Shaky Goaltending & Poor PK Lead To 5-3 Loss
About the only thing to like about Toronto's 5-3 loss to the Florida Panthers last night was the fact that this team does not quit. However, shaky goaltending, poor penalty-killing(what else is new!) and defensive mistakes by Jake Gardiner and Luke Schenn were too much to overcome. Gardiner seemed to have bounced back after being relegated to the pressbox last week against the Sabres but last night was shaky in his own end and pinched too deep in the Florida zone which led to a breakway that James Reimer overplayed and the Panthers were back on top 2-1. With John-Michael Liles out, Coach Ron Wilson may have to limit Gardiner's ice time until the rookie gets back into form.
After the Leafs had scored to make it 4-3 midway through the third period, Luke Schenn's ill-advised rush into the Florida zone resulted in Tomas Fleischmann putting one past Jonas Gustavsson that essentially put the game away for the Panthers. Schenn is still young but in his third NHL season, he should know better than to think that he is going to stickhandle through 4 Panthers. There was no need for him to try and make something happen as there was plenty of time remaiining and the Leafs seemed to have the Panthers on their heels.
James Reimer probably had his worst game as a Toronto Maple Leaf allowing 3 goals on 8 shots. He should never have allowed the breakaway goal as the Panther player whiffed on the shot and it trickled past Reimer who was obviously fooled. I also thought that he should have stopped the first Panther goal. Jonas Gustavsson relieved Reimer and made some nice saves to keep the Leafs in the game. However, I thought he should have stopped Fleischmann's goal. All in all, the Leafs did not get the goaltending it needed last night and at the other end Jose Theodore was solid for the Panthers.
The Leaf penalty-killing continues to be a major problem. I don't understand how you can get a "too many men on the ice penalty" when you are shorthanded which resulted in a 5 on 3 situation which means that the Leafs will more than likely give up a goal which they proceeded to do. If the Leaf penalty-killing continues to be ineffective, this team will have a difficult time making the playoffs.
With Liles out, Wilson had Tim Connolly on the point with the team's first power play unit. Based on last night, I think that Wilson should pair Phaneuf with Gunnarsson and the second unit could be Gardiner with Cody Franson. Connolly was not able to really generate anything and a couple of times the Panthers were able to have their own scoring opportunities while short-handed. By the way, Franson has really impressed me with his ability to get hard shots on net from the point.
The Leafs head out to Carolina to face the Hurricanes Thursday night, who usually give the Leafs a tough game. As I mentioned yesterday, the Leafs need to get 4 out of possible 6 points on this road trip which means they need to win Thursday and Saturday in Winnipeg. I would think that Wilson will come back with Reimer in goal and the young netminder will be looking to bounce back quickly. Hopefully, the Leafs will have recovered from all of their Christmas cheer and give Leaf fans something to cheer about Thursday night.
Leafs Deliver For Christmas With 5-3 Win & NFL Week 16 Picks
Since the lockout, the Toronto Maple Leafs have had a propensity to let down against weaker opponents. Even last year during their late season run, they lost to the Islanders. But last night the Leafs came out flying scoring 3 goals in the first period and hung on for a 5-3 win, picking up 5 out of 6 points heading into the Christmas break. They find themselves in 6th place, 3 points ahead of ninth place Winnipeg and 4 points behind fifth place Pittsburgh.
The Clarke MacArthur-Tim Connolly-Nazem Kadri line has been on fire since Kadri has been called up from the Marlies. Last night this trio combined for five points and was dangerous all night. At the end of the game with the Islanders trying to apply pressure, Phil Kessel made a nice play to break up a potential scoring chance that ultimately led to Joffrey Lupul's empty net goal that secured the win. While we all knew that Kessel could score, it's his improvement in his own end that has really made an impact and has given Coach Ron Wilson confidence in putting Kessel on the ice in the final minute of the game.
Wilson made the right decision to start James Reimer in goal as the Leaf netminder has been solid and last night was no different. It appears that Reimer has fully recovered from his October 22 injury and that bodes well for the Leafs for the remainder of the season. Jake Gardiner was back in the lineup last night and played well. It was a good move by Wilson to sit the young defenseman against Buffalo. Gardiner made a beautiful spin-o-rama move that resulted in a great scoring chance for the Leafs. The Leafs will have an interesting decision after the break as John-Michael Liles should return to action against Florida on Tuesday night. It's not out of the question that Brian Burke could use one of these defenseman along with a youngster to acquire another top 6 forward. However, if the Connolly line continues to play as they have over the last two games, Burke will really be in the catbird's seat since he will not have to make a desperate deal.
Many last season were saying that the Leafs run from January 1st on was typical of the team since the lockout. At that time I stated that it was different. You could see that they were growing as a young club. Reimer was beginning to make a difference and Kessel and Lupul were starting to develop chemistry. In addition, after the trade of Tomas Kaberle, Dion Phaneuf seemed to have lifted his game back to his early days in Calgary. It is apparent that this team has continued where they left off last year. In fact, they have improved with the acquisition of Connolly, David Steckel and the play of Jake Gardiner and Matt Frattin. If Nazem Kadri keeps going the way he has the last 2 games, it only can get better. In addition, they have Joe Colborne waiting in the wings with the Marlies. Playoffs are still not a certainty but this has been the best start the Leafs have had since prior to the lockout.
All in all, it's fun to be a Leaf fan again!!!!!
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My last NFL Picks were for Week 14 when I was 2-1 raising my overall record to 26-20 and over the last 10 weeks 22-10. Here are my picks for Week 16:
* Denver (-3) over Buffalo: This is a big game for the Broncos. A win brings them to 9-6 and would maintain their one game lead over the winner of the KC-Oakland game. A loss would leave them tied. The Bills are a beaten team, having lost 7 in a row and are pretty banged up. This is a game the Broncos can't let slip away. Denver 20 Buffalo 14.
* Baltimore (-12 1/2) over Cleveland: The Ravens should be in an angry mood after being embarassed on national TV last Sunday night. The Ravens are unbeaten at home and are 5-1-1 as a home favorite. The Ravens control their own destiny: if they win out they will be the AFC North Champions and get a first round bye in the playoffs. The Browns have nothing to play for and will be starting Seneca Wallace for a second straight week. Baltimore is ranked 7th in offense and 3rd defensively in the AFC. The Browns are ranked 3rd from the bottom offensively and 8th defensively in the AFC. This one will be ugly. Baltimore 31 Cleveland 14.
* New Orleans (-6 1/2) over Atlanta: The Saints want to be the number 2 seed in the NFC and get a first round bye in the playoffs. A victory over Atlanta clinches the NFC South title. They are on a roll and are 6-0 as a home favorite. The Falcons have won their last 3 out of 4 but the victories were against Minnesota, Carolina and Jacksonville. They step up in class on Monday night in New Orleans. New Orleans 35 Atlanta 27.
Leafs Win 3-2 Over Sabres
The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 last night before a noisy Air Canada Centre crowd. For the second game in a row James Reimer made 40 saves and it appears the Leaf netminder is beginning to round into the form he exhibited before his injury on October 22. Reimer was particularly sharp when the Leafs were shorthanded which certainly helps their penalty killing.
Offensively, the Leafs received scoring from 3 different lines. The first Leaf goal came from the fourth line as David Steckel put one behind Ryan Miller in a goal mouth scrum that tied the game 1-1. Phil Kessel notched his 20th of the season on a beautiful tip-in giving the Leafs a 2-1 lead. Kessel was flying last night as he had 10 shots on goal.
The game winner came off the stick of Nazem Kadri on a high wrister over the glove of Miller. Kadri showed his offensive skill and certainly benefitted by playing with Clarke MacArthur and Tim Connolly. MacArthur set up Kadri neatly on the game winner. If this line can continue to produce, the Leafs could potentially have three dangerous scoring lines.
This was a huge win for the Leafs who were 3-5-2 in their last 10 games prior to last night. The Eastern Conference is really bunched up and getting two points off of the Sabres was huge. Because I live in WNY, when the Sabres play I only get the Sabres feed on the Centre Ice package which gives me a bad case of heartburn. Listening to Rick "Pork Chop" Jenneret makes me ill. Hearing him whine when Dion Phaneuf knocked down a Sabre after they ran into James Reimer was classic Pork Chop. It also illustrates the problem with the Buffalo media. They spout off either on TV, the radio or the newspaper and all of the Chester Cheektowagas go out and carry the message even though its nothing more than a bunch of crap.
What was also as ridiculous as Pork Chop was listening to Kevin Sylvester and Rob Ray after the game. Both of these jokers said that the Sabres deserved to win the game. Really???? Were they that much better than the Leafs last night??? What the hell game were these two nitwits watching. I'm not going to say that the Leafs dominated the game. There was an ebb and flow to the game as the Leafs dominated the first period while the Sabres had the better chances in the second. The third period was even. The ineffectiveness on the Sabre power play was attributed to Thomas Vanek being out. Did that hurt?? Yes, but to say that was the sole reason is typical Buffalo media nonsense. Where was Derek Roy, Jason Pominville and Christian Erhoff?? By the way, did you happen to catch Rob Ray's pre-game interview with Paul Hamilton??? Looks like Hamilton has not missed too many meals. Wow, what a load!!!!!
The Leafs are in Long Island tonight to take on the Islanders. This is a game that the Leafs need to win and on paper should win. There are some rumblings that James Reimer may be back in the nets tonight as the Leaf netminder may be on a roll. The puck drop is 7pm at the venerable Nassau County Veterans Coliseum.
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NFL Picks tomorrow along with Leaf recap.
Leafs/Sabres Tonight
The Toronto Maple Leafs have an opportunity to go into Christmas feeling good about themselves as they face-off tonight against the Buffalo Sabres at the Air Canada Centre. Last Friday, the Leafs couldn't stay out of the penalty box as the Sabres held on to win a wild 5-4 decision. In the team's recent slide, the Leafs have taken way too many penalties and their inability to kill them off has meant trouble for Ron Wilson's squad. The Leafs are hoping that the call-up of Darryl Boyce will bolster the PK unit.
The Leafs have also called up Nazem Kadri for tonight's game. Kadri was the 7th pick overall in the 2009 NHL Draft and Brian Burke's first draft pick as Leaf General Manager. He is an extremely talented player offensively but the Leafs have been concerned about his play in the Leafs' own end of the rink. All reports indicate that Kadri has improved immensely. He was named AHL Player of the Month for November (2nd Marlie to receive that honor this year as Joe Colborne was October's Player of the Month). Tonight, he will be on a line with Tim Connolly and Clarke Mac Arthur. This should be an opportunity for this young offensively gifted forward to shine. If he is able to contribute, the Leafs suddenly would have three legitimate scoring lines.
Both teams are struggling heading into this game. The Sabres have not played well and the fans are getting restless. Their veterans are not performing and the big free agent acquisitions of Ville Leino and Christian Ehroff are not having the impact that was thought. In fact, Leino has been a total non-factor. Both clubs have sustained injuries and have had to rely on youngsters to fill in. And both of them suddenly find themselves in the middle of a bunched up Eastern Conference where only 4 points separate sixth place New Jersey and 12th place Montreal.
This game is a big one. After tonight the Leafs head to Long Island for a game against the Islanders before the Christmas break. A two game winning streak would certainly be a nice Christmas present for Leafs Nation. It would also help to keep the Leafs inside that 8th and final playoff spot. A loss tonight and tomorrow would certainly be cause for concern and probably precipitate a move to be made by Burke. However, with Burke's history it seems that the Leafs will make a move regardless.
The puck drops tonight at 7pm and those of us with DirecTv in WNY will have to deal with the Pork Chop.
Leafs Need A Win Tonight
The Maple Leafs have had a lost weekend. The sad thing is they could have won both games. As it stands right now, they find themselves one point ahead of ninth place Winnipeg and Ottawa. However, the Leafs find themselves 2 points out of 6th place. So while its not time to panic, the Leafs need to get back to winning. Tonight they face off against the Los Angeles Kings, a team that the Leafs can beat but it won't be easy.
It's being reported that Ron Wilson will be shaking lines up, placing Tim Connolly with Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul. Tyler Bozak will center a line with Matt Frattin and Joey Crabb while Clarke Mac Arthur will be reunited with Nikolai Kulemin and Mikhail Grabovski. The Grabovski line needs to get going. One thing we haven't heard is if their will be any changes with the defense corp. I'm very high on Jake Gardiner but he did not play well over the weekend and it may do him some good to have a game or two off. Keith Aulie would certainly fill in quite well.
Last year at this time the Leafs were 12-16-4 for 28 points. This year, having played the same amount of games, they find themselves 16-13-3 for 35 points. Improvement = Yes. But, the playoffs are not a given. Hopefully tonight they will be able to get a much needed 2 points heading into to a big game on Thursday night against the Buffalo Sabres. The puck drop tonight is 7pm at the ACC.
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NFL Picks will resume this Friday. Tomorrow's Tuesdays Thoughts will be loaded as I will comment on the Leafs game against the Kings, Mike Holmgren's press conference from last week, Ryan Braun, Barry Bonds, the Buffalo Bills, NFL results and some Yankee stuff. Make sure you check it out
Leafs Gut Out 2-1 OT Win
The Toronto Maple Leafs totally dominated the game last night against the Carolina Hurricanes. But after 60 minutes they found themselves tied 1-1. Not getting two points at home against the East's worst team would have been demoralizing. But the Leafs were not to be denied as Tim Connolly scored his second goal of the night as the Maple Leafs defeated the Hurricanes 2-1 in overtime. Both of Connolly's goals were a result of the veteran free-agent acquistion's willingness to drive toward the net. His first goal was a beautiful deflection off a shot by Clarke MacArthur. The winner was a result of a Joffrey Lupul going toward the net poking a puck at Cam Ward. The puck escaped Ward and Connolly followed the play in toward the net and tapped it in easily giving the Leafs a much needed win.
Cam Ward had a great game bouncing back from a rough week but the Leafs also helped out by not having any traffic in front of him. The third period the Leafs seemed to pick up their game as far as making things tough for Ward. At the other end of the ice, James Reimer did not have a lot of work but made saves when he needed to. Alexi Ponikarovsky's power play goal that tied the game was not Reimer's fault as Jake Gardiner failed to tie up the big former Leaf. Ponikarovsky's inability to tie up Connolly in overtime resulted in the game winner.
The Leaf special teams once again failed them. The power play, which was impressive several games ago, was 0-3 last night and is 1-15. The Leafs penalty killing once again allowed a goal which tied the game late in the third period. I believe that the Leaf special team units need to work harder and and pay the price. On the power play that means going to the net. Other than Phil Kessel, I don't see anyone who is willing to take the puck to the net off the half boards. That creates space which can result in a good scoring chance. On the penalty kill, Gardiner's play last night typifies the problem: the Leafs need to be more aggressive. There is no way Ponikarovsky should have been allowed to get his stick on the puck. It wasn't like Gardiner was out of position. He just didn't do enough to tie the former Leaf up. On the penalty kill, the Leafs need to play like its the seventh game of the Stanley Cup Finals and you are up by a goal. It has to be balls to the wall.
3 out of the next 4 games for the Leafs are at home. The lone road game is against the Sabres on Friday. That will be a tough one. Then 3 games at home against Vancouver, Los Angelos and Buffalo before the Christmas break. 6 out of 8 points would be great. It's possible but the Leafs must be willing to pay the price. On Friday in a place where they have historically had problems will find out how willing they are to do that.
Dumb Penalties Lead To 4-2 Leafs Loss
The Washington Capitals had 6 power play opportunities and connected on four of the them to defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 in the nation's capital. The Leaf penalty killing unit was terrible last night however what was worse was the undisciplined penalties that the Leafs took particularly Joey Crabb. With the Leafs 39 seconds away from killing a Colby Armstrong penalty, Crabb took an unnecessary boarding penalty resulting in a 5 on 3 power play for the Capitals. James Reimer made a great save with the paddle of his stick but the puck bounced up and hit the knob of his stick and went into the net giving the Capitals a 3-1 lead.
The Leafs fought back and Cody Franson brought the Leafs within a goal with a shot from the point on a good play from Nikolai Kulemin with a little over 6 minutes left in the game. The Leafs took the play to the Capitals and you had a feeling that they might be able to tie the game. Then Joey Crabb doesn't control his stick and clips John Carlson with about 2:15 left in the game killing whatever chance the Leafs may have had to tie the game. The Capitals once again scored as Dennis Wideman notched his third goal of the game.
The talking heads and media scribes are pointing out that the Leafs have now lost 4 out of their last 5 games but its not time to panic. If you look at the 2 losses to Boston, the overtime loss to New Jersey and last night, the Leafs were competitive and in some instances the better team when 5 on 5. But penalties are a killer and last night was inexcusable.
Some may start to clamor for Jonas Gustavsson to go back into the nets but Reimer was not the reason for the Leaf loss. He made some big saves to keep his team in the game. Goaltending is not the problem. Penalty killing and lack of secondary scoring are the problems. Hopefully, the current lineup can stay intact for awhile because there needs to be some chemistry developed. The Grabovski-Kulemin-MacArthur line looked good last night and had some chances. However, Coach Ron Wilson is right: they need to start shooting more. There was a point in the third period where the line had the puck in the Washington zone for over a minute but didn't get a shot on goal.
The Leafs are off until Tuesday when they take on the Carolina Hurricanes at the ACC. The puck drop is at 7pm.
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Later today my weekly NFL Picks and tomorrow my comments on the Colt McCoy hit.
Leafs Lose, Browns About To Lose & Yanks Snooze
The Boston Bruins showed why they are the defending Stanley Cup Champions last night dominating the third period as they defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1. The return of James Reimer was not enough to give the Leafs their first win of the year against the Bruins. Reimer played well but the Leafs were unable to generate many scoring chances and their power play was non-existent. In the third period, the Bruins put on a clinic controlling the puck in the Toronto end as if they were a junior team playing a bunch of pee wee house league players.
The Leafs had difficulty getting any consistent offensive attack against Tuuka Rask and probably could have used the likes of Colby Armstrong and Mike Brown. Mikhail Grabovski was an offensive threat when he was on the ice and I think that Ron Wilson needs to use him more on the power play. Joey Crabb also played well but that was about it as far as offensive jam went. Jake Gardiner was the best defenseman on the ice last night for the Leafs. This kid is going to be a star in the NHL.
Matt Frattin had his worse game as a Maple Leaf as it seemed he had a difficult time throughout the game trying to get out of his own zone. Quite frankly, I have had enough of Cody Franson. If this kid has any trade value the Leafs need to move him. It would be best for him and for the team. Play Aulie until Kommisarek comes back.
The Leafs have lost two in a row after coming off a 3-1 road trip. It doesn't get any easier as they will take on the Rangers at MSG Monday night. The Rangers have won 5 in a row and have been playing much better since the last time the Leafs were in the Big Apple. Will be interesting to see who Wilson plays in goal against the Rangers. It is the first of a back-to-back as the Leafs play the New Jersey Devils at the ACC on Tuesday. The Leafs need to stop this mini losing streak.
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The Browns take on the Baltimore Ravens this afternoon at 4pm in Cleveland Browns Stadium. If the Browns are to have any chance today they will need to be able to run the ball. Peyton Hillis will be keyed on by the Ravens and it could be a long day for Colt McCoy. Not sure what to expect from the Browns. Their defense will need to play at its best and keep Ray Rice from running wild. I think it will be a defensive struggle but the Ravens will prevail.
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As we get ready for the Baseball Winter Meetings, reports in both New York dailies are that the Yankees will not be making a lot of noise. Brian Cashman is not interested in entering the free agent market for a pitcher since he believes that the going rate is too high. While there is always the possibility for a trade, it seems like Cashman will need to be blown away. In my mind, the White Sox have assets that could help the Yankees: John Danks and Matt Thorton. Danks is a 25 year old lefty who could slot in nicely behind CC Sabathia. Thorton is a lefty reliever of which the Yankees only have one: Boone Logan. Then there is always free agent Mark Buehrle.
Not making any moves means that the Yankees believe they have enough on their roster to win it all. But unless they get some help from the highly touted farm system, if Cashman does nothing all I see is another playoff appearance without a parade down the Canyon of Heroes.
Bruins Beat Leafs, Again
The Boston Bruins seem to have the Toronto Maple Leafs number as they once again defeated the Leafs 6-3 at the Air Canada Center. Unlike the previous 2 games where they were outscored 13-2, the Leafs were in this game in the third period after Matt Frattin's goal cut the Bruins lead to 4-3. But a Luke Schenn giveaway deep inside the Toronto zone and his inability to tie up Milan Lucic resulted in Lucic scoring his second goal of the game and the Bruins were on their way to another victory.
The Bruins made the Leafs pay each time there was a defensive miscue. On the Bruins second goal, John-Michael Liles was made to look silly by Nathan Horton and David Krejci scored on a slight tap in which seemed to glance off of the skate of Tyler Bozak. On Zdeno Chara's goal, Phil Kessel should have had Chara tied up but instead the big defenseman was wide open and he put a wrister behind Jonsa Gustavsson. Gustavsson made some big saves however on Chara's goal he needed to come up big and didn't. Unfortunately, with the Leafs' style of play, the goaltender needs to make that save.
While the Leafs hung with the Bruins throughout the game, three things stand out which they must improve upon. 1.: They need to limit their penalties against the Bruins. Boston had 5 power plays to the Leafs 2. 2.: They need exceptional goaltending. When they beat Boston last year, James Reimer backstopped them to victory. 3.: They need to be smarter defensively. They cannot let up on any shift.
They played a better game against the Stanley Cup Champions last night and hopefully they can build off that heading into their rematch on Saturday in Boston. It's being reported that James Reimer will be the back up for that game and could start Monday's game against the Rangers. As the Leafs begin to get healthier, they need to maintain their confidence heading into December. Three of the next 4 games are on the road, with visits to Boston, MSG and Washington. The lone home game is Tuesday against the New Jersey Devils. A good December could mean that they will have set the foundation for a return to playoff hockey in April.
Leafs Gut Out 4-3 Shootout Win
The Toronto Maple Leafs, already missing several key players, lost Carl Gunnarsson and David Steckel in the second period but still managed to gut out a 4-3 shootout win over the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Arena. Joffrey Lupul scored the lone goal in the shootout for the Maple Leafs. It was poetic justice as Lupul was high sticked by Sheldon Souray in the waning seconds of the overtime period resulting in several cuts around his eye and breaking his visor.
Jonas Gustavsson played well again last night and it appears he is sending a message to Leaf management that he wants to be the primary backup for James Reimer. I had some serious doubts about Gustavsson and had advocated that the Leafs acquire a veteran goaltender. But with his recent play, Gustavsson has allowed the Leafs to pursue other possibilities. Without a doubt, his recent body of work has been his best since becoming a Maple Leaf.
As Coach Ron Wilson indicated after the game, Luke Schenn had his best game of the year. He was physical and saved a goal early in the second period. Jake Gardiner continues to impress as he led all Leaf defenseman in ice time and Dion Phaneuf had a goal and an assist and was a tower of power as the Leafs were down a defenseman. In fact, Wilson was going with only four defensemen for most of the third period as Cody Franson barely saw the ice.
Early word indicates that both Gunnarsson and Steckel had a bandaged finger as they left the rink last night. We probably won't know until later today if they will be out of action. Not sure how many more injuries this team can endure. Before this four game road trip, I was hoping for 4 out of 8 points. With the game against the Ducks tomorrow, the Leafs have an opportunity to pick up 6 points. It won't be easy as the Ducks will be in a surly mood after blowing a two goal lead to the Black Hawks yesterday in the third period. The puck drop is 9pm Sunday.
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