Raking Leafs

Regretting Rask

2010-04-15T10:53:00.001-04:00

This made me cry. Never ever trade the WJC player of the tournament ever again.

To All The Party People....

2010-01-14T20:43:00.005-05:00

I've Got The Brand New Doo-Doo Guaranteed
Like Yoo Hoo
I'm On Like Dr John, Yea Mr Zu Zu
I'm A Newlywed, Not A Divorcee
And Everything I Do Is Funky Like Lee Dorsey
Well, It's The Taking of Pelham, One, Two, Three
If You Want A Doodoo Rhyme Then Come See Me
I've Got The Savoir Faire With The Unique Rhyme
And
I Keep It On And On, It's Never Quitting Time And
Strictly Hand Held Is The Style I Go
Never Rock The Mic With The Panty Hose
I Strap On My Ear Goggles And I'm Ready To Go
'Cause At The Boards Is The Man They Call The
Mario
Pull Up At The Function And You Know I Kojak
To All The Party People That Are On My Bozak
I've Got More Action Than My Man John Woo
And I've Got Mad Hits Like I Was Rod Carew

You Can't, You Won't And You Don't Stop
Ad Rock Come And Rock The Sure Shot

damn, what a goal.

Not His Fault

2010-01-14T10:38:00.006-05:00

I hate this Kaberle NTC/"Hanging Around" meme. Couldn't come up with a more damning title? Why not "Kaberle screws franchise for not waiving NTC." That would've been less obvious.

Don't lay this debacle and desperate attempt to regain squandered assets at his feet. Burke made his play for Kessel, gambling the future for a return to the playoffs. Not sure why a gamble was necessary when so much foundational work had yet to be accomplished. Don't blame Kaberle. Don't blame Kaberle. Blame Burke and his ego. Blame Fletcher and his lack of long term committment (Hollweg for anything is laughable). Blame JFJ has year to year battle for survival (note to self-WJC players of the tournament are not to be traded).

When will a long term committment to sustained franchise on-ice success emerge from the halls of MLSE? When, I ask? When?! I don't care about success rates of draft picks making the NHL. I want to enjoy atleast having the chance to evaluate and perhaps watch the growth of a crop of draftees. Is that too much to ask?

There is no spoon

2009-11-30T09:39:00.005-05:00

Dana Sinclair, where have you been all season?

Brian Burke, why did it take twenty games to hire a shrink? Check that, why wasn't a shrink hired last season? I suppose what I assume as a given for a first class flag ship franchise is not always so.

Blackhawks' Saviour?

2009-11-23T11:40:00.005-05:00

Looks like Burke has a dance partner in Chi-town.

Pinned to the mat, the only leg on the rope Burke has is cap space. But he should skip on Sopel and poach a younger player. Cam Barker would be a coup. Patrick Sharp would be nice. Getting a pick would be icing on the cake. Who should leave town? No one under the age of 27.

Sopel is a powerplay guy with a shot. He has been exposed as a poor even strength player throughout his career. The Leafs have no need for a player in that mold, let alone a player with as many miles as Sopel. Unless there's a first rounder in it.

The Song Remains The Same

2009-11-19T14:33:00.008-05:00

(I was going to post the below yesterday. Then they score the first three, pad their lead, score late to re-take the lead....you know the rest. Hence, the below)

In response to Burke pointing out the positives today in the NP, I'd like to point out how the culture remains the same with my trouble Leafs. Allow me to explain.

Though many of the talking points are in themselves true, what is not true is that Burke is accomplishing what he set out to do. Fighting Majors and playing the system do not change a team culture, and that is what truly ails the Leafs. As an aside, I think Orr could be a major factor in changing the culture. He can provide mojo, swagger, confidence, which is a necessary ingredient in what follows.

Attributes that have sickened fans since the lock out remain. Slow starts, and the resulting catch up. Seldom leads are squandered. Opposition teams playing their back-up. This could be summed up in being easy to play against, but it is more than that. Much more.

I'm not sure the Leafs grasp the concept playing the game. I'm not talking about playing a zone, or driving the net, or executing a one-timer; the minutae, while vitally important, but still minutae. I'm talking about the big picture. The theory of playing and winning a game of hockey.

Players jumping the boards and winning every battle for position or the puck, in succession for every skater through the entire shift. Siezing the opportunity presented with every second on the ice to to beat your opponent, to win the game, to have no mercy. This is how a team imposes it's will, and this is how any good team wins games. This is usually achieved through a process called "learning how to win." Not a lucky bounce, or a broken stick, or "we had several good chances..." This takes preparation and execution. Positioning, Fore-thought. Anticipation. Effort. But it also takes a sense of 'the game', situational awareness if you will.

Granted the Leafs can impose their will at times but the opposition is also allowing it to happen, already staked to a comfortable lead. If this imposition occurred at the beginning of a game, and then throughout, when the opposition is also trying to take control of the game, when the battle should be raging, then I think we'd be getting somewhere, making some concrete progress. But that big picture seems to be missing.

Where is the emphasis on getting a lead? Is there an understanding of the importance of a lead? Of imposing their will on the opposition? Of trying to win the game, not just to have a 'successful shift" so you can avoid blame?

I don't have any answers, but I think I've got a good handle on the problem.

Update - Make Ian White the Captain already. He is truest to the team of any Leaf for the past three years. Last night's loss is another example of his leadership. Not sure why he was on the bench for the final shift in regulation...

Schenn the new Richardson?

2009-11-18T09:36:00.003-05:00

Both early first round picks. Both physical defenders, slated for greatness. Both rushed into the league. We know how Richardson turned out. I have much higher hopes for Schenn. Hopefully Burke can steer this situation away from repeating itself.

Schemin'

2009-03-30T14:14:00.002-04:00

To answer a rhetorical question posed by Steve Buffery of Sun Media, the line of Poni-Grabbo-Kulemin is Ski-Min. Pronounced Schemin'

That is all.

Bouwmeester, Tavares, Burke and Reducing Turn-Around Time

2009-01-12T11:42:00.015-05:00

Forgive me if my hypothetical plan has been articulated before, as I'm not as available to PROcrastinate as the years go by, but I think there is a chance for a quick turnaround in Leafland. Bear with me as I dream a Leaf dream.

First, the media needs to start floating the idea of Brian Burke's dying dream of signing Jay Bouwmeester in the offseason. Jay might get traded before the season is through, but if he doesn't sign a new deal, he should be free to walk. Granted 29 other teams want to sign the mobile hulk, but he would be an instant superstar in a Leaf uniform which is something that might be on his mind if I can read way too far into his father's comments about hockey in South Florida. I'll have to check the '09 UFA/FA list for other potential targets.

With Bouwmeester on the blue line, that would allow for Kaberle, Kubina and Van Ryn to be moved for assets. Kaberle is the most marketable, Kubina is the 'extra piece' for a SC contender. Van Ryn has been a pleasent surprise, but he just can't seem to stay healthy, and a defensemen with concussion issues won't be much use in the current mode of the NHL that doesn't permit wingers to be slowed down when chasing a puck to the end boards, but I digress. Bouwmeester, Schenn, Finger, Mighty White, Stralman, and Sifers makes a nice top 6. If keeping Kaberle and Kubina is possible, I'd go for that option, but I think the asset return for those two out weighs what they could provide two seasons from now.

The next element is to move assets for assets. This is a common meme, one that I have half heartedly accepted but now is a course of action I fully embrace. The only untouchables are Schenn, Kulemin, Antropov, Stajan and Schenn. The returns should be blue chippers and picks. Quantity should not be the focus, though if the deal makes sense I'd agree with several servicable players to stop gap the youth development.

The fire sale should contribute to the next element; tanking for Tavares. The Maple Leafs need a star draft pick. Too long have we watched players of world class ability move to the far reaches of the NHL, leaving barren the heartland of hockey. No longer! Burke needs to make this happen. If the lottery hands the second pick to the Leafs, pick the Swedish Pronger and work a deal with whoever picked Tavares to swap. Please, hockey gods, somehow make this happen.

Next, Burke needs to capitalize on the weakened finacial state of Tampa Bay, Phoenix and obviously, Florida. If it is a salary dump trade for a high caliber player, make it happen. Two dimes and a nickel for a quarter is always a winner. If it is an offer sheet to take advantage of a salary situation, make it happen. Scavenge. Predate. Burke needs to show his superstar colors in the ripe situation that is developing in the NHL.

If most or all of these elements come into play it would be possible for a last in the League to Play-off team turn around, a la Philadelphia via Holmgren, within a season or two. The D would be solid. Depending on what moves takes place will determine the strength and depth of the forward corps. If Toskala isn't moved, he can get a team to the play-offs. If he is moved, goal tending would be a big question mark. Pogge is looking less and less like the answer, and Rask is starting to blossom.

The Leafs don't have much waiting in the wings, but they do have some pieces. Tlusty should come around. Jimmy Hayes could develop quickly, and with his size could contribute soon. Chris DiDomenico is the type of player Burke should like. Victor Stalberg is a big body with speed. Brent Aubin could be a steal or a dud.

This might be the irrational musings of a fan who covets having a star blue liner that could be avaiable while hoping his team can re build effectively. As of now, I am unsure if these destinies are mutually exclusive. The next few months should be interesting.

01/15/09 UPDATE - Add Zetterberg to the wish list. According to this CBC article, Hank Z has rejected a Hossa money type contract over 10 years. From that, I feel comfortable interpreting that Hank isn't going to take a home town discount. And I don't blame him. He has been one of the best performance to salary bargains in the league for how long now? And not to read too much into a situation, but Zetterberg has been performing below par this year on my fantasy squad. Earlier in the year I attributed this ebb to a Cup hang over, but there might be more to it that than. Hossa is in town now. The Wings will be Pavel's team as soon as Lidstrom is done, and maybe just maybe Hank wants to run the show somewhere else. Perhaps in Toronto? Lead a turn around. Harder the challenge the greater the reward....And all he would cost the Leafs is Cap Room.

A non-MSM Sundin Update

2008-12-17T15:38:00.003-05:00

Courtesy of Raking Leafs intrepid New York Rangers correspondent.

Via HF Rangers Board

I don't have much to add apart from having an intelligent and in depth conversation about hockey with one of hockey's greats during drinks, dinner and taking in a game from a luxury box is pretty much a Make-A-Wish for any hockey junky. I know I'd screw it up and think of all my insightful remarks afterwards while stewing about the off the cuff jibberish I had let slip out of my mouth. But that's another story entirely.

Sundin is going to fit right in nicely in New York.

In the beginning....

2008-10-09T19:41:00.011-04:00

Leafs 3 - Wings 2

Leaf Lines

Poni-Antro-Blake

Moore-Steen-Kulemin

Mitchell-Stajan-Mayers

Tlusty-Grabovski-Hagman

Leaf Pairs

Carlo-Kubina

Kaberle-Schenn

Frogren-VanRyn

Toskala

The physical play in all three zones is what really surprised me. Finishing the forecheck, stopping the skater in the neutral zone and putting the winger on his seat in the d zone is exactly what you want to do. If we see that 80% of the time I'd be amazed. And all of this in your face play led to a rusty Red Wings squad give the puck up uncharacteristically often, all the way back to the d making a first pass in front of Osgood.

Kubina PPG unassisted. Pinching with the first period winding down was an excellent decision knowing that if the puck got by him the Wings wouldn't have enough time to do any damage. The tenacious puck pursuit down low was great to see while a man up. The Osgood pass had a little to do with it as well.

Moore roofing it over a sprawled Ozzie after another scramble on the edge of the crease. Kulemin made this goal with this pass back to Frogren, receiving from a linemate behind the goal just above the goal line in the corner and pivoting inside and going with the puck and dishing back to the line while eluding his defender who ended up in no man's land. Fantastic instinct.

Kulemin with a shimmy shake following a nice puck poach after Steen's pressure on the forecheck forced a ill-fated pass. Nice to see that kind of raw skill in a Leaf, let alone his NHL debut. No promises, but this kid might have the 1000 yard stare when given a scoring chance.

Toskala looked very sharp after getting fortunate with an early rush that ended with a twang off the post. Captain apparently for the game as well.

Antropov drew a pro's powerplay after taking a cross check to the base of his back. I wonder where he picked up that move?

Holmstrom pawned Carlo first, then Schenn on the crease for his two Tomas specials. Dude is like an Akido master or some sh!t, the way he transfers weight, maintains balance and composure while guiding a loss puck past a professional goal tender. Carlo and Schenn had respectable games beyond those two lost battles. Carlo looked rusty at times, and his tendency to get caught while changing direction appeared twice, but other than that not bad. Schenn was authoritative on the body but made a couple passing errors, which is to be expected.

Puck Drops in 60

2008-10-09T18:00:00.004-04:00

Apparently there is a Leafs game tonight or something. And people seem to be somewhat excited about it.

I know this guy is.

I'll be watching the Versus broadcast in HD down here south of the 49th. I have to say that without Versus I would never get to see an out of market NHL game in HD. That is why I'm happy to promote the channel. Now if only my cable provider would make room for the NHL Network HD and Center Ice HD my quest for deluding myself into thinking I'm still in Leafland would be complete. But alas, these things take time and I'll have to wait until the Second Great Depression is over to see 82 Leafs games in HD. But enough of my plight.

Anyone in GTA who would like to win season tickets to the Leafs should head down to Yonge-Dundas Square and take in the game at the live outdoor broadcast. I'm not sure if hockey players are still dangling from billboards as I write this, but that might be worth the trip too.

Rare Synchronicity

2008-09-25T10:33:00.015-04:00

As you can tell my Leaf blogging urge has ebbed over the past year. The reasons are due to physical health, mental health (Wilson's mantra of attention to detail is my current medication), as well as other interests over-taking my irrational insistence on watching a team with a deeply flawed ownership and team philosophy.

The leader of the competing pack is fly-fishing. This year has been a banner year for me simply because of the number of hours I have been able to enjoy streamside. Along with getting married, this will be one of the most memorable years of my life. Not to get too non-Leafs on the few souls that still manage to click their way here every now and again, but delving so deeply into a new passion can at times bring you back full circle.

This morning is a case and point. Looking to augment my already overflowing arsenal of hook, thread, and fur and feather, I stumbled across a bodacious looking fly, aptly named the Melrose Mullet. I know Barry hasn't gone the blue dye route yet, but I could imagine it if he ever landed Cherry's gig in a decade.

As for the Leafs, well, it is looking like a sit back and watch kind of season. Or as my employer often drones on, this is a period of transition with loads of opportunity. (ain't phrasing the modern magic akin to a snake oil sales pitch?)

I'm still waiting for the first major injury to derail the optimism. I'm guessing Kaberle or Kubina's ankle while blocking a shot. I'm sadly not surprised that my boy Kaberle is struggling to adjust to zone coverage. He's been badly tainted, and some patience might be needed with this reliable veteran. I'm also eagerly waiting to hear from the media how Kulemin is being ruined if he managed to stick on the top line. But the number beside the line shouldn't be very important this year. Scoring has to come from everywhere, which should be possible if the team actually plays a turn-over type defense in all three zones. But what I would like to see most this season is a team that demonstrates that it gets it, that preventing goals is how you win the game and if the players don't commit to preventing goals, they sit.

An early trend that is worrisome is the PK. I know Wilson has had half a practice with the team to cover the abcs, and Gill isn't here anymore to save the day, but this aspect of the game needs serious attention. Tim Hunter, I'm looking at you.

Some things I'd like to see are Antro and Kulemin, Stajan and Hagman, Steen and Blake. Actually, that last one would be a fight every time up the ice to see who gets to take the long slap shot the goalie can clearly see. So maybe, Steen and Hagman and Stajan and Blake. Over the first ten games I'd like to see goals against less than 25. I know the early season score-a-thon is a tradition for the Leafs, as it is with much of the league, but if things are to be different, this is a great place to start. If the goals for is less than 10, that's ok. I'm more concerned with generating scoring chances. By December hopefully the details have spread from the D zone all the way to the other end of the ice, but if that takes until March, that's ok too.

Other than that, I'm still waiting to see some live action. No pre-season Leafs for me down here in the NY media market. And the most pressing issue for out-of-marketers remains HD broadcasting on the Center Ice package.

Though there are benefits. Not hearing the incessant scripted non-stories all summer is a serenity those in the Big Smoke no doubt envy.

Patience. That's the word we all need to remember, however difficult it maybe. Without it, the Leafs losing will continue to be a self-induced nightmare.

Patience. It also helps with the fishys.

Advantage Sather

2008-07-15T10:29:00.008-04:00

Congratulations, you've just acquired yourself one slightly used Ryan Hollweg! And as luck would have it, Raking Leafs has a Rangers Correspondent to tell you all about your new addition.

Hollweg is a gritty player. He's good in the locker-room and well liked by his mates. In fact, he's often called a "team guy". Hollweg plays hard and he's sound defensively. He's quick and he's aggressive. This combination makes him something of a human wrecking-ball on the ice. He'll fly from side to side hitting anything that has the puck (or not). Hollweg also makes your team tougher. He's happy to fight. He's not scared to stand up for his teammates. Oh, and as a bonus, some of his best days were playing on Dominic Moore's wing as a fourth-liner in NY.

That said, to call Holly's skills "limited" would be to misuse the word "skills". Hollweg can't really stickhandle. Or pass. Or think his way around the ice. OK, maybe from time to time he can do some of these things, but he'll flub his best chances and brain-cramp at the worst possible times. He takes untimely penalties. These will get old fast. Worst of all, you'll hate his propensity to board opponents. They could rename "Boarding" in his honor. It's painful to watch. It's what got him slashed by Chris Simon and it has drawn the ire of the league office from time to time as well. I doubt he'll be able to hide his tactic in the limelight of Toronto any more than he was able to in NY.

All in all, Hollweg is a role-player with limited talent. He works hard, but he’d be well served to eliminate his tendency to hit players from behind. You could probably do worse as a fourth-line player. I would have traded him for a 7th rounder. I think getting a 5th rounder in return for him is a steal (if a 5th rounder can be considered such).

Know your Coach

2008-07-14T13:09:00.003-04:00

Adam Proteau of The Hockey News has a candid piece on Ron Wilson definitely worth a read. Can't wait for the hilarious anecdotes about Toskala to be included in the 08-09 THN yearbook.

I've got similiar film responses to the man.

Frogren A

2008-07-09T22:32:00.011-04:00

What the? I'm too tired at the moment to root through the CBA or do any substantial digging for that matter, but if the Maple Leafs aren't even on the same page with the league office when if comes to contracts, how on earth is this team supposed act up to the letter of the law, push the boundaries, find loopholes, however you want to paint it?

I mean, come on. FletchLives tries to hit a home run by signing a veteran defenseman from the SEL, and he forgets to check the rulebook.

And now that the story has broke about the league insisting on an entry level contract for a player who has never played in the NHL, I can't remember any team signing a similar player such as Frogren apart from players who started in the NHL, then left, only to return are a few years in Europe.

I should probably wait until I do some digging about that, but why is it only the Maple Leafs who perform such spectacular miracles for the whole league to mock?

Arg....

UPDATE - According to The Star's Kevin McGran, "...The dispute boils down transition rules between successive collective bargaining agreements, including the interpretation of the 2005 CBA's definition of a "free agent" contrasted with Frogren's status as a "defected" player under the previous CBA. "Defected status" was his official listing, resulting from the fact he had been drafted by the Calgary Flames in 1998, but never came to the NHL."

So does Fletch still thinks the old CBA applies? I'm not saying I agree with the NHL's strong arm policy to force players into coming over early in their careers, which this rookie defintion is a part, but shouldn't these types of clarifications be worked out prior to offering a contract, at the very least publicly?

UPDATE - In the interest of fairness and fuzzy bunnies, I should note the possibility this whole circus could be a direct challenge to the League by a GM who sees a different landscape in terms of obtaining the best players in the world to play in the NHL in light of increased competition for talent from continental leagues. The over-confident position Daly and Bettman exude when asked about other leagues is out-dated, and perhaps this is an attempt to bolster the NHL's ability to maintain it's elite status. Or maybe I'm hopefully rationalizing.

+ & -

2008-07-03T13:03:00.012-04:00

2006-07 Toronto Maple Leafs

- Darcy Tucker
- Andrew Raycroft
- Kyle Wellwood
- Andrew Woznewski
- John Pohl
- Bryan McCabe?
- Pavel Kubina?

- Mats Sundin?
- Various Draft Picks

+ Niklas Hagman
+ Jeff Finger
+ Mikhail Grabovaski
+ Jamal Mayers
+ Curtis Joseph
+ Jonas Frogren

+ Nikolai Kulemin?

+ Jeremy Williams?

+ John Mitchell?
+ Robbie Earl?
+ Staffan Kronwall?

+ Vorobiev?

+ Schenn?

_______________________

2008-09 Toronto Maple Leafs

(I'll keep updating this with further developments)

Sundin Signs...

2008-06-30T12:03:00.004-04:00

When he's good and ready.

You know what? I'm going to get all speculative on your ass, and say Mats is pulling a Neidermayer. He isn't dangling the retirement word, but he doesn't have too. He's a UFA. And he's learned from the blowback Scotty felt last year that misdirecting the public so heinously is not without its perils. But he is planning on doing the same thing; take half the season off, sign with a contender, and make a push for that Stanley Cup that would complete his legacy.

He's going to take his time 'deciding' if he's coming back, probably until about January or February when his name will start floating around the ether, like Forsberg. Questions of fitness and his ailing hip will be posed and answered. The usual suspects of destinations will begin their courting or denying interest. Sundin will field a handful of serious offers before committing to a team he has connections to. Is that the Swede heavy Red Wings? Or maybe his buddy Naslund and the Canucks have a shot. Or maybe the...go read the archives from the weeks leading up to the '08 trade deadline for a complete list of possibilities.

In any event, Sundin ain't done. His mission is not complete. The circle is not closed. His destiny, unfulfilled. Mats wants a Cup, and that will be the main factor in his decision.

Maybe.

But I'm just speculating. Maybe he wants to play a full season at 85% and save some for the playoffs. Maybe he wants to risk injury and jeopardize his dwindling opportunities to hoist Lord Stanley. Maybe he wants to come back and provide leadership to a team intent on gutting itself.

Happy fishing, Mats. Just keep the Leafs in mind if they're in contention in February.

Kirke in Outerspace

2008-05-28T10:02:00.014-04:00

What can I say about a supposed Leafs fan being suprised about the level of interest in the "product" and the direction the "product" is going to take when for years there has been no direction...just profits. I could go on and whine about how ownership merely looks at one of the flagship franchises of the NHL as first and foremost a product, and how Peddie enlists someone with zero recruiting experience to partner on the highest profile sports executive(s) recruitment process this side of the equator. At such a fundamentally important juncture, this course of action is sadly not surprising. Why you ask? Because to ownership a paradigm shift is not considered necessary. But I digress.

However Kirke does reveal some actual facts from the actual GM search. Doug Armstrong will be interviewed soon. The Red Wings' executive structure is the model to be hopefully imitated. Despite sounding sexy, this committee concept of team building succeeding in Toronto is still up for debate. Can egos be put aside and power struggles avoided in an environment created by a corporation? I'm not so sure.

However, the possibility of Joe Nieuwendyk joining the team in any capacity is exciting. Joe is one of my favorite players, as are all former lacrosse stars turned NHLers. His wisdom on the offensive side of the puck is invaluable.

If you allow me to indulge my Leafs' dream, ideally, the Leafs would also need a Selke type ex-player to impart the details of the game. No names come to mind at the moment, but you get the idea. The round table also needs 'big picture' guy; the admiral who will steer the ship through the years to eventually build a hockey player factory and a team that focuses on winning the Cup, and is satisfied with nothing less, and demonstrates that mindset each and every day.

If MLSE ever needs a mission statement drafted, I'd be pleased to contribute. Because they need the help. Even from a blogger.

Doug Armstrong

2008-04-24T08:52:00.004-04:00

GM most shouldn'tve been fired this past season.

GM who assembled one of the best teams over the past several seasons, despite freak play-off third period collapses. They not only win, but they tend to do it the right way, with a style. The Leafs need a hockey program, period. And a hockey program is something that produces a team identity inherent to the personnel and practices of said program. A team identity, at least one worthy of a championship, isn't searched for during the first 20 games of the season. I'm not 100% sold that Armstrong can provide this type of wholesale upgrade, but he does come from a solid hockey program.

GM who integrated recent draftees into line-up, without top 10 picks. Most notably Niskanen. In fact, the Stars haven't picked in the top 10 since 1996, often going without a first rounder.

GM trained by rival Habs' GM Gainey upping the fun factor.

GM with name associated with the moon. I'm shooting for the moon hoping MLSE will make a prudent and timely decision.

Worth The Wait

2008-02-01T21:20:00.000-05:00

You sir, owe me one beer. You can pay up a week from tomorrow.

NHL Pacing 1.29.08

2008-01-29T08:49:00.000-05:00

Click image to enlarge.

Here is the latest. The very top and the very bottom are about the same as last time, but the middle 27 teams are all mixed up.

Toronto makes an appearance in the bottom three. As disappointing as this might be for fans of the club, I still reckon it's a good thing in the long run.

Out West, last time it was the Northwest that had four teams in playoff position, this time it's the Pacific. Earlier this year, that honor belonged to the Central. All I know is that beyond Detroit and San Jose the battles in the Western Conference are going to be intense.

Only a month ago the Capitals occupied the #28 spot and showed up in the "Bottom Three" grouping. This time, they're seeded 3rd in the East. It just goes to show you that in the Southeast Division you always have hope.

2008-01-25T09:02:00.001-05:00

Based on the brilliance that is NHL Operations these days, I was not able to watch the Rangers retire #2 last night. Brian Leetch is my favorite player of all time. He's the reason I like the Rangers. Heck, he's the reason I like hockey. And when it came time to honor him at MSG, I was not able to see it broadcast. This is true despite the fact that I pay the NHL for every possible offering they provide. Sad. Just sad.

Fortunately, what the NHL deemed me unworthy of watching live, I was able to see this morning. I watched the speeches, the fan reactions, the presentations of the gifts and the banner raising. Oddly enough, my favorite moment was when Leetch got to announce that Adam Graves and his #9 are next.

Even if you don't like the Rangers, it's worth seeing. Adam Graves was an awesome player with Rangers. He was all heart. A grinder and a worker, he scored 52 goals in 1994, something most people forget. And despite an impressive resume on the ice, Graves is a better man off it. He's unmatched as an ambassador for the game and tireless in his efforts to help others.

Still, it wasn't because of who they will honor that made the moment so special, as much as how it unfolded. That moment is not typically a public one, but last night we got to see someone's reaction as it happened. And it was great. The look on his face is perfect. I can't do it justice. Just go watch.

In the end though, that ceremony will wait until next year. Last night belonged to Brian Leetch and his family. And what a night it was (even if I had to wait until morning to see it).

Throw out the little black book

2008-01-17T09:23:00.001-05:00

You know that movie, with that dude, from a few years ago, who has to come to terms with getting rid of his little back book before he takes the plunge? You know the one. I think some folks in the Big Smoke need to netflix that right quick.

The Bowman plan I like. Who wouldn't. The guy knows hockey. Period. He may need a few good soldiers to handle the details, but no one can question his hockey acumen.

But this rolodex run down of ex Leafs execs is plain farce. Fletcher? Please. That many consecutive top picks is tough to screw up. I don't want someone like him to come and possibly screw up the cap situation any more. This morning it is Quinn. Don't get me wrong, I love the guy. At the same time I don't think he's the right man for the job.

And what exactly is that job? A cap saavy talent evalutor. At least, that is who should handle the tasks immediately in the future. Of course, any one with that skill set wouldn't take a high profile position on an interim basis.

Which brings us full circle to the real problem. Ownership. Never let MLSE forget that until quarterly reports are no longer a primary concern the team will not be able to build up the culture of what a classy and winning franchise should be.

I'll Wager On Futility

2008-01-16T10:16:00.000-05:00

Ninja, I propose a bet.

I'll wager one cheap domestic beer on the first of our teams to put together back-to-back wins in 2008. You have a head start.

Hatstory

2008-01-11T14:41:00.000-05:00

Eric Duhatschek writes a stellar piece about trade deadline deals, GMs, and Sundin and what the Leafs should do. Claiming Dominic Moore isn't the answer, btw.

JFJ has been quoted as ruling out a re-build, though the justification was never made clear. Of course, the fans not standing for it is hogwash, so I'm left to assume MLSE dismisses that option.

I hope Sundin will appreciate this opportunity to win a Cup somewhere else, and return the Leafs to mentor a rebuilding squad. Any team that trades for Sundin would have a legitimate shot at the Cup. A full supporting cast with stars already in place would receive the best cameo ever. Imagine Sundin on the second line, or first line wing. Or even third line. I guarantee he'd outscore the other team's third line, which can be the difference in a seven game series.

Mats, you should take this chance. You deserve it. I hope you come back, but I understand if you don't.

Pens Pummel Leafs

2008-01-04T11:33:00.000-05:00

Since no one seems to have the guts to say it today, I will. Darcy Tucker had his ass handed to him on a silver platter by a player with a reputation for not being able to fight. Jarkko Ruutu landed at least 10 high impact punches to the side of Tucker's face. The Pittsburgh area broadcast put up boxing-style punches thrown and landed stats, forgivingly omitting the percentages for each combatant as Tucker wouldn't have recieved a passing grade.

Good thing he's signed until April 2011.

If you aren't disgusted with this team, then I'll give you a few more weeks because I've already reached the point of needing change. Deep, meaningful, course-correcting, fundamental organizational change.

If they can't win, and they can't even fight, what's the point of watching?

NHL Pacing 12.18.07

2007-12-18T08:58:00.001-05:00

Click image to enlarge.

We're nearly 40% of the way through the NHL's regular season. Ottawa and Detroit have long-since emerged as heavy favorites in their respective conferences and Los Angeles is eyeing themselves a Stamkos.

The changes over the last month have been dramatic. The Devils have soared and St. Louis has climbed over three teams in their division. Meanwhile, the Islanders have plummeted.

The Northwest Division is the most interesting. They've had no change in the order of their standings over the last month (save for the technicality at the top), but they now find themselves with four teams in playoff position, when last month they had just two. It's been a good month in the northwest.

Last, Toronto fans can at least appreciate the fact that they play in the division that has the most "Points For" of any division in hockey.

Tip Tip (Tip) Hooray!

2007-12-07T11:10:00.000-05:00

TOR @ NYR - F/O - TOI - Event - Game

Want to know why a picture of the 6th goal in a 6-2 win scored in the waning moments of the third period is the lead to this here post? Because of the way it was scored, and how little it meant to the particular game and how important it may be to the remaining fifty three.

I refuse to get too excited about this winning streak. The team is still giving up too many good scoring chances, though there does seem to be a sense of cool-headedness creeping into their play. Of course, Belak shouldn't have fought Orr while the Rangers were down and out, but I'm sure he heard about that after the first. The neutral zone isn't such a hazard now that the entire team isn't trying to race past the other team stacked at the blue line. Some how the puck continues to go in despite a dearth of chances. The late stages during the game against Nashville shows how this team still doesn't have a killer shut-em-down mentality. But that game also showed what Toskala can bring, so I think its safe to say Toskala isn't a bust, even if the la-la-land us fans call reality at times wishes we still had Rask and a few more picks. I'm choosing to call it a bad buy on a good guy. Anyhow, if they can maintain their recent composed play Saturday at home, then I think they might've turned the corner. But don't hold your breath. Beating Julien's system with a knock off of the same thing won't be easy.

But I can't be all doom and gloom after Antro scores a hat trick and Happy Gill once again shuts down Jagr. I think the refs were letting alot of clutching and hooking go last night, of which the Leafs were often guilty. The powerplay clicked, but still looks like shit. The MSG broadcast team made a very salient observation when comparing the Rangers' PP to the Leafs attempt at the same. While the Leafs spreadout and pass around the perimeter, the Rangers collapse and attack the net, including blueliners. The Leafs need to do more of that synchronized collapsing to the net and get some ugly PP scores.

And I hate to say it, but Wellwood needs to hit somebody at least once a game, or he should sit. It doesn't have to be a thunderous check or anything, but he has to let the other team know he won't avoid contact whenever possible. He needs to initiate it just so they can't assume he won't. Which he usually will, but that isn't the point.

The Godfather

2007-12-06T17:23:00.001-05:00

Still not going to post about the TEAM, but that doesn't mean I can't post about THE team. Found the below while procrastinating after office hours avoiding the supplemental 'RUSH' pile.

[via]

Let the scouts do their job

2007-12-03T13:18:00.000-05:00

The draft and the scouts aren't what's hurting the team. The problem is that the Leafs' management has traded away high picks — the scouts haven't had much to work with.

Sorry about the lack of game reports of late. I've been too disgusted to keep rehashing the same flawed execution, and I intend to reserve any renewed excitement until good habits are formed. I've also been away attending to some sad affairs, so I couldn't speak to you about something I only read about.

Board not Absolved

2007-11-29T11:54:00.000-05:00

Don't let JFJ be the only scape goat. MLSE has to feel the sting for their part in assembling/managing/perpetuating a team this is increasingly making me feel like a fool for looking past, justifying to myself and in the end ignoring its fatal flaws.

Simmons' article today in the SUN is obviously a defence of Peddie. The reasons for penning such tripe could be many. Peddie doesn't like being fingered for anything other than profitable praises. Peddie is promising to reward or cut-off Simmons from what he loves so much; gossip. The two have been involved in a secret affair, and Stevie is coming to Dickie's defense out of love and loyalty. Ok, I made that one up. And enjoyed it.

Point 1.) is completely false. Every trade, signing, draft choice, front office or coach hiring, firing, or resignation has occurred on the premise of MLSE's inability to provide a clear vision.

Point 2.) by extension is also false. As is point 3.) Suggestiong JFJ acted in a vacuum of accountability is horseshit. And the article title "GM Blew it,Not the Board" is a pathetic attempt to distract Leafs Nation from holding ownership accountable.

Not gonna happen.

Hartnell on Alberts

2007-11-27T10:03:00.000-05:00

Jeez, you offer praise to a guy for his good sportsmanship in not hitting an opponent in a prone position and then he goes and does something like this. Needless to say, the hit on Alberts was dirty and pointless. My compliments to Hartnell are withdrawn.

Change for change's sake

2007-11-25T20:01:00.000-05:00

It is becoming crystal clear JFJ won't be getting that long ago promised extension. But the idea of a 'name' GM being MLSE's idea of a solution is a joke. An easy yarn for the toronto media to weave is the last thing that should be a criterion for the Leafs' GM position. The media doesn't deserve any favors for their mail it in, premature and convenient blanketing of situations. The GM must be some one of proven ability in the position, and in the salary capped environment.

In addition, I plead any new candidate demand autonomy as a condition of accepting the position. Obviously MLSE oversight, er meddling, is not benefiting the hockey operations. And the fans and media have to remember this vital point amid all the distracting names thrown about. Change for change's sake can be beneficial, but rarely is it a solution to such deep-rooted problems of which the Leafs are currently afflicted.

UPDATE - Mike Peca makes some very astute comments in this National Post article.

It's a reflection of an organization that hasn't rebuilt over the last decade or two ... You're bringing pieces in every year and you don't get that cohesion to build a winning environment. Look at teams that have success over the last few years. Ottawa, Buffalo, Anaheim, Detroit ... They've developed players in their system, guys who've come up and become great hockey players in the league or big parts of the organization. The Leafs haven't had that for a while. They seem to have some pieces like Alex Steen and Kyle Wellwood if they can stay healthy and keep progressing but ... There area lot of great people in that organization and a lot of great individual talent, but for years they haven't come together to buy into what it means to win hockey games and be a winning team on a consistent basis"

Thanks Be To Orr

2007-11-21T21:52:00.000-05:00

NYR vs TB 11/21/07 – Stats – Score Sheet

Rangers Lines
Drury-Dubinsky-Jagr
Avery-Gomez-Shanahan
Hossa-Moore-Prucha
Hollweg-Betts-Orr

Rangers Pairs
Tyutin-Girardi
Staal-Mara
Strudwick-Baranka

Lundqvist

Only a quick recap tonight, as we are on the eve of the World’s greatest holiday and I have to practice eating tons of food in preparation.

Generally speaking, it was a solid road effort from the Rangers. And they got another goal from defenseman. I don’t know what’s going on with the defensive corps and their offensive touch of late, but I like it. They’re sure making up for Jagr’s lack of touch over the last couple of weeks.

It was the first NHL game for Ivan Baranka and Greg Moore. Neither was great, neither was terrible and both were responsible in the defensive zone. That’s the way to start.

Lundqvist was Lundqvist. I give thanks for Lundqvist. The only puck that got by him was deflected close-in and came with less than twenty seconds remaining in the game. It was a shame. He deserved the shut out.

Colton Orr scored.

Seriously, Colton Orr scored. It was hardly a sniper-shot, but it counts just the same on the scoreboard. Plus, it allowed me to breathe easier during the last half of the 3rd period.

Blair Betts is a super penalty killer. Just awesome.

Drury’s snakebit, but he makes up for it everywhere else on the ice.

Happy Turkey Day.

Rask and you shall receive...

2007-11-20T18:47:00.000-05:00

Well, this is the moment we have been dreading since the draft of 2006. Will the Raycroft-Rask swap be the beginning of the end, or just another strike against JFj in a long line of misses?

Raycroft definitely hasn't delivered what JFJ envisioned when he made the deal, but he is reasonably priced and could prove yet to turn into something the club needs. I'm thinking draft picks or prospects. Cause he ain't going to run the table and start the majority of the season, this or in the future.

Which leads us to JFJ again trading for immediate help in the nets. The Toskala/Bell acquisition seems to be panning out, with Bell assuming a more prominent role than most in the Toronto media expected. (I've been keen on Bell ever since I heard of the trade, though the jail time soured my excitement somewhat.) Of course, the picks would've been nice to keep and use, but that's water under the bridge. Toskala and Bell are solid NHLers, and Pogge is still doing developing.

But will he be better than Rask? That's another wait and see type deal.

Playing to Win

2007-11-18T17:08:00.000-05:00

TOR vs OTT - F/O - TOI - Game - Event

Rangers Win, But…

2007-11-16T12:22:00.000-05:00

NYR vs PHI 11/15/07 – Stats – Score Sheet

Rangers Lines
Hossa-Dubinsky-Jagr
Avery-Gomez-Prucha
Dawes-Drury-Shanahan
Hollweg-Betts-Orr

Rangers Pairs
Staal-Rozsival
Tyutin-Girardi
Strudwick-Mara

Lundqvist

Well, it was two points earned and the Rangers are tied atop the Atlantic Division, but despite that victory I was left with a sour taste in my mouth. The team gave a good effort, especially considering this was the tail end of back-to-back games against tough division rivals. And yet, I’m not especially thrilled at the moment. Two things happened during the game that left me with that bad taste, and a third occurred that when held in contrast made the original ones all that much worse.

First, Sean Avery can yap and talk and gab away, and assuming he’s not talking about people’s health issues, I’m going to like the guy. He’s a better player than he gets credit for and he serves his role well. Is he a dick? Yes, absolutely. Would you like him if he played on your team? Yes, absolutely. That’s just the way it is.

What I can do without, however, is diving. And Avery took a dive last night on a check from behind (not really). The play went un-called, but the refs should have booked Avery for the infraction. You see, diving is a bane, a blight on sport. It’s ruined some sports (World Cup soccer, for one) and it will come after others if left un-checked. By design, it is nearly impossible for the referees to enforce, but they’re charged with doing so. Instead, it should be up to the coaches, players and even the fans to take up the task. We all need to do our best to shame the divers for their actions. It’s the only way to get it out of hockey. So the curse is on you Sean Avery. Don’t dive. Next time, take the hit like a man.

The second thing that bugged me about last night’s game was Ryan Hollweg, a.k.a. “The Boarder”. Hollweg needs to stop boarding people. It’s unnecessary and dangerous. I like a "wrecking ball" player as much as the next guy, but too many times I’ve seen #44 out there barreling into someone from behind. Last night’s play went un-called, but again this is something that two minute penalties won’t stop. This needs to be addressed by the coaches and his teammates, and it really needs to cease before someone else gets hurt.

By the way, I like Hollweg well enough. At least he serves some purpose outside of the hits and the fights. He can skate and shoot and even skate with the puck from time to time. Colton Orr, on the other hand, is completely worthless with his gloves on. Ugh.

And the last of the three things I want to talk about today, makes those first two all the worse. I need to give tons of credit to Bill and Joy Hartnell because they raised a good kid. Last night, Scott Hartnell had the chance to completely destroy and injure a Rangers defensemen and he chose not to. His check would have been well within the rules of the game, but Hartnell withheld the crunching blow and went for the steal instead. I know Hartnell has been called "dirty" in the past for some of the hits he’s thrown (on Cheechoo if I’m not mistaken), but what I saw last night convinced me he doesn’t deserve the label.

On the play, a Rangers defensemen was moving from right-to-left around his net. I rewound the play multiple times to figure which Flyer player it was, but I never bothered to check which defensemen he spared, so I’m not sure who that was. Whoever he was, he was being marked from behind by a different Flyer, who chased him around the net. The defensemen was watching the puck as the player behind him checked his stick. And there was Hartnell, coming in down the left wing, with a clear opportunity to put a Steve Downie on the guy. But he didn’t. He did the honorable and right thing, and instead of hospitalizing the player, he went for the strip of the puck.

As I mentioned, I watched the play a number of times and you can see Hartnell make the decision to hold up. Milliseconds before they collide, he drops his stick to the ice and goes for the steal rather than the thundering hit. It spared the Rangers an injury and it serves as a credit to Scott Hartnell.

I hate the Flyers. And there is nothing I like more than taking two points from them on their own ice. I would have enjoyed talking today about all the good things the Blueshirts did last night, but the solid effort was over-shadowed by a few ugly plays. That sucks, but those plays really need to be highlighted, especially by people who generally support the players making them.

With all of that said, it's nice to come away with four points after two tough divisional road games. It's very, very nice. No complaints on that front and all things considered I liked the game the Rangers played last night.

Other Notes

- It was a rare bad night for Lundqvist, but he made up for it in the shoot-out.

- It’s nice to see Rangers defensemen scoring goals. Against the Flyers, it was Tyutin’s turn to get in on the action, his first tally since opening night.

- Never, ever miss the net on an odd-man break. Ben Eager learned that lesson the hard way last night. Shanahan made him pay.

- Referees Stephane Auger and Steve Kozari were awful. Terrible, terrible, terrible.

Bruins maul Leafs

2007-11-16T07:36:00.000-05:00

TOR @ BOS - F/O - TOI - Game - Event

Joke's over. Send him down.

Get the sense the Leafs are the cure to every other teams' problems? Rangers can't win on the road. Check. Bruins' 5 goals in previous 4 games, but 5 against the Leafs. Check. Similiar story with Washington's 7-1 win. Atlanta wins its first of the season against the Leafs in Toronto. This is the antithesis of being tough to play against. Statistically, I'm going to guess the Leafs are below average for time with the lead, simply because they can't keep one for more than a minute or two.

To pile on a little more, Maurice was recently quoted saying something to the effect that he is surprised how much work it is taking to coach a team to play solid defense in their own zone. So, team defense is an after thought for a coach supposed to deliver a team that is tough to play against? Interesting tact.

And living out of market and watching Center Ice, I get to listen to out of town broadcast teams explain to their region's viewers how Toronto is one of if not the only NHL team to deploy man-defense, completely devoid of the zone-defense the kiddie's at home are used to watching. In particular, it made the color guy look a genius last night, pointing out the defensive scheme in the pregame, only to give a tutorial on the collective unintelligence of the Leafs' team D on the wrap and stuff goal, by highlighting all three forwards watching from above the face off dots as a 2 on 2 turns into a goal because of now collapsing collective help. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate what man D gives a team, but not having an option to switch to zone, or especially not having the five players thinking together, is, sorry to say it, bush league. Not only were the Leafs exploited for glaring defensive scheme omissions last night, every time Andy Woziewski was on the ice the Bruins exploited his presence. He is at best a 7/8 defencemen. Strahlman acquitted himself well. Kronwall looked fantastic in only his second game back. Go let Woz play "big minutes" down with the Marlies. He needs it. And who thought of pairing him with Mr.Rash Decision himself?

Oh yeah, that Wellwood fellow is quite the player, no? Tlusty, Wellwood and Blake combo has some promise. Steen may not be putting up points but he is giving the opposition fits.

Leafs Lines
Poni-Mats-Blake
Steen-Stajan-Boyd
Tlusty-Wellwood-Antro
Kilger-Bell-Tucker

Leafs Pairs
McCabe-Woz
Gill-White
Kaberle-Kronwall

Raycroft

NHL Pacing 11.15.07

2007-11-15T15:49:00.000-05:00

Click image to enlarge.

We are now 21.2% of the way through the NHL season and to mark the occasion, I've worked up another version of the Pacing Spreadsheet. This spreadsheet take each team's performance to date and projects that over the remainder of the season.

Be sure to note the Central Division. If every team continued to play at the present pace, the Central would send all five of its teams to the playoffs. Obviously, I don't imagine that will happen, but it's neat anyway.

I used the last version of this spreadsheet as a template for this one and while I was re-working it, I was able to note which teams were doing better than before and which ones were doing worse. Pittsburgh and Dallas are two teams that I noticed have fallen on tough times. The Rangers and Nashville, on the other hand, have improved a good deal.

Wellwood back, unfortunately so is McCabe

2007-11-14T07:30:00.000-05:00

TOR vs MTL - F/O - TOI - Game - Event

I suppose trying to teach an old dog new tricks isn't a winning formula, but does McCabe not recognize the high pressure and what that means about Sundin down low? This wasn't some shocking turn of events, like a Hab appearing out of nowhere to pick off a pass. This wasn't too many players to keep track of and not noticing something out of his field of vision. Komisarek was pressuring Antropov and McCabe insisted on returning the puck from whence it came. Why? I just don't understand. There were three skaters a side. The math is rudimentary. The open ice is plentiful. Why Bryan? Why? Explain what you did. Explain why you didn't recognize one of many more appealing options in that circumstance. You do that spin to your backhand all the time. Either spin and skate down the boards, wrap the puck down to Sundin behind the net, shoot the puck down into the corner on your forehand. Anything but return the puck to a covered player at the blue line in overtime.

Can you tell I'm beyond pissed, and really just confused how a professional athlete makes these mental errors so frequently? Physical and skill limitations I can handle. But flubbing between the ears has no excuse.

Leafs Lines
Poni-Mats-Blake
Tlusty-Welly-Antro
Steen-Stajan-Boyd
Bates-Bell-Tucker

Leafs Pairs
Kaberle-Kronwall
Gill-White
Woz-McCabe

Raycroft

Blakegate?

2007-11-13T09:32:00.000-05:00

So, the esteemable Sean Avery is at it again. Most everyone who reads this blog has seen the highlights. Tucker and Avery jawing, Blake skating in between the two when contact was made, schoolyard threatening postures, shoulder fakes and stick rattling ensued, followed by an impromptu gathering of both teams' leaders and assorted character guys.

I wonder what Avery and Tucker were talking about? I wonder why Blake went in between the two of them, and why did that incite the festivities?

Tucker deemed Avery classless. Avery has been muzzled by the Rangers, after the game, and the following days since the incident.

Now it is alleged, by Howard Berger according to published reports, that Avery's verbal ammunition included commentary on Blake's health situation. Berger also mentioned an unnamed Rangers player wanted to "strangle" Avery after learning what was said. UPDATE - Berger explains from where the "strangle" quote originated. Rangers Report points out that Brendan Shanahan vehemently denies Avery referred to Blake's cancer.

Avery's response to that claim is a libel suit. UPDATE - released statement "I am extremely upset and hurt that false and damaging comments were attributed to me regarding Jason Blake. I made no such comments. I have lost two grandfathers to cancer and have been a consistent contributor to multiple cancer related charities, first and foremost, Hockey Fights Cancer. I am unable to comment further, as the matter is now being addressed by legal counsel."

Colin Campbell's response to the entire mess, and an earlier pre-game incident involving Avery, is a face to face with the hyperpest himself. UPDATE - Everyone has to pay the piper

And I was just happy collecting three of four points over the weekend. Hopefully JP will chime in with a Rangers' fan take. UPDATE - "I'm on the road and this is the first I've heard of the alleged comment by Avery. Of course, if he said what he's reported to have said, that is beyond low-class. Shame on him."- JP

Apologies for the ____gate title. Lame, I know.

Sabres Shut Out

2007-11-10T07:34:00.000-05:00

TOR @ BUF - TOI - F/O - Event - Game - Hits/Penalties Drawn

I've been hoping for a shut out in the deepest recesses of my mind, as a sign or symbol or semblance of defensive commitment. The last time the Leafs managed to donut the opposition was March 6, 2007, against the Washington Capitals. You have to go back to October 5, 2006 for the next shut out. This one was a sweet aberration against the Senators.

Before the season started, smart money was behind Toskala for achieving this rarity in Leafland. But it was Raycroft with a heroic effort in the first who managed to obviously frustrate a Sabres' squad who was not used to getting shut out last season. But this isn't the 06-07 President's Trophy winning Sabres. Oh no. This is the Brury-less Sabres who can't outskate the rest of the NHL as in previous years. The reasons for that are many and debatable, but the results are not. Last in the Northeast?! Not a typo, and I can hardly believe it myself.

Don't have much time today, but it had to be said how solid of a line-up the Leafs had last night. Usually the fourth line is a noticeable drop-off in talent, speed, etc. Not so last night. While not entirely coordinated on the attack, the Leafs looked strong. Formidable even. Of course the 100% 60minute effort helped with that perception but the lines didn't hurt either.

Oh yeah, and my boy Boyd was rewarded for his recent hard play with a quick shift to get a late goal. Tlusty had a strong game as well. He's coming along nicely.

Leafs Lines
Poni-Mats-Blake
Tlusty-Welly-Antro
Steen-Stajan-Boyd
Kilger-Bell-Tucker

Leafs Pairs
Kaberle-Kubina
Gill-WHite
Woz-McCabe

Raycroft

Avery pwns Roberts, Pens

2007-11-09T09:36:00.000-05:00

NYR vs PIT 11/8/07 – Stats – Score Sheet

Rangers Lines
Hossa-Dubinsky-Jagr
Avery-Gomez-Prucha
Dawes-Drury-Shanahan
Hollweg-Betts-Orr

Rangers Pairs
Staal-Rozsival
Tyutin-Girardi
Strudwick-Mara

Lundqvist

It’s gonna have to be a quick recap today, straight from the notes.

It was a good first period for the Rangers with the only significant error being a long shift (and an inability to clear the puck on it) that led to the Penguins goal. On the positive side of the ledger, Sean Avery drawing a penalty on Gary Roberts is amazing. Although he says it’s easier to draw calls against the veterans, it’s still difficult to believe a long-timer like Roberts allowed himself to be goaded.

In the second, Avery found another way to get mentioned in the Game Report, this time with a rifled a one-timer into the upper-right hand corner. Credit for this goal should go to Blair Betts who won a clean draw that set up the whole thing. He gets the assist, Avery got 1st Star.

Also in the second, we got the first Staal vs. Staal direct match-up. The Good Staal won. He pinned his brother against the boards, stripped him of the puck, and made a nice break-out pass to move the action up ice. I think he’s a keeper.

Speaking of keepers --- I’ve said here a few times that, "The goals will come" for Brandon Dubinsky and in the third period, it finally happened. Dubi came charging off the bench and into the zone, his presence creating a 3-on-2 attack. His good buddy, Nigel Dawes found him with a nifty pass and Brandon potted it with a well-crafted short-side back-hander. It may have taken a while, but all things considered Dubinsky should be pleased with his first NHL goal. I’m sure he’d have taken a lucky re-direct or an empty-netter, but this one was better and worth the wait.

Later, he knocked a post on another pretty shot. It was close to being his second NHL goal. Bummer. But as we like to say, "The goals (more of them) will come."

Other Notes

- The plan is obvious: Shoot on Marc-Andre Fleury. He’s awful at rebound control. Stinky bad.

- Referees Mike Leggo & Chris Rooney gave a sporadic effort tonight. Not terrible, but a little inconsistent (much of that in favor of the Rangers).

- Here’s a list of each team’s most underrated player compiled by Yahoo’s Ross McKeon. I like the choice for the Rangers and agree wholeheartedly.

Maurice Calls Time Out! Has Desired Effect

2007-11-07T09:41:00.000-05:00

TOR @ OTT - F/O - Shots - Game - Event

Not much to say about last night. The team wasn't ready to play the game and didn't even start until after the time out, which should've been called after the first quick goal. Oh well. At least Wellwood didn't reaggravate his hernia and Antro proved he belongs on PP1.

Leafs Lines
Poni-Sundin-Blake
Tlusty-Stajan-Steen
Chad-Antro-Boyd
Bell-Wellwood-Pohl

Leafs Pairs
Kaberle-Kubina
Gill-White
Woz-Anton

Toskala

Antro joined Sundin and Poni later in the game. Blake saw time with Wellwood.

UPDATE - The below is from TSN Ice Chips which noted todays practice lines.

Leafs Lines
Ponikarovsky - Sundin - Blake
Deveraux - Stajan - Steen
Kilger - Bell - Tucker
Battaglia - Pohl - Belak

Tlusty-Wellwood-Antro

Leafs Pairs
Kaberle - Kubina
Gill - White
Woz - Stralam(TSN spelling)

More Dubi Please

2007-11-06T09:42:00.000-05:00

NYR vs PHL 11/5/07 – Stats – Score Sheet

Rangers Lines
Hossa-Dubinsky-Dubi's Right Wing
Avery-Gomez-Prucha
Dawes-Drury-Shanahan
Hollweg-Betts-Orr

Rangers Pairs
Staal-Rozsival
Tyutin-Girardi
Strudwick-Mara

Lundqvist

Last night’s match-up against the Flyers was the best game the Rangers have played since the Atlanta series at the end of last year. They were dominant throughout, played sound defense and got huge efforts from all of their key players.

In the first period they fired 22 shots on net. Brandon Dubinsky, once again centering Jagr and Hossa, continued to impress. He was strong on the puck, aggressive in the offensive zone, and responsible to his role on defense. He didn’t score, but the goals will come. And as a mark of how impressive he was, despite not finding the score-sheet, the kid from Anchorage was given 3rd Star. Put it this way: Two 600 goal-scorers added to their tallies and the defense logged a shut-out, and a rookie still got a star without putting up a point. It was a big game for Brandon. Last night he stamped his claim on the title of “Jagr’s Center”.

What a terrific game it was for our superstar too. The player henceforth known as “Dubi’s Right Wing”, put his own stamp on this game at the 19:27 mark of the first period. You have to love it when you get that late-period goal. They’re back-breakers for the opposition and the home crowd rides the excitement through the break. You love it even more when they come by way of laser beams shot by the All-World right wing of Brandon Dubinsky. The big guy had a big game despite a tweaked groin and slippery sticks. He was a monster.

After a confidence-building first twenty minutes, the second period seemed designed to take me down a bit. Yes, the Rangers continued to pressure and dominated play. Henrik was Henrik, coming up huge as needed, but the Blueshirts couldn’t capitalize on their chances at the other end of the ice. When a team plays well, but can’t seem to extend their lead, it’s a recipe for disaster and it had me scared. To add to that fear, Dubi’s Right Wing took to the dressing room early and Avery was seen stretching his neck/shoulder on the bench at the end of the period. No pay-off for a solid period and injuries to boot? I was worried.

At the start of the third, the concern seemed warranted. It began with a significant tilt in the ice leaning towards Lundqvist. True to form he came up big. Note from Zipay: The Rangers won 5 of 6* on the home stand and Henrik gave up two goals in the five wins. That helps.

* Arghhh - That stupid Leafs game cost me a beer too.

Their goalie’s play seemed to inspire the Rangers. After a seven-minute lull, they found their wheels again and reverted to dominating form. From top to bottom the team was strong. Avery did everything you want Avery to do. Drury was outstanding. Gomez was skating and carrying the puck like Scott Gomez can and should. Prucha was working for his shots rather than waiting for chances to come to him. And Shanny’s goal was vintage Shanahan.

The six defensemen were unbelievable. Strudwick even played well. Mara was solid and added four shots to the effort. Tyutin and Girardi were tough to play against. And Michael Rozsival deserves more credit than he gets. Finally, Marc Staal had his best game yet. He logged top-pair minutes and earned the right to do it again. He made the simple and smart plays most of the time and when opportunity presented itself he didn’t shy away from carrying the puck up ice. In the third, he drew a penalty (uncalled) by wheeling and driving down the length of the ice. His dump-and-chase move around the defenseman would have worked had he not been interfered with, but alas the men in stripes did not see it that way. Regardless, Staal played a big game in a big spot… Just like a lot of other Rangers last night. I’ll take 68 (+) more games just like that, thank you very much.

Hey, a guy can hope right?

Other Notes

- Referees Dave Jackson and Tim Peel did a decent job. No egregious errors or omissions and they were not afraid to make the correct call at difficult times.

- Go Leafs. Big game tonight.

Habs given dose of goaltending

2007-11-05T12:10:00.001-05:00

TOR @ MTL - F/O - Shots - Score - Event
Usually for the Habs, the story is goaltending and the powerplay. Not so Saturday night, or atleast not their own goaltending and powerplay. The Leafs' Toskala out played Huet by a wide margin, the latter surrending two questionable goals to Sundin and Stajan. As for speical teams, the Habs only managed to score a powerplay goal up two men. By contrast, the Leafs' managed to score a rare powerplay goal with their first opportunity, and once again were able to outplay Montreal at even strength.

Maurice is definitely leaning on his top 4 D and top 3 forward lines. I wouldn't take L4s lack of production as a bad sign. They need another two or three shifts a game to get a rhythm. As for the D, I'm not sure why Strahlman only played for five minutes. (Yes, I know Woz plays on the PK right now, which accounts for the difference. The question is to suggest Anton should be recieving more ice time) This is only a minute more than Belak. Woznewski was rookied once again, getting called for holding after some veteran positioning from a Hab forward. At least it wasn't a step on his stick trip, eh?

A couple of Leafs have been playing some great hockey lately, but don't get much attention, even here. Boyd Deveraux is the frickin' man. I wish more Leafs' would forecheck with his tenacity and agility. He's been very smart with this stick, lifting many a defenders' stick to create a quick turnover in the neutral zone. He rarely uses a free arm to muscle his opponent, but rather keeps two hands on and strongly switches sides altogether. He took a couple of healthy high hits on Saturday, and with his concussion history here's hoping he is fine.

Hal Gill is another unsung hero so far. The guy is playing huge. He hasn't been victimized by wing speed much, if at all. He's been pinching with great effect. He even scored a ripper of a goal. Saturday he was left alone in the slot after a turnover and looked a bit uncomfortable, and hopefully he had a good laugh about that after the game.

And how good does White look? He looks much more creative coming up his offwing. He's about to break out on a point streak. I hope.

And does anyone notice when Blake racked up eight shots? Not to be a party pooper, but I think maybe two of those shots were of decent quality. And Poni's two assists were the easiest points he's ever scored; cross ice pass that bounces off the boards that Kaberle fires on net, and on Mats's goal, he just happened to have touched the puck last before Sundin picked it up and did his thing.

UPDATE - I have to mention my little jig I performed after watching Stajan lug up ice looking gassed and blast home the winner. My fiancee hasn't seen my happy dance performed for such an extended duration.

Powerplay does in Leafs

2007-11-03T10:32:00.000-04:00

TOR @ NJD - TOI - F/O - Score Sheet

Ok. Time to move Woznewski before he does anymore damage. Get a third rounder and move on. The fact that Clarkson, a plugger by trade, outsmarted and outskated Andy was enough for me. Kronwall should get a chance. Strahlman is far and away a better player, and should remain with the big club after injuries heal.

Marty Brodeur was the difference in this game, barely keeping the Devils in the game through two periods. Of course, while the Leafs were out-chancing the Devils, they were surrendering more than one odd-man chance, usually due to not getting the puck deep or neutral zone turn-overs. The neutral zone is becoming an issue, because the Leafs aren't generating rushes with enough speed or consistency. They keep getting bogged down, and that is when the trouble starts. Face-offs are another area needing improvement.

Another facet that needs more consistency is Sundin's effort. For all his world-classiness, he seems to pick and choose his spots to exert full effort alittle too much for my liking. You don't think the young players notice this selectivity? And all this "I don't know what's wrong" doesn't exactly instill a sense of confidence in his ability to lead the team. Talking about Bell earlier this week, I wasn't sure from his comments if they've even spoken to one another. Leaders need to communicate, or at least have lieutenants to do some of that leg work. Hopefully that is in place in the Leafs' locker room.

Antropov, wearing the 'A', seems a little burdened. He needs to look for his shot, be decisive. People will play off what he does, and he needs to be reminded of what should be a prominent role. No pressure, just play Antro.

Steen's goal was impressive. That's the kind of extra effort the rest of the team needs. Just that little extra step, sticking with a play just a second more, to create a chance. And speaking of chances, so many aren't created when the puck is down low behind the net. Why there isn't more coordination among the forwards after they've achieved this positional advantage, I'd like to know. Where is the cunning to slip out of a defender's line of sight and get open for a shot? Where is the timing between the puck carrier and the player coming down the slot? I just don't understand why these simple but essential elements are missing. The only example of said coordination was on Poni's goal against the Capitals, but even that wasn't off the cycle, but more so off puck retrieval.

Oh well. Welly might be back tonight against the Habs, or shortly thereafter. Bell is back against the Sens, though I dislike the idea of shifting Antro to the wing. His being in the middle is not putting him in those race for the puck scenarios that have left him hobbled. Put Bell on the wing. Kilger-Antro-Bell could be awesome. Nothing against Boyd, just brainstorming.

Hopefully, not too many dives from Montreal tonight. With their powerplay the way it is, it is understandable to want to give it as many chances as they can. Woz, I'm looking at you! Let a Hab trip themselves on your stick and you're fired!

Reading (Tea) Leafs

"I'm hopeful that all those players in that fourth-line role realize we're getting a little healthier and we're not far away from decisions," Maurice said. "It will be based on performance, not: 'You had a great year for us last year and you can stay'. It has to be: 'You had a great weekend for us and you get to stay'. "

Boyd is staying, and so is Kilger so I'd say Bates will be getting the boot.

"Our power play hasn't been winning us games and now it's costing us games. We're just going to dismantle it, try a whole bunch of new people and try to simplify it," said Maurice. "It can't hurt you. It's one thing if it's not scoring goals but it can't hurt you like that...You either have to have motion with the puck or motion with the bodies and we don't have enough of either,"

If you want movement, put Anton on the right point. That kid has amazing wheels, and knows how to use them. For puck movement, go with White and Kaberle. As for what to do with the forwards, Why Antropov isn't on the first unit is beyond me. He should be given full license, to look for his shot, to be assertive. Sadly, what I feared before the season seems to be the case. The powerplay has been left to the players. Is the powerplay still in the players' hands, as was the case to start the 06-07 season, or have the reins been taken back by Maurice? The powerplay stalled last year, and the starter motor is on the shelf already. Some new thinking needs to be injected into this important piece of the puzzle.

Jason Blake missed on a shot, then couldn't hook up with Tomas Kaberle to stop a breaking John Madden from beating Vesa Toskala with a perfect glove-side shot...Kaberle could have played Madden better as he steamed down the left side, knowing the East York native is one of the most opportunistic penalty-killers in the NHL. But Kaberle did pull his stick away to allow Toskala a clear view of the shot.

After playing one of his best in a Leafs' uni, Blake erred big time. He caught up to Madden, then stopped striding for a split second, allowing Madden to pull away. He had Madden, and that is why Kaberle didn't play him differently.

This picture is begging for a caption. And kudos to one of the photogs at the game. The images are huge.

Leafs Lines
Poni-Sundin-Blake
Tlusty-Stajan-Steen
Kilger-Antro-Boyd
Simon-Pohl-Belak

Leafs Pairs
Kab-Kub
Gill-White
Woz-Anton

Toskala

With The 205th Pick, The Rangers Select…

2007-11-02T09:00:00.000-04:00

NYR vs WAS 11/1/07 – Stats – Score Sheet

Rangers Lines
Hossa-Gomez-Jagr
Dawes-Drury-Shanahan
Prucha-Dubinsky-Hollweg
Orr-Betts-Strudwick

Rangers Pairs
Malik-Rozsival
Tyutin-Girardi
Staal-Mara

Lundqvist

It’s boring to talk about something that everyone knows so this Game Report won’t be particularly long. You see, last night’s game came down to one indisputable, indubitable, irrefutable fact: Henrik Lundqvist is very good. In fact, right now he is playing like the best goalie in hockey. There are arguments to be made about this to be sure, but I’d take Lundqvist against any of them.

It was during the first period of last night’s game that I realized just how nice we Rangers fans have it simply knowing he’s in net night after night. There’s Hank, standing on his head, making save after save, and generally putting on an exhibition, and I’m barely blinking at the sight of it. It was the Lundqvist Show for the first twenty minutes of the game and it hardly registered.

Beyond Hank’s quiet brilliance, the game was fairly “ho-hum”. There wasn’t much to it. The Rangers founds their wheels in the second period and Drury scored on a beautiful redirection of a Marc Staal shot. It was Staal’s first NHL point. Congrats to the kid. He not only got on the board, but also played a very good all-around game.

Brandon Dubinsky bears mentioning as well. During a two-shift stretch in the middle of the game he was the best player on the ice and considering the talent on these teams, that’s saying something. Come to think of it, every time I see him play, I like Dubinsky’s game. I just wish he could find the net occasionally. Still, I hope Sather sees fit to keep him with the big club even when Avery and Callahan return. He’s working hard out there and deserves to be rewarded for the effort.

Other Notes

- Chris Drury had an assist last night. He also killed penalties, won 57% of his faceoffs, hit people, had eight shots on net, and scored the game-winning goal.

- Mike Green is a nice looking defensemen for the Caps. He’s aggressive when pinching and has a mean shot. He got caught out once last night, but he’s worth keeping an eye on.

- Referees Kevin Pollock and Brian Pochmara called a good game for the most part. The elbowing call on Erskine in the third was garbage, but outside of that I don’t have much to complain about.

-JP at Japers’ Rink asks: Who, exactly, were Ranger fans chanting "A..-hole" at when the puck rolled up Dan Girardi's stick and into his face?

Answer: The refs. They let the play go on while the player was writhing in pain with a possible eye injury. In the end, it was the right thing to do, but at the time I too was screaming at them for not allowing the trainer to attend to Girardi.

Blake, the wise

2007-11-01T11:53:00.000-04:00

I'm starting to think there is an intellectual deficiency within the Leafs hockey operations, mostly because Jason Blake is pointing out the obvious and sounding like a friggin' genius.

A team like the Ottawa Senators," Blake said. "I've played against them twenty-some times and every time they're the toughest team to play against, every single time. You want to have the identity of being tough to play against.

Why this message hasn't been reinforced more than a NORAD bunker, I have no idea. I can handle being a losing team, but these flashes of 'what could be' followed by a big steaming pile of poo is unacceptable.

NHL Pacing 10.31.07

2007-10-31T19:21:00.000-04:00

Click image to enlarge.

Since the NHL schedule-makers have seen fit to have different teams with more games-played than others over the course of the season, I came up with a pacing spreadsheet to keep track of it all. The spreadsheet's value will be more apparent as the playoff races heat up, but it never hurts to take an early look at the state of the league.

The "Playoff Matchups" and "Bottom Three" are included for fun. The basic function of the chart is to compare each team's points-earned per game-played so far and then extend that out over the course of the season (x82). It's far from perfect, but then again so are the current standings which show the Leafs in front of Boston despite the Bruins three games in hand.

Infrastructure Lacking. MLSE to Blame.

2007-10-27T12:04:00.000-04:00

"Two Leafs employees also confirmed the team does not pay scouts a car allowance or cover all their cellphone bills."

Many much smaller companies reimburse their valuable assets, ie. employees, because of the added value they bring to the company. Without question, the Toronto Maple Leafs should have one of, if not, the best inner workings of any NHL team. Not paying for unavoidable expenses is a disgrace and indicative of a prevailing attitude towards operation of the NHL franchise. Button left, obviously unhappy for a what I would guess are a number of reasons, most prominently being not using draft choices. Tough to stay motivated and feel accomplished when all your draft research is for naught.

The linked article asks the question("...the marquee franchise can afford to inject millions of dollars more in its hockey operation. But where to start spending? Scouting might be a good start, say several hockey executives...") like it hasn't been a major complaint from Leafs Nation for years. And newly anointed assistant GM Mike Penny misses the point when comparing the Leafs scouting department of 11 being twice as large as some of their rivals (I wouldn't want to try and decipher who 'rivals' consist of, considering how badly some NHL teams are run). If the organization plans to rebuild on the fly, exceptional value must be harvested from middling to late picks, which is likely more possible if more knowledge is available from more rinks around the world. Yes, the information still needs to be analyzed effectively and a sound draft strategy followed, but decisions are best made based upon the best information possible.

"You think it's an accident that no one who has won a Stanley Cup is working in that front office?"

That's the kind of honesty I appreciate.

I have to say, I like this new angst toward MLSE in the media. Stop drinking the kool-aid and rattling JFJ's cage. Go after the root of the problem. Nice work from the Star this weekend!

Mr. Fancypants

2007-10-26T09:06:00.000-04:00

If you somehow missed it, go watch the goal Rick Nash scored last night. Pretty nifty.

Leafs Pluck Pens

2007-10-26T08:10:00.001-04:00

TOR @ PIT TOI - F/O - Score Sheet

He shoot to my ass and I little bit feel it, but I don't say nothing...

Tavares. Tlusty. Whatever. Talk about a great game. The Leafs looked like a new team in their white sweaters. Antro, Boyd and Kilger did a great job on the twin wonders, as did Staal on Sundin. The Leafs stayed out of the penalty box for most of the night, exchange three penalties with the Pens, except until the end of the game where they tried to make me lose my mind. Toskala was strong, especially in comparison to MAF who seemed to be fighting the puck after Steen's goal.

Steen, Steen, you mean machine. He scored a knock down on a defender along the boards with his premptive shoulder. Playing with Antropov for a split second resulted in a goal. One Tlusty's first, I thought that fortunate bounce from Kubina to Steen wasn't a bad idea for a set play, which basically is a point shot with traffic but the shooter at the blue line and the defender blocking the shooting lane are eliminated from the equation and you can get a shot from the top of the circle. Something to look for, I hope.

What a wrister from Jiri Tlusty. Wow. I was giggling on the couch after that went in. And what made it even better was the team kept coming. The pedal was floored until the penalty parade. When the PK got caught out there for a long stretch, they didn't panic. White, Gill, Stajan and Steen collapsed a bit, didn't chase as closely and waited for their opportunity to clear the zone. Good job, boys! But Whitey, next time get it out the first time you get the chance.

Woz made a great play on the PK, shoving a ref in the head to get out of his way. I like that 'this is my zone' attitude. Strahlman's game is impressive, but it needs some fine tuning. I don't think he has adjusted to the speed of the forecheckers, and is forcing pucks into spaces it won't fit. But give him a chance to get up to speed and he should be stellar. Kubina had a big night on the scoresheet, but he still wasn't that impressive. At least he is trending in the right direction. Anyone miss McCabe? Thought so.

If the Leafs can maintain this style of play throughout this road stretch, I sure hope I hear 'Go Leafs Go' early and often when they return to the ACC. The ultra critical media jades us Leafs fans, I think. Lets be that 7th man again. I bet the response from the players would be amazing.

As for the Penguins, Roberts was jonesing for a chance to dance with Kilger. That would've been a great fight. Apart from a few flops looking for calls after rampaging for a shift, Roberts was pretty much invisible. Recchi too. Explain why he is the one constant with Crosby. He'd be much more effective in spurts.

Leafs Lines
Poni-Sundin-Blake
Tlusty-Stajan-Steen
Kilger-Antro-Boyd
Gamanche-Pohl-Bates

Leafs Pairs
my notes are at home.
I'll post these later

Toskala

Could Tavares Be Leaf?

2007-10-25T12:55:00.000-04:00

According to David Shoalts of the Globe&Mail, JFJ has offered John Tavares a contract to play for the Marlies, in the hope of retaining the young gun's services.

Can you say diversionary tactic? Yes, I can. And it's working.

I wonder if Lou even thought of trying this.

__________________________________________________

Blood is in the water, and the scavengers are starting to circle the struggling Leafs and JFJ...

What's wrong in Toronto? - Ryder - What's Right?

Fire Ferguson - Simmons - Shut Up, Steve!

Who would replace JFJ? - Wharsnby - Premature Speculation

Desperate Times for JFJ - Magder - Don't forget who put him in this situation

Burke to Maple Leafs?... - Berger - Burke started with alot more in SoCal

Time to Trade Sundin - Houston - Only at the deadline, if at all

Toronto Deserves Better - Tolensky - Damn straight!

___________________________________________________

More on Shots - David Johnson

Thru 10 - Pension Plan Puppets

Cover your eyes

2007-10-21T12:57:00.000-04:00

TOR vs CHI 10/20/2007 - TOI - F/O - Score Sheet

Another lead. Another loss. And it takes one of the newest members of the Leafs to directly diagnose the problem.

"Every time we have a lead, we get burned...We sit back, don't play as hard, and that's why you take penalties."

Bravo Blake. The fact no one within the organization has recognized and addressed this issue is worrying. Very worrying. And don't get BitterLeaf started about a little in-game management and the far-fetched notion of maximizing one's advantage within the rules of the game and calling a time out to re-focus the team.

In what I considered a hang-over from the pre-lock/Pat Quinn days of the concept of the shut-down third period, it seems the Leafs stop doing what they have been doing in a game to be successful in an effort to be more careful, cautious or something. No more forecheck to continue territorial dominance. The ice that was tilted in the Leafs' favor slow teeters back to level, and then passes the point of no return in an avalanche of tentative nerves and home crowd jeers.

Who is to blame? Ain't that the fucking question of questions. Maurice is creeping up my s-list. I haven't really harped about the bench mismanagement too much, as many good coaches ignore the tool of the time out. The supposed veteran leadership core should be able to sense such a shift and give an encouraging word and an exemplary shift now and then. If this is exacerbated by a case of nerves, the home stand coming to an end and going out on the road may provide a fresh start for this squad.

As for the game itself, Kaberle seems to have awoken from his off-season slumber, joining the rush confidently and effectively. White made a great stretch pass to Pohl who should've buried the chance. Antropov staring down Kane was very enjoyable, who was extremely impressive, practically running the entire offense himself. Jason Williams seems to have landed a plumb role on the Hawks' powerplay after years of second class status in Detroit. I'm beginning to wonder what Steen's problem is. For all his skill and smarts, he can't seem to play with anyone effectively. I just don't get it. I thought him selfish last year when he would just shoot shoot shoot, but Maurice considered those acts selfless, and encouraged a more Steen-first mindset. In a more limited role, Stajan isn't as impressive, but still very solid. Gamanche is slowing a bit, but I still love what he brings to the table. He seems like a natural fit with Blake. I'm doubting Kubina's fitness coming into the season, because he seems even slower than last year. I've defended him in this space many times, but when you can't take care of your own end, the offense he brings isn't that important. Woz got used for another professional tripping penalty. Move that stick, boy! Poni's whining is complete bullshit. Belak did well blindfolded. McCabe is slowly regaining his confidence through invisibility. White deserves kudos for his standing up to Stumpel after the cheap hit from behind, that the entire Florida team and media ignored because White wasn't called for dropping his gloves. Raycroft was busy, but should've had Lang's wrister. And Antro continues being awesome.

Leafs Lines
Poni-Sundin-Blake
Kilger-Antro-Steen
Gamanche-Stajan-Tucker
Bates-Pohl-Belak

Leafs Pairs
Kaberle-Kubina
Gill-Woz
McCabe-White

Raycroft

UPDATE - "...over-rated rock band..." -100 points. The Police kick serious ass. And if you're so inclined, Mute Math do a good impression of the upper-driven trio.

Where's Marek?

2007-10-19T09:49:00.000-04:00

NYR vs ATL 10/18/07 – Stats – Score Sheet

Rangers Lines
Dawes-Gomez-Jagr
Prucha-Drury-Callahan
Straka-Betts-Shanahan
Hollweg-Dubinsky-Orr

Rangers Pairs
Pock-Rozsival
Tyutin-Girardi
Staal-Mara

Lundqvist

You may not have heard, but Thomas Pock has been complaining about not getting playing time this year. Pock, having been passed by Girardi and Staal on the Rangers depth chart, had been a healthy scratch for every game so far this season and has registered his discontent with the press. Now, I’m not historically a Pock-hater by any stretch. In fact, I don’t mind him at all. His ceiling isn’t that high, but he’s serviceable and you need guys like that in today’s NHL.

With my thoughts about Thomas Pock thoroughly explained, please allow me to move on with a brief, plain statement to #22: You, sir, made me miss Marek Malik. You made him look like Mr. Super God Of The Entire Hockey Game. You did this on your very first shift of the season. Impressive.

You see, Thomas finally managed to join the fray in Atlanta and immediately got caught out, resulting in the Thrashers first goal. There is nothing that will get the blood simmering like your team’s yappy scratch finally getting some playing-time and instantaneously proving he deserved none. On this particular play our replacement defenseman was caught pinching in idiotic fashion and managed to lose his stick (!) at the same time. After hurrying back in a vain attempt correct his own mistake, he ambled around at the side of the net for a minute before he was handed another stick by a back-checking forward. Just as he seemed to figure out what he was supposed to do with the stick, he turned around and had the puck go between his legs, through the crease to an unguarded Dupuis. It was an unholy display of terrible defensive hockey.

Of course, the first goal was followed by "penalties"> to Prucha and Callahan and a 5-on-3 goal given up by New York. Ugh. Suddenly my newfound hatred for Thomas Pock had grown even more acute. I came back from Hawaii for this? I hope Henrik Lundqvist shoves his blocker in your Österreich, Pock.

It bears noting that while Pock was blindly stabbing his stick at various pieces of the empty ice (see video of nearly ever Thrashers goal), Lundqvist was All-World. In the 1st period he stopped no less than three breakaways, including one that came after another gaff by Pock.

I sincerely hope Thomas likes Hartford. Perhaps he'll earn a standing reservation at the local Applebees or find a nice Nutmeg State girl to settle down with. Regardless, I trust he'll get comfortable there.

In the second, the Rangers seemed to find their feet, but they were down 2-0 already and they couldn’t beat Johan Hedberg (who replaced and injured Lehtonen early).

Atlanta tallied their third goal following a non-called offsides, and a blatant one at that. Erin Perrin skated in backwards with the puck, clearly passing over the blue line before the puck entered. He was offsides by a mile while attempting to re-control a lost puck. He took himself offsides, for $%@#’s sake! And let me tell you, nothing will piss you off more than when you’re team of uncoordinated fools gets jobbed by the morons in stripes…

Hold that! Nothing will peeve you more than that except perhaps the assclown Atlanta announcers who think the goal was brilliant and ignore obvious infraction. The mites playing between periods have scored nicer goals, Captain Atlanta! It’s good to know that Georgia’s future as a hotbed of American sport is in your homer-blind hands. I hope you get syphilis from Bobby Holik.

By the third period I was crying and openly hoping for bloodshed. What on Earth are we paying Colton Orr for if it’s not to take of his skates off and start randomly slashing at people? Come on! These clowns haven’t earned a point all season, they’re cleaning our clocks, and no one lifts a finger? Jesus, Colton, man-up and take a felony for the team. You’re not here for your goal-scoring touch.

Of course, even when Hollweg and Orr finally tried to start something (in response to a decent hit on Prucha), Colton was goaded into a double-minor by Exelby. You know things aren’t going well when you lose a battle of wits to the likes of Garnett Exelby.

Checkmate.

I watched the rest of the game on mute, secretly hoping Malik returns to the line-up on Saturday and cursing Continental Airlines for bringing me back to the dreadful team. After all, they don’t have hockey in Hawaii. Or Austrians.

Other Notes

- Credit Lehtonen with some huge early saves on the Atlanta side, particularly just before he left in the 1st period. He was replaced by Johan Hedberg who was equally up to the task. It was a good game for the Atlanta net-minders.

- Bryan Little, the Thrashers 2006 1st rounder, seems like a good, gritty goal-scorer. His goal showed a knack for the net.

- There is no use hiding it any longer… I love Dan Girardi. I sent him flowers this morning. I hope he likes lilies.

- The refs, Dean Warren and Justin St. Pierre, were terrible throughout. I give the credit for being consistent at least. They called an awful, putrid game from start to end and made countless mistakes on both sides. So, you got that going for you fellas... which is nice.

Ranking Round Up Returns

2007-10-17T17:30:00.000-04:00

Yahoo! 27th(--) - (2-3-2) – "The heck with all the goaltending controversy of who is No. 1 – Vesa Toskala or Andrew Raycroft – the Leafs are not very good on defense."

TSN 16th(16th) - (2-3-1) - "Mats Sundin is off to a fantastic start, with ten points and a plus-7 in six games, while capturing the Leafs' all-time records for goals and points, and he's helped elevate enigmatic Nik Antropov, who has seven points of his own."

CBC 21st(17th) - (2-3-1) - "Won't go anywhere unless defensive play improves."

CBS 20th(17th) - (2-3-1) - "Even though the Leafs have scored more goals than anyone so far, they don't have enough offense to beat teams when they allow an average of 45 shots per night, as they have for the last couple of games."

FOX - 21st (22nd) - (2-3-2) - "Aside form their 8-1 win over the Islanders, Toronto had a week to forget. The Leafs defense was nowhere to be found in Week 2, giving up 133 shots and 18 goals in three losses to the Hurricanes, Penguins and Sabres."

Sonny Moore 29th

USA Today/Sagarin - 21st

Me 10/02/07 - "The crease will take care of itself. The real issue is from the crease out, in particular team defense."

TSN, 10 demerits for missing the blatantly obvious! Tsk! Tsk!

Sabres slice open Leafs for 4 in the Third

2007-10-16T12:36:00.000-04:00

TOR @ BUF 10/15/07

What started out as a clinic in how to win a road game ended up with the Leafs' needing surgery to repair their collapsed defense. Holding the Sabres off the scoreboard for forty minutes should be applauded, and kudos should go to the entire team and even Raycroft who robbed Stafford at the lip of the crease.

But what happened in the third is a trait Maurice has yet to correct. And most worrying is that the highest paid players are to blame. McCabe and Kaberle lost their assignments on one goal. Kubina doesn't appear able to keep up and is contesting Woz's title of worst penalty taker. McCabe scored the game winner for Buffalo. And yet, McCabe, for all his faults shouldn't be the goat.

Mats Sundin led the team to surrender four goals in the third period. If the captain and our supposed number one line can't get the job done defensively, why should the rest of the team buy in? And the depressing part is that the rest of the team seems to be buying in, as Antropov and Stajan and Co. have been performing at a level that can and should be winning hockey games.

I'd rather Sundin have no points than be exploited in his own end. He made a great play in the first period when the Leafs bent but didn't break, quickly clearing a rebound past a pouncing Sabre. But where was the commitment to winning in the third?

Sorry to say it, but when you get performances like you did last night from Raycroft, Kilger, Antropov, Stajan, Pohl and don't win, it's going to be another season out of the playoffs.

The only positive from the last two games is that Antropov is starting to dominate every shift he is out there. Crosby didn't like his attentive play much. He was giving the Sabres fits last night. His PK is impressive. Maybe he'll make the All-Star game this year.

Of course, the mere mentioning of his progress has my Spidey sense tingling. Let this be the year he remains healthy and stays on a roll. Please.

Boo Yaa

2007-10-12T13:52:00.000-04:00

TOR vs NYI 10/11/07

First of all, congrats to Mats.

White is no longer trade bait. He has shown the most initiative of all the blue liners so far this season, and is even becoming a target by other teams because of it. He's dangerous, folks. Other teams know it, and that is a stamp of approval that counts. Last year, he was targeted because teams thought they could exploit his dimunitive size with their forecheck. So far this year, he is being targeted because he is testing the defence or pinching to keep the play alive. Last night, I thought he took his foot of the gas a bit after he got clocked into a linesman, only to look foolish a second later after he made another great play. Keep it up, Whitey!

Simon Gamanche. I didn't get a chance to see him in the preseason, but if he played anything like he did last night his not making the team can only be explained as a motivational ploy. He's nimble, quick, aggressive, patient with the puck, tenacious, has a shot, and was nick named 'Animal' of Muppet fame by my special lady last night for his wild hair. If he keeps playing this way, 'Animal' might work on more than an appearance level.

How good was Stajan? Yeah, four points is nice, but he was winning battles all over the ice. Tucker looked alive. I don't know what his problem was, be he needs to realize he is considered a veteran leader, and playing like a wet sack of poop is unacceptable. Gamanche looked like he belonged. Hopefully he stays. He may be smaller than Poni, but there is no question Simon has far superior hands. Kilger, Belak and Newby were awesome. Probably because they didn't have a shift in their own end, but whatever. That is the kind of energy line this team needs. And how about Antro's line starting all three periods? Nice moves all around for Maurice. Shuffled the lines, managed egos and rewarded good play. Kudos.

Who's powerplay was that? It wasn't fantastic, but scoring off the rush with the extra man seemed to have entered the equation which was nice to see. There was movement of both the puck and players once they were set up in the zone. The refs were being extremely kind to the Leafs last night, so even the PP looked a little gassed at times.

Did someone switch on deke mode? Kaberle and Steen might actually win this team a game or two in the shoot out this year with those moves. I was shocked. No dilly-dallying. Just confident decisive moves at speed.

This is the type of game that a blind midget could've won for the Leafs in goal. Sure, Raycroft was aggressive on his angles, challenging shooters, but that is to be expected. Nothing glaringly horrible. Nothing spectacular. The goal that did get by was a terrific deflection. I initially thought it was another shot from the blue line past his glove hand, but I was unjustly harsh.

And why through the entire broadcast last night (I had the Fox NY feed) was there no mention of Berard's steroid issue from last year? Sean Hill wasn't the only doper discovery last year. How ironic, another Islander.

I'd like to see long the Leafs can sustain this level of effort and intensity before the next let down, as I think if they can keep it going for atleast six games it would bode very well for the season. If the let down happens before the return engagement in Pittsburgh, then I'll not only be pissed, but worried.

UPDATE - Go check Cox Bloc if Damien ever rubs you the wrong way. Great Stuff. Credit to PPP.

Post of the Day

2007-10-11T16:18:00.000-04:00

I'm sure you have already been there today, probably more than once, but I've been wanting to see a post like this for years. It is pure poolie porn; Preferred Powerplay Combinations of all 30 teams.

Nice work, Mirtle!

Careful what you wish for...

2007-10-10T10:45:00.000-04:00

TOR vs CAR 10/09/07

"Maybe I should tank the next game and let Raycroft have a few starts?"

Not in the dog house - Vesa Toskala, Jason Blake, Ian White, Alex Steen, Nik Antropov, Matt Stajan.

"Did I forget to mention...

2007-10-08T12:47:00.000-04:00

I have leukemia."

I want to know the date of this diagnosis (initial detection during 09/25/07 screening). I want to know if Blake knew of his condition before signing his five year contract (nope). I want to know if JFJ knew of the condition (negatory).

Treatable or not, Maurice bumped Blake off the first line on Saturday night because he, or the entire line, looked tired. Sure, it might just be the start of the season and the speedster isn't in midseason form, but this does not bode well.

And while I understand the need to manage expectations heading into the season, keeping this information from fans is not going to win JFJ any fans, regardless of how well Toskala plays.

UPDATE - If the early reports prove accurate, the disease was discovered at the training camp physical. What an unfortunate turn of events for a newly signed unrestricted free-agent. And this has to be considered a vote of competence for the Leafs' medical staff.

I feel embarassed by my initial reaction. I'm accustomed to assuming JFJ has been bamboozled yet again after the Bell miscalculation.

Hearts and thoughts

1-1-1

2007-10-07T21:18:00.000-04:00

TOR vs MTL 10/06/2007

Leafs Lines
Blake-Sundin-Antro
Poni-Stajan-Steen
Kilger-Pohl-Tucker
Bates-Newby-Boyd

Leafs Pairs
Kaberle-Kubina
McCabe-White
Gill-Woz

Toskala

The story of the game, apart from some questionable refereeing, had to be Poni's immediate impact once skating with Sundin and Antro. But since you'll have read about that by now, I'm looking at another under reported trend. No, not McCabe skating with White, or Kaberle's best friend being Danny Markov. But Gill and Woz skating with Sundin's line. Kaberle and Kubina and McCabe and White are supporting lines 2-4, while the big pair back up Sundin & Co.

This is a paragdigm shift if there ever was one, and one that might kill Kaberle's awesome fantasy league value. Gone are the assists from feeding a streaking Sundin who finds a winger who scores. Those gimme assists will fall to Woz'n'Gill. I suspect this experiment is born from seeing success around the league by teams that don't deploy L1 with offensive minded defensive pairings. Think Malik and Rosival always skating with Jagr, Straka and Nylander last season.

I like it for a couple reasons. First, it provides the best opportunity to clear the D zone against the opposition's top line, if they are matched L1-L1. It also spreads the wealth. The Maple Leafs' strength is offense from the blue line. Utilizing the 2 offensive minded pairings with the less talented forward lines puts eggs in as many baskets as possible.

This may be a short lived test, because if the big lugs can't find the forwards consistently with a pass the test will be a failure. But so far, so good. Apart from the three minors Woz took.

Game notes - Steen made a great reception from McCabe for his initial shot. He collected the rebound, found White, who walked in and blasted top shelf. Maurice needs some collar stays. First Saturday game of the year, and his collar is curling like a quarter pipe. Ron MacClean's sign off from Coach's Corner had me rolling. "A little something for all who stick'er out, from the guy who has to stick'er in," immediately followed by a puzzled expression of disbelief in what he had just read aloud.

Marek Malik On Pace For 246 Points

2007-10-05T10:15:00.000-04:00

NYR vs FLA 10/4/07 – Stats – Score Sheet

Rangers LinesStraka-Drury-JagrAvery-Gomez-ShanahanPrucha-Dubinsky-CallahanHollweg-Betts-Orr
Rangers PairsMalik-RozsivalTyutin-GirardiStaal-Mara
Lundqvist
For the second year in a row the Rangers scored on their first shot of the season. And for the first forty minutes of yesterday's game it appeared that that would be the only good news coming out of MSG on opening night.

With the crowd still in a Leetch-induced frenzy (he dropped the ceremonial first puck), the Blueshirts came out on fire. I had barely settled into my seat when Jagr took a breakout feed, passed to Drury, who in turn passed (deflected) to Rozsival --- BANG! 37 seconds into the season and it is 1-0 for home team. It looked like candy and sunshine for the ‘07-‘08 Rangers… Candy, sunshine, and Czech defensemen.

Soon after though, the wheels came off. For the next half hour the Rangers looked like a bunch of flailing, wasted bar brawlers who couldn’t find the fight, much less get into it. They didn’t do anything right. And if it wasn’t for Henrik, they would have been beaten senseless by the Panthers on their own ice. Lundqvist kept them in it. He does that from time to time, I’ve heard.

Then, sometime during the second intermission, Marek Malik stepped into a phone booth and came out wearing a Bobby Orr cape. Make no mistake, Malik, the whipping boy of many a Garden faithful (myself included), was the man that brought this team back. It was Malik’s crafty backhand pass that found Prucha all by himself on the left wing for the game-tying goal. Petr finished it, but that was Marek’s work and Marek’s pass that earned the tally.

Mere minutes later, it was Malik again, this time firing a cannon from the left point, allowing Jagr to collect a rebound, and then Drury to find another before pocketing his first goal on Broadway. It also happened to be the game-winner. I’ve heard that Drury had a knack for those sorts of goals and it was nice to see. It was also just the spark the home crowd and home team needed. Floodgates: Open.

Malik earned praise tonight, but Girardi still has our heart
It’s worth saying again, though. This was all because of Marek Malik. Yes, he made a dimwitted play or two. Everyone does. Malik just happens to be 6’6” so when he errs everyone knows it. But tonight was his night. And apparently people noticed. He was treated to cheers at MSG for the first time since his shoot-out goal. At one point, impressed by his play, Jagr asked him, “What’s going on?” According to Jagr, the big defenseman replied, ‘I have to do it all by myself.’

Candy, sunshine, and Czech defensemen.

Others Notes:
- Vokoun looked rattled and rattle-able. Prucha’s goal got through him. Drury’s came on the second juicy rebound of the flurry. Callahan’s goal was nice, but should have been stopped. Straka got his on a shot that came off the back-boards. All of them were stoppable, none were.

- The second Panther goal was deflected. Lundqvist was keyed on Horton’s shot, but it went off the player in front and sailed the other way over Hank’s right shoulder. I only mention this because Hank was unfortunate to get beat by a good number of deflection goals last year (many off his own teammates). I’m keeping track this year.

- Jagr was held to two assists. He had a solid game, not nearly as quiet as some are saying this morning.

- I love Dan Girardi, but only in a hockey-fan sorta way (I swear). See photo above for further details.

- Marc Staal has played better hockey games. And I’m sure he will play better hockey games in the future. Despite a hiccup or two, I offer a big Raking Leafs’ Rangers Correspondent congratulations to the Thunder Bay kid for his first NHL game. Well done, #18.

0-1-1

2007-10-05T08:10:00.001-04:00

TOR @ OTT 10/04/07 - Stats

Leafs Lines
Blake-Sundin-Antro
Poni-Stajan-Steen
Kilger-Pohl-Tucker
Bates-Newbury-Boyd

Leafs Pairs
Kab-Kub
McC-White
Gill-Woz

Toskala

Truth be told, one point of a possible four is what I expected in these first two games. Sadly, I was right. But the games did illustrate the Leafs are alot closer to their rivals than I had given them credit for, and there are alot of positives to build on for the remaining eighty games of the regular season.

First and foremost, Blake and Antropov look dangerous. Sundin doesn't have his legs yet, and at this point the other two are carrying him. Once he gets up to speed, this could be a scary good trio.

The second line is producing. It is only two games, but so what. Steen and Stajan and Poni aren't winning any style points, but the puck is going in. Their play should provide a boost to the rest of team.

Boyd is looking solid. His skating is top 5 on the team, and this should see him usurp Tucker on the third line at some point. I'm not sure how the fourth would look without him, (Bates - Newbury - Tucker?) but the third would be able to skate with almost anybody and cycle effectively. When Bell debuts, where does he fit? Does he bump Pohl down to L4, and skate with Kilger and Boyd? Bates-Pohl-Tucker is a very decent L4. Or is B3 a possibility?

Woznewski can hang. Apart from an awkward faceplant into the boards of his own doing, Andy doesn't look out of place. Automatically deferring the puck to Gill on the break out won't work all season, but for now it is letting him build his confidence. Could this be JFJ's pump and dump project leading to a masterstroke trade?

Toskala, Toskala, Toskala. That is what a starting goaltender looks like. Challenging the shooter, moving quickly laterally, reading the play early, making the tough traffic stops look routine. His tracking of the puck is exceptional. Even the way he follows the puck when it goes behind the net is a step above Raycroft. My nerves won't be nearly as taxed this season everytime the opposition shoots the puck.

I imagine I'll have plenty of inspiration to critique this team in the coming weeks, so I'll leave it on an up note for today.

UPDATE - This blog is due for a link update/cleaning, but in the mean time I wanted to say thanks to Pens Blog for mentioning Raking Leafs in their Northeast division preview. If you've never been over there, check them out. Also, go check out PPP's new digs. Gone is .blogspot. and in with the photoshop. Pension Plan Puppets is lookin' good, and gets an extra special endorsement from my extra special lady friend.

0-0-1

2007-10-04T08:02:00.000-04:00

TOR vs OTT 10/03/07 - Stats - Score Sheet

Leaf Lines
Blake-Sundin-Antro
Poni-Stajan-Steen
Kilger-Pohl-Tucker
Boyd-Newbury-Bates

Leaf Pairs
Kaberle-Kubina
McCabe-White
Gill-Woz

Raycroft

Started well, except for the minor bullshit eight seconds in, and an out of sync powerplay that couldn't move the puck and consequently gave up a shortie to some streaking comet. Bounced back with some scripted lobs for Blake to retrieve. Antro showed nice patience in the slot on goal #2. But they couldn't keep a lead. Regulars looked rusty, especially Kaberle and Kilger, but managed to finish the first tied at two.

The second period is where this game should've been decided. The Leafs won the physical battle, which was really the tactical battle by not allowing the Sens to skate circles around the Leafs, and Stajan scored the only goal after getting clocked earlier in the shift. The delay of game penalty was nice to see considering how often the Sens got away with that last year.

WARNING: Hit him and he will make you pay

In the third the Leafs wilted. All of the things they had done to be effective stopped happening and the Sens roared to life. With such a high octane team, the Leafs need to keep the enitre game in the trenches. Not just for fifty minutes.

Of course, there are pluses and minuses. The team showed spark and resolve to come back from down one, get a lead twice, remained disciplined, and generally took the Senators' off their game. Woz'n'Gill performed well. The PK was effective, using Boyd and Kilger and Steen and Stajan as forward pairings. Antro was out there too, and almost single-handedly killed off a man disadvantage clearing the zone twice on extra effort plays exploiting his reach. Steen was shooting the puck wherever he could. Stajan bounced back from getting plastered to score a crucial, at the time, goal. White showed good jump. Blake looks great. He even did his signature circle the zone and get a shot off routine.

The minuses include Kilger hot potatoing the puck everywhere. If it wasn't rolling off his blade when shooting, it wasn't settling down for him. He had a couple of games like this last year, so hopefully he got one of the duds out of his system early. Kaberle looked lackadaisical and disinterested. Game 1 excuses provided by me. But not for long. Tucker getting run over and then hobbling to the bench. That isn't what Tucker gets paid for. I'm glad others stepped up, but Tucker isn't effective when he isn't the one doing the intimidating. Poni gave the game away when he didn't switch to cover Heatley. That should not happen at the NHL level. Period. That is a rookie mistake that would get said rookie benched or even sent down for a while to remind him of the import of defensive coverage, especially against the opposition's top scoring line. Of course, the commentary was about how Heatley was able to find space, but a moron could've solved urban cramping given that kind of space. This is not to say Heatlet's overtime winner wasn't a thing of beauty and pain. (Is there a word for that combination?)

Raycroft, and it wasn't even his glove hand.

And most worrying, is that the team of 06-07 would outplay a team for the majority of the sixty minutes only to give it all back in a couple of shifts, which is what happened last night. The effort was great, but it wasn't consistent enough to maintain tactical advantage and preserve the win.

But enough nitpicking and fretting. Maurice threw together a couple of one shift lines that had potential in the third. Let's see if any of those surface again tonight. UPDATE - Maybe Maurice should reserve the line experimentation for when the team is losing to provide spark, rather than disrupting combinations that have produced a lead. Just a thought.

A quick note

2007-10-02T12:25:00.001-04:00

For all the hoopla being created by the media about which goaltender is #1, or who will start the season against Ottawa, and how JFJ's fate is linked with Toskala's play, it really is all crap, no matter how many times you read "it really all comes down to [insert name here]," which is guaranteed to pop up mid way through the season when the politicking inevitably begins.

I know the story line is oh so tempting, and oh so predictable, but the goalie "controversy" is no such thing. Tandems were used widely last season by successful teams, and is becoming a smart strategy for the long haul of te 82 game schedule. The crease will take care of itself. The real issue is from the crease out, in particular team defense. Why this isn't the rhythm of the drum in t.dot, I have no idea. Or maybe I do. Maybe it is because MLSE wants to market an 'exciting' brand of hockey, and who doesn't want to watch an exciting brand of hockey, right? I know, fans who want to watch winning hockey. That's who!

So stop pitting the team's two tenders against one another. Because in the end, it really all comes down to winning. Not who is in goal.

Sincerely,

Not buying into it

p.s. - Alienating Sundin, however much sugar you coat it with, isn't much better of a story line.

This is a marathon, not a race

2007-10-02T10:05:00.000-04:00

I was a little more patient this year making predictions about the upcoming season. I figured changing predictions three weeks later, and a week before the puck drops for reals, was a tad premature. Having learned that valuable life lesson while procrastinating at an elite level, I'm back for more. I posted my guesses last Friday over at spofi.

Atlantic
(2)NYR - Hank the Tank and the Invisible D should be a band name.
(4)Pitt - aged like Bourbon, 1 year in Pitt is like 4 years elsewhere
(7)PHI - Little Montreal, with Biron, Gagne and Briere running the show
NJD - Sorry folks, the playoff streak ends here. It has to, right?
NYI - Ricky D is a force, but not an unstoppable one.

Northeast
(1)OTT- Hoping for a President's Trophy curse on this one.
(5)BUF - All those games they should've lost last year, this year they will.
(6)TOR - Wellwood is gonna....nevermind. Fingers crossed.
MON - Koivu won't let this team fall, but even strength play needs help.
BOS - Kessel should entertain. Manny pines for midwest.

Southeast
(3)CAR - Ward, Kaberle, Staal, Cullen all due for a rebound.
(8)FLA - Defensive scheme should prevail in offense first division
ATL - Can't get to the playoffs without a L1 center
WAS - Did you know Kolzig is from South Africa?
TMP - Surpised they made it the past two seasons. Luck runs out.

Central
(1)DET - Franzen scares me
(7)NAS - Maybe too high, but I love their style of play
CHI - Wall and Havlat are key. Yanic, Williams are clicking with Bourque
STL - Paul Kariya is not dumb. Tkachuk almost scored 30 last year.
COL - I had faith before last season. Hitchcock has his work cut out.

Northwest
(3)VAN - Offense? We don't need no stinkin' offense!
(5)COL - Defense? We don't need no stinkin' defense!
(6)MIN - Dominic Moore between Demitra and Gaborik? Uh, ok.
CAL - Kipper, Phaneuf and Iggy are good for not last place, right?
EDM - Tough division to come out of nowhere. Could surprise conference.

Pacific
(2)SJ - Fast start will carry them through. No back up for Nabby worrying.
(4)ANA - Slow start, but reinforcements wait in the wings.
(8)LA - If not for horrendous tending, they were a playoff team last year.
DAL - Offense, we need a stinking offense.
PHX - Yipes!

FINALS - NYR vs ANA (Ducks in 5)

Tossing Darts At The Sports Section

2007-10-02T09:52:00.000-04:00

Again, it's JP, not the Ninja. His predictions come later.

NHL Eastern Conference Predictions

(2) New Jersey - Gomez and Rafalski gone, Brodeur is not.
(4) Pittsburgh - Can they keep the puck out of their net?
(7) New York Rangers - Slow start, late charge.
Philadelphia - They’re better, but not good enough.
New York Islanders - They’re worse, but they won’t roll over for anyone.

(1) Ottawa - The class of the East. Still.
(6) Buffalo - They lost a lot, but I still see them working their way in.
Montreal - I don’t know what to make of this team.
Toronto - Too many questions. I’ll be hoping for the right answers, but…
Boston - If you want a dark horse, pick the Bruins. I’m not that gutsy.

(3) Carolina - Rebound year.
(5) Tampa Bay - Too much talent here, but their backline still needs help.
(8) Washington - I like the mix of youth and veterans.
Atlanta - A step back for the Trash this year.
Florida - A popular pick, but I’m not sold.

NHL Western Conference Predictions

(1) Detroit - Consistency continues in Sameville.
(5) St. Louis - My surprise team. I have a soft spot for John Davidson.
Nashville - How can you expect a gutted team to succeed?
Chicago - There is finally something to be hopeful about in the Windy City.
Columbus - Hitchcock’s team will be tough to play against (sometimes).

(3) Vancouver - Luongo, Luongo, Luongo.
(6) Colorado - Reloaded and ready? Depends on their netminders.
(8) Minnesota - Too much talent not to make the play-offs this year.
Edmonton - Can’t make up for the loss of heart (Smyth) and soul (Smith).
Calgary - Is the lackluster pre-season a sign? Keenan may explode.

(2) Anaheim - Everyone will be gunnin’ for the Champs.
(4) San Jose - Loaded, but they don’t inspire confidence for some reason.
(7) Dallas - Consistent play and a good goalie gets you a playoff spot.
Los Angeles - This team is growing. Watch out for them.
Phoenix - This team is floundering. A new rebuild begins now.

Playoffs

Eastern Conference Finals: Ottawa vs. Pittsburgh

Western Conference Finals: Detroit vs. Vancouver

Stanley Cup Finals: Ottawa vs. Vancouver

Awards

Stanley Cup: Canucks in 7
President’s Trophy: Ottawa Senators
Hart: Sidney Crosby
Vezina: Roberto Luongo
Calder: Erik Johnson
Adams: Andy Murray
Selke: Rod Brind’Amour
Smythe: Roberto Luongo
Byng: Chris Simon

A Case of The Sposetas

2007-10-01T16:09:00.000-04:00

Another interlude from RL’s New York Rangers correspondent…

I’m a Mets fan. I woke up this morning from a painful nightmare only to be reminded that it wasn’t actually a painful nightmare. Rather, it was an even more painful reality. Ugh.

The Mets were supposed to win the NL East. They were favored, the experts predicted it, and they were leading for 95% of the season. Still, this is sports and in the world of sports sometimes things don’t happen the way they are supposed to. If they did, the San Diego Chargers would be 3-1 instead of 1-3, Tiger would have beat Weir, and I wouldn’t be crying into an orange and blue hanky right now.

Also, the New York Rangers wouldn’t even have to take the ice this year and they would be granted a pass through to the conference finals. You see, much like the Mets, the experts are weighing in and picking the Blue Shirts to cruise through to the play-offs. Melrose even called them the class of the East, though that might have been the fumes from his hair gel talking.

Me, I’m not so sure they finish that high. In fact, in my yet-to-be-released season predictions, I don’t even have them winning their division. Yes, they had a productive year last year, even improving on the campaign previous to that one. And yes, they signed two All-Star caliber centers, and two players who I feel will fit well with the unit as a whole. But, you must understand, I’m a Rangers fan and I’ve seen this act play out before. In pre-lock-out days, all too often New York signed all the right players only to have the season crash down before them in a heap of over-hype and exaggerated disappointment. Dollars were flung around in a similar manner during the summer of ’07 and it’s my honest hope that the same fate does not befall that money. I sit here, excited for the season, but history doesn’t allow me to get too excited. Instead, because of the parallels to past years and perhaps due to the fresh wounds opened by my favorite baseball team, I’m actually a bit… I don’t know… Scared.

I’m nervous. I’m frightened. I’m on edge. I’m apprehensive.

In the end, I do envision this team recovering from a slow start, but right now I’m even worried about that recovery. And the slow start hasn’t even happened yet. Surely, that’s a result of the recent re-learning of a timeless and obvious sports lesson: You don’t make the playoffs before the season starts.

Regardless, I can’t wait for the year to begin if only so I can get this nagging feeling out of my mind.

Elsewhere --- The indispensable San Weinman just sent word via his blog, Rangers Report, that Dawes, Anisimov and Montoya were the final three New York cuts and are on their way to the Hartford Wolfpack. As such, the opening night line-up will look something like this:

Straka – Gomez – Jagr
Avery – Drury – Shanahan
Callahan - Dubinsky – Prucha
Hossa – Betts – Hollweg

Rozsival – Malik
Girardi – Tyutin
Staal – Mara

Lundqvist / Valiquette

Scratched: Strudwick, Orr, Pock

Note: The line combinations are fictional. I made them up. I do not coach the New York Rangers.

...pretty close...

2007-09-29T11:11:00.000-04:00

July hypothetical lines:

Poni-Sundin-Antro

Bell-Wellwood-Blake

Steen-Stajan-Tucker

Kilger-Boyd-Bates

"That's pretty close to where we'll start," Maurice said, referring to the makeup of the first three lines.

Blake-Sundin-Antro
Poni-Stajan-Steen
Kilger-Pohl-Tucker
Boyd-Newbury-Bates

Without precognitive powers to foresee Wellwood's relapse and Bell getting rung up for 15 games, let's see how my gambling gene did.

Antro sticks with Sundin, providing post-up play-making options, with Blake getting bumped to the first line to jump into the holes and fly up the wing. With two thirds of my L2 gone, the St.Ajan and St.Een pairing moves up to join the demoted Poni. This has the potential to be a very effective line, but Poni hasn't excelled when playing with these two before, so hopefully this time around is different.

Tucker mans L3 rightwing, which is where he should be. If that upsets you, think of it as the first checking line. I want Tucker on the ice in spurts to set tempo. I don't want Tucker on the ice too much which slows the tempo. Kilger slides up on the left side, while Pohl gets the chance he earned last year.

Boyd and Bates formed one of the better L4's in the league, in my opinion, last year with Kilger. Newbury should be able to fill the void while allowing the wingers to do the heavy lifting in the corners. Hopefully he can keep up the pace when the B boys generate their high pace cycle down low.

Overall, I like the look of the lines. Knowing the powerplay can click without Wellwood down low to the left of the net eases some concerns. The Leafs powerplay has operated on the left side of the ice for several years, and I wasn't confident a scheme focusing on Blake down low to the right of the net would be a smooth shift. I'm still not sure since I didn't get to see the game against the Wings last night, but the box scores provides enough evidence to at least not be too worried.

Look ma, forwards playing defense!

As for defense, your guess is better than mine. With so many unknowns in Kronwall, Woz, Strahlman and Carlo already hurt I can't really work out who is out and who is in. But the forwards have to get their collective head out of their ass. Their zone coverage is atrocious.

Which leads me to a theme I hope to see this season. Rather than the score-a-thon we are usually treated to for the first third of the season, I was thinking a defense first, build from the D zone out, approach would be a refreshing change. Develop those good habits early, then loosen the reins. I don't know. Call me crazy, but if the forwards have as much invested in keeping the goals against down as the blueliners, then maybe they will be tougher to play against as a team.

Rush Rush

2007-09-25T13:43:00.001-04:00

So, I was hoping something positive would spur me to get back to posting here. How naive I am at times is astounding.

Reading Berger's post which cites some anonymous groin expert, and former Leafs employee, really has me upset. Basically, if Wellwood had been treated properly last year and given a LONG summer to rest, this recent flair up should not have occurred. Obviously he rested during the summer, as his father has been very vocal on the subject. That leaves the treated properly last year part.

Wellwood's performance varied wildly last year, even to the point of me becoming frustrated with his apparent unwillingness to engage the opposition physically. He was playing as a mere shadow of the player that began the season with a bang. By his own admission, this injury bothered him for at least half of the games he played before December. Which brings us to this nugget courtesy of anonymous.

But, if he played with that muscle tear for any length of time last season, it was most definitely the wrong thing to do. I understand why pro hockey players try to push the envelope. They want to play. Their careers aren’t overly long. But, reason has to prevail in situations involving important muscles like those in the groin area

Reason. Ah yes, something we humans should use in the act of making a decision. And yet reason is often trumped by external factors that upon reflection are quite irrational. Like say, pressure on the GM to make the playoffs because of his uncertain job security. Or like Wellwood continuing to play in discomfort because of pressure from the team to produce. Wellwood alluded to this pressure recently, suggesting management wanted him to play an entire season.

This is not to say Kyle himself isn't putting pressure on himself to play an entire season, but from the sound of it, he was pressured to do so last year, and explains management's thought process of bringing Wellwood back to finish the season, despite early reports that Kyle was done for the season when the team opted for surgery.

Remember those reports? I do. And some how magically they were forgotten. Wellwood should have been shut down with the thinking of coming back in October of 2007, not March 2007.

Thirteen games played. Eleven points. And possibly a groin irreparably damaged. If this injury isn't managed properly this year, assuming he can regain enough strength in the area to be effective, and he is rushed back early in the hopes of merely making the playoffs and he re-injures the groin, it is the most damning bit of evidence to have JFJ fired and MLSE loudly blamed for putting JFJ in such a position.

Good teams don't treat their few and precious talents with such short-sightedness.

Update - Simmons actually has a decent article today regarding the medical mishaps of the JFJ administration. Too bad he too thinks Wellwood will be back to normal next month.

Update - I just wanted to extend a special thank you to Tom L of Sabre Rattling fame for mentioning this blog over at AOL Blogger Fanhouse.

Oh Ver Ray Tid

2007-08-30T18:05:00.000-04:00

Along the lines of something I was hoping to see from David Johnson this off-season, Sean Allen goes through the Eastern Conference with an eye for potential busts.

He needs to watch more Pens games, because from what I've seen there is no shortage of centers playing the wing. Though he is spot on when it comes to Redden. He also makes an interesting point about Tucker's PP time. Does Maurice let seniority dictate whether Tucker resigns the lease to his office? I'm not sure which way that will play out. And I think Vinnie made the leap to elite status last year. He'll be in the hunt for the Hart all season.

In Among the Hills of Morris....

2007-08-25T18:08:00.001-04:00

I just have to follow up a previous mention of George Parros, class of 1998, by mentioning his visit to Delbarton on his one day with Stanley. Here's a link to the Daily Record. [via] Congrats George! I never would've dreamt the Stanley Cup would've visited the senior garden.

And that 'stach rocks!
______________________

In other news reported late Friday, seemingly intended to be lost in the news cycle, the Leafs have promoted from within and rewarded Jeff Jackson, JFJ's capologist, with an Assistant GM title. This brings the Assistant GM count to two, supposedly leading the way in organizational structure innovation.

In effect, Jackson's promotion gives the Leafs two assistant GMs, since Mike Penny also retained his job and title as well.

"That may end up being kind of a new [organizational] model," Jackson said. "The only thing I'm going to be doing more of is help Mike manage the [Toronto] Marlies and be more involved with our prospects playing in the American [Hockey] League, and maybe do a little more scouting with the players we drafted.

"Really, day to day, nothing's really changing."

It would've been refreshing to have seen the organization add someone who brings something new to the table. But alas, miracles don't happen that frequently. Not even ever forty years. I also get the sense the Toronto media is almost pissed about this unexciting development, sucking all the potential dramatic ammunition from their collective arsenal.

I'm sure they'll think of something to overhype. They always do.

JFJ a dumb-Bell?

2007-08-15T12:10:00.000-04:00

JFJ has some 'splainin' to do.

For some history and perspective, here is a good compilation of similar alcohol-related incidents. [via -> via]

UPDATE - "According to Ferguson, through a released statement, the Leafs "have been aware of the charges against Mark Bell" and have been "following the legal proceedings closely. Mark has acknowledged the error in judgment (and) has accepted responsibility for his actions, and the Leafs organization will support Mark through this challenging time."

A difference maker

2007-08-14T10:47:00.000-04:00

The following was received this morning from RL's intrepid NY Rangers' correspondent. Enjoy. - ninja

Chasing Forsberg: Ottawa in the hunt...

As we all know (just trust me), I've been very wrong about many hockey-related items in the past. One theme that has proved a near-constant is my frequently incorrect assertion that Peter Forsberg is a difference-maker when it comes to a Stanley Cup run.

Now, I know on the skin of things, he is in fact a difference-maker. And I doubt any sane-minded individual would question that. But my prognostications have always gone a bit beyond that and, it turns out, a bit too far. At various times I have said each of the following:

--- "Forsberg, coming back from (insert injury), will lead the Avs to another Cup. No question."

--- "Sweet turds, Philly signed Forsberg. Crap!"

--- "Nashville is the team to beat with the kid from Ornskoldsvik on board! You just watch!"

And watch we all did. We watched Forsberg get hurt and the Avs fail. We watched Philly go from top to bottom and Nashville lose their legs just as someone (who shall remain spleenless) was added to their team. At every turn, my predicitions, based on my faith in Forsberg, were incorrect.

Don't get me wrong, I still believe that for some time Peter Forsberg was the best hockey player in the known universe. And I still believe that his body has more hockey talent than nearly anyone else in the world. It just so happens that his body is made up of plastic screws, jello, and duct tape at this point. And, as a result, his immense talents are finding it difficult to overcome his brittle frame. It turns out that "Foppa" means "injury-prone" in several North Germanic languages.

Why do I bring this up? Well, because my first instinct on reading the article referenced above was the same as it's always been. I thought, "Holy cow, can anyone stop the Sens now?!? They were in the Cup finals and now they've added a difference-maker."

But for once I caught myself. For the first time in recorded history, I tempered that conclusion with something that approached an actual rational thought. I said to myself, "Yeah, Heatley and Spezza and Alfredsson and Forsberg sounds great, but count the sentences in that article until they use the phrase "health issues". (It's eight.)

And note how they casually mention that these "health issues" leave Injury Prone and his agent months (!) from making a decision? When does the hockey season start again? Let's just say I am not sold on this.

So here I am, a Forsberg-backer from my formative years, here to tell you, my favorite Leaf Fan, to put on your #21 Senators jersey and get out those pom-poms, because if I know anything for certain, it's this: Peter Forsberg is a difference maker.

Roster Rundown

2007-08-10T09:54:00.001-04:00

I avoid supporting anything Eklund as much as possible, but since I don't get to hear Berger on the radio, his blog posts will have to suffice. He has a series of posts examining the state of the team, but his real contribution is his player by player post. There are a few things I'd tweak, but overall it is a fair assessment of the team.

Here are a few highlights: Kaberle might be the best Leafs' draft choice ever...McCabe is not a particularly good decision maker in his own zone...Tucker had been just about the most prolific forward in the NHL on the powerplay -- in his "office" to the left of the net...For all the guffaws about Alexei Yashin, the Russian centerman "made" Blake last season, setting up something like 31 of his 40 markers...Poni [is] a solid, unspectacular forward, capable of netting 25 goals in a healthy season...Wellwood has all kinds of creativity, and probably the most raw talent of any player on the Leafs right now (Berger also notes his physical limitations. Wellwood is just getting back to training after his long hernia rehab. I had hoped he would return for this season with some added muscle mass to help him defend his own ice, but I'm guessing I'll have to wait another year to see that type of physical change)...Stajan [is] young and just talented enough that there might be a hidden level that has not yet emerged...Berger treats Steen harshly, and rightly so to some extent. But his analysis seems to forget that in-the-corners-hit-the-checker-first trait. Personally, I love that box-out move, and it is anything but shying away from contact...Antropov seemed to flourish under Maurice, who talked him up from the moment he was named coach and showed great confidence in him...Berger also misses the mark on Battaglia. The Leafs need pluggers, and Bates' experience makes his plugging well above average...Pohl, talent is his only shortcoming (I assume he means physical talents)...Kilger forechecks as well as any skater on the Leafs, kills penalties effectively, and earns every goal and point he puts up...White [is] the blueliner I would peddle to save a bit of cap space, because he's marketable and would likely allow Ferguson to retrieve one of the first-round draft picks he gave up...Kubina, judging this fellow based on his $5-million stipend you'll never appreciate what he brings to the table. Gill [is] a smart defenceman and has learned to cope in the quicker NHL...Devereaux brought more than enough ooomph to the Leafs in a limited role last season...Carlo [is] the Leafs' most technically-sound open-ice hitter (not too mention the second best puck-moving defender on the team)...Belak has severe limitations in all areas of the ice, but he can play forward and defence in a pinch...Bell [is] a wild-card.

Along very similar lines, Leafstown has posted profiles of Raycroft, Belak, White, Carlo and Steen. Keep an eye out for Sundin, Stajan, and Kaberle profiles in the near future.

UPDATE - Check out the new-to-me http://www.torontomapleleafs.info/, an aggregator of everything bloggy about TML. Please bear with me if I haven't linked to your site. There is a long-needed blogroll update to be completed before the season starts.

Favs, unknowns, and the like

2007-07-26T11:09:00.000-04:00

In the spirit of David Johnson's recent list, I've put together one of my own for a little summer time fun.

Anaheim - Getzlaf, Perry and/or Penner. Take your pick, they’ll be around for a long time. Moen was a surprise on the checking line with Rob Niedermayer and Pahlsson. George Parros gets a mention for hailing from my NJ high school alma mater.

Atlanta - Pascal Dupuis – The guy impressed a couple years back during Minnesota’s long playoff run (the year before Gaborik started getting hurt) with a great shot and an eye for the net. Eventually he should be able to regain that form. Zhitnik gets honorable mention because he is Zubov-silky on his skates.

Boston - Bergeron obviously. When you are 18 and still surprise the hell out of everyone in the league, something tells me you’ve got intangibles. Second choice is Marc Savard. After suffering through offensive purgatory with the Flames, he finally got a breathe of fresh air in Atlanta, only for no one to give him any credit. Oops.

Buffalo - Everyone’s favorite team to dissect last year, and a divisional rival, its tough to find a favorite or an unknown. So I’ll go with Michael Ryan. He should break 50 pts this year. Timmy Connolly is my favorite. A thinking man’s player.

Calgary - Mark Giordano for the sole reason he scored two against his hometown Leafs last season. I’d never heard of him before that night, and I’ll never forget him now.

Carolina - Erik Cole is an unbelievable hockey player. He’d get more credit if he was a canuck.

Chicago - Brent Seabrook. Two years ago Seabrook came out of nowhere with a crazy +/- on a crap team. For a rookie, that is reason to pay attention. Duncan Keith gets honorable mention as well. Enigma Radim Vrbata also deserves a mention, as he seems to have found a home, if only he could be consistent.

Colorado - Wojtek Wolski – one of the best hockey names around. Overshadowed by GWG Svatos and Calder candidate Stastny, but I prefer his game overall.

Columbus – David Vyborny – the guy is a maestro at times. Great to watch.

Dallas – Loui Eriksson – Ever since I heard about him disrespecting Mike Modano, I took a liking to him. If a rookie is that confident, I can’t wait to see what he can do with line 1 minutes. The other Lundqvist gets honorable mention for helping create one of the best goalies in the world.

Detroit – Hank Zetterberg – Top 5 forward in the league. I wish I got to watch him more often. Hopefully a chronic injury won’t impact his play too much. Tomas Kopecky gets a nod for being an effective big man on a team I presumed lacked size.

Edmonton – Joni Pitkanen is the real BIG D signing by the Oil. Another out of nowhere surprise from a few seasons ago, this guy is only going to get better. Potential is just astronomical.

Florida - Olli Weiss and Horton get more ink, but Rostislav Olesz is one slick player. Born in Oct 1985, he is still developing and should break out with a solid year, if this franchise keeps it together.

Los Angeles – Kopitar. All it took was seeing him dismantle Neidermayer and Pronger for goals during the opening week last season. Dustin Brown’s game is like a bull in a china shop. Very effective if he can stay out of the box a bit more.

Minnesota – I exposed my affinity for Kurtis Foster earlier this summer. Nolan Schaefer is a curiousity at this point, because he was schooled by one of the best goalie coaches in the game in San Jose.

Montreal – Latendresse could be what Lindros never became. That is saying quite a bit, but the power moves this guy has at his age are incredible. Once he learns to utilize his size in more situations, watch out.

Nashville – Jim Balsillie. I keed. Letting Steve Sullivan go on waivers still hurts. If Radulov gets a full season worth of line 3 ice time, by the end of the season he’ll be line 2. I believe its called a knack for scoring.

New Jersey – Travis Zajac. I saw some of the sweetest passes I’ve ever seen from this guy last year. One-touch redirects through his legs right on the tape. Just sick. If Lou fosters the chemistry with Parise, which I think he will, these two might just keep the Devils' post season streak going.

NY Islanders – Trent Hunter and Chris Campoli. Both are young and unfortunately stuck on the Islanders.

NY Rangers – Michal Roszival is a hidden gem. Though I don’t know how he is still unnoticed after his post season last year. Girardi is another name to learn. His awareness and deft passing on transitions was impressive. Ryan Callahan will also surprise with his offensive contributions in a limited role.

Ottawa – Mike Fisher has been a favorite for a while. I like his speed, tenacity and smarts.

Philadelphia – Mike Richards. Less glamorous of a player than Jeff Carter, but his hard-nosed approach more than makes up for it. Should rebound nicely this season.

Phoenix – Keith Ballard. Speed, smarts, fighting majors, puck carrying, big shot. You name it, he’s got it.

Pittsburgh – Ryan Malone. Home town pressure seems to weigh on him, but has great potential. Jordan Staal was my pick for Calder, mostly because his shot is deadly. Go check his shooting percentage. Scary good.

San Jose – Bernier, Clowe, Michalek, Pavelski, Rissmiller, Goc, Carle, Pickles….This team is ridiculously stacked.

St. Louis – Erik Johnson. Can’t wait to see what this kid can do against the big boys.

Tampa – Dan Boyle. A key cog in the super power play. Logs huge minutes. Always seems to be around the puck. Can score on the rush. He finally was recognized this past year as a Norris candidate. Nick Tarnasky is a favorite because I’d like to see him skate with Poni and Antro.

Toronto – Kyle Wellwood He can confound entire teams with his wizardy. Could become an Adam Oates if given a sniper to dish to. Matt Stajan is a close second. He is so close to putting his skills together to become a very good line 2 player. When he winds up with the puck on the break out, it is a sight to behold.

Vancouver – Luongo. Watched him play unbelievable hockey for years in Florida and no one noticed. He finally gets his due now that he plays in a market that cares. Very Brodeur-esque, in the way he leads from his crease.

Washington – Wake me up when there is anyone other than the Alexs.

Blake to skate with Wellwood

2007-07-18T09:44:00.000-04:00

Finally, some real speculation from Maurice about on-ice possibilities, and some prudent thought behind the idea as well. Maurice is liking the idea of Wellwood operating down the middle with Blake on his wing. I like this train of thought because Wellwood's abilities are maximized when he is playing his natural position. Sure he did okay with Mats, but he didn't look comfortable and would sometimes force plays or would hesitate and miss a play you know he could make. Kyle is Adam Oates reincarnate, except with better wheels. Lets not stifle the boy.

So if JFJ once again got a player who won't be playing on Mats' wing, it is easy to surmise that Mats will be playing with Pony and Antro. Stajan will be anchoring the third line paired with Steen. Then the fourth will probably be some combination of Bates and Boyd with perhaps Williams making the squad.

I'd throw Kilger with Wellwood and Blake. He can skate with those two and can provide much needed size along the boards. Tucker should play with Stajan and Steen and capitalize on their playmaking ability. Or maybe Pohl.

Overall, those line combos seem pretty solid, though I continue to lament the lack of fists in the regular line up. But it's early, and maybe our D depth can be converted to a more hard-nosed top 6 forward.

Who am I kidding?

UPDATE - Apparently my brain is still on vacation. As pointed out in the comments (thanks, btw), Mark Bell is still a Toronto Maple Leaf and will most likely make the team out of training camp. So the above is incomplete to say the least.

I'd still put Mats with what PPP calls the Soviet Bloc. Wellwood and Blake could use Bell instead of Kilger, though Chad might get a chance to play on line two a some point in the season. Steen and Stajan should have Darcy as the trigger man. That leaves Boyd and Bates with Kilger, which was a line that was very effective last year. So right now I'm thinking the lines look something like this.

Poni-Sundin-Antro

Bell-Wellwood-Blake

Steen-Stajan-Tucker

Kilger-Boyd-Bates

Doc Hoc seems to think Blake and Tucker will be winging Sundin. I don't see that happening for more than a handful of games but I could see that as a PP unit, unless Wellwood gets better at drawing defenders and/or scoring when he has the puck at the left post.

UPDATE 2 - I've tried to avoid CBA discussions for a while simply because I wanted to think about the actual sport of hockey, but a recent discussion at Tom Benjamin's House of Hockey Horrors is worth a read. Tom is being proven correct in his analysis of the CBA's effect on the league's talent market place, an analysis he has maintained despite a steady stream of mainstream opposition. It may only be the NHL and an opinion on a labour arrangement, but I consider it an act of courage and an example to be followed. It can be extremely difficult to be true to your beliefs in the face of overwhelming criticism. Kudos Tom.

RFA not tendered QOs?

2007-06-26T09:47:00.001-04:00

Is this a new trend in the cap world we didn't see coming? According to the Mirtle, Michel 'streaky scorer' Ouellet did not recieve a QO from the Pensguin, and neither will Kurtis Foster, and both moves are puzzling.

Ouellet has hands, that's for sure. Perhaps the speed of the NHL game leaves him uncomfortable. Or maybe he just isn't dedicating himself to learning the other side of the puck. Who knows, but he should end up somewhere. Maybe Phoenix, which is my default speculation destination.

As for Foster, I don't get it at all. 6'5", 220lbs, a canon of a shot, and only 25 years old. He is approaching the ripening age for defensemen. Some team should give him a chance. I'd like to seem him in blue and white, but that probably won't happen.

Mike is Z best

2007-06-26T09:24:00.000-04:00

When is this scribe going to get the recognition he deserves?

As part of a San Jose Sharks television feature, Vesa Toskala and his buddy, Ville Nieminen, were interviewed while sitting in a steamy sauna sizzling up some dinner sausages.

Now that's entertainment!

...

Here is some advice for the incoming Maple Leaf...you might get some strange looks from your new teammates if you invite them to a sausage barbeque at a local sauna.

Just trying to help.

Tick Toskala, Ring the Bell, the Draft has begun

2007-06-22T13:58:00.000-04:00

I'd like to say I told you so, but I haven't told you a thing since my third round predictions. My SCF predictions of the Sens winning was a smashing success of reverse psychology/karma, or just a massive miscalculation on my part. Believe what you will. But enough about shoddy guessing.

JFJ didn't like Sutter stealing the pre-draft show, so he made a big deal of his own, acquiring Vesa "former fantasy sleeper" Toskala and Mark "former Hawks' star/DUI distracted last year" Bell for 1st, 2nd and 4th rounders in some year's draft. I would've preferred all the picks be in 2007, despite that fact I like the lacrosse trained Turris, because the experts tell me this draft class is sub-par.

I'm sure David "HockeyAnalysis.com" Johnson will have an excellent break down of how Toskala immediately improves the Leafs. I'm not sold until I see him handle the pressure of repeated defensive breakdowns and brain farts in the neutral zone that plague this organization. I'm also a bit wary of his sub six foot frame. But Vesa did have the better regular season numbers of the two Sharks' goaltenders during the first half of the season when the starts were split evenly, and has performed well when Nabokov has been felled by injury.(In particular, he saved a fantasy team of mine a before the owner's lock-out when Nabby was having a great year but got injured. Toskala was unknown to most at the time, including yours truly, but provided a stop gap without much of a downturn in team performance.) In any event he will push or usurp Raycroft, and at his current salary (though I expect a slight raise if he is extended) the goalie position is decent without being a drain on resources.

As for Bell, I like the kid, and he adds to the list of former first rounders playing on the squad. Calder and Bell carried a lacklustre Hawks' team as youngsters, and that kind of pressure and experience bodes well. Bell did have the DUI incident out in CA last year, and I think that affected his on ice play quite a bit. He should be able to bounce back, and given his past games-played record, he should atleast be able to contribute on the ice.

UPDATE - The Dude endorses this deal. Tomorrow the sky will be falling.

Round 3 Predictions

2007-05-11T10:24:00.000-04:00

I made my picks on Tuesday, and I'm sticking with Sens in 6 and Ducks in 6. I've been blind to Detroit's attributes thus far, picking them to lose both rounds, so I might as well stay that way. I just can't see Detroit standing up to the Ducks. Frankly, I don't think the Sabres can either. But I think the Senators have a chance against the Ducks. I kinda feel bad for jumping ship from backing the Sabres as I did in the preseason, but I think Ottawa is playing better all-around hockey.

(more later...maybe)

Department of Redundancy Department

2007-05-08T15:49:00.000-04:00

Alan Adams over at sportnet.ca informs his readers that, shock of all shocks, MLSE is a dysfunctional organization no matter what the Chairman of the Board says. Well, gosh, I'm relieved Mr.Adams has cut through that nagging fog of uncertainty.

But he goes on to bemoan the inaction of the board, Ferguson, et al. as justification for what I'm not exactly sure. Is it to promote the cause to find a new ownership group? Or is it to forward the cause to have Ferguson fired. If it is the latter, then I would have to disagree.

Ferguson is rebuilding a horrendously dysfunctional hockey program basically from scratch. The fruits of this labo(u)r won't be realized for atleast another two years, probably more. Yes, I'd like to see a few more wins in the interim, but I think we can all agree JFJ is not a miracle worker. I don't particularly like all of his moves, but in general I agree with the direction he is taking. And for those who want an articulated 'plan,' you aren't paying attention.

Too bad the MSM has to print/publish/post something on a schedule, because complaining about a lack of development isn't news worthy and worthy of opinion. Sadly, that is more a critique of the media in general, but in the hockey world Leafs-centered opine is the worst offending group.

Rest assured, JFJ will be back and the patient rebuilding of a winner while attempting to ice a play-off calibre team supplemented via free agency will continue.

Personally, I can't wait to see Tlusty and Kulemin finally dress for a game.

Hip Surgery for Sundin?

2007-05-01T07:26:00.000-04:00

Not good, as the words 'Mogilny' and 'degenerative' are mentioned in the article. Of course, that is pure speculation at this point. UPDATE - Actually, this entire post was prompted by speculation and heresay, officially denied by the team and Mats' representation. Lesson learned. Hopefully the condition isn't that bad, Mats takes his time rehabbing and signs a discounted contract for a reduced role on the ice, Scott Gomez becomes a Leaf, and Sundin eventually regains his Conan-like form around March '08. Hopefully.

Carlo Colaiacovo also had surgery to repair a knee injury. Oh yeah, the heated issue of him re-signing is a non-story. Hype really bugs me at times.

Choices

2007-04-30T11:20:00.000-04:00

If the Leafs ever decide to go deep in the playoffs again, I'm going to have a hard time deciding between watching the inevitable collapse and fishing. Though I suppose living out of market and possessing the ability to program a DVR pushes the issue to finding the time. And the loser is easy to spot in that equation; sleep.

For off-season giggles, check out Will Arnett's contribution to THN

Round 2 predictions

2007-04-24T10:42:00.000-04:00

EAST

Rangers vs Sabres - Miller v Lundqvist is a push. Lundqvist is more of shut down guy, while Miller lets a few in until he needs to keep it out. Forward depth goes to the Sabres, though not by much, and I'm not sure if Ruff has an answer to Renney's Avery. Defensive depth is also a push, and might even go in favor of the Rangers mainly because I'm digging this Girardi kid. This is a tough one because I don't think the Rangers were pushed all that much in the first round, either by the players or the tactics. At the same time I don't think the Sabres are playing up to their potential. So what I'm saying is that is either going to be a very short or very long series. If the Sabres get the puck behind the Rangers' D too easily and often, it's going to be tough for Hank to keep the Rangers in it. I'd like to pick the Rangers as the dark horse upset spectacular, but I have to go with the Sabres in 7.

Senators vs Devils - Home ice won't be enough for the Devils as the Senators just might be the best team in the East, which is comical since they've been dubbed exactly that for the past three or four seasons, except for this year. The regular season series favors the Devils 3 to 1, despite the fact New Jersey was out scored. I don't see this trend holding up, especially if Colin White remains sidelined. Tough to bet against Brodeur, but he has looked particularly human so far this year. Tip to Ottawa; fire the puck at Marty's feet, early and often and from everywhere. It worked for the Lightning until they stopped. Senators in 6.

WEST

Canucks vs Ducks - Roberto, you finally got to the playoffs, and you even won a round. See you next year. There is no way Vancouver gets by Anaheim. Luongo is phenomenal, but even he can't stop what will sure to be relentless pressure. The Sedins will be neutralized by Pronger and Neidermayer leaving zero options for Vigneault. This should be over in 4, but I'll give one win to Vancouver courtesy a monumental game by Luongo. Ducks in 5.

Sharks vs Wings - This should be dandy. The Wings, early to the golf course last year. The Sharks, earlier to the golf course than they should've been. These two teams want it bad. Head to Head gives a decided edge to San Jose, who out-scored the Wings 2:1 with the help of a humming powerplay. Chelios may find himself out classed in this series, taking dumb penalties after losing his faster mark. The extra rest for the Sharks won't help matters in the motor city. Sharks in 6.

BEST GAA
East - Emery
West - Giggy

jabberwonky?

2007-04-13T15:14:00.000-04:00

Is it me, or is there a new post from Chris Young over at JABS?

Round 1 predictions

2007-04-12T17:39:00.000-04:00

I posted my predictions on Wednesday around noon, so these aren't after the first game guesses. These are real deal stabs in the dark.

EAST
-SnowBeltShivs in 4 - Dubie won't be able to stop this offense.
-Garden State Gnomes of the Underworld in 6 - Home Ice will win this for Lou's legions.
-Sather's Squad in 7 - In a series I think will be one of the closest in the first round, Hank is the difference.
-Ottawa in 5 - They step up and play like the sum of their parts would indicate. I think.

WEST
-Flames in 6. Toughness wins this one.
-Anaheim in 7. Minnesota has one line. Anaheim has two.
-Vancouver in 4 - Sorry Turco.
-Sharks prove to be top predator in 6 - San Jose wins it for their long time goalie coach.

Best GAA in Round 1
Goalie East - Hank
Goalie West - Bobby Lu
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RESULTS Update - 4 for 4 in the east, picking the duration of the Sens and Devils' series. If not for Ricky D coming back, I think it's safe to say The Sabres would've swept. 3 for 4 out west, forecasting none of the series' length. I'm the worst at picking series length. Vancouver Dallas had goal-tendind duel written all over it. And Anaheim pushed the distance by the Wild? That was my worst pick, aside from the Flames getting their act together overnight. Somehow Turco (1.30) ended up with a better GAA than Luongo(1.41), so I missed on that pick. Lundqvist and his 1.50 are tops in the East though. Overall, I'd say I had my finger on the pulse of the first round.

Rubbernecking

2007-04-10T08:50:00.000-04:00

Thank you to all that have been stopping by since Saturday. I haven't had much to say, because really, what is left to say? But I imagine people are curious about the emotional car wreck that was this past weekend, so I figure I owe you, the reader, something to slow down and look at.

Truth be told, I made my peace with this season early last week, after the loss to the Rangers. It was going to be ok if the Leafs didn't make it the playoffs. Despite how much I felt the team could make it in, and put up a good fight in the first round, and maybe even beyond that, it was going to be ok if they missed. But, you know how rationalizing and convincing yourself to believe in something contrary to what one wants ends up. Stupid dichotomic human condition. Atleast I didn't watch the Islanders game on Sunday. End the season on the high note of beating the Habs and all. Oh yeah, the final Northeast Division standings are as follows:

Team W-L-OTL PTS GF-GA HOME AWAY
Buffalo 53-22-7 113 308-242 28-10-3 25-12-4
Ottawa 48-25-9 105 288-222 25-13-3 23-12-6
Toronto 40-31-11 91 258-269 21-15-5 19-16-6
Montreal 42-34-6 90 245-256 26-12-3 16-22-3
Boston 35-41-6 76 219-289 18-19-4 17-22-2

That dulls the pain a bit. Moral victory, and all.

The team disappointed this fan throughout the long season, so really what is one more disappointment in the grand scheme of things? But despite the season ending once again before the games really mean something, the season was not a complete disappointment. Kaberle established himself as a premier rearguard. Wellwood made believers out of many. Kubina rounded into $5m form, and should be a solid contributor in the future. Carlo finally played enough games to show what he can do at this level. Same goes for Antro. White's speed and skill were top-notch throughout the year. Bates joined Kilger as reliable veteran pluggers. Steen and Stajan proved if nothing else durable through what can only be described as a struggle for consistency. JFJ's St.Louis gem Johnny Pohl acquitted himself well when given the opportunity. Boyd Devereaux fought his way back to the NHL with wheels I wish more Leafs' scouts looked for in prospects.

Sundin looked like a world beater to start the year, but never regained his dominant form after suffering an Eager/elbow injury, which is really an allegory of Sundin's career; dominant to the point of attracting so much attention that he eventually breaks. I have to admit, I took great satisfaction reading about how Mats Sundin had his hopes up only to have that hope dashed by the Islanders. Maybe he better understands what his team has been doing all season long to its fans. And if what the team did this season needs reiterating, please allow me to help in that regard.

Too many games wasted with lacklustre efforts despite reassurances from management and coaches begining in training camp of icing an ultra-conditioned team.

Too many one line games, where only one line would seem to put forth the intensity and synchronicity necessary to score enough to beat the opposition.

Too many hits passed on. For a team that is supposedly trying to be tough to play against, you sure fooled me, and the opposition, with how many players took it upon themselves to play with physicality.

Too much offensive predictability at even strength and on the power play.

Too many mental mistakes for a team of professional athletes. Starting October 12, 2006, when a three goal lead was surrendered to the offensively starved Devils, mental gaffes became a trend the team could not shake. I witnessed that October debacle first hand. Little did I know I was witnessing the meme of the season;Blown Leads. Completely unacceptable. A few more icings, a few more face-off wins, a few more.....screw this. I'm not going to calculate 'what if' points, even though I know they total more than five wins.

Yes, the scoring was balanced, with thirteen players scoring 10+ goals for a team total of 258. But the 05-06 edition has twelve 10+ goal scorers for 254 total for the team. Goals against again outpaced goals for at 269, compared to the 05-06 GA of 270. Net improvement from -16 to -11; Five goals.

These results wouldn't exactly meet market expectations. In the real world, the Toronto Maple Leafs Hockey Club stock should be a Strong Sell.

Then there is Raycroft. All you need to know is what other teams were doing to him at the end of the season; hucking flittering wristers towards the top half of the net from anywhere in the zone. I think fatigue had something to do with his crapactular end of the year. Exhibit A; Ryder's wrap-around in game 82. He wasn't fighting to see pucks as much as he is capable of either. He just dropped to his knees and hoped for the best. Which wasn't good enough. Which is a shame because I wanted to give Raycroft the benefit of the doubt for as long as possible.

Rest up Wellwood. And hit the gym please. We need you to show a more physical side for your game to progress. And shoot 100 pucks a day. Make that 200.

UPDATE - Didn't think I'd see such an article chastising Leafs' ownership. Hockey's Future has a Leafs' prospect update up, and it has me very anxious to see Brent Aubin play against the big boys. Could he be a shoot-out specialist?
___________________________

Congratulations to sarahaha for winning the Common Fan regular season pool.

___________________________

Preseason predictions were great out West and horrible in the East. I should know more about the East, but maybe I let too much emotion into the equation as I went 4 for 8. I picked the Sabres and the Senators (whoppee, i'm a genius), then picked the Rangers and the Penguins. I flopped on the southeast, picking the Canes and Panthers instead of the Thrashers and Lightning. I still can't believe only two Northeast teams made it in. In the west, I managed to pick the Oilers as out, but substituted them for the Blue Jackets. Missed the Stars. How did I manage that?

Leafs Win

2007-04-07T21:58:00.000-04:00

TOR vs MTL 04/07/07 - Shift chart - TOI

Well, that sucked

2007-04-06T13:04:00.000-04:00

TOR @ NYI 04/05/07 - Shift Chart - TOI

Great play by Kaberle, but Boyd can't get it up

He gets all proud of himself because he managed not to take a minor penalty

Kaberle looks pretty nervous this weak floater from way out may beat a certain goal tender already waiting for the puck on his knees. I'm not sure it was obvious to everyone, but the Islanders didn't shoot low all game. Weak wristers from outside the blue line about waist high had me nervous. Playing percentages works in October. Playing the puck is needed now.

You hear me?!

Ok, I lied.

2007-04-05T16:05:00.000-04:00

Back in September, I re-evaluated my 06-07 predictions, but with one notable oversight. I kept picking Montreal to finish last in the Northeast. To quote myself,

Montreal, I'm not worried about at all.

Boy, was I wrong. I haven't said peep about that miscalculation since, except when grudgingly conceding the fact the Habs started out well and were looking good to the blogger formerly known as Reality Check. I wanted to gloat abit when the Habs fell on their faces almost all the way out of the playoffs. Glad I didn't, because just about the time everyone was about to write-off their chances, along comes a crazy win streak to bring them back from the brink.

Now we sit, two games remaining for each team, the outcome of these two games deciding the playoff fate of each. Montreal plays the resurgent Rangers, the Leafs play the DiPietro-less Islanders. Then the Habs visit the ACC. How glad am I the game isn't at the keg? Really glad. But I don't want to get ahead of myself. I refuse to make any predictions for these last two games, but I admit it. I'm worried the Habs won't get out of the way.

I'm feeling good about the Rangers' chances this evening. After giving up a big lead in Montreal nine days ago, I have a feeling Renney will be icing a motivated line up with the aim to win, unlike the game against the Islanders where coach aimed to survive intact and held Petr Slewcha out and inserted both Orr & Hollweg. I don't really mean that diss on Prucha. Carlo should've realized it wasn't worth it and positioned himself to control Prucha on the boards. Prucha shouldn't have leveraged Carlo the way he did. A Rangers fan buddy of mine mentioned Prucha doesn't have a reputation for being dirty, which I can respect as a justification. Still, in slo mo the replay isn't reinforcing that reputation in my mind.

With that said, I don't have a good feeling about the Leafs tonight. The Islanders get up for the Leafs, and if the Islanders lose, they will be eliminated. No more 'must win' games to hype up. Even without Ricky D and a full NHL D corps, the Islanders have a thing for Tucker, and he will likely be victimized for more than one marginal penalty. And Blake and Smyth are the kind of players that will burn you if you don't respect what they can do. Not to mention Satan, Yashin, Hunter, Kozlov, Campoli and Bergeron. You could say I'm freakin' out a bit at the moment.

C'mon Mats! Shut 'em up with a season saving game. Don't get smoked by Dubie!

I can't think of a catchy title...but they won

2007-04-04T13:39:00.000-04:00

TOR vs PHI 04/03/07 - Shift Chart - TOI

I was beginning to believe this team was figuring out how to win a game with a score of 2-1. After Raycroft allowed a weak goal on the rush, the Leafs responded with two even strength goals from long overdue Ian White and Hal 'The Thrill' Gill, which resulted directly from the game plan of working the Philly D down low, getting traffic in front of Biron and firing pucks from the point. However unlikely, or my aptly put unsexy, the names on the score sheet, Toronto executed a safe game plan for the most part.

Then Bryan McCabe made a snap decision, retreating into the zone and swatting a puck that didn't exit the zone. That kind of hap hazard flow jarring puck movement is a coin flip, and McCabe landed on his head. Again.

Then Kaberle took over. Tomas repeatedly rushed the puck, pursued the forecheck, almost too mch so. Even when Philly 'mistakenly' took Coburn off the ice after an icing charge, Kaberle was yelling about the bullshit time wasting advantage the visiting team was enjoying. Way to go Tomas.

On this topic, I think the league should make an adjustment to enforcing the rule of changing personnel after an icing. If a team attempts to change a player after icing, lining up at the ensuing face-off with the improper skaters, that team should be given a minor penalty for delay of game. As it stands now, a team changing players after an icing and lining up for the face-off actually benefits from the officials enforcing the rules, giving the skaters that iced the puck a bit more time to recover. This is not the intent of the rule, and it is smart to exploit this lack of repercussion. However, just because a rule is flawed should not mean the flaw must remain.

Good thing this Leafs' squad finally figured out how to take home ice advantage and use it. Over time + powerplay = game winner.

Speaking of the powerplay, I was beginning to get really aggravated watching Sundin and Kaberle and Wellwood and McCabe throw the biscuit around with precision only to see Tucker sitting off in the corner doing jack and shit. It was even more glaring when Antro Poni and Yanic came out on the same powerplay and produced a much more effective attack. Sundin was flanked by Antro and Poni later in the game. Good move, but don't punish Wellwood for Tucker's ineffectiveness. I'd say try Antro and Wellwood with Sundin.

And Healy made a good point during the telecast last night. Antro needs to stand his ground when screening the goalie. Moving out of the way when the puck is about to be put on net basically makes all the sight blocking previously accomplished useless. Something to work on Antro...er, I mean Nikkie(sp?)

I'm not sure what the deal is with Tucker. I asked somebody here at the office about it, hoping to find wisdom from an opinion from afar, and he said Tucker is trying to do too much. After watching Darcy flub that feed near the right faceoff dot, I think he might be right. Darcy, just an fyi, but you already signed the contract. Now, don't do what Kubina did at the start of the season and try to earn your annual salary every game. Skate. Hit. Simplify. Because you look mad slow right now. So slow, I'm thinking JFJ should've traded your ass for Avery. And that hurts to say, but it is true.

Sundin will be fine. Besides, the whole "paid to score" choir are full of it. I'd like to see him bulge the twine more often, but if scoring 15 points in 16 games is a horrible slump, I'll take it. I still want that backhand wrap around attempt off the far post against Atlanta back.

So three and a half down, two to go. Doesn't have the same ring to it once you introduce half games, but you get the idea. Since beating the Hurricanes last Tuesday night, the Leafs have lost in OT to Atlanta, beat the Penguins in OT, lost miserably to the Rangers and scraped by Philadelphia in OT. That is 2.5 games worth of points out of a possible four games worth. The point system sucks, and needs to be addressed.

UPDATE - I went over to SISU to see if he had anything up pimping Koivu's miracle marker last night. But I found PIMP stats instead. I'm not sure I'd call what the Habs are doing this year "special."

Also, Spector notes that Nikita Alexeev's days are numbered in the windy city. No, not Ottawa. Personally, I'd like to see Poni and Antro working with 6'6", 227lbs Nikita. That is alot of hockey player on one line, and from what I can remember of him playing with the Bolts, the guy can skate.

Just ask Boyd

2007-03-30T12:34:00.000-04:00

TOR @ ATL 03/29/07 - Shift Chart - TOI

Don't let that picture fool you, the Leafs got run out of the building last night. According to ESPN the hitting differential between the two teams last night was four hits, 19 v 15. The lesson is to never trust ESPN hockey stats because the Thrashers out hit the Leafs to earn a win. Just ask Boyd. And if Pohl was one of the few laying the body, the Thrashers weren't taking much punishment. I'm not sure why Maurice didn't make an adjustment after the first or second periods, because the Thrashers' physicality was working, evidenced by Steen taking a dumb attempted retaliation penalty.

Positives, like moral victories, don't mean much when points are so critical, but it should be noted Raycroft played an excellent game, especially when the Thrashers cranked up the pressure after the first period. Even Fishler noticed.

Antro deserves some kudos as well. On the tying goal, he corralled the puck just outside the blue line, interupting the Atlanta break out, bought a bit of time for his teammates to get onside, entered the zone and fed the puck to the wing for the shot then drove to the net, collected the rebound, found Gill through three blue shirts, and fed Hal a great pass.

To correct Shoalts' article, Sundin didn't have the puck roll off his stick on the open net wrap around, Andy Sutton made a heck of play to block the shot.

Next up are the Penguins who had been previously thought to be bottom feeders, diving deep to catch prey practically blind. But like their Antarctic namesakes the Pittsburghers only dive to the bottom of the league so they can zoom upwards to catch their prey unawares. Yes, I watch too many nature programs but Crittercam is awesome. Thankfully, the game won't be played at the Igloo, but rather the newly comfy confines of the ACC. Hopefully Gary will still be on the shelf.

***And Simmons, don't try to appeal to my fondness for Kaberle. It won't work.

UPDATE - Check out Wyshynski's Coach Rankings. Also, the blogroll has been updated a bit. Check out the several new-to-me Leafs' blogs. And if I missed ya, don't fret, I'm not done spring cleaning.

Playing the trap

2007-03-29T16:25:00.000-04:00

David Shoalts has a great article up at globesports about what should concern any Leafs fan; can the Leafs win a game against a trap-style team? They managed to beat the Devils recently, but New Jersey was lacking firepower. Not so with the Thrashers.

[M]y chief concern [is] that we're going to try and put every pass on the tape and fit the puck through their team. We're not going to be able to do that

Turning the tables on a trap team can be a successful tact, forcing the sitters into attackers, but allowing Hossa and Kovulchuk to rush at will doesn't seem like a winning strategy to me. But rushing into the trap is playing into their hands, and probably won't work if the defense join the rush. This game has me nervous.

Here we go yo, here we go yo. So what so what so what's the scenario

2007-03-28T09:10:00.000-04:00

TOR v CAR 03/27/2007 - Shift Chart - TOI

One down. Six to go.

What a game?! A must win in regulation game. And Cam Ward crumbles like feta. The Boyd goal is an excusable first shot softie. It happens, and his team has to bounce back. Which they did. The Kubina slapper that he knocked in himself is understandable with Bates and Pohl all over the crease waiting for the rebound. Just a bad bounce in a mad scramble. Even the Kilger slapper was not a shot every goalie can stop.

But Kilger's second was just horrendous rebound control of Pohl's shot from the wing. Yanic "Did I say face-off specialist? I meant breakaway specialist" Perrault's nifty hesitation top shelf glove side wrister is tough to blame on Ward.

So I guess it wasn't so much Ward crapping the bed, but moreso the Hurricanes just not playing well all around. Ward should've had Boyd's goal and Kilger's second. Other than that, the Leafs' scoring depth put on a show and all four lines completely shut down the Canes' attack, beginning with disrupting their breakout and shutting off their speed in the neutral zone and all the way back into the Leafs' zone where the Leafs kept the plays to the outside and zone time short. Of note, Hal Gill had a tremendous game, and not only because of his beauty stretch pass.

After last night's game, the team has no less than twelve 10 goal scorers, five of which have a legit chance to make it to 20. Not bad for a team that can't score. And for those complaining about Sundin only having one goal in the month of March, I give you Coach Mo.

Their top two lines were pretty powerful, so we needed (Mats) Sundin's line and (Matt) Stajan's line to play against them. If they cancelled each other out, the next two lines are going to decide the game for you and that's basically what happened," said Maurice. "Without being disrespectful, the bottom half of the lineup wins the game.

The only negative from last night's game is the uncertainty surrounding Wellwood's (lingering?) injury. He started the game with Tucker and Kilger and was on the first powerplay unit, but only skated for 6:16. The reports are saying he was kept out as a precaution, but I'm not convinced because he still attempts to avoid any contact much like he did in December when the injury started to bother him.

Kaberle was again rushing the puck with confidence, gaining the zone with ease, which was nice to see. Hopefully he can score and join the 10 goal club.

On the media tip, I just have one thing to say; Steve Simmons, get the fuck off the Leafs' praise train. You are not welcome.

One down. Six to go. (and Go Sens and Sabres! Beat those Habs and Islanders!)

UPDATE - I'm not sure what happend to T.M.L. 1967's recaps, but hopefully they'll be appearing again soon.

UPDATE - Hattip to forecheck for pointing to "On Speed" by the E, no drug references intended.

Begin's right foot

2007-03-27T12:11:00.000-04:00

Thank you Steve Begin's right foot.

I know it is bad karma to cheer the misfortune of others, but with all the Leafs misfortune throughout the season I'm confident that my happiness about this bad luck for the Islanders will at the worst make me even with the hockey gods.

The conventional wisdom for prognosticating who will make the playoffs in the East comes down to goal-tending. You must have your team defense and scoring depth, but if you don't have clutch goaltending you won't have much after 82 games. The Rangers have it, again, after it was strangely missing in the first half. Tampa Bay didn't have it, then had it, but now they don't. Carolina might have it, if Cam Ward finds his key to the zone where he lived during last year's run to the Cup. Montreal seems to have found it in recent rookie call-up Halak(Have you seen that 'Doom' demon on his mask? cool, but unsettling). Who knows how long Halak will have it, but the Crystal Ball waits in the wings, but he might not have it back either. Toronto has it sometimes, but that is usually when the team plays well in front of Raycroft.

And that leaves the Islanders, who had it big time. DiPietro was the horse which was single-handedly pulling New York into the play-offs. He beat the Leafs by himself twice in February, as I'm sure other victims of the white-hot /long contract goalie would attest. But with this news of Ricky D out indefinitely, a race for two spots from six (33%) that just became a race for three spots (thanks tampa) among six teams (50%) is now a race for three spots between five teams (60%).

And if Mike Dunham proves me wrong, he won't do much against the Sabres or Devils.

Sometimes, the cliche 'it's the little things' really rings true; one right foot out of forty-six on a team over eighty two games = 3772 feet per game, and all it took was one.

Now, you might be thinking, but the Leafs still don't have much of a shot given the fact they don't hold any tie-breakers. But if you are thinking this you didn't have your confidence in this team dismantled and then built back up in the span of twenty four hours this past weekend by the likes of Stajan, Steen (How pissed off does his look lately?! Whatever it is, I love it), Wellwood, Carlo, Antro, Kubina and Raycroft. If the young guns are capable of carrying this team in its time of greatest need this season, I'm thinking these last few games are very winnable. And if Sundin and Bates and Pohl can join the party....the Leafs might just make it in, and make it in on one helluva roll.

Exorcised

2007-03-21T12:09:00.000-04:00

TOR vs NJD 03/20/07 - Shift Chart - TOI - YouTube

The above photos pretty much sum up the game. Belak pounded Janssen, the crowd and the players loved it, terrific goal-saving play from Carlo, followed immediately by Sundin to Wellwood who seemed to have honed his one-timer after missing an open net for a game winner last week.

And don't look now, but Antropov is becoming a dominant and effective player, almost seeming to get better as the game gets tighter. UPDATE - Antropov becomes Leafs' top sniper (03/22/07)

Raycroft should make an offering of fried chicken to his posts, because he would've been fried in the media today had the Leafs lost.

The Devils don't scare this Leaf fan. In a seven gamer, I'd take the Leafs. The Sabres are another team the Leafs have played well this year. Admittedly Buffalo is a bit more daunting, but a sweep would never happen, and I have faith they could push the series to seven. Not sure they could pull it out, but ya never know.

Home and home this weekend with the Trump comb-overs should produce some great hockey.

UPDATE - Commenter mike points out this PSA that gave me a chuckle. Definitely worth 45 seconds of your time.