tonytalkssports My Take on Sports, particularly the Yankees, Maple Leafs and Browns

The Dream Is Over: Leafs Lose 4-0

While still mathematically alive, the Toronto Maple Leafs run for the 8th and final playoff spot unofficially came to an end with an uninspiring 4-0 defeat at the hands of the Florida Panthers.  In a situation eerily similar to the one the Leafs faced when they lost to the Islanders in overtime, the Leafs failed to show up last night and gave up a golden opportunity to gain ground on the idle Carolina Panthers and Buffalo Sabres.

With 10 games remaining in the season, the Leafs will pretty much need to win 9 out of ten to have a chance to get into the playoffs.  What further complicates matters is that the Sabres have 2 games in hand.  An uphill climb indeed.

What's really disturbing is  Clarke MacArthur's assertion that "I think we took them too lightly and we were outworked all over the ice."  There was a similar comment made by Keith Aulie after the Islander game.  This is a problem and one that needs to be corrected if this team is to become a legitimate playoff contender.  Maybe some veterans who have been through this before would have helped, I really don't know. 

Interesting to read various blog comments as everyone is jumping on Ron Wilson for playing J.S. Giguere.  I understand the argument.  It's obvious that the Leafs play better in front of Reimer.  It's also obvious that Giguere will not be with the Leafs next year.  So why have your playoff chance rest with Giguere?  Wilson's explanation is that Giguere has been through this before and he didn't want to risk a chance of Reimer being injured.  However, as Wilson correctly stated if you don't score you can't win. 

This may sound crazy but if the Leafs wanted to give Reimer a rest and wanted to have an eye on the future, I would have played Gustavsson and dressed Reimer as the back-up.  I understand that Gustavsson has not played in awhile but he obviously is practicing with the team and why not begin the re-evaluation process with the Monster.  If he looks shaky, pull him and put Reimer in.  A bad game by Gustavsson would not mean the Leafs should give up on him but it would possibly give the kid some confidence knowing that the team was willing to put their playoff hopes in his hands.

Hindsight is 20-20 and I'm not blaming Giguere for the loss.  And I'm not going to go off on Wilson for starting him.  But I think Wilson needs to be held accountable for a power play that has been terrible and an inexplicable pattern of this team sleep walking against teams that they should beat. 

The Leafs are back at the ACC on Saturday to face off against the Boston Bruins.  What are the odds that the Leafs will continue their streak of falling behind 1-0????

Leafs Stay Alive With 3-1 Win

With their playoff hopes on life support, the young Toronto Maple Leafs showed they weren't ready to cash it all in by defeating the Carolina Hurricanes 3-1 in Raleigh, North Carolina.  Once again the Leafs fell behind early 1-0, the 8th straight time that has happened in this interesting run at a playoff spot.  With the win, the Leafs find themselves 2 points behind the Hurricanes and 4 points behind the 8th place Buffalo Sabres.

Dion Phaneuf continued to show why Brian Burke brought him to Toronto scoring two power play goals and getting an assist on Tyler Bozak's goal.  Phaneuf has been a tower of power since the Kaberle trade and his offensive play has really been what the Leafs really need.  If you think about it, he has been a big contributor in most games along this streak since February 1st.

And just when everyone was wondering whether the clock had struck 12 on the Cinderella season of rookie James Reimer, the youngster stopped 36 shots and was solid in net.  After giving up five goals against Tampa Bay, many were suggesting that Reimer may be tiring and that the league has scouted him and have picked up on flaws in his game.  But I think Coach Ron Wilson made a couple of great points last night.  First, Cam Ward has been in 63 games this year for the Canes and no one is talking about him being tired.   And secondly, every goalie in the NHL has bad games.  The key (and this is my take) is how they bounce back and so far this year Reimer has bounced back well. 

The young defense corp of Keith Aulie, Carl Gunnarsson and Luke Schenn continue to impress.  Gunnarsson blocked a number of shots and Aulie looked very solid.  When you factor in Aulie in evaluating last year's trade with Calgary, it may be one of the most lopsided trades in Leaf history.

Tonight will be another test for this young Leaf team as they face a Florida Panther team they should beat and more importantly need to beat.  In a similar situation on the Island, the Leafs failed to gain two points by losing to the Isles 4-3 in overtime in a game that they did not play well.  In fact, it was after that game that Keith Aulie said that "we may have took them for granted."  That can't happen again tonight and hopefully the Leafs learned their lesson.  Anything short of two points tonight could be the final nail in the coffin for the Leaf playoff hopes.  Until then, you gotta Be Leaf!!!!!

You Gotta BeLeaf!! Leafs Beat Sabres 4-3

All of the cynics a few weeks ago said that this Leafs surge was just another late season tease similar to those we have seen with J.S. Aubin, Johnny Pohl and Jason Allison.  If the cynics were right then last night being down 3-2 going into the third period against their personal torturers, the Buffalo Sabres, the Leafs would have folded their tents and began making their tee time reservations.  But, as I've stated before, this is a different Leaf team.

Mikhail Grabovski, Phil Kessel and James Reimer, three players who have ignited this surge, all came up big in the third period and the Leafs grabbed two big points by defeating the Sabres 4-3.  I'm not sure there is a more improved player than Grabovski.  He has elevated his play and last night showed his leadership setting up Clarke MacArthur on the Leafs first goal and wiring a beautiful one-timer past Ryan Miller to tie the score in the third.

Phil Kessel continues to show why Brian Burke made the trade that so many of the cynics and critics have pounced upon for the last two years by setting up Tyler Bozak in the second period and scoring what would be the game winner in the third.  One wonders how many points Kessel would have if Bozak was able to bury more of his chances that Kessel has set him up on.

James Reimer came up big when he needed to making 39 saves.  None bigger than the breakaway stop on Thomas Vanek in the second period.  In the third, after the Leafs had taken the lead 4-3, Vanek came streaking down the wing and let a hard shot that Reimer stopeed with his pad leaving a rebound that Brad Boyes gobbled up but Reimer was able to get his leg out and stop Boyes right on the door step.

Since the Kaberle trade, Dion Phaneuf has really elevated his play.  He has been dishing out big hits, been more of an offensive threat and has proven a worthy leader for the young defensemen that make up half of the Leafs defense unit.

While the playoffs are far from a sure thing, this young Leaf team bounced back from tough losses against the Isles and Flyers to beat a long-time nemesis who holds down the last playoff spot.  A loss would have put them 8 points out and virtually out of it.  However, with the win the Leafs move within 4 points of the Sabres.  This team is different and gives all Leaf fans hope for a better future.

Monday the Leafs face the Tampa Bay Lightning.  It will be a tough one and should be interesting to see how they respond.  Hopefully, they will continue to make us BeLeafers!!!!

Leafs lose 4-3 in OT

Unfortunately, on a night that the Maple Leafs had an opportunity to pick up two points on Buffalo (who lost 3-1 to Pittsburgh) and Carolina, they settled for a point as they lost to the NY Islanders 4-3 in overtime.  This is an act that we have seen too often, playing dow n to their opponent, especially against the Isles.

It was rather disturbing to hear Keith Aulie say that they may have not respected their opponent. Hmmmm....  I give the kid credit for saying  it publicly but it is something that can't happen if you are fighting for your playoff lives.  In any sport, the theory is you need to play .500 against the tough teams and clean up on the weak ones.  Moreover, while the Leafs have played better of late, they have no business overlooking any opponent.

Aulie scored his first goal of his NHL career,  however the Leafs never led in a game that they needed badly.  Once again the power play was 0-3 making it now 0-24.  Definitely not a great stat particularly for a team in desperate need of points.  Brett Lebda had a terrible game last night and the defense last night as a whole seemed week.  The top two lines did not generate much offense which resulted in Ron Wilson shaking up the lines.

Thursday night the Leafs will be playing a Philadelphia team which will be seeking revenge for last week's loss to Toronto.  I have said all along that we need to see how this team progresses.  Last night, this team took a step backwards.  You can't leave a point on the table against a team like the Islanders.  Aulie's comment is troubling.  Young team or not it's inexcusable to overlook any opponent.  The Leafs are not the 80's Oilers.  Thursday they will be in tough and we will learn more about this team.  Will they respond and show the game they played last week in Philly?? Or will they back down and fold.  Hopefully, they learned something from last night.  I guess will find out Thursday.

Red Rising: Leafs Fall 5-3

Red Rising is the fight song for the Chicago Black Hawks and last night the Hawks rose up and showed why they are the defending Stanley Cup Champions by defeating the young Toronto Maple Leafs 5-3.  The Leafs started the game very aggressively and it was the first time I can remember since the lockout that the ACC crowd was chanting "Go Leafs Go" right at the opening faceoff.  However, a glaring giveaway by Carl Gunnarsson, led to the Hawks first goal that Marian Hossa put by the James Reimer.  It was a softie and it set the tone. 

The Hawks jumped ahead 2-0 and then had a two man advantage but the Leafs did a great job in killing it off and there was the feeling that this might give the Leafs some momentum.  However, it was 3-0 before the Leafs scored their first goal in the second period.  The Hawks stormed back scoring two and ending the second up 5-1.

The Leafs valiantly fought back in the 3rd and with the score 5-2 Mikhail Grabovski was awarded a penalty shot.  Corey Crawford came up big and Grabovski was stopped.  A goal would have brought the Leafs within two but it wasn't meant to be.  Luke Schenn scored the Leafs final goal with under a minute to play but the Hawks did enough in the first 2 periods to chalk up the win.  The Leafs took the play to the Hawks in the third but it wasn't enough.  The fact that the team kept pushing despite being down 5-1 to start the third period is certainly encouraging. 

As I have been saying for the past week, the remainder of the season is a learning experience for this Leaf team.  Yesterday's lesson was clear: you can't make defensive zone giveaways against a top team in the league.  But for the first goal, Reimer was not at fault for the last four goals and was pulled in the third for J.S. Giguere.  The key will be how this team bounces back against the Islanders.  Reimer has shown that he has the character to bounce back.  Let's see how the rest of the group does against a team which they need to beat.

The Islanders may try to goon it up on them and they need to keep their poise.  Something needs to give with their power play.  They have been 0-for the last 3 games.  5,6,7 power play opportunities a game need to be capitalized. 

I can't be too upset with last night's loss.  Their young and they are going to have bad games.  It was unfortunate last night because the ACC crowd really was into it.  What is upsetting is I can't remember the last time they won on a Saturday night.  Maybe a better Hockey Night In Canada record and they would be in that 8th and final playoff spot.

This next week probably tells the tale as far as playoff chances.  Tuesday they go to the Island and then come home on Thursday for a return match-up against the Flyers and then a big four pointer on Saturday at home against Buffalo.  Hopefully, they can end the Hockey Night In Canada jinx.

Leafs Pass Latest Test With 3-2 Win Over Flyers

As stated here yesterday, we were going to continue to learn more about the Toronto Maple Leafs as they entered the Wells Fargo Center to face the Eastern Conference leading Philadelphia Flyers.  Philly has never been a fun place to play and I wondered how this young team would handle that.  Well, they handled it quite well in registering a 3-2 win over the Flyers and pulling within 3 points of the last playoff spot.

After Kris Versteeg's second goal of the night, the Flyers looked to be headed into the second intermission with a 2-1 lead.  But, in the closing minute of the period, Dion Phaneuf pinched in toward the net and rapped the puck passed Sergei Bobrovsky to tie the game going into the third period.

The Leafs pressured the older and slower Flyer defense throughout the game and that's what led to the winning goal by Darryl Boyce to give the Leafs a third period lead that they never relinquished.  Boyce pressured Sean O'Donnell deep inside the Flyer zone preventing the Flyer defenseman from moving the puck along the boards.  Colby Armstrong followed up on O'Donnell and chipped the puck over to Boyce who charged to the net and swept the puck past Bobrovsky to give the Leafs the lead.

James Reimer came to the Leafs rescue again with about 40 seconds to play as Keith Aulie tried to clear the puck but it ended up right on a Flyer stick.  A shot was fired and Reimer got a glove on it.  The puck ended up high on the net, came down and Reimer reached back and caught the puck before it could fall behind him and into the net.  It was an unbelievable save and all but ensured the Leafs would walk out of the Wells Fargo Center with an important win.

There is a lot to take from this game.  First, it was clear as day that this Leaf team's speed gave the Flyers fits all night as they really pressured the Flyer defense.  James Reimer continued to show why he may indeed be this team's goalie of the future.  The kid looks unflappable and made some nice saves.  It's obvious this team has tremendous confidence with him in the net.

The Leafs young defense continues to grow.  As with any young players, there will be mistakes.  It was obvious that Aulie was trying to clear the puck without icing it and as a result gave the puck away.  However, he played well for the most part and it says a lot that Coach Wilson had him out there in the final minute.  We also saw his fighting abilities as he leveled the tough Scott Hartnell in a first period fight.

It appears that Dion Phaneuf has picked up his offensive side over the last two games.  I think it goes without saying that he has really looked like the player that Brian Burke traded for in these last two games.  Mike Kommisarek, who has taken plenty of criticism and was flat footed on Versteeg's second goal, may have saved the game with an outstanding play on a two-on-one break in the third period.

The power play did not score and that is a problem.  However, it looked like that the last few chances with the man advantage they were able to generate chances.  I really think that the Tim Brent experiment needs to end.  I would go with a three man rotation of Phaneuf-Gunnarsson and Lebda.  Gunnarsson continues to impress as he gets more ice time.

With Carolina winning in overtime over Buffalo and the Rangers losing to Minnesota, The Hurricanes move to 7th with the Rangers falling to 8th.  The Leafs find themselves one point behind Buffalo, 3 behind the Rangers and 4 behind Carolina.  They have a game in hand on the Rangers but the Sabres have 2 games in hand on the Leafs.  The heat is still on and there still is plenty of work to do with no guarantees of a playoff spot.  But it's clear that there is a different feeling about this team.  It's really fun to watch the confidence build in a group of 20 somethings who everyone was down on two months ago.

Whatever happens in this improbable run its clear to me that this team is moving in the right direction.  What's also encouraging that unlike in the past, we have people in charge who know what they are doing and will use the off season to continue the team's improvement.

The Leafs next test is Saturday night against the Stanley Cup champion Black Hawks who are in a playoff fight themselves.  They've won 5 in a row and will match the Leafs team speed.  Another test coming up.  Let's see how they respond.  And while we're at it lets enjoy it!!!!

Leafs Win 3-2 in OT, Can’t We Just Enjoy The Ride?

The Toronto Maple Leafs overcame a 2-1 deficit heading into the third period and defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 in overtime on a goal by Mikhail Grabovski.  Grabovski's goal was set up by an end to end rush by Dion Phaneuf.  Instead of just dumping the puck deep or sending it behind the net, Phaneuf waited as he saw a line change occurring and passed the puck to an incoming Carl Gunnarsson who moved it quickly to Phil Kessel.  Kessel in one motion passed it over to Grabovski, who just came onto the ice, and put it by Marc-Andre Fleury.  It was the type of tic-tac-toe passing play that we have not seen in a long time by a group of Leaf players.

James Reimer was solid in goal for the Leafs as the Penguins had a substantial edge in shots on goal.  Phil Kessel and Nikolai Kulemin had the other Leaf goals and Carl Gunnarsson had two assists.  The win moved the Leafs four points behind 8th place Carolina, who play Buffalo tonight.

Being a realist, I know that the Leafs must continue to play at this level in order to have a chance to make the playoffs.  Of course, if you listen to Mike Milbury they have no chance.  Milbury may be right.  But what I don't understand is the constant harping on the part of some that this is just typical Maple Leafs:  Doing great after the All-Star break when the games are meaningless.

As I stated in an earlier post, a good portion of this team has not been in this situation before:  playing important games down a stretch run.  James Reimer is not J.S. Aubin or Andrew Raycroft or Vesa Toskala.  This is a young 20 year old who has the potential to be the Leafs goalie of the future.  This experience can only help his growth process.  Keith Aulie, Luke Schenn, Carl Gunnarsson are learning what it takes to perform in pressure situations as Ron Wilson continues to put them out there in penalty kill situations and at critical points in a game.  Last night, Aulie was out their with Phaneuf in the last minute of regulation.  These are all young 20-somethings, not Kaberle, Beauchimen, Finger or Hal Gill.  And when you look at the forwards, Kulemin, Grabovski, Bozak, Kessel, MacArthur are learning what it takes and what their leading roles need to be in order to keep a team in the playoff hunt.  This isn't Allison, Ponikarovsky, Antropov, Blake, Hagman, O'Neill, Johnny Pohl, Yanic Perreault, and Boyd Devereaux.

While the playoffs would be nice, and there is no one who would want to see that more than me, what's more important is seeing these young players grow and learning what it takes to win.  Yesterday's game was not a great one.  The first two periods the Leafs only managed 9 shots and were fortunate to be down only 2-1.  But they fought back in the third and won it in overtime.  That's part of the learning process: winning when you are not playing well.  Yes, I know that Crosby and Malkin weren't there.  But the Penguins have 80 points and have a winning record since the two superstars have been out.

This team is one of the youngest, if not the youngest teams in the league.  If someone told you in November that they would be four points out of 8th with 18 games left without Kaberle, Beuchemin and Versteeg and a 20 year old in the net by the name of Reimer  everyone would have been surprised and somewhat happy.  This season is about building for next year and the one after that.  The criticism in the past has been that this team is old and the farm system is barren.  Well, their not old now and the farm system has young talent with Colborne, Kadri, Blacker, McKegg, Scrivens, Rynnas, etc. 

Next assignment is tonight against the Flyers in Philadelphia.  Will learn more about this group tonight.  Enjoy it!!!!

Reimer Injured As Leafs Lose In OT 3-2

For the second day in a row, the Toronto Maple Leafs allowed a valuable second point get away by blowing a 2-0 lead in the third period and falling to the Atlanta Thrashers 3-2 in overtime.  But what may be a bigger loss is to what extent James Reimer is injured and how much time may he miss.  Reimer was injured as a result of a collision with Evander Kane which resulted in a two minute penalty to Kane.  Replays showed that Kane's knee hit Reimer in the head area.  The Leafs are mum on Reimer's condition which gives me a bad feeling and could really impact this team' s quest for a playoff spot.

Before and after the collision, Reimer looked solid as it seemed he was prepared to bounce back from a rough game against the Penguins.  However, it was evident that Reimer was having difficulty as he came to the bench twice during television time outs.  With J.S. Giguere loosening up, Reimer stood in the game to keep the Leafs ahead 2-0.  Late in the second period, Giguere came in and Reimer went off into the dressing room never returning to the bench.

The third period started off badly as the Leafs allowed a goal early as Giguere had little chance on a scramble in front of his net.  The Thrashers tied it up later on after Giguere made the first save but couldn't get back in position to stop the rebound which led to the Thrashers ultimately winning in the extra frame.

The Leafs did little to generate any offense in the third period and in the overtime after taking a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals by Nik Kulemin and Phil Kessel.  Kessel's goal was a beauty as he drove the net and was stopped by Chris Mason but stuck with the play and slapped the rebound home passed Mason.

Not sure if it was the earlier start after the night game on Saturday or the goalie switch, but the Leafs certainly lost their legs in the third period.  Ron Wilson placed blame on blown power play opportunities.  It's funny but at one point I was thinking: they have to score on one of these power plays.

Making the playoffs is not the key to me this year.  As I've stated before, this season is about this team learning how to win and growing together to build for the future.  Brian Burke has done a good job in making this team younger and bringing draft picks and young talent to the farm system.  As we get close to the 3pm trade deadline, I don't think its imperative that the Leafs break up what they have right now for someone to just get them in the playoffs.  This is more about next year and beyond.

The Leafs are back at it Wednesday against Pittsburgh at the ACC and hopefully some good news on James Reimer.

Another Saturday Night, Another SO Loss!!!

Not sure I can remember the last time the Leafs won on a Saturday night.  Last week's 1-0 shoot out loss to Ottawa was tough but Craig Anderson stood on his head.  But yesterday's 6-5 shoot out loss to the injury-depleted Pittsburgh Penguins is a tough one to swallow particularly since Carolina lost and Buffalo lost in a shoot out to Detroit.  What also makes it difficult to take was that the Leafs 4 times had one goal leads that they could not hold onto.

Last night, James Reimer struggled as three of the Penguin goals were stoppable.  Reimer seemed to be too deep in his crease and fought the puck most of the night.  The kid did make several big saves late in the game and in the overtime period, none bigger than the one on Mark Letestu.  What will be interesting to see will be who Ron Wilson has in the nets this afternoon against Atlanta.  If it's Reimer we will get a good look at the development of this kid and his ability to bounce back.  Every good NHL goalie has bad games but its the ability to put it behind you that the very good ones are able to do.  If Wilson goes with Giguere, what does that do to Reimer's confidence??  Not sure if that will be an issue since the kid seems to have a good attitude.

It was nice to see Joffrey Lupul score a couple.  He has made a difference on this line with Kessel and Bozak.  I couldn't help but thinking last night that every time they were on the ice that they were a threat to score.  I thought Dion Phaneuf played one of his better games last night delivering some big hits and scoring a big goal after his giveaway which led to a short handed goal for the Pens.  Mike Brown and Colby Armstrong played a strong game once again.  However, when the team needed to repeat what they did late in the game against Montreal on Thursday, they were unable to hold on to a 5-4 lead.

Am I down on the Leafs?? No, not by no means.  What we are seeing is the growth of a young team involved in a playoff chase which for some may be the first time in their young NHL careers.  Today's game with Atlanta will be a good test for this young team and I think we will learn a lot about how these youngsters are progressing.  The game starts at 5pm in Atlanta.

Leafs Win 5-4, It’s Getting To Be Fun Again.

It's funny how a 5-4 Leafs win against their long time rival, the Montreal Canadiens, can get me pumped up.  But the truth is that watching this team continue to grow and gain confidence, while moving up in the standings, is what has me quite hopeful and convinced that the Leafs are moving in the right direction.

Phil Kessel, the kid who some in the Toronto media love to dump on, continued his hot scoring hand by netting two goals and two assists.  Kessel's first goal was a bullet that Alex Auld had no chance on as Joffrey Lupul did a great job providing traffic in front of Auld.  Tyler Bozak was the beneficiary of the two Kessel assists as he scored the game winner in the third period.  But what may have been more important was the play he made on Andrei Kostitsyn minutes before his second goal while the Canadiens were on the power play.  With Kostitsyn streaking toward the net, Bozak did enough to tie the Canadien winger up to prevent a sure goal.

Brett Lebda, not necessarily one of my favorites, had his strongest game as a Leaf as he scored a goal, was an offensive presence and played solidly in his own end.  Despite giving up two power play goals, I thought the penalty killing unit did a very good job particularly in killing a couple of third period penalties.

The Leafs play after the Canadiens made it 5-4 was very impressive.  With about 2:27 left in the game, the Leafs put the clamps down as the Canadiens were unable to enter the Leafs zone and could not get Carey Price out of the net, who replaced Auld midway in the third period.  Colby Armstrong was unreal holding the puck inside the Canadiens zone.  They couldn't move him off the puck.  Joey Crabb and Freddie Sjostrom assisted in clamping down on the Canadiens.

Despite giving up 4 goals, James Reimer was solid and came up with some big saves, particularly in the third period.  He had little chance on the two power play goals scored by the Canadiens.  It's evident that this kid provides confidence and a calmness in the nets which the team seems to feed off  of.

Questions abound as to what the Leafs should do with 4 days until the trade deadline.  It would seem unlikely that they would move anyone from the current roster, though its reported that the Leafs have received many inquiries on Clarke MacArthur.  With this team continuing to grow together and climbing within 4 points of a playoff spot, I would be satisfied if we just sat back and watched this team continue to grow.  Suddenly, it's fun again to be a Leaf fan and I have to tell you: I Love It!!

The Leafs are back in action Saturday against the Penguins at the ACC.  It's time for a win on Saturday night!!!