Lightning 3 - Leafs 2 --overtime final-- 5 Points Out

Five Alive

On the first of what is a back to back in the schedule, the Maple Leafs finished up their visit to the Sunshine State much similarly to way Al Gore did in 2000, just a bit short. One can only wonder if the Chad we left hanging at Sunrise could have made a difference. Special teams were again a factor with the spotlight tonight on the PK, or lack there off. While I should have started by complaining about the officiating due to there being a weak holding call on Niko Antropov, and how Pav Kubina got one for using his hands to get up off the ice in OT, I wont, and I’ll digress, calls are made and missed throughout the game, on both teams, throughout the league, every night.

I mentioned in my previous blog about my desire to sure up the 6 D. Playing the lights out of the 4 horsemen; Kaberle, Kubina, Colaiacovo, and McCabe is common sense. As for the 5-6 slot, after a quick heads up play to first elude the fore-check, Ian White made a strong case for himself with a sensational pass up the middle to hit Jason Blake flying into the offensive zone, Blake fished the play fast and strong as he cut behind the defender to send the game into OT.

White still has to work on his down low game, numerous times in the second he failed to clear the zone that resulted in good scoring chances against, not to mention more then one giveaway in the neutral zone. That said, full credit to Maurice in this game for cutting his time and then having the valour to go back to him in the third, it secured us a point in the standings, which is worth a start versus the Capitals. As for Stralmen, his inexperience is ever glowing on the ice in games of this magnitude, he has yet to find a comfort level defensively as his is still trying to find himself offensively, only five points out this isn’t the time of year to play hide and seek. Jay Harrison or yes, Andy Woznieski should be back in the lineup as soon as you can say Washington. Either or would help the PK as insurance in the case one of the 4 Horsemen get the penalty against, as both are big lanky players who would also fill a void left by Gill 5on5

As for the PK, it needs to be more active; players need to be moving their feet and attacking, and they cannot do so while using the diamond system, it is too slow moving and forces our PK to sit and cautious wait for next move instead of forcing it. The second PP goal the Lightning scored was a bit of a fluke, but in the end all three goals against were scored on the PP. I am not knocking White, as a player his statue would have an impossible time trying to defend a 4on3 using a stagnate PK, he did everything possible and did a great job blocking that first shot before Boyle scored where seconds earlier Colaiacovo was a little slow to react to LaCavalier on the short side. The most pressing issue here is wondering what Maurice was saving his timeout for; resting the best available penalty killers after the Maple Leafs got a whistle halfway through the penalty would have been a wise decision. In conclusion to yet another defensive rant, White would be ahead of Stralmen in a battle for the 5th spot, and Harrison before Woznieski in the battle for the 6th spot.

Honourable mention tonight to Vesa, was strong in net as always, Kris Newbury stood up and had a spirited fight with the much bigger Janik that help set the table for what was a great third period. Jason Blake threw the body hard for the little guy, and wasn’t afraid to get dirty, Alex Steen for his huge goal, and Kyle Wellwood is skating stronger by the shift, he made a dandy move to the slot through three checkers. The total team effort to fight back in the third and gain a point is commendable and is reason why I still BeLEAF.

As I pack my things and head to Montreal tonight, I can only hope to find a bar showing the Leafs game tomorrow, I may be in luck seeing as how some Habs fans may want to watch Huet match his shutout performance from the night before. The Capitals are flying right now, and the team looks to be happy with the way ownership decided to push forward with big moves at the deadline acquiring Huet and Federov, at this point, it will indeed be the challenge of the year.

Leafs 4 - Panthers 3 -- Six Points Out

Ownership did what they could, but they couldn’t do enough to break to spirit of this team, as the season gets shorter, this teams bonding grows stronger. Leading the way none other the Mats Sundin, the guy is bordering superhuman status after last nights game, but we still have 17 more to go.

Sunrise Florida, a city and arena I once visited where I seen the Leafs take on the Panthers in a half empty building, full of Leafs faithful. It was no different last night as many die-hards filled the building to help fuel of the Blue and White victory.

This game was different, wearing number 33, Wade Belak suited up for the opponent for the first time in over seven years. It was quite the site to see him in the warm ups, when I heard Belak got his immigration papers in order, I was very worried of what he might do to this Leafs team. When he finally jumped over the boards, he was in the back of everyone’s mind as he created havoc during his time on the ice. Causing a few hiccups during that shift, he followed it up by doing the same, and after calling out Ian White before the game, jokingly saying he better keep his head up, it was against White that the aggressive fore-check broke the Leafs down and Belak helped create a goal.

The better news was that just before that goal, Brian McCabe was left to fend for himself while facing a 2 on 1 break. It was just last week that McCabe misplayed Mike Peca on a 2 on 1 that ended up resulting in a goal against. However, last night, McCabe could not have reacted better to the situation, ensuring that the pass would not get through him, thus leaving the shooter for the Toskala on a short angle, textbook.

The Panthers took a 2 – 0 lead into the second, with the loss of some gritty rough and tough veterans, it looked as though ownership may have gotten to this team. The new class coming up were obviously out of sync with new roles on the big club, as well as the defence, as Maurice chooses to break up Colaiacovo and McCabe, an experiment that didn’t work, it puts Carlo on the left side, and thankfully didn’t last long. A disjointed Ian White who was shaky all game long, had a terrible giveaway in the neutral ice resulting in a semi-breakaway the other way, that is until Colaiacovo came back, and yep you guessed it, dove with a sliding poke check to take away that scoring chance, it was amazing and it has lead me to finally try and come up with a name for that action that has Carlo sweeping the National Hockey League, literally. It was at that point Maurice broke up his pairings and went back to what has really turned this team around, the big 4, Kaberle and Kubina, McCabe and Colaiacovo, two pairings that eat a lot of minuets, control the puck, create scoring, and use the body, it is vital the big 4 sees a tonne of minutes.

After success down low, the Leafs began to change their fortunes up top, Sundin found himself doubled shifted with new comer Jeremy Williams, leading goal scorer from the Marlies. With a magical hesitation move behind the net, Sundin slide the puck through the legs of the defender and right on the tape of Williams where he made no mistake and buried to cut the lead in half, and in only his third NHL appearance, he lit the lamp for a third consecutive time, 3 years, 3 games, 3 goals. Williams is what you call a sniper, after he was first drafted his size, strength and skating were all areas where he needed to improve his game, but the one thing he always had was an ability to shoot the puck, and it has improved just as the other facets of his game have as well.

2 – 1 and with more life coming out of this intermission then last, the Leafs look to do something very uncharacteristic of this team, that is to come from behind to win. Who else would lead them but Mats Sundin 3 minutes into the period and on a PP, Sundin doubles his shift and stays on the ice in a crucial point of the game to replace a struggling Stajan on the draw, Sundin grabs the puck down low and works his way through the checking defence to find a small area between Vokouns shoulder and crossbar, the push to the net as well as the finish were pure magic.

Unfortunately, as soon as the Leafs tied it, 3 consecutive penalties resulted in a goal against, and with 8 minuets remaining in the game, the Leafs found them selves down another goal. It stayed this way right to the wire and in the final 2 minuets after finally sustaining pressure in the Panthers zone, the Leafs pulled their goalie and guess who stepped on the ice, none other then Captain Clutch. Off the bench, Sundin strides inside the blue line only to burry it shot side after taking a great pass from Wellwood who set up shop behind the net. Captain Clutch, with a minuet and half to go in the game and maybe the season, Sundin ties the game. Tlusty may have deflected the shot, regardless, he provided good traffic in front, and gave Vokoun enough to think about to forget about the puck. The Leafs play a strong OT, then win it in a shootout with a great goal by Kaberle and continued strong play from Vesa Toskala.

Moving forward the Leafs play the Lightning on Friday, they may pose a threat as Mike Smith would love get his fist win for the Lightning since being traded for Brad Richards. The Leafs need to sure up what they want to do on defence after the big 4, and the forward lines could use a shake-up as the top line is getting hit and being stymied with tough checking, although doubling shifting Sundin was successful in this scenario, I still think they would be better served to use more of Newbury and Williams and all 4 lines.



10 13 48
16 14 55
11 80 42
54 19 52 checking line

15 31
24 8
? ?

I do not like the inexperience and lack of defence with the last two, we need to find a pairing that can fill this role together. White and Stralmen are both Right D, with Kronwall hurt, that leaves the door open for Walser(L) and Harrison(R). It could even mark a return for Andy Wozniesky, who has played some of his best hockey of his life in the last month down in the AHL, but considering he had his chance and failed, its time for Harrison and Walser to have a shot.

No Trade Clauses - Hero or Villian

“I can assure you that come October-the face of this team will be different than it is now”


Was it a threat, or was it a call to glory? Were those his thoughts, or were those the thoughts of the custodians’ speech writer? That eerie statement was uttered by an uncommonly flustered Cliff Fletcher. It was clear that the Fab Five have been the topic of his discussions for quite some time, and he was quite perturbed at wasting precious trade time entertaining offers for players that never even existed on the market, or maybe thats what he wants you to believe. Many people want to blame the former GM for those conditions, that fact remains that these assets would not be property of the franchise unless the ‘no trade clauses’ were issued, in the same way 120+ players around the league had done.




To waive a NTC is more common then not; however this is the fist time that 5 players on the same team decided to not do so.


One person would call it devotion; recognizing that a professional athlete, when given a choice, in a city where only a championships matter, would rather keep himself here in a seemingly impossible situation to even make the playoffs, rather then move on to greener pastures.


Where another person would call it selfish, feeling that the sacrifice would guarantee the losing season with the loss of veterans, and invoke the 20 % chance of a first overall pick, as well as a possibility of prospects and more draft picks. With 18 games remaining, this individual has come to the conclusion that the season is over.


The first person is a Leafs fan. The second person, whatever they are, are represented by the mass media, the clueless bandwagon fan, and of coarse MLSE; all of whom have yet to watch an entire game, or even see parts of two consecutive games. Their slogan is; “we got to blow this thing up” “time to rebuild” “get rid of everyone”. Dreaming that a 37 year old rental player, with 4 other underperforming players, would somehow garner high first round picks, top tear prospects, or their actual worth, is a daydream that is pure lunacy. Even more delusional is wanting to sacrifice a season for a slim chance at a 1st overall pick, as the only thing losing guarantees is that you’re a loser. Tanking a season would do severe damage to the youth on this team, on average the 5th youngest team in the league. For now and for the future, winning as many games as possible is what will bring a championship to this team.




Any knowledgeable fan would know what these players are capable of, respect the injuries these players had, and as a result would want them to at least attempt to succeed. Any knowledgeable ownership board would see that keeping the peace and sticking with a group of players that you supported with NTC’s in the first place, is what makes more sense for now and for the growth of all players.


Plagued by the ‘rich way of doing things’, the Toronto Maple Leafs and every other high spending franchise at the time of the lockout got burned by the new CBA, understandably the team had a rough restart, but what the naysayer’s fail to recognize, is that this franchise with the help of Pat Quinn, has been rebuilding since JFJ got here. Currently the Leafs are one of the youngest teams in the league, most importantly they are the youngest with players that have been key figures in the lineup for this, and the past two seasons. Each year the youth obtained more established roles, and each year the Leafs were left only a point from the playoffs. Drafting great players season to season, even with the 14 teams picking ahead of him, the Leafs have snatched enormous talent from the draft, and seeing as how the draft is the best way to improve in the new NHL, one can only wonder why JFJ wasn’t given more time and slack as scouting and drafting are his greatest assets. Unfortunately, JFJ was the ownerships scapegoat, when he struggled they gave him an extension, when he started to turn things around, they cut his authority and ultimately fired him before he got back any credibility and the focus of blame re-shifted back to the top.


It has to be noted that these young players that have been gaining experience and battling each night for a chance to compete for the cup, its their will, determination, skill, talent and desire that has kept the Maple Leafs in the running each year, years that were infected with key injuries to key players. Only now are we seeing the effects of positive growth to the depth of the organization, as all draft picks take time. In order for the youth to step up, remain clear headed and confident to be skilled enough to be stars and winners in this league now and in the future, it was, and is, important to have a veteran support group to gain knowledge from, compliment their youth, and help them compete.


Enter the Fab Five, all of whom have battled through injury and have missed many man games due to lengthy, nagging, injuries. 37, 33, 33, 31 and 30 years old respectively, not old at all, nowhere near washed up, 4 of the 5 currently in their prime, and the 5th is one of the best to play the game. The 5th being Mats Sundin, the heart and soul of the team.


Mats Sundin, the all time leader in goals and points for the Maple Leafs, the Captain of the team, and longest serving member of the franchise. With 18 games and 6 points to go, all management wants to do is pull the rug from under his and the teams feet before following through on promises made at the start of the season, doing whatever it took to push the leader out. In the face of the negative scorn, orchestrated by ownership, Sundin was forced to repeatedly answer the same distracting question over and over again, when ownership could have simply made it clear that Captain Clutch would not be traded. As Mats finally stated “It’s not in my heart to leave my teammates, or go back on my word”. Ownership failed to protect a world class player, and all that does is leave another black mark on this ownership group.




“I can assure you that come October-the face of this team will be different than it is now”


As a Leafs fan, I can only hope Fletcher was talking about the board of MLSE.

Leafs 5 - Senators 0 -- Six Points Out

Pace is the trick.


The Toronto Maple Leafs had jump all night long to ultimately jump one point closer to a playoff spot. Darcy Tucker is healthy, he all but flew over the ice while on the initial PK, on his toes all night he was quick to the lanes, but more importantly he got in the way aggressively and blocked shots, hit everything in sight and with authority, and brought each and every teammates to that level right from the get go. McCabe added to that first PK and slide across the crease to block another shot, it added to the tone Tucker established. Complimented by none other then Carlo Colaiacovo, a sliding shot block on the speedy Fisher to take away a scoring chance, he equalled that with the now classic sliding poke check to take away another, Leafs heart and sole guys setting the pace of the game, the Leafs came to play, and the tough gritty aspect may not equate to too many hits versus the speedy Sens, the aspect had this team was willing to dig deep and block shots, each and every one of them. This trend continued throughout the night, Tomas Kaberle was involved in 5 blocked shots, but none better then the one that came with 30 seconds left in the game, preserving Toskalas shutout when caught out of position, Kaberle filled in the crease to block Fishers empty net attempt.


Sundin openings the scoring once again, now firmly entrenched in the Blue and White after Sunday confirming to not waive is “No Trade Clause”. (more on this later) This goal began a great night for the PP, continuity was evident on both units and both units flourished. Wellwood was given an honest shift, and he continued his progress of the last two weeks, skating stronger and with more confidence in his game to be the offensive threat he is. The PP went 3 for 4, and the second unit was just as strong, more importantly they were familiar with each other as the second line 5on5 stayed intact on this PP. After a slow first period, even getting caught for a high stick a minuet and a half into the game, Stajan came out flying in the second. Taking a great feed from Kubina, Stajan remained strong turning up ice and winning the offensive zone through some tight checking, slide the puck to the right wing Blake who in turn found Tucker in the slot, Tucker buried it top shelf, the Leafs came to play, and they were on a level not yet seen this season, what a goal. Stajan had the period of his life, tying a Leafs record with 3 assists in a period. 3 assists while the replay showed he may have gotten a stick on the Kubina wicked snapper from the point.


Vesa Toskala was strong at the start and was heroic right through to the end of the night, night after night he gives this team a chance to win. Playing in his 50th game last night, a career high, his health and stamina and past injuries will be a factor down the stretch, while considering the relationship between Raycroft and Maurice, you would have to think that Toskala will be in net the rest of the year, one would hope that Vesa gets his extra days off if this is the case. Missing a few practices and workouts are important, because Vesa has proved this year already that carrying the entire load is burdensome physically and mentally.


Tucker scored again, and Dominic Moore finished the night for the Sens by sending Emery home early. 5 – 0, more importantly the beating was giving to the top team in the east on a night of galvanisation for he Leafs dressing room. The veterans stepped up and refused to waive their NTC’s, they proclaimed their desire to remain with the Leafs, and each one of them proved it last night, while the rest of the team followed. The look of desire, and work ethic from all the players was a great sight, they turned back the clock and showed me an image of a team that I expected to see at the start of the year, but haven’t seen since Quinn was behind the bench. This team cannot be beat when they play like this, and without showing too much disrespect to Hall Gill, the fact that the Leafs didn’t have to cater to his lack of speed may have had something to do with the quick upbeat on ice presence of this team. That said, it was one game, and more has changed in this room the Gill missing the game. I stand by the my point that Gill is affective, but needs to be playing with knowledgeable players and the right system that understands his deficiencies to take full advantage of his up side. I will keep an eye on this situation.


In other news, I am sadly reporting that Wade Belak was shipped to the Panthers in a move that stinks of Peddie. Silly Peddie (not puddy) had Belak in a contract year, and while the enforcer who put his neck on the line for this organization and team any chance he was tested, Silly Peddie did not agree to his extension, Maurice never gave him a shot, and they all but ruined his career. I say this because I watch every game, and while I am not sure if his attitude was called into question with the coach, I know that this coach never game his a shot to compete and prove his worth on the ice, 3 minuets a night does not cut it, I am very disappointed in the coach and management for not getting this deal done, and losing a very valuable asset that provided aggression and toughness to a team that lacks those intangibles is a great loss, more importantly a long time Leaf has been shipped away for a 5 rounder, it sure doesn’t help the room and strikes a blow to the continuity in the room, heres hoping the pissed attitude only makes the group stronger mentally, I guess we will see on Wednesday, Leafs vs. Panthers.

Leafs 3 - Thrashers 1 -- Seven Points Out

The end may be near, but it is not yet here.

The Leafs battled the Thrashers last night with both teams having to deal with the extra-curricular; it was evident that the trade distractions were equally shared and after a meek first period. Ponikarovsky went down at the one minute mark from another questionable hit from the notorious Garnet Exelby, it resulted in rib injury that could keep the Poni Express away from any last minuet trades, and pushing the newly signed 1.7 million on the cap for the next two years Alexander Steen to the top line. I would have enjoyed seeing retribution agents Exelby in any way, but that hasn’t been norm for this Leafs team, an issue that I would love to see addressed. I was happy to see that Maurice went back to a 6 D man unit, even if it meant keeping White in the line-up, it was the right move after Whites performance as of late. It is the best way to get the most out of the D both offensively and defensively as the pairings are set and each player has a better understanding and comfort level of what is expected of himself and his D partner. Other then that, and another missed opportunity for our PK, the first ended with very little to cheer or jeer, and it was for the most part uneventful 1-0 game at that point.


The second started and it was only fitting that our captain opened the Leafs scoring to get the buds back on track. It great play by Antropov to spot an even better play by Wellwood sneaking into the slot, Wellwoods patented hesitation to freeze defenders and the keeper before sliding it to Mats for the goal was something I would have expected to see at least 30-50 times this season. The injury and re-injury that Wellwood sustained has keep this from happening on a regular basis, but in the last two weeks he has skated much faster and has been much stronger on his edges and has been getting to the corners and in front of the net with more regularity. These are spots that he needs to get to, and with continued health will come confidence, and ultimately this player will hit those spots and score with regularity. I am a big Wellwood fan, as I mentioned to fellow Leafer’hockeytape19’, I think Wellwood is a great player. When the Leafs drafted him I was very impressed, I knew he was traded for Spezza in the OHL so I knew he had talent. During the lockout year he was tremendous in the AHL, and in the next two years he proved that he could be a great player in this league, his size doesnt worry me because of his sense and skill, but he does have to improve his speed and defensive awareness if he wants to be competitve at C. As for this year it is a wash and should be forgoten, the injury he had is a very difficult injury to recover from, especially the mental side since he had the first opperation he had to get it re-done. As a result, I think his trust in the medical staff may have waivered a bit, which is why I think people, including his pops said he didnt work hard enough to get back. I have personaly had a similar injury, and it so difficult to train hard because of the lack of power and fear of doing more damage. That said, I think after the offseason, with continued commitment to training, he can regain his strength and be the player he can be. This is why it is paramount that this team re-sign Kyle in the same fashion that they did Steen, keeping the price and term down, as he has room to grow and we in Toronto should give him all the time to do so before having to deal with outside competition from his RFA status this July. The same applies to Stajan, giving our own picks the respect they deserve is vital to rebuilding this team now and into the future.


1-1 going into the third, even watching from home you could feel the buzz was back into the building, weather that has to do with the close game, or maybe it was due to the possibility that this was Sundins final period as a member of the Leafs. Either way the Maple Leafs came out of the gate storming, and two minuets in, Steen scored a backhand goal which was all the proof needed to understand why this guy should and will be a member of the Leafs for many years to come. Steen was sent in from a great tip pass by my favourite Leafs player, Niko Antropov. Later in the third, Steens work ethic got the puck over the blue line which returned the favour to send in Antropov for the clincher. 3-1, the game was done.


Honourable mention to Vesa, who has been between the pipes for the last 17 of 18 games, and he rebounded quite well from a disappointing game on Thursday. He had to come up big in the third to sustain the lead that the Leafs top line created. Belak was out there and played more minutes then he has seen for quite some time, but was very effective in the second period, joining the Moore/Kilger line, his speed and aggressiveness fit right in as he bounced Thrashers all night long, all night. The rest of the team was solid, and they did what they had to do against a pretty uninspired, uninterested Thrasher team.


I found it quite interesting to hear Bobby Holiks comments after this game, hear is a guy who spent the prime of his career winning Cups in Jersey, and in doing so, shutting down my Leafs on many crucial playoff evenings. His demeanour and attitude following the loss were that of an experienced veteran, he spoke quite frank about loosing to one of the bottom teams in the NHL standings, and made no mistake to ensure he repeated it over and over again. "If you can't beat one of the worst teams in the conference, we don't deserve it," said centre Bobby Holik. Then with a little smirk he said; "There's no room for excuses. Those are facts. We all know that we lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight, and what else is there to say?" Holik made public a sentiment that is wide spread felt throughout the League and the HockeyFan World as a result of the many unsuccessful seasons here over the past 40 or so years. It is rare that a player makes this statement as boldly as Holik did, it is usually done by snubbing this team during the “Free Agency” period, but being in the twilight of his career, with rings on his fingers, I can understand Holik for saying what he did the way he did, and respect the confidence, experience and character of his conviction. On that same note, however true it may be, I hate what he said and the way he said it. In true Leafs fashion, it just fuels the fire of the passion that burns for every fan of the Maple Leafs, and hopefully the organization. This negative attitude was rampant in the 80’s to very early 90’s, this was the era that I began to follow the Maple Leafs, and just as numerous Habs fans and Leaf haters did when I was young, Bobby Holik crossed the line.


If I were Maurice, I would have that postgame Holik interview on repeat playing throughout that the trip to Ottawa, it the change room, everywhere and anywhere for the remainder of the season. We will then see the players who really want to be here, we will see the players who really understand what is at stake game in game out, we will see who is willing to go through walls to bring winning and respect back to this organisation, and while I am at it, I would have that same interview playing throughout MLSE headquarters, laying on Peddies and the Boards voice mail, right down the list to the ushers at the game. For as much as its the passion that unites us all, the hate unifies an even bigger group against.


Monday, versus the Senators, this is a game I want to win, sitting here at 1:30pm Sunday afternoon, I can only wonder if the same personal I watched on Saturday will be there on Monday night.

Sabres 5 - Leafs 1 -- Nine Points Out

Leaving the house late and Stuck in Toronto traffic; it becomes clear that I am going to be late to the game. What makes matters worse, while listening to the game on the radio, Brian Campbell scores a goal very early in the game. Already late, my usual parking lot was full and it cuts even more time away from the Leafs game. The car is finally parked, and the first period is over, Leafs are down 1 – 0, and I am just now walking towards the building, something was telling me this just wasn’t going to be a good night.


Finally inside, I begin my fight through the intermission crowd, my crew making a quick stop at the ice box for a drink. Myself just getting over that brutal cold, on penicillin, I stayed away from the bar and peered over the standing room section as the second period got underway, just in time to see Vanek embarrass our PK. After cursing Vanek’s name, I knew I had to save my voice if I was going to have any chance of yelling Peddie Suck’s. Still waiting on the rest of my party to get their drinks, the Leafs get a PP, I had my focus on McCabe as I wanted to see how much his wrist was still affecting his play, I watched him until he made his way to the bench and noticed Kubina jump on and high tail it to the blueline, Tomas Kaberle hit him with one of the most amazing passes, and Kubina finished the breakaway with an incredible deak and backhanded goal. It was at that point my spirits were raised, but at the same time I lost my voice cheering for an amazing pass and goal.


We finally get to our seats, and it was 2 – 1, and I am feeling good. It was at that point I noticed the D pairings mixed up, it turns out that Maurice decides to replace one of our best skating, fore-checking forwards with another defenseman. Forget Newbury or Earl who both are strong skating, quick forwards, forget about Belak who has lit a fire under this club whenever he steps on the ice, Maurice would rather disrupt our defensive pairings by having 7 D, all of whom will have to play less minutes then they are all used to, and all D will constantly have a new pairing to work with. Add to that, a 4th line that already doesn’t play much, only now being used with another forward double shifting. Overused and undernourished, the double shifter intimately hurts two lines.


The period went on, and we were still in this game, that is until Kotalik snapped a hard wrister under the arm of a tired looking Toskala who was playing in his 13th consecutive start. Followed up by Kubina making a great defensive play to get back and beat Vanek to the puck, a terrible call by the ref resulted in a penalty against Kubina, similarly to a bad call on Sundin that followed 5 minuets later, the latter resulting in a PP goal against.


Leafs down 4 – 1, playing a lifeless third period to an empty building. The insults that rang from the crowd were harsh and very negative, it heavily outweighed positive cheers, and for the first time in my life, I didn’t have the spirit to yell back at the hecklers. The nail in the coffin, the empty netter.




Overall I have never been more discouraged in the effort and result of what was the most crucial games of the season. Special Teams were as poor as usually, and being at the game and never in my life seeing the home building as upset or empty, I thought I was having a bad dream. I didnt even want to wonder why Newbury or Earl weren’t called up to replace Deveraux, rather Maurice choose to go with 7 D, ultimately as a way to disrupt both the Defensive and Offensive pairings and flow.


In the cold cold night, I lost my voice, and could barley yell out Peddie Sucks long enough to sustain a short chant at the end of the game. 5-1, the games over, and most likely the season. I was disheartened with at the coaching, the on ice effort, and the ultimate result, I figured my night couldn’t get worse.


I was right, because what made my night, on the way back to the P.A.T.H, I bumped into the great Bill Watters, the look of dejection on his face spoke volumes, I told him I was a big fan of his, but I didn’t want to bug him cause I am sure I could have talked his ear off all night as I was equally as dejected. We shared a look of gloom and he parted with some great words, F’N brutal, it brought a smile to my face, and it was definitely the highlight of the night.


As for these Blogs, with the coaching and effort I seen last night, I will be done sooner then I thought. And as this just comes in, Sundin has been asked to give a list of potential teams he would consider waving his NTC, the end is near.

Leafs 3 - Jackets 1 -- Seven Points Out

As the Season gets more intense, so will my blog. Look for a new entry following each game until the Leafs no longer have a shot at the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Game in game out analysis will begin after the Leafs take on Buffalo on the 21st, its only fitting seeing as how I will be in the building and will hopefully start a Peddie Sucks chant.

Although it is currently a long shot to make the playoffs, the team still has a shot. I am not drinking the Kool-Aid, and I am not the reason why the Leafs have been stuck in mediocrity for 40 years, I am a fan of the Blue and White, and no matter what the odds are of drafting superstars, I will never cheer for this team to loose, because as I have always said, the only thing loosing guarantees, is that you are a loser.


It has got to be said, last night was Ian White`s best game of the season. He was fast, and he was well positioned allowing him to use his grit, and even hit. He moved the puck well, and spent little time in his own zone, and most importantly he was sure of himself, and that was just the first period. He finished the match strong to have one of his finest games in the NHL.

Keeping things in perspective, the Jackets are the lowest scoring team in the NHL for a reason. Also, the speedy Dominic Moore is flying along side two pure hockey players in Deveraux and Kilger in what I will affectionately call the JFJ line, they have recently seen a lot of time with Gill and White. That said, White did good things out there, and maintaining that quick tough gritty pace and confidence throughout the game is where this guy needs to be.

The resurgence of McCabe and Colaiacovo has left White, and for that matter Gill with less minutes and responsibility at the 5 – 6 spot, White`s game has steadily improved, even more so since being a healthy scratch. It will be interesting to see how Maurice goes about his plan to work both White and Stralmen into the lineup. It was good to hear that White complained about being sat, because no matter how good or poor ones performance is, the person who has a blind confidence in their own game is the teammate I would want on my team.

Power Play

There is much to be said about the special teams struggles this season. When one looks at the PP, it can be said that this team has struggled with injury and has therefore been unable to put a consistent 1 and 2 unit on the ice. Cohesiveness and understanding the mindset of team-mates is paramount to the success of a team, even more so on a PP.

However, over the last few weeks, this coaching staff has yet to consistently keep a PP line-up together throughout the balance of a game. Most notably has been the involvement of Kyle Wellwood, here is a player who normally thrives on the PP, but because of injury this season he has only seen spot duty on the number 1 PP unit from time to time. There lies the issue at hand, how is it that Wellwood goes from being benched one game for not being ‘fit’, to the following game where he finds himself on the top PP unit. It sends a terrible message to Wellwood and to the rest of the team, as every player in the league dreams about being on the top PP unit.

In a crucial battle versus the Blues on the 29th of January, the Leafs found themselves down a goal late in the third, after seeing at most only 30 seconds of playing time in the third period, Maurice puts Wellwood on during a PP with maybe 3 minutes left in the game, out of place, out of sync, Wellwood causes two turnovers that resulted in a botched PP. Icing a player on the bench and then expecting him to thrive in a pressure situation like the power play is unrealistic.

Another example in the last few games is how Maurice kept the leading PP goal scorer away from the top PP unit. It is unfathomable how Antropov who leads the team with 9 PP markers would not be out there with Mats every PP chance the Leafs get on a team that struggles on the PP.

Lastly, in recent weeks since his return from injury, McCabe has found himself on the top PP unit. While I understand that this is the guy who should be there, McCabe is still not at 100%, McCabes only issue, and it have been well documented, is pain when he shoots the puck. As a point man on the PP, the point shot is crucial, if the opposition PK know that this is currently not an option for McCabe, it makes him, and thus the entire PP unit much easier to defend.

The deficiencies on the PP have much to do with the disjointed fashion that each unit is build upon. Continuously changing each unit, each game, during the game, from opportunity to opportunity, leaves the players far from a comfort level that is so crucial to taking advantage of an opponent with one man less.

Definitely Maybe

As the season gets shorter, after two tough losses, first against Buffalo, and then a disheartened effort versus the Isles brought us to Saturday night. In true Hockey Night in Canada fashion this team revealed what it means to wear the Maple Leafs emblem. As bad as things look, I will never give up on a season until it is mathematically over. As it stands, with the Leafs Definitely Maybe out of a playoff spot, it gets tougher and tougher for the real fans of the Maple Leafs to accept. So I wrote/stole a song called Leafs Forever, sung to the theme Live Forever by one of the World’s Greatest Bands; Oasis, to help us Leafers through these tough times.




Leafs Forever

Maybe I dont really want to know
How the standings go
I want you to lie

Lately did you ever feel the pain
Of Peddie’s stupid games
Its time to fire that crone


Maybe I want the Board to die
I want the Leafs to be flying high
Draft dreaming sorry Steve
Maybe I just want to beLEAF
Maybe you’re the same as me
We see things they’ll never see
You and I are gonna live forever


Maybe I don’t really want to know
How the season will go
I want you to lie

Lately did you ever feel the pain
Of Peddie’s stupid games
Its time to fire that crone


Maybe the Leafs will never be
All the things that I want em to be
But now is not the time to cry
Nows the time to find out why
I think you’re the same as me
We see things they’ll never see
The Toronto Maple Leafs are gonna live forever
Were gonna live forever
Gonna live forever
Live forever
Forever





Get Lost, Get Bent, Get Fired Peddie, NOW.

The Best Offence is a Good Defence

For the good of the game, and the Toronto Maple Leafs, today, defence is a healthy part of the growth of the team and the game itself.Go to any basketball court and you can hear the fans chant; D – Fence, D – Fence. In football, much has been written about the great Steel Curtain Defence. Gold Gloves are awarded in baseball, and in soccer, arguably the greatest Soccer Nation and league in the world, the Italian Seria A, has been built with a defence first mentality, defence is respected and carried out with a passion by its players. The MMA has also combined many fighting disciplines that stress the importance of self defence.

Only in hockey, do we hear the media discuss how boring defence is and how it is not respected by the average fan, which is bull, and only caters to the clueless hockeyfan.

As for those who think defensive hockey is boring, I suggest you learn a bit more about the game being played.

The ability to play hockey at the highest level humanly possible, with the best coaches, strategy, and best players in the world is what makes the NHL so exciting. The run and gun style is just that, there is no substance to all that skill involved, proof to this notion is how easily it can be broken down and countered by a simple trap. Therefore it doesn’t appeal to me. It is already played in over a million rinks every night, free to watch, but they call it shinny.

I would rather watch Hockey. Defensive battles are something that I have been clamouring for since the lockout. Watching a team play good strong intelligent defensive hockey is exciting to watch, it generates much more offence the given credit for through a transition game that can result in solid end to end action. It creates much more contact, hitting and puck battles, and in my books a good smashmouth battle for the puck between two players is just as exciting as a PP goal. This style forces an opponent to do spectacular things to try and beat the system, through a great pass, shot, or done with incredible hands and speed, and hig speed hard hitting fore-checking. If the system fails, or is permeable, the goalie is forced to make a spectacular save or a goal is scored, either way, its exciting HOCKEY. The best players playing, the best game in the world, at the highest possible level, it is what should be expected and more importantly appreciated every night.The only way a defensive battle becomes boring, is if the players are not competing to try and beat it, but that’s a whole different blog.

In the day in age, through a pathetic attempt to grow the game to an audience that does not appreciate the sport, only in hockey do we hear analysts, commentators and subsequently fans talk about how defence has put a damper on our beloved game. For any true sport enthusiast and athlete, defence is the lifeblood that sport is built on, and for anyone in the know, defence is the foundation that all good offence is built from. Defence is a discipline that may not be as flashyvas offence, but it is far from boring when you understand the importance and difficulty in carrying out this discipline with continued success.

It was brought to my attention that a great tactician and former Leafs coach and Hall of Famer Roger Neilson was the first to implement the trap. The trap is simply a tactic that is within the rules to stagnate an offensive rush. It was later perfected in the late 90`s by the great New Jersey Devils. The Devils were a team that won many championships with this system, a bruising defence, and a world class goaltender. This team stymied the high flying Maple Leafs on many occasions, and in some playoff games they even held my team to under ten shots. As much as I hated that Devils team, I loved and respected their game and discipline, work ethic and shear force to continue to upset our offence time and time again. People around town would complain it was boring hockey, but that is because the Leafs lost, but I have never seen better hockey in my life, whether it was with my team having to battle through that impenetrable wall, or through the Devils counter attack. Jacques Lemaire, brought this system that was fashioned in championship winning teams in Montreal, and he has now brought it, along with success to his team in Minnesota.

In the past two weeks, the Toronto Maple Leafs have welcomed back into the fold two defensemen that are instrumental in the success of the team, Carlo Colaiacovo and Bryan McCabe. Colaiacovo is a sure skating player with an excellent first pass and an on ice vision that is equal to the greats. What sets him apart is his ability to be just as effective defensively; constantly thwarting opponents with timely poke checks, either standing or through his soon to be trademarked diving poke check. In a true testament of great Canadian defensive hockey, Colaiacovo pays the price to sustain his defensive prominence with a reckless abandon, this individual throws his weight all around the ice all the while imposing fear into the opponent. Joining the season so late, Carlo has yet to regain is full speed and steam, but it is getting better each game.

Bryan McCabe, while his stature has taken a hit in the past few seasons, his return to the lineup Thursday night hit home is true importance to this team. McCabe is a true heart and soul guy, he may not be the most talented, but he is a true character guy with a solid work ethic and determination which is what brought him to this league and it is what has kept him here. In the old NHL he was gritty and played with sandpaper each and every night; he took pride in not getting scored on and it showed as he constantly created havoc for the attacking offence. With the new rules and quicker pace of the new NHL McCabes tactics were no longer legal, he was forced to learn the game all over, and in the process he had acquired an amazing shot and one-timer, and an ability to play the point on the PP. This new focus on scoring caused his D game to suffer. The problem has been he was never able to combine both aspects of the game at the same time. From what I saw in the games leading up to his hand injury, he put away his goal scoring stick, picked up his sword, and was very effective in his own end for the first time in a long time, he was not forcing the play out of his own end through a rushed first pass or in attempting to stickhandle it out. He then began hitting again, blocking shots, getting his nose dirty and it was paying off. This team needs more of that type of player, while McCabe needs to focus on this aspect in order to have success down low, even at the expensive of his offence. If he can focus on his D 5on5, and offence on the PP, on D is where I want this long time Leaf. If he gets into another defensive slump, I know we got the players to replace him, and his amazing shot and skill can be serviceable and effective on the wing.

Kaberle Kubina
McCabe Colaiacovo
Gill Stralmen

54 Game Mark, The Second Period of the Season is Over.

DEFENSE

During the second period of the season, this defense has gone from bad to worse. Individually, I feel that certain players have taken some positive strides, however, the coaching strategy and players being asked to fill the roles are so wrong for the team, it makes it increasingly difficult for success, and the results in the last 27 games speak to that.

Kubina continues to be the best defensemen on this team at both ends of the ice, he lost a step since returning from that knee injury, but over the last month or so, while playing consistent minutes with Tomas Kaberle, we have seen how valuable this giant in the back is, and why he was an instrumental piece to the Tampa Bay Stanley Cup run. A lot has been made of his 5 million per year, but when compared to his peers around the league, there are no better bigger defensemen, more experienced, with a ring, have an ability to be both a powerplay and penalty kill specialist in the entire league.

6 million Blake
5.5 million Hamrlik
5.4 million Souray
5.26 million Schneider
4.85 million Johnsson

Kaberle has been good, but not his usual great, my initial theory was based on bulk, but after focusing on his game for another 27 games, I have to put the blame on over coaching. Throughout this season, I have noticed Kaberle be continuously caught out of position while pushing up on a rush. I have never seen this before, and can only attribute it to Maurice wanting Kaberle to push up more and be more involved in the offence. A talent as great a Kaberle, both skill and brains does not need a coach telling him how or where to play. Throughout his entire career, he reads the play and reacts accordingly, only players of such great skill can garner success this way, which is why I am attributing his struggles this season to the fact that he has been told to do otherwise.

Hal Gill has seen his production and performance drop during this second period of the season. After half a season of attempting to play a shutdown role with Ian White as his partner, in the last few weeks Anton Stralman has taken up this position. During this time, Stralmen has struggled with some of the same mistakes that have plagued White; defending the blueline on a rush, as well as his down low coverage, the only difference is that White has had close to two years to figure it out, while Stralmen is nearing two months as an NHL pro. As absurd as using White in a shutdown role is, another significant factor in Gill`s demise has been the constant shuffle between White and Stralmen. Two offensive minded Dman in the role is counterproductive, however, Stralmen is a much better skater, has better hands and has a longer reach to White, to therefore make him more effectively defensively. Back to my point, the continual flip flopping of these two does effect the continuity and comfort level of Gill. Being a methodical intelligent defensemen, who because of a lack of speed plays on angles more then most D do, constantly changing his partner, and these changes occur mid-game, it will dramatically effect his game and angles negatively.

I have seen improvements to Ian White game, but nowhere near the level that would make him competitive this or next season. He has used his body more, but he is consistently out of position, and that limits what he can do physically and more importantly defensively. His down low coverage is very poor, and he is caught chasing forwards around the ice with little impact. Playing him 20 minuets a game will do wonders in improving his overall game, but it is not worth throwing away an entire season for the rest of the team. Ultimately, with White on, this means that for a period a game, this team has to take extra precautions defensively; I will speak more on this later. Let us not forget that with White being so close to the 180 game mark, once over it, it will make him available to the rest of the league if indeed he is put on waivers. I will never understand with the players the Leafs have, the struggles they have defensively, why White was given the free ride he got, while players like Belak, Kronwall, Harrison, and Walsner were never given an opportunity.

15 31
25 8
3 36


FROWARDS

Throughout the second period of the season, much has been made about the improvements to the defensive side of the puck. That said, the improvements defensively had come at the expense of goals for. With the forwards having to overcompensate for the pinching defensemen, or the D who cannot play D, the forwards found themselves too deep in their own end, ultimately slowing down the speed of a rush the other way, and keeping them far away from effective offensive positions on the ice.

Injuries, especially in the last few weeks have been a factor, but as a result we have finally seen the likes of a Robbie Earl, and more of Juri Tlusty, as Maurice now has given him a spot on the top line. Tlusty has had 2 goals in 3 games up there, a spot that I felt he should have been playing since he was first called up. Don Cherry dropped the name Jeremy Williams, here is a guy that will make this team next year, with 2 goals in 2 NHL career games, Williams hasn’t yet cracked this lineup, but he is close. Earl was outstanding in his first NHL game versus a depleted Ottawa lineup, he was strong, fast, intelligent and worked tremendously hard each shift. Earl has even more to offer with a great shot and nose for the net, I will be looking forward to his development as the season progresses.

Even with the injuries I still don’t agree with limiting the 4th line to fewer than 4 minuets a game. It is embarrassing to the players involved as well as too the rest of the team who has to face their peers day in day out. Matt Stajan, here is a guy that I doubted at the start of the season http://leafstown.blogspot.com/2007_08_01_archive.html. After his season last year, I knew he had improvements that needed to be made; the good news is that he has improved tremendously, more so then I would have ever guessed. Credit has to be given to Stajan for persevering after a terribly disappointing season, we should also acknowledge what Doug Gilmour has done, it was reported that Gilmour worked with Stajan over the off-season in an attempt to sure up some of his deficiencies. He had struggled with face-offs, while his overall percentage hasn’t improved that much, during the second period of the season he has had a much improved percentage, while taking many more draws. Currently playing a second line role very competently, Stajan should remain as a third line shutdown artist; this is where he excels and where he can contribute the most to a team, he proved it earlier in the season playing with Steen and Deveraux.

Blake is not doing anything different then he had been doing throughout the season, but he is finally getting good press due to the fact that the puck is going into the net. As for the rest of the forwards, playing a system that sees them as the fault to the down low defence problems, limits their ability to be effective offensively, and has ripped away any confidence to work through mistakes that are bound to occur playing for an inept coach.

11 13 16
42 80 55
22 14 18
26 19 54


GOALTENDING

Well, during this segment of the season, we seen Maurice overuse his number 1 goalie, and in this case a goalie with a history of groin issues was overused to the point of injury. From the 27th of November to the 22nd of December, 12 consecutive starts, some in back to back fashion, Maurice injured Toskala. At the conclusion of this stretch, Maurice was forced to go with a rusty Raycroft to pick up the pieces, a keeper that had zero confidence in himself and his coach. Obviously Raycroft was in no position to take the reigns, and it showcases another incompetent decision by the head coach.

35
1