don Cherry doesn't defend you on Coach's Corner. It would be the last straw for Grapes and me. Don Cherry said, "What a WARRIOR! Look, he comes back after getting stitches on a losing team! Good old CANADIAN boy!" Guess what, Hagman has 19 goals and is pretty much our best player besides Blake, on a losing team. That's guts on a non-playoff team, not head-hunting people because you broke your stick. Was Hags going to score a goal if he got by you? Maybe. Does he deserve to have brain damage? Of course not. I really hope for Hagman's sake that it's a broken jaw and not a concussion. My greatest hope is that the Leafs keep Hagman off the ice for the rest of the season. DO NOT bring this guy back this season to get his bell rung again like Van Ryn. Let's not ruin a career that's really just taking off to put him in danger again.

On a more positive note, I would have to disagree with PPP's early assessment of Tim Stapleton. Other than donning the fattest number in Leafs history, he actually kind of reminds me of Steve Sullivan. You can be compared to worse small Leafs. I think he was fore-checking great and actually threw a few Blake-like hits behind the net. He had more than a few chances that didn't bounce his way. Stapleton's passing ability is apparent and obviuosly he can shoot a dec ent wrist shot if you saw the shootout. I'm not going to bother commenting on the goaltending, other than to say, "Go under the knife now and give my heart a rest, Vesa."

Stapleton Makes Debut

2009-02-26T11:38:00.000-08:00

Tim Stapleton will make his Leafs debut(about time!) and Stralman will be on his 43rd call up this year. Anyone know how Sifers is keeping his job? Stralman's callup will be followed by his going back down to the farm Saturday when Mike Van Ryn and Tomas Kaberle return against the Senators. Any takers on A) How long Kaberle remains a Leaf and B) What injury Mike Van Ryn will sustain against Montreal on Sat Mar 21, 2009?

I Love It When A Plan Comes Together

2009-02-26T07:08:00.000-08:00

After singing Kulemin's praises for months now, I was ecstatic to see him play as well as he did last night. He easily was the Leaf with the most jump. While watching the recorded game on my PVR, I noticed that I hadn't recorded long enough if the game were to go into overtime. With 3 minutes to go in the OT period my TV froze and a stifled "Awwwwwwwwwwww" came from my lips. I hustled to the computer and watched the Game In 6 Minutes. I re-watched the entire set of highlights, wondering how the Leafs stayed in the game as long as they did, having 2 shots in the first period. After the huggy, kissy time between Ian White and Markus Naslund(?) had fired up the crowd, the game took no discernible turn. Kulemin had 4 shots last night and deserved at least 2 goals for his efforts. Before even sitting down to watch the replays, I was wondering if Wilson would be smart enough to use Kulemin in the shootout. Turns out he was and Kulemin scored on pretty much the same shot he could have gotten off during his earlier break-away if it hadn't been for a missed hooking call. One last thing of note for me was a FOURTH solid outing in a row from Vesa Toskala. The ting to watch for here is if he starts to wane in the next 4 or 5 games it could be a flare-up of his bum hip. Why not have the surgery now? Why not, indeed. TANK!

We'll See Mark Bell Tonight?

2009-02-25T09:53:00.000-08:00

Brian Burke said that some of the guys on the Marlies deserved a shot in the NHL....maybe just not with the Leafs. Here's Mark Bell's chance. Here's betting he scores if he plays......

Who Should Go

2009-02-24T09:59:00.000-08:00

Here's a shorter list today of who has to go, for the sake of the future.

Nik Antropov: This move will break my heart a bit, only because Nik is finally healthy all the time. We've been waiting on potential to shine through to actual production and that is happening this season. Too little, too late? Yes. Actually the timing couldn't be better. I've heard rumblings(mostly from wishful Edmontonians) that Nik could end up with the Oilers. They need a big fella there at center(like every other team) and him plying with Hemski would be interesting. What could we get for him? Burke is looking for a first rounder and a cup cozy. He'll probably get it.

Jason Blake: Guaranteed rental for a playoff team. Thanks for finally coming around Jason, but we're not going to make any noise in the post season for quite a while and that's not something that bodes well for a 35 year old(not if you want a cup, anyways). What Burke could get back for Blake is irrelevant. Let's not get greedy, there is a $4 million salary to dump here.

Dominic Moore: I know I may take flack for this one(I like him, too). He plays bigger than his size, plays with emotion and could net 50pts this season. He is also 28 and hasn't shown that he can play as he has been on a consistent basis. Another thing to wonder is if Blake is gone, is Moore's production gone with him? Basically, I think we might get a decent second rounder and maybe a player for the Marlies.

Alexei Ponikarovsky: Poised to have another groundhog day-like season of roughly 45pts, some team may need a 2nd/3rd liner that can jostle(I'd like to say "bang" but with Poni I would be lying if I said that) in the corners and pot the odd goal from 2 feet of the crease. He can block out the sun, so screening a goalie wouldn't be a problem on the powerplay. I don't think Poni's stock is ever going to rise above what it is, but saying that, he is a consistent contributor, just not an elite player. I am sure a 2nd rounder or marginal prospect in return would be ok. Moving forward, he is a an ok 3rd line winger, but I'm not sure what he kind of money he makes to completely kibosh keeping him as a minor roll player.

Tomas Kaberle: Yeah, I know he's been around forever, is cheap for how he performs and is amazing for an 8th round pick, but He's not at an age that he will be around when the Leafs actually get good. Once this contract is over he will want more $$. He gave the Leafs a hell of a home team discount on the last deal, cinsidering what M32?cCabe got. What are the odds that he will do the same when he is 32? Kaberle is one of the few assets the Leafs have that can garner an immediate and future return. I'm hoping they can get an actual asset instead of a draft pick. (sorry, people, I'm not sold on having Tavares, even if we could get him).

Pavel Kubina: I've always liked Kubina. The only problem with trading him is I think any GM worth his salt will try to low-ball Burke on him. If that's the case I would rather keep him. He has been getting steadily better(both with points and being physical). Being realistic can you get another 6'4", 244lb defenseman with a Stanley Cup Ring in the next 3 years to replace him? My guess is no. If you are going to keep one veteran forward and defenseman, Kubina should be that defenseman. All that being said, I am fairly sure that Burke will find a dance partner to trade Kubina to. Just like everybody else, I keep hearing San Jose still wants him(he'd look good there).

Matt Stajan: Ok, Matt is officially this generation's Gary Valk. He's basically on the team to talk to the media and say the right things. I have missed him on the ice and have no idea why he continues to be on a line with Antro and Poni. We won't get much for him, but at least he'd be gone. Not sure what it is, but something bugs me about him. I get tired of seeing him flop to the ice when he "hits" someone.

I may have started coming off a little wishy-washy with Kubina, but these are my picks to go.

Who Should Be Untouchable?

2009-02-23T15:18:00.001-08:00

I have a fairly short list of Maple Leafs that should be untouchable come the trade deadline. The Robbie Earle trade a few weeks back was an indication that the focus on bonafide NHL-caliber prospects that will see time in some role with the organization was now in effect. Robbie had some value to the last administration, but apparently not the current one. Below is a list of my untouchables and why:

Luke Schenn: I don't think I need to say why to Leafs fans, but I will. Luke's big and will get bigger. He's kinda fast and will get faster. He's already crushing NHL sized men with open-ice hits and hips into the boards. What's not to love?

Nikolai Kulemin: I can't say enough about this kid. It keeps me scratching my head how Kulemin gets scratched over some others. Nikolai is fast has decent hands and loves to bang in the corners. He is one of very few Leafs that finish their checks. Two or three more years of seasoning and he could be a pretty good two way player that can score 20 goals.

Nik Hagman: Eighteen goals on the season and he can play with whoever you line him up with. Niklas looks great quarterbacking the powerplay from the sideboards. He just turned 29 and has a good 5 or 6 years left of 50 pts/season.

Mikhail Grabovski: Mikhail has been showing more and more maturity as the season goes on. Hopefully, the days of demanding first class tickets are gone. If Grabs can get his ego under control he can put up some decent numbers in this league. They will need to find him some top 6 level wingers to play with on a consistent basis, though.

Lee Stempniak: Lee has his best years ahead of him and I believe the criticism he garners is mostly unwarranted. He looks good handling the puck and likes to throw the body a bit for a lighter guy. I'd say keep him til he's 29 and see how it plays out.

Honourable Mentions:

Ian White: I'd love to keep him, but I don't consider him a franchise player. He might bring back someone who's better down the line if the right deal is made. An Ian White for Brad May trade wouldn't look great, but I'd consider a package deal that brought a solid, young top 6 player in.

Jonas Frogren: I think he's coming along nicely, even though he coughs a puck up once in a while. He's a servicable 5th or 6th defenseman. I don't think he has enough of a reputation yet to bring anyone better than him in a trade.

Jeff Finger: I don't think we've seen enough of Finger yet to make a decision on dumping him. His contract isn't being earned yet, but veryt well could be before it is over. I don't mind watching him crunch people. I could deal without the give-aways, though.

That's pretty much my whole list. Anyone else is fair game. The veterans can be ably replaced by similar veterans. I'd like to see a better back-up goaltender solution, as much as I love Cujo. I still vote him taking over for Corey Schwab.

P.S. Down Goes Brown is hilarious....keep it up. I think Burke privately finds it funny as hell.

NHL Trade Alert

2009-02-20T13:55:00.000-08:00

Mike "I can't believe I'm this big of a douche, either" Comrie has been traded to Senators for some unknown reason, since they have no chance in hell of making the playoffs. And what would Comrie add to the mix, anyways? Maybe more teen pop fans come to Scotia Place?

I Take It Back, Justin

2009-02-20T13:24:00.000-08:00

Dear Master Pogge,

I may have been wrong about you earlier in your career(the first 6 games of it). Although I stand by the fact that your lateral motion as a goaltender at the highest level is weak, your play cannot be held against you.....yet. You played well against Columbus and deserved a better fate. Please don't let the Jason Williams goal eat you up inside, like it eats me up inside. Please enjoy the rest of your yo-yo season with our tank-alicious team.

Love Far Away Leaf

Buffalo In Town

2009-02-17T07:23:00.000-08:00

The Sabres are 3-3-1 in January and have been running around .500 since the new year. They do, although, sit 12 points ahead of the Leafs in 7th place(tied with Florida). They are getting a little excited, as they are already pedaling playoff tickets on their website. With 7 teams between 60 and 69 points, I wouldn't get ahead of yourselves.

I think it is almost time to start a pool to see how many points Blake and Moore will get in the next game. I'm wondering if their "sudden" success is due to the Leafs being as bottom feeder and teams taking them a little less seriously. I'm not sure how I would find it out, but I'm curious to see what caliber of teams, the Blake line has been playing against.

With how long Pogge usually spends with the big club, it is almost a certainty that he will play tonight. Hopefully he will go up against Miller as they have a similar tall, skinny playing style. It would be cool to watch the head to head. ALthough, reading up on the Sabres website, "Miller, who needed only 16 saves for his shutout on Feb. 4, has allowed three goals on 77 shots in starting all 2008-09 games versus the Maple Leafs, improving to 14-7-0 with a 2.43 GAA in 21 career starts." Daunting to say the least, but what does press mean when you're out of the playoffs and playing to keep your career alive(I'm talking about you, Mitchell, SHOOT MORE damnit). That being said about my continued frustration with Mitchell, has anyone seen STajan lately? That kid has DISAPPEARED.

Return Of Pogge

2009-02-16T13:15:00.001-08:00

Pretty excited about Pogge coming back up. I haven't been very kind, often forgetting that the team in front of him stinks. Maybe we can bring in some young defense when trading off Kaberle and Kubina. It would be a great strategy if Pogge could run off a bunch of starts with the defense in front of him that will be there in the future. Therefore, Frogren, Schenn, White and ????? Stralman has had a few cameos this season, but he's been as successful as a Tlusty sitcom. Here's hoping that Pogge can play as well as Cam Ward(HAHHAhhahhaaaaaa....cough cough HAHAA) and shut the Sabres out.

Pogge Answered A Mail In

2009-02-14T09:42:00.001-08:00

Thanks to Mike at Torontomike.com for using my question when interviewing Justin Pogge. I asked a smart-assed version of a real question and he answered it. Maybe I have a future in asking people what to ask people! The "transcript" of my question is below and the whole interview is here:

Q: What role does Curtis Joseph play when you're up for one of your fly-by, drop-in performances. Are you buddies?
A: He's great, we can talk about anything. And he's got a wealth of knowledge and experience. We're buddies.

Sweeeeet

Slap Fight

2009-02-13T11:15:00.001-08:00

Just read at Sportsnet that Blake and Grabovski had a roll in the hay. I wonder if Grabs threw the bird to the crowd after the fight?

This Is What It Sounds Like When Doves Cry

2009-02-13T07:08:00.000-08:00

I think Joe Bowen can finally stop puking out the stat about how many times the Leafs score the first goal.....IT DOESN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE. And it's almost as if Stempniak read the blogosphere yesterday, with his 2 goal performance. Hagman continues to play with a pissy attitude in front of the net, which isn't too shabby for a 6' 200 pounder. I think I'd have to watch the game again to figure out how Schenn is -3 and Finger is +2???? The whole mess doesn't really come into perspective until you realize that despite how many goals the Leafs score the opposition is always able to score more. Four goals should win a hockey game in the NHL, SERIOUSLY! I've noticed that they are peeling back Schenn's ice time, only 18:15 last night from 21:31 on Tuesday. This may be from the accumulated -5 in two games, maybe? Overall, losing to a goaltender signing his first NHL contract a week ago in his second game should really sober up a team, yeah? We'll see back at home versus Pittsburgh Saturday.

P.S. Could Cujo flop around and slide out of his crease more?

P.P.S. No

New Feature!

Seeing as the Leafs have obviously missed the playoffs for 300 years, I have developed an affinity for the Calgary Flames. Yes, you read right.....Through years of Hockey Night In Canada, living on the west coast and not liking the top line of the Canucks(Brendan Morrison a first line center, really?) and my wife actually making a connection with hockey watching Kiprusoff save game after game, I have watched the Flames with growing interest. Now I want you to understand one thing, they are my backup team. I would love to follow a Canadian team in the playoffs and:

Senators: Hockey's version of a Raspberry scented douche
Canadiens: I will watch and laugh as they miss the playoffs in their 99th year
s'Oilers: Inconsistency is the new consistency! 19 goals against in two games, even if they make the playoffs, they bow out the first round
Canucks: Still love Sundin, but Luongo found a new way to let 4 goals a game in. Vanvouver Island has some great golf courses!

So, there you have it. Calgary would also be a great team to model after. They have youth, speed and a veteran presence in a great balance. Goaltending is solid to say the least. I was going to add a few words about yesterday's game, but I think I have talked about Kiprusoff enough(hint: he got a shutout)

Becoming Less-Rare Preview

2009-02-12T08:34:00.001-08:00

So far I haven't been able to find any particular VOODOO that will sink the Leafs tonight. The "Florida Panthers not having come back from a 3 goal deficit" VOODOO worked great for them on Tuesday. I think if we are looking for baby-steps, we can watch for the Leafs to put together a 55 minute effort tonight. They will have to do it without Jeremy Williams, the recent healthy scratch against Florida and Montreal. Ron Wilson had this to say about him when asked why Williams was down to the farm and on waivers: "There are still holes in his game, a lack of consistency," Leafs coach Ron Wilson said. "Until a player shows that kind of consistency on both side of the puck, you have to learn your craft in the minors, it's as simple as that. If (he clears waivers), he will help the Marlies and he will help himself." So long Jeremy, say hi to Staffan Kronwall!

The Sun also mentions moving Hagman off of the Moore-Blake line(scoring making you uneasy Brian?) so that he can spark Kulemin and Grabovski. Good luck with that.......

The last thing I'd like to mention today is the play of Kulemin. Not sure why Wilson always seems to think that he needs a "push". The kid is a great forechecker, and unless he is a complete douche behind the scenes, will be rounding out to have a fantastic 2nd line career with decent numbers. Keep giving him 12 to 16 minutes a night and watch him get 20 goals this year. You heard it here first.......

Positive Patty

2009-02-11T08:39:00.001-08:00

Although I am not one to look for silver linings, I'm going to pull a few positives out of the latest demoralizing catastrophe. Niklas Hagman sure looks tired of losing.....can you blame him? He looked to single-handedly win the game and was a force on the boards during the powerplay. Wouldn't you love to see Niklas playing with someone over 5'9" in front of net with some hands?

Leafspace is asking for questions to ask Schenn in an upcoming interview. Mine would be, "Has the management/coaching staff asked you to start choosing some opportunities to create some offense?" All of a sudden, since the Young Stars game, Schenn is rushing into the zone with the puck. If that is a directive he has received, now is the time to try it. The "Season of the Tank" is underway and what better time to have your 19 year old defenseman out of position? I think someone in the upper offices of the A.C.C. see Schenn as a potential Phaneuf-like player. I see moments of it as well, but don't think he'll be Al McInnis any time soon.

Although the Moore-Blake-Hagman line has been exceptional lately, they are definitely not able to win a game on their own. They came out the game all even, which is better than almost the entire rest of the team. This is actually a little more impressive when you remember that all three of them kill penalties, as well. Are they a Burke-like first line? No way in hell.

There was a "minor" trade a few weeks ago, bringing in Ryan Hamilton. Ryan does seem to be a Burke-like player, so why not bring him up? I'm not sure exactly why, but John Mitchell drives me nuts. I still think if you're truly tanking, I mean rebuilding, let's have a look at the farm kids. How many times do I need to recommend it before someone does it? Yeah, let's see the kids.

What They Could Do With Two Days Off

2009-02-05T12:08:00.001-08:00

Here's a few ideas for some of the Leafs with their days off before Saturday's lamb slaughtering:

Thomas Kaberle - Start looking into real estate in the USA
Mikhail Grabovski - Boxing training for "Round Two"
John Mitchell - Hit the Shooter Tutor
Jamal Mayers - Paint his jersey florescent yellow so we can see him on the ice
Ron Wilson - Send himself for a bag-skate for not being able to motivate his team(maybe it's not them?)
Alexei Ponikarovsky - Grease op his gloves to void clasping on to any jersey not the same color as his
Ryan Hollweg - A portable Simon game for the press box
Pavel Kubina - Give him the "C" already, I guarantee a carreer year if you do

Pogge Gets Shelled

2009-02-05T07:14:00.000-08:00

Justin got stuck behind a uncaring, lazy group of men last night. With a grand total of 16 sterile shots for and 32 potent shots against, the Leafs never showed up in Buffalo. The book may not be out on Pogge yet, but the pamphlet loudly reads "Go cross-crease on this kid". And they did. By recollection, like the recollection one has of being beaten in a school ground fight, I believe that 3 of the 5 goals were lateral moving one-timers. Vanek's natural hat trick was the only thing of note other than the fact last night's game let the Leafs know that they are sorely missing an agitator. Kaleta ran willy-nilly(I'll use that phrase often from here on out on Far Away Leaf, it's just not used enough in print), pissing everyone off. One thing that really stood out for me was John Mitchell. I have a little advice for John; Shoot or get out of the slot! Back-peddling through the slot is getting really frustrating, at least for me. SHOOT THE GD PUCK.

Luke Schenn is definitely getting direction behind the scenes that last few weeks. That direction must be, "Why don't you go ahead and take some risk offensively when you see the opportunity?" Luke was having no problems getting caught up ice until the All Star Break. A Lame stat; Luke leads the NHL with 58 shots with no goal.

Vesa VS Bryan

2009-02-04T07:20:00.000-08:00

Joe Bowen spoke the words at the beginning of the third period: " Florida is the only team in the league to not come back from going into the third period down a goal or more". And this the stage was set, it was time for the VOODOO to return. If Joe Bowen would have said "No hummingbird has ever tickled a monkey", Vesa would have found a way to make it happen. I'll be honest, I FFed through the final minute of the third after the penalty was called. A) because I knew they would and B) because I knew the outcome. Man, our penalty killing stinks. If you want an idea of how frustrating it can be to play for a team as bas as the Leafs, check out the determination of Hagman to get to the front of the net and score. I know this post is all over the place, just like the down low coverage of the Leafs. I think I may keep a bottle of Bromo-Seltzer close for the remaining games this season. One final note; what the hell was Bowen saying when he was trying to pronounce Skrastins? Stnshuns, Xschkkcns?

Rare Game Preview

2009-02-03T08:38:00.000-08:00

I hardly ever do previews of upcoming games. Mostly because the only thing that is even remotely easy to predict is the final outcome; a Leafs humiliating loss. The theory from earlier in the season that we were "watching an entertaining brand of hockey regardless of the outcome" may be somewhat back on track for the last two games. The Leafs have scored 12 goals in the last two games against suspect goaltenders in downward spiraling teams. I was somewhat shocked when presented by the headline on Mapleleafs.com that the Leafs were going for their 3rd win in a row. After witnessing Toskala letting in unscreened, on the fly slapshots from 50 feet out against the Penguins the last thing I would be typing would be "prospective 3 game winning streak". That being said THE LEAFS COULD BE GOING ON A 3 GAME WINNING STREAK! ALthough that win could come against a team that is 6-2-2 in the last 10 games. Vokoun has a 2.62 GAA and a .919 S%, but is only sporting a 14-14-3 record. Craig Anderson has been a pleasant surprise for them with lofty stats with a 2.47 GAA and a .930 S%. Vesa doesn't have a chance.

What Just Happened?

2009-01-30T07:47:00.000-08:00

So all the ingredients were there; the goalie with something to prove, the cast out gulping his last breaths trying to show his worth, and a new goalie that came back from a Mexican vacation where he had issues with beachballs. After the bedshitting was all done, Raycroft's was shittier(especially the goal from behind the net(let's call a spade a spade, they were all crap goals)). I think no Leaf with a point should get too excited about their performance last night. Points against Raycroft are like points against a Bantam C backup goaltender. Don't get me wrong, I still really hate Raycroft and his attitude towards his suckage. The worst part of ever having Raycroft in Toronto was the fact that he let Vesa think it's ok to really not care about bring 43 int the league in stats when there are only 30 teams. I guess the only way to really leave off today is with a resounding SUCK IT ANDREW!

Please Play Raycroft!

2009-01-29T08:16:00.000-08:00

It would be great if they played Budaj actually. I guarantee you that if Raycroft plays, he will win. Also Tucker will get at least one goal, probably short-handed. All the signs are there.......Legally inept goaltender playing the team that paid him over a million dollars to go away. Another guy that had 2 years left on a contract that got paid WAY more than 1 million dollars to go away. It's a recipe straight from the Leafs "Book Of Suck"(tm). Realistically, the Avalanche have been scoring, if not winning lately and Vesa has a great new tan. How these play out together is anyone's guess. My guess is Leafs 2 Avalanche 4.

Mercy?

2009-01-28T07:05:00.000-08:00

It seems the only times that I get on here to comment on a game is when the Leafs lose some atrocious, no effort affair. Well, not really, because then I would cover every game.....Highlights include Hagman playing well offensively, but having the bad luck of being in front of Pogge. Kulemin was forechecking like a demon, but Grabovski was content to fall down whenever he was within 10 feet of the puck. Lowpoints include two of the ugliest goals I've seen scored on an "NHL" goaltender in a long time. Pogge's lateral movement is almost non-existent. He was easily 3 feet out of position, including a very soft first goal to a Darcy Tucker wannabe that will be the next Avery without the faux-hawk. All in all a horrific game that the management built up to be an easier test for Pogge and it sure didn't turn out that way. One note for a little lift, at least I'm not an Oilers fan...............

Voodoo

2009-01-22T07:19:00.000-08:00

Let's roll the bones and see why the Leafs choked last night in the third period(bear with me). *ROLL*

Bruins have never come back from trailing after 2 periods(0-6-2) CHECK!
Tim Thomas has the largest horseshoe stored in his person CHECK!
Michael Ryder has scored once in the shootout EVER. CHECK!
There's a magnet to either side of the Boston net that is turned on whenever Grabovski takes a shot unmolested directly in front of Thomas from 10 feet out and a proven sharp-shooter shoots a foot wide. CHECK!
Toskala was left in the net for the shootout. Click Click BOOM

All these signs led to the Maple Leafs pre-ordained loss to Boston last not.

Not their cruddy defensive positioning on the last two goals.

GOT IT?

Seriously?

2009-01-20T08:41:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure about you guy(s) out there, but I'm not ready to go through a stretch reminiscent of the shit pile that were the 80's Leafs. The effort last night was beyond embarrassing. One of the only people I know that I can truly talk hockey with is a Carolina fan. I'm pretty sure he is embarrassed his team won the way they did. Watching the Leafs the last month and a half has been like watching a prospects game that was snowed in; only 1/3 of the prospects could make the game and they got the local maintenance crew to fill in the rest of the roster. Even when the Leafs get OK goaltending they are turning the puck over. One of the biggest issues the Leafs have this year are players, like Poni and Blake, that can't chip a puck over the blue line when they are standing 6 feet from it. Players over the age of 22 can't be making these mistakes. Especially if they are making over $1 million American. God, just kill me................

Let's Plumb The Farm

2009-01-15T08:39:00.000-08:00

For fun! Tim Stapleton, who has 34 points in 37 games, may be a center and very tiny, but let's give him a shot. Why not?!? Our fourth line is a joke anyways. I'm not going to elaborate on this too much, but let's try these other kids out if we're losing to the Atlantas of the league anyways. Let's make some minor leaguer's day! Let's score an effing goal this week!

Return Of The Steve

2009-01-13T12:17:00.001-08:00

Steve Sullivan's return to Toronto has me very interested in the game tonight. Steve Sullivan was one of my favorite Leafs from a time when Quinn had them playing a more entertaining run and gun style. Sullivan is tiny, Kyle Wellwood tiny, but has sweet hands and used to be able to take his share of abuse. That abuse, of course, has caused him to miss almost two full seasons. He will probably never be able to get back to a point a game before his inevitable retirement, but he should still be fun to watch. I remember a useless segment on the Mike Bullard show(the only place you could a Leaf being interviewed without sweat pouring off of him) that had Sullivan shooting at a shooter-tutor. He didn't miss a target. Why not pick up a veteran like that so I can enjoy watching a game here and there.

At Last

2009-01-09T07:10:00.000-08:00

At last the Leafs are playing up to their potential. Watching Montreal destroy the Leafs, making them look worse than the Marlies, was painful. It was a pain I was consciously trying to make myself get used to. Getting Centre Ice this year was great for my thirst for hockey, but not for my passion for the Leafs. I have already tired of Greg Millen and his skipping record of color commentary. Bowen seems to be waiting for the Leafs to get down 2-0 so he can say how many times it has happend this year. Which inevitably leads to the stats on:

How many first period goals they have given up
How they're a third period team(who knows how this stat matters when you're down 6-1)
How Grapes called Deveaux a pussy

The one thing that I notice they don't mention anymore is how this "team just never gives up". I haven't seen fight in the Leafs for some time now. Bringing in Brad May is a baffler, especially if you want to bring along younger talent. Kulemin is now stewing in the minors as Holweg(who thought he was a good idea?), Deveaux and May get over 10 mins a night. Give me team of the future, that sucks, not the team of the past, that is embarrassing to watch.

Let's Talk Kulemin Instead

2008-12-31T06:41:00.000-08:00

First off, congratulations to Cujo for not handing away another game and getting his 450th win in an NHL regular season. Secondly, did anyone pay attention to Kulemin last night? Other than the tap-in goal, I mean. Kulemin is easily our best fore-checker. Watch Ponikarovsky; skate in 20 feet, wave stick one-handed at either defenseman, retreat. When Kulemin goes in the defense has to get away from him. It's like watching a flock of birds in flight; one turns, they all do. Not to mention the fact that if he keeps playing with Grabovski, he will keep scoring goals like the one below for a long time.

Dear Mr. Wilson,

Please stop putting Kulemin on the fourth line. I think his defensive game is great. Let him start scoring goals. Let's not make him into Stephane Yelle or PJ Axelsson.

Thanks,

Anthony

More Pogge Wishful Thinking

2008-12-30T07:34:00.001-08:00

Tonight's game is where us, as Leafs fans, will find out if Ron Wilson is a superstitious coach. Justin Pogge got his first NHL win against the lowly Thrashers and a black-cat-avoiding coach would put the same goaltender in the net for a rematch. Especially because it was somewhat of a whimsical choice the last outing. I'm sure Brian Burke would like to see Pogge a bit more over the next stretch to make sure that getting rid of Vesa Toskala would be a great idea. I'm sure that the Maple Leafs could use another half-full bucket of pucks for their practices.

Laid Down

2008-12-27T09:50:00.000-08:00

"Laid Down" was initially a mistake name for my Leafspace blog. It was actually a description of one particular game. Now it is the Anthem of one of the most piss poor Maple Leafs teams that I have had to watch. Last night was the first time I have ever fast forwarded through a game. I just knew it was going to end as it did. Really, you don't have to be Kresgin to see it some nights. The formula is there; a player reaching a milestone, any opposing player from within 500 miles of Toronto playing that needs their first goal/point, long opposing team losing streak, Toskala in net = GUARANTEED LOSS. Every time.....even when the Leafs were better. Don't forget how great they are on Banner nights too. I think I finally went over the edge to frustrated........and I didn't even swear after the first goal on Toskala............

Like a First Date for the Second Time

2008-12-24T07:21:00.001-08:00

You're standing on the front step, waiting to get the courage to ring the doorbell. You reach up and find that the doorbell doesn't work. You tentatively rap your knuckles on the door, feeling the harsh sting from the frozen wood. Her father answers the door and looks you up and down before asking if he can help you. You say that you're here to pick up your date "The Playoffs" and was she home? Again her father looks you up and down and turns his head away and yells to your date that you were there to pick her up and were 59 minutes late. Your date comes down the stairs, looking beautiful, like you hadn't seen her in four years. She walks slowly to the door and gives you the same slow look up and down that her father did. Looking down yourself you finally notice what they already had; that your pants were around your ankles. This was the second time in four outings that you felt the breeze, but never thought to look down until now. Knowing that you had two days off, you walk home to take a break and maybe go knock on her door again on Boxing Day.

Merry Leafs Christmas!

Hagman Is My Hero

2008-12-23T12:13:00.000-08:00

I really enjoy watching Hagman and Kulemin on the fore-check. For two small-ish guys they play big in the corners and aren't afraid to go to the net. Hagman, in particular, is willing to take abuse. Hagman came back from a concussion to score a goal a game from in close. Also something that brings me much joy is the Tikannen-esque attitude that Hagman throws around at times. The staring down at Nabokov after a late goal in a 5-2 loss to the Sharks was as satisfying a useless goal at the end of a game as I can imagine. I hope to see the Kulemin-Hagman-Grabovski line sticking together, especially to get Kulemin off of the fourth line. He isn't going to get any better offensively playing with Deveaux, but he may learn a bit about taking the body. He does fine now, but he could be even more physical to great effect. I have a feeling there will be another Hagman goal tonight, assisted by the lately-silent Grabovski. I am calling a Toronto win of 3-2 with Pogge getting his second win of the season.

Pogge Gets The Call

2008-12-22T07:42:00.000-08:00

Justin Pogge's shining numbers: 10-9-3, 2.86 GAA and a .890 Save Percentage. This says way more about Cujo than it does about Pogge. This is also a harbinger of Burke's idea a his Maple Leafs team; bring up the prospect goalie, playing ok, and let the chips (and losses) fall where they may. My guess is that this is a short lived experiment, maybe until the Christmas break is over. I wish Pogge luck, win a game tonight and earn another for tomorrow. Maybe he won't be forever scarred from a loss.......maybe.

Fooling Ourselves

2008-12-19T11:58:00.000-08:00

This is the second or third time that I have found myself getting hopes up that there is a corner being turned by this incarnation of Leafs team. This time it was a 3 game win streak, instead of 2, but the crash was just as hard. Did Toskala have you thinking he might have his shit together? Nope, first scoring play, first goal. Just like in New Jersey and 4 of 5 contests prior to that. Did Cujo have you feeling nostalgic? Had me remembering high scoring affairs with Grant Fuhr show-boating in goal. Overall, I am at peace with the re-building faze. Not saying that I don't curse throughout an entire game while watching. I don't think that my passion will ever wane in that regard. If the Leafs someday win 81 games I will swear when they drop the last one. I can't wait til Mats Sundin comes back and saves the franchise.....what?......Vancouver?........awwwwwwwwwwwww

Stralman Sent Down

2008-12-15T07:16:00.000-08:00

After altering the very time-space continuum that my life revolves around(that being that there is ALWAYS a Saturday night Leafs game calling me to drink Molson Canadian) the Leafs have made a logical decision to send the only AHL available defenseman down to the minors. Stralman was playing ok, which obviously wasn't good enough for Ron Wilson. While being a plus 1 on this Leafs team (on defense, to boot) is pretty amazing, he will be watched in the minors to see if he can throw up bigger numbers in a lesser league. Good luck, Anton. Hopefully you can respond better than Colaiacovo did, with his guarenteed roster spot and all. Speaking of which Colaiacovo is now at a .5 point-per-game pace, compared to the .1 point-per-game pace he had with the Leafs. While Steen has doubled his PPG average to a more impressive .4 PPG. Although he still remains on pace for a very low plus/minus. Does anyone miss these guys yet?

Avery Response

2008-12-05T07:13:00.001-08:00

Following is my response to a Morris Dalla Costa article on Slamsports:

"I thought I was the only one not impressed by condoning what Avery has done by referring to Rachel Hunter as his "squeeze". I believe it was another Sun writer that I can't recall checking to see what their name was. I'm not disagreeing with the need to implement better, easy to understand conduct rules. But as seen with the "Avery Rule", the NHL head office tends to have quite the reflexes in its knee-jerk reactions. Hopefully, the NHL uses the time it has taken well and comes out with a sensible edict for Avery(and not embarrass themselves more in the process). One thing I think that gets lost in the mix is that sometimes it isn't easy being a Hockey fan. Avery perpetuating the block-head mentality colors the stereotypically perceived hockey player in an even worse light. NFL fans scoffing that hockey "isn't even a sport" then have fuel to further mock our fanaticism for the sport. I don't see any other players this dim-witted on T.V. It's unfortunate that Avery had the opportunity to mouth off to such a huge audience(and I must admit that the media were standing and waiting for their Avery-ism). Jeremy Roenick and Brett Hull are no longer comparisons like they were a mere few years ago. Those guys seem like prep school debate stars in comparison now."

We can see what a truly penitent man Avery was at his meeting with Bettman by the respectful eye gear he wore for even more attention leaving the NHL building. I hope he languishes in the Quebec Senior Mens fighting Hockey League(if anyone can remind me the actual name of the league, I'm embarrassed I couldn't remember or figure it out).

18,000th Goal!

2008-12-02T06:40:00.000-08:00

The 18,000th goal in Leafs history was scored last night by Matt I-almost-threw-the-game-away-in-the-first-period Stajan. Even more important was the rookie goal leading Grabovski's goal in the third period. Most of the night it looked like a mistake to have a guy playing that needed IV drips just to hydrate, but I guess it paid off, Ron. My one question in this short post is this; is Deveaux ever going to beat someone up to keep his job? Burke is watching, Andre. Last, but not least, if you didn't like Finger yet, now is your time! I'm just as pissed as Greg Millen that FInger ended up in the box for what was basically wrestling a dummy to the ice after destroying Mollen with a clean hit. Have a nice day, Derek Armstrong.

Tensions Rising

2008-11-26T10:12:00.000-08:00

A quote from Sportsnet this morning, "The spirit of Tuesday night spilled over to practice on Wednesday as Leafs forward Dominic Moore and defenceman Jeff Finger got into a disagreement. The gloves were dropped by both parties but it was quickly broken up by teammates." I have to say it's about time that someone got pissed off instead of thinking that there will be a come back whenever they allow three goals in the first period. I'd love to see some intensity on game night. Hopefully the tension actually has something to do with hockey. The only problem I have with it is I hope that this kind of thing doesn't get to the point of a fist-fight a week in practive like up in Ottawa.

If Cujo Made A Save....

2008-11-26T06:52:00.003-08:00

Perhaps on the second shot, that would have been nice. Asking a young team to play mistake free hockey is ridiculous. Having a guy with 449 wins to maybe steal a game instead of doing his now-patented "goddammit double fist pump" would be much appreciated, too. I'm not going to be that guy giving Cujo kudos for saving a breakaway that Ilya Kovulchuk shot into his sullied logo. The score could easily have been 8-3 with the swim practice he had in the third period. I'm not blaming Cujo, an idol of mine for quite some time, for this loss. I'm asking him to do his job and push the indifferent starting goaltender to do his job. I'm asking other Leafs fans not to try to put a positive spin on a game by acting like they knew who Stempniak was the whole time, they were just waiting to see what you knew about him. I've done some top-of-my-head math and if the leafs play the next 61 games like they have the last ten, they will win a grand total of 12 more games this season. That is a long season, one I was prepared for, but not prepared to like very much.

Cujo To Play Against Atlanta

2008-11-25T08:30:00.000-08:00

This just in from Sportsnet......Cujo is to play tonight against Altlanta. And Lee Stempniak has passed his physical, but it is unknown on whether he will play tonight. I hope he does, just so the I-only-watch-the-Eastern-Conference fans can see him up close. I don't think he's played in front of a crowd like Toronto's(although St. Louis has had good turn outs for years). I am also hoping that Cujo can pull his head out of his ass and make a few saves when they are needed. I am not against Cujo make a string of starts to inspire Vesa into playing hockey again.

Colaiacovo Down

2008-11-20T09:33:00.001-08:00

Direct quote sent to me via the sportsnet update service, "Carlo Colaiacovo injured his leg at practice blocking a shot. He had to be helped off the ice." Can everyone say it with me now....."AGAIN?" This is a great thing, because I would love to see Frogren get another shot. I'm starting to wonder why they went through all the trouble if they aren't going to us or showcase the guy. ANd let's hear it for a more defensive core of defensemen out there anyways.

Bring Ed Belfour In As Goaltending Coach

2008-11-17T22:45:00.000-08:00

We need some timely goaltending. Not sure what has to happen to get a game saver. We have one of the all-time best scramblers backing up Toskala right now in Cujo. Not sure what career backup Corey Hirsch is going to train Vesa. I never really understood bringing in journeyman to train major pro athletes. Can't Toronto afford to steal away Tretiak? Or better yet I would love to see Belfour as goaltending coach. Anyone with me?

Leafs At Vancouver 11/15/08

2008-11-15T11:13:00.000-08:00

1114h Prediction: Luongo is harder to crack than a rookie in his 4th game in Edmonton. Toronto loses in OT 4-3. Grabovski finally goes pointless and there is another injury(all sunshine, that's me)

Mitchell May Be Back

2008-11-14T11:49:00.000-08:00

Quoted on Slamsports(bottom of the page) as saying John Mitchell may return, who would you take out of the lineup? My choice would be Dominic Moore(could be more productive). I'm hoping Mitchell isn't a one period wonder.......

Leafs Vs Oilers 11/13/08

2008-11-13T17:45:00.000-08:00

1747h PST Pregame prediction: Having Dressed Colaiacovo instead of Frogren, Colaiacovo will cost the Leafs at least one goal. Should have dressed Frogren. Coloaiacovo is too soft on the puck. I will go one step further and say he will cause the goal by not clearing the zone when he had the chance.

2152h PST Well, the Leafs pulled that one out of their asses with their powerplay. Colaiacovo played ok, but his footspeed caused him problems all night. Grabovski gets better every night. Just when it started to look like he wasn't going to be rewarded for his hard work, he pots a goal on a sweet pass from Blake. Blake looked pissed off. I'm not a fan of the dirty low bridge he threw. He can go rot in Colorado with Tucker if that's what he thinks is called competing. Overall a great turn around from a lack lustre loss in Calgary and an atrocious, error filled first period.

Oh Woe Is The One-timer

2008-11-12T07:21:00.000-08:00

How many one-timers can the Leafs allow into their goal in one game? In Calgary, 3 out of 4 goals(or so it felt). The new defense mechanism that Ron Wilson has trained our beloved Leafs is to have the Defensemen stick to the post and not chase players with the puck behind the net. Sounds feasible. Until that opposing player goes around in front of the net and Tomas Kaberle is still screening his goalie and deflects the puck in past his unsuspecting goaltender. As unflappable as the coaching staff say Toskala is, I am hoping that he starts getting a little pissed off soon. Toskala is earning his goals-against and save percentages. I know, I know, the defense isn't helping on some of the goals. Last year, in front of a crappier team, Toskala single-handedly kept the Leafs in some games. That is what you come to expect and need from a starting goaltender. I have a sneaking suspicion that Cujo may play in the next two games and I wouldn't be looking forward to a duel between Cujo and Luongo. Last time I saw Cujo play for the Leafs in Vancouver it was a 6-5 OT win for Toronto, while McCabe took out Mogilny for ten games by being Bryan McCabe and breaking Mogilny's hip(and lots of people swore ate me for wearing a Leafs jersey, the OT win was worth it). Not to mention the Brashear/Belak fight. I'm not sure which game would be better. The one in 2002 or on Saturday?

Mike Van Ryn Out Indefinitely

2008-11-10T08:59:00.001-08:00

There's not a lot I want to add to the gutless check from Kostopoulos. I would like to say that it just figures that a longshot pick up for the Leafs finally pay off, only to see him splattered into oblivion. While being out 4 to 6 weeks, Van Ryn has to come back from yet another serious injury. That means getting into game shape, avoiding getting gun shy(still going into the corners) and usurping whoever fills his spot until he is healthy again. The "Colaiacovo Effect" doesn't seem to be being used this year(that being that if you are a "top prospect" you automatically get to play when not injured). Good luck to you healing up good as new Mike, you are one of the bright spots this year and you will be missed. And hopefully we can see the fruits of a great trade pay off more this year.