Young Leafs Lead The Way In 7-1 Win
The youngest team in the National Hockey League put on quite a show last night in Tampa as the Toronto Maple Leafs stunned the Tampa Bay Lightning with a 7-1 trouncing at the St. Pete Times Forum. In probably his best game as a Maple Leaf, Matt Frattin set up two goals with impressive rushes into the Lightning zone which resulted in a goal for Joey Crabb and the first NHL goal for Joe Colborne. Frattin has shown a willingness to do all the little things but last night I thought he really showed his speed and offensive abilities. Another member of the Leaf Kiddie Corp, Jake Gardiner chipped in with two assists and was a +4. Gardiner gave the Lightning fits all night and their frustration was illustrated by Steven Stamkos going at the young defenseman late in the third period.
The much-maligned Tyler Bozak had two goals last night and it appears that this kid is really gaining confidence. His last three games have been exceptional and he is going to make Ron Wilson have some tough decisions once Mikhail Grabovski comes back. Bozak has great chemistry with Joffrey Lupul and Phil Kessel and it will be hard to break that up. Tim Connolly once again showed his offensive talent last night, scoring a goal and chipping in with 2 assists. Connolly has been outstanding since he's come back and if he can remain healthy gives the Leafs strength up the middle. Wilson will have to decide how he will use Connolly, Bozak and Grabovski once the latter comes back from injury.
Jonas Gustavsson had a strong game and seems to be rising to the occasion as his status as backup goalie has been questioned repeatedly. Yesterday the news was the most positive pertaining to James Reimer. Reimer was on the ice with Francois Allaire and will be participating in the team practices for the remainder of the road trip. It was reported in one of the Toronto newspapers that Reimer could be back in one of the two games against Boston next week. My guess would be that Gustavsson would remain the backup and Ben Scrivens would be sent back to the Marlies where he can get plenty of playing time.
There were some good signs last night. First, the special teams are continuing to click as the penalty killers were successful on 5 out of 6 Tampa power plays and the Leaf power play unit scored two goals on four tries. Secondly, the Leafs got scoring from players other than Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul which is going to be important.
The Leafs are now 7-7-1 since James Reimer has been out. How many other teams can survive being without their number one goalie for 15 games and play .500? On top of that losing so many regulars would also not be the best thing to happen. But so far this young team has held its own. With two games remaing on this road trip and then a home and home coming up with the Boston Bruins, this young Leaf team will have to play with the same kind of intensity that they displayed last night relying on their superior speed. Next game is Friday at Dallas with the puck drop scheduled for 8:30.
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Tomorrow look for possible NFL Picks as there are 3 games scheduled for Thanksgiving. Last week was another 2-1 week upping my record to 17-6 over the last 7 weeks.
Leafs Head Out On The Road With 7-1 Win
Before the start of last night's game against the Washington Capitals, many felt that the injury depleted Toronto Maple Leafs would be in big trouble. Well that was not the case as the Leafs dominated in every facet of the game and came out with a 7-1 win. The Kessel-Bozak-Lupul line was on fire all night and Lupul ended up with 4 points. But what is more important was the fact that the Leafs received scoring from Tim Connolly, Matt Frattin, Cody Franson and David Steckel. If the Leafs are to survive this 4 game road trip with seven regulars out they will need production from more than the Kessel line.
Two things that really stick out for me are Jonas Gustavsson's play and the successful killing of five power play opportunities for the Capitals. Gustavsson made 40 saves after giving up a goal on the first Capital shot of the game. Many felt that it was another soft goal let in by a Leaf goalie. But replay showed that the puck deflected off of two Leaf defensemen. After that Gustavsson was rock solid making some spectacular saves in the second and third period, several on Alex Ovechkin.
The Leaf penalty killing unit did a great job in frustrating the Capitals. For the first time this season they seem to be able to react quickly to the puck movement of the power play unit, getting sticks in the way to break up passes and they were able to clear the puck. I thought Nikolai Kulemin was particularly strong on the penalty kill as was Tim Connolly. Gustavsson strong play also helped the PK unit.
It was nice to see Matt Frattin get his first goal of the season on a beautiful feed from Joe Colborne. Colborne looks like he belongs with the big club and it will be interesting to see how he fares on this four game road trip. Cody Franson played well and notched his first goal which came on the power play. We finally got to see that booming shot of Franson's on the power play. By the way, the power play looked awesome last night. John Michael-Liles has made a dramatic difference on the power play and there is no question that the Kessel line is really in a groove right now and that has helped.
There was good news earlier in the day as James Reimer was back out on the ice for the second day in a row. If Reimer can continue to progress, the Leafs may not have to go out and get a goalie. As they begin the road trip this afternoon in Carolina, many young Leafs will have an opportuinty to show that they belong and would give Brian Burke plenty of assets from which to deal if he needs to make a trade. 3 of the 4 opponents on this road trip are struggling (Carolina, Dallas and Anaheim). The Leafs need to get at least 4 points out of a possible 8 while on the road. This stretch will probably determine if Burke needs to make a move sooner rather than later. It may also determine what their chances will be to break their playoff drought. It all begins tonight.
Burke Needs To Act To Save Season
As injuries continue to mount, President and General Manager Brian Burke needs to act if he is to save this season. Last night, besides dropping a 4-1 decision to the Nashville Predators, the Leafs may have lost Matthew Lombardi and Mike Kommisarek. Kommisarek has played his best hockey since becoming a Leaf and with Cody Franson and Marlie possibilities the Leafs may be able to weather the storm. But it's upfront where the Leafs have some major issues to deal with.
We know that Mikhail Grabovski will be out for 2 weeks. We don't know what the deal is with Clarke MacArthur and it appears that Matthew Lombardi suffered a shoulder injury last night. And how about Colby Armstrong who has been out since early October with an ankle injury. Before the latest injuries the Leafs were depending pretty much on Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul. Now, they are all that's left and it is apparent that it will not be good enough. Especially if this team wants to make the playoffs. And while injuries are mounting, the Leafs need to make a move to solidify their goaltending. Ben Scrivens played again last night and seems to have a habit of allowing a soft goal a game and it is apparent that they have no confidence in Jonas Gustavsson.
Burke has said that he has received inquiries about Cody Franson. He may need to package Franson along with a Nazem Kadri to get some forward help and a goalie. The Marlies should have a defenseman to bring up. If healthy enough possibly Keith Aulie or Matt Lashoff. Joe Colborne is just now coming back from injury and it's quite possible we will see him up with the big team shortly. In fact, getting a solid goalie may be the bigger priority than worrying about getting a scoring forward.
Burke may also need to begin re-thinking the philosophy of this club. The style of this team's play lends to defensemen pinching into the offensive zone. The problem is that with weak goaltending this style is a recipe for disaster. Last night Luke Schenn, not known for his offensive abilities, pinched in the offensive zone which created a 2 on 1 situation that led to a Nashville goal. In the recent losses, this situation has presented itself on numerous occasions and has led to opponent goals.
While it is probably unlikely that Burke would make an in season coaching change, the heat needs to be put on Ron Wilson. Without a capable goaltender, the Leafs are in no position to allow defenseman to pinch in particularly players like Schenn and Mike Kommisarek. It's necessary for the Leafs to be more disciplined. It is well documented that Leaf special teams have been terrible under Wilson. The power play has been clicking as of late but penalty killing is still a problem. A change in style needs to happen quickly. Along with that a veteran goaltender needs to be acquired before Burke's self-imposed trade deadline in early December. If no action is taken, the Leafs may once again be on the outside looking in for the playoffs and Leaf Nation will be demanding for heads to roll. It's your move Burkie!!
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Week 11 NFL Picks coming later.
Leafs Comeback, But Lose In A Shootout
In a game that for two periods looked like the Toronto Maple Leafs would go scoreless, the Blue & White came up with a goal from an unlikely source, Mike Kommisarek and a second goal from a familiar source, Phil Kessel to tie the game at two only to lose in a shootout to the Phoenix Coyotes 3-2. The first period was not a good one for young goaltender Ben Scrivens as both Coyote goals were weak. The ACC crowd derisively cheered when Scrivens made a save. But in the third period and in the overtime the young goalie from Cornell had the fans on their feet applauding as he made a number of brilliant saves to keep his team in the game and helping them earn a point in the standings.
Phil Kessel was an offensive threat all night and showed why Brian Burke made the move to acquire him. But the Leafs are not going to be able to survive with scoring only from the Kessel line and things could get worse as Mikhail Grabovski and Clarke MacArthur both left the game with injuries. Hopefully, we will find out today the severity and for how long these two may be out of action. The good news is that Tim Connolly should be back on Thursday which should help if Grabovski and/or MacArthur are out for Thursday's game against Nashville. But it certainly doesn't help for a team struggling for offense if two-thirds of their second line is out for an extended period of time.
Mike Kommisarek has been criticized plenty since coming to the Leafs but last night may have been his best game since coming to Toronto. It's not just the fact that he scored a goal but has more to do with his physical play which seemed to spark the team. Luke Schenn also had his best game of the season as he logged around 20 minutes of ice time and was out there in critical situations. A back to form for Schenn will certainly help the Leafs.
Last night's game really showed how important James Reimer is to this team. Reimer, as a good goalie can do, can cover up for mistakes that occur as evidenced by the two on one goal for Phoenix that gave them an early one goal lead. You can see why the Leafs feel strongly about Scrivens' ability but you also can see rookie mistakes or jitters particularly at home. That is why the Leafs need to start games stronger. To be honest, the Leafs have really not had a solid 60 minute performance for weeks. It is going to be needed night in and night out if they are to survive Reimer's absence particularly if Brian Burke does not acquire a veteran backup. It appears that the team has lost confidence in Jonas Gustavsson. It's already being reported that Scrivens will probably be in net against the Predators which would mean that Gustavsson won't play until the weekend when the Leafs have back-to-back games against the Capitals and Hurricanes.
I'm finding it hard to believe that Burke & Company won't make a move before his self-imposed holiday deadline. The Leafs are entering a critical part of their early schedule with 5 games in 8 nights with 4 of those games on the road. They really can't afford a rough patch if they want to build on their strong start. Thursday night will be a tough game against the defensive-minded Predators and their goalie Pekka Rinne. The next 8 days could be very telling in where this Leaf team will be come April and I'm sure Brian Burke knows that.
Scrivens, Kessel Lead Leafs in 3-2 Shootout Win
With a goaltending controversy brewing, rookie Ben Scrivens was given the assignment Thursday night against the St. Louis Blues and the rookie took full advantage of the chance as he stopped 37 shots plus everything in the shoot out as the Maple Leafs flew home with a 3-2 win. Scrivens was outstanding in the second and third periods as the Leafs were out shot better than 3-1. He looked shaky early in the first period but settled down and was the main reason why the Leafs were able to snap their two game losing streak.
Phil Kessel scored his 12th goal of the season on the power play and with 2 minutes remaining in the third period it looked like the game winner. But the Leafs were hanging on for dear life and the Blues finally got one by Scrivens to tie the game up with 1:58 left. After a scoreless overtime period, Kessel notched the only goal in the shootout which gave the Leafs the victory after Scrivens stopped all 3 Blues shooters.
The Leafs seemed to falter late in the third period as they had a difficult time getting out of their own zone. In games on the road when they have been ahead they have been able to clamp down in the third period and not give up many scoring chances. But last night the Blues were relentless and the Leafs mounted little if any offensive push of their own.
It would seem based upon Coach Ron Wilson's decision to play Scrivens that management has lost some confidence in Jonas Gustavsson and that is certainly understandable. I would be shocked if Scrivens was not back in net tomorrow against the Ottawa Senators. From now until the end of November the Leafs have nine games to play with 5 being on the road. If James Reimer is not back by then, the Leafs will have to evaluate where they are at with their goaltenders and if they need to bring in a veteran.
James Reimer's agent has indicated that Reimer's status is improving and the Leaf netminder should be back on the ice soon. How soon is soon is anyone's guess. But the Leafs cannot afford shoddy goaltending over the next 9 games or they may be finding themselves giving away the good start that they have had up to this point. Offensively, the Leafs seemed to be back in a rut with the Kessel line being the main contributors. They have only scored 3 goals in their last 3 games and you are not going to win many with that kind of offense. The Grabovski line is getting chances but not scoring. At times I think there is a little too much passing with this trio. I also think that Clarke MacArthur's overall play has slipped since the Columbus game. He seems to be rather lazy on his defensive responsibilities. It would be nice if the third line could contribute and maybe with David Steckel at center it may create opportunities for Matt Frattin and Matthew Lombardi.
The Leaf penalty killing unit was 4 for 5 in holding off the Blues power play unit and hopefully this can continue. The power play was responsible for both of the Leafs two goals and John-Michael Liles seems to have settled in as the power play quarterback. On both goals the Leafs went to the net and they need to do more of that.
There is reason for optimism with this team when you consider that they have been without their number one goalie since October 22 and are 5-4 since then and they have been without their number one center for all but several games. While their play of late has given me cause for concern, they are holding their own considering that it appears that their goaltending will be in the hands of an undrafted rookie from Cornell. The pressure will be on such players as Phil Kessel, Dion Phaneuf, Mikhail Grabovski and John-Michael Liles to hold this thing together until Reimer gets back. This is a young team and if they can whether this adversity it will bode well for the future particularly if this team gets into the playoffs.
The puck drops sometime after 7pm on Saturday at the ACC as it is the Hall of Fame game when ex-Leafs Doug Gilmour, Eddie Belfour and Joe Nieuwendyck will be honored for their entry into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
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Later today, Week 10 NFL picks. Been red hot as of late, 11-4 the last 5 weeks.
Goaltending A Problem As Leafs Fall 5-1
For the second game in a row the Toronto Maple Leafs received less than stellar goaltending as they lost 5-1 to the Florida Panthers. With uncertainty surrounding James Reimer's possible return, it's hard to believe that the Leafs can withstand going a month or more with Jonas Gustavsson and Ben Scrivens. 3 of the 5 goals last night had a distinct odor to them and certainly deflated a Leaf team that is having problems scoring.
The Leafs had plenty of scoring chances but Jose Theodore was solid for the Panthers. Unfortunately, the Leafs did not receive the same performance. The frustrating thing for Leaf fans is that none of us know how long James Reimer will be out but Leaf management obviously knows and they must also know that if he is out for any time beyond this month, the Leafs are in serious trouble.
Absent signing a free agent such as Marty Turco or making a trade, the only thing that the Leafs can do is tighten up defensively. I've noticed over the past couple of games that there seems to be a lot of cheating on the part of Leaf forwards. They also seem to be a little less aggressive in the other team's zone as far as driving to the net.
I have been very supportive of Brian Burke. I think he is doing everything he can to bring a winning team to Toronto. But, not having an adequate back-up goalie could end up costing this team making the playoffs particularly if Reimer is out going into December. Burke is quick to act when he realizes that things are not working out as evidenced by his trading of Kris Versteeg and Francois Beauchemin. Hopefully he has something up his sleeve otherwise Leaf Nation will quickly change their October euphoria to a December calling for Wilson's head and possibly Burke's next.
Scrivens Saves As Leafs Win 4-1
Coach Ron Wilson pulled the old switcheroo on the Toronto media yesterday as all reports indicated that Jonas Gustavsson would be in the net for the Maple Leafs. All of the gameday focus was about James Reimer. But, lo and behold Jonas Gustavsson was the back-up and Ben Scrivens was the starter. Scrivens was arguably the best goalie in training camp this year and some were suggesting that Scrivens should have made the team. Well, last night Scrivens showed why some felt that way as he was solid in goal making 38 saves leading the Leafs to a 4-1 win over the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Leafs who played the night before only managed 18 shots themselves and seemed to be sluggish particularly in the third period. As a result, Scrivens had to be sharp and he made some big saves when he needed to. Scrivens was positionally sound and looked more steady in net than Gustavsson. Not sure if it's style or size but I just felt more confident with Scrivens in net than the Monster. At the very least, Scrivens' performance illustrates another area of the Leaf roster where the team has depth. With Gustavsson in the last year of his contract, the Leafs will have a decision to make as to whether or not to retain him. While it is only one game, Scrivens certainly impressed and gives the Leafs some options.
The Leaf penalty killiing unit had a good night as they killed off four penalties. Hopefully, they can build on this as they head into their game Saturday against the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins. The Leafs were aggressive on the PK and Scrivens did come up with some big saves while the Leafs were shorthanded. Once again the Leafs received balanced scoring as Joey Crabb once again opened the scoring on a beautiful pass from Joffrey Lupul and Clarke MacArthur continued his hot streak scoring 2 goals. John-Michael Liles notched his 1st goal as a Maple Leaf early in the second period.
As Coach Ron Wilson indicated in his post-game press conference, the Leafs will need to pick up their play as they certainly were helped by some weak goaltending as Steve Mason was pulled after the 4th Leaf goal. However, the coach is also accurate in saying that the Leafs need to "make hay while the sun shines". Padding points now will help later on in the season when things are bound to get tougher. It's worth noting that the Leafs did not get their 19th point last year until December 4th. They have beaten the teams they need to beat and but for the game in Boston they have been in every game that they lost. An interesting stat that reflects this team's "never say die attitude" is the fact that the period in which the Leafs have scored the most goals has been the third period.
Saturday night the Leafs have an opportunity to avenge their loss to the Bruins. The puck drop is 7pm at the ACC.
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Later today, NFL Week 9 Picks.
Lupul Leads Leafs to 5-3 Win
Joffrey Lupul became the second Maple Leaf to score a hat trick this season as he led Toronto to a 5-3 win over the New Jersey Devils. The Leafs were able to overcome poor penalty killing once again as the Devils first two goals were on the power play. The first power play goal was scored with 5 seconds remaining in the penalty. While it's hard to quibble with a win, the Leafs need to turn this around as they have now fallen to be the worst penalty killing unit in the league.
It seems that the time has come for Coach Ron Wilson to give Luke Schenn some time in the press box. The big young defenseman has struggled throughout the first 12 games of the season. Last year it seemed that the banishment upstairs turned Schenn's season around and with Cody Franson available it would make sense. While Jake Gardiner had a couple of defensive lapses, his offensive flair helped set up two goals and further illustrates this kid's potential.
While the first two periods was loaded with defensive lapses, the Leafs did an excellent job in the third period clamping down on the Devils with an aggressive forecheck. This gave the Leafs some scoring chances including one by Phil Kessel that was thwarted by a brilliant save by Martin Brodeur. Kessel chipped in with two assists and his line was dangerous most of the game. Once again the Leafs received scoring from 3 lines as Mikhail Grabovski scored on a nice feed from Gardiner and Joey Crabb notched his first goal since being called up from the Marlies.
The Leafs head to Columbus to take on the Blue Jackets tonight at 7pm. The Blue Jackets have the worst record in the league but have been playing better as of late including a recent victory over the Red Wings. Last season when the Leafs were on their late season run, they played down to their opponents and they need to guard against that tonight. It's a game that they need to take hold of right away so as not to give the Jackets any confidence. Still not clear if James Reimer will play tonight. If he is not ready to go Jonas Gustavsson will get the start. The Monster played well last night and bounced back from the soft goal he gave up against Ottawa.
Friday morning Leafs-Jackets post and in the afternoon my weekly NFL Picks (9-3 over last 4 weeks!!)
Pens Win Streak Snapped at 5 As Leafs Win 4-3
Last year the Toronto Maple Leafs had a middling record at home. Moreover, their Saturday night Hockey Night In Canada was terrible. But this season the Leafs are unbeaten at home and last night defeated a hot Pittsburgh Penguins team 4-3 snapping the Penguins 5 game winning streak. Jonas Gustavsson notched his second victory in a row and seems to be gaining confidence as he plays more games. He made a big save on James Neal late in the third period to preserve the Leafs 4-3 lead. The Monster made 34 saves as the Leafs were outshot 37-29.
The defense pair of Dion Phaneuf and Carl Gunnarsson were outstanding and Ron Wilson seemed to try to pair them against Evgeni Malkin's line. Mike Komissarek had one of his stronger games and the defense corp in general played well and made plays when they had to. With Gustavsson playing better and the defense playing well, things are certainly looking up when you consider that they have been doing this without their number 1 goalie James Reimer.
Brian Burke's plan to have a solid corp of bottom six and top six lines really seems to be in place at this point. The fourth line of Dupuis-Steckel-Brown handled Malkin's line really well last night when they were out there against them. They forecheck extremely well and create scoring chances. The Leafs have not had this luxury from a fourth line in years. Matthew Lombardi's line is solid and I thought Tyler Bozak played well last night. It would be nice to see Matt Frattin get on the scoresheet with a goal.
The top two lines are rolling. Last night we saw what the possibilities can be if Tim Connolly stays healthy as he made a nice pass(while on his butt) to Phil Kessel who one-timed it with a bullet passed Brent Johnson that proved to be the game winner. Connolly also scored a beauty on the power play on a nice feed from Kessel. The Mikhail Grabovski line seems to have found its scoring touch as Grabovski scored a power play goal and Clarke MacArthur scored his second goal of the season. MacArthur now has two goals in his last two games.
While the power play seemed to click, the penalty killing unit did allow 2 goals in four Penguin opportunities. To be fair, the last Pittsburgh power play goal the Leafs were down 2 men and two of their best penalty killers (Steckel & Dupuis) were in the box. I really think that the penalty killing unit is doing better than the stats show and hopefully their numbers will look better.
There has been much made out of the fact that the Leafs had an easy schedule to start the season. But they went on the road where they were only outplayed in the Boston game and beat the Rangers and the Canadiens. They beat a very good Penguin team last night. There is something different with this team than last year's squad. They are more determined. Dion Phaneuf was interviewed during the Rangers game and what really struck me was how often Phaneuf reiterated that they need to continue to work hard and that they are building something special.
Tonight they face an Ottawa Senators team that is hot right now. This game will not be easy but its a game that the Leafs can win. Puck drop is at 7:30pm in Kanata, Ontario.
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Tomorrow's post will critique the Browns-49ers game and some notes on Leafs-Senators.
Leafs Impressive In 4-2 Win
Surviving a 1st period when they were out shot 16-10, outscored 1-0 and saw the New York Rangers score 2 goals that were disallowed, the Toronto Maple Leafs roared back in the final 2 periods to earn a 4-2 win to spoil the Rangers home opener at the newly refurbished Madison Square Garden. The first period the Rangers strategy was to fire as many shots to the net as possible. Jonas Gustavsson made 15 saves in that 1st period but looked bad on Dan Girardi's goal that should have been stopped. Two times in the period Ryan Callahan interfered with Gustavsson causing the puck to go into the net and both times the goals were disallowed. Give Callahan credit. After the game when he was asked about the two disallowed goals, Callahan owned up saying that he hit the goaltender and he made no excuses. No penalty was called on either play because a Leaf player was in contact with Callahan.
The Leafs came out a much more determined squad in the second period. Matthew Lombardi scored the Leafs' first goal beating Henrik Lundqvist on the short side. I'm sure Lundqvist wishes he could have that one back. Phil Kessel had another strong game as his line was dangerous all night. Kessel had two break aways in the second period but Lundqvist stoned him both times. The other highlight in the second period was a mismatch fight between Mike Brown and former Leaf Kris Newberry. Brown ended the fight really quick as he put Newberry down to the Madison Square Garden ice.
The Leafs took the game over in the third period with 3 unanswered goals and played a textbook road third period. What was impressive was that even with the lead the Leafs continued to aggressively forecheck and limited the number of shots for the Rangers. Mike Kommisarek had one of his better games as he was strong defensively and made a nice play that resulted in Mike Brown's goal which made the score 4-1. As mentioned above, the Kessel-Connolly-Lupul line was a threat all night. It may have been Lupul's best game as a Leaf as he was a physical threat and scored early in the third when he went hard to the net and pounced on a rebound that gave the Leafs a lead they would never relinquish.
Defensively, the Leafs played really well after the first period. The pair of Dion Phaneuf and Carl Gunnarsson led the way with solid play. Luke Schenn had one of his better games of the young season. Hopefully, Clarke MacArthur's goal in the third period will get him and his linemates going as his goal proved to be the game winner. Nikolai Kulemin had a really strong third period and was a physical force.
Jonas Gustavsson had no chance on the Rangers second goal and made saves when he had to the biggest one with 47 seconds left in the game off the stick of Brad Richards. I thought Gustavsson was a little shaky and actually thought he played a better game in the Philly loss but he did what a back up needs to do and he gave the Leafs a chance to win particularly in the first period.
The long awaited debut of Tim Connolly was a good one. Connolly made some nice plays and hopefully he can stay healthy. It was easy to see that this guy has the ability to be the playmaking center that the Leafs have longed for to pair up with Phil Kessel.
The Leafs came out of this four game road trip with 2 wins, both against teams that they will need to beat in order to get into the playoffs and were only outplayed in the loss at Boston. They were able to do this without James Reimer in three of the games. And now with a complete line up, the Leafs have an opportunity to put last year's collapse behind them. Hopefully, Reimer is back in the line up on Saturday when the Leafs take on Pittsburgh. The puck drop is 7pm at the ACC.
Later today Week 8 NFL Picks
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