Leafs Visit The New MSG To Take On Rangers
If the Toronto Maple Leafs are to make the playoffs for the first time since the lockout, the New York Rangers are one of the teams that they will need to beat. Tonight in the Rangers home opener at the newly renovated Madison Square Garden the Leafs will have an opportunity to take that first step. It will also allow them to end this 4 game road trip on a high note with a 2-2 record.
They should have James Reimer back in net along with the return of Tyler Bozak and the debut of Tim Connolly. It will be interesting to see if Coach Ron Wilson puts Connolly on the big line right away though it was reported that he did practice with Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul. With the return of Bozak and Connolly, it would seem that Nazem Kadri will be going back to the Marlies. I don't think that is a bad move since Kadri still needs to refine his game. Not sure what the Leafs can do but Kadri still seems to be easily knocked off the puck as was the case in the third period when he was placed up on the first line.
Some in the Toronto media are questioning the Leaf start since their wins have come against the likes of Montreal(2), Winnipeg, Ottawa and Calgary. But what if they would have lost??? You know they would be roasted for that. The fact is that in order to make the playoffs you need to beat the teams you are suppose to and try to split against those higher in the standings. Before the beginning of the season a big question was: If the Leafs are to make the playoffs, which team(s) that made it last year will they have to beat out?? Well, last time I checked the Canadiens made the playoffs last year and the Leafs are 2-0 against the Habs. Tonight the Rangers are another one of those teams.
The key tonight will be for the Leafs to withstand the first 10 minutes of the game as I'm sure the Rangers will come out flying for the home opener. They will also need to limit the number of penalties as that was one of the problems in their 4-2 loss to the Flyers. This game won't be easy but it is a game that the Leafs can win and need to win. I'll be posting after the game tonight.
Upcoming Schedule: Tomorrow - Week 8 NFL Picks, Saturday - Yankee Rumblings, Saturday Night - Leaf/Penguins Recap and Sunday - Browns/49er Preview.
Leafs Head To Boston With 4-3 Shootout Win
Things did not look good going into the third period for the guys in blue and white as they trailed the Winnipeg Jets 3-1. Not only were they trailing, but it was probably the worst two periods of the young season. But once again, the duo of Joffrey Lupul and Phil Kessel pulled the team up by its boot straps by scoring a power play goal each as the Leafs tied the game sending it to overtime. After a scoreless extra period, which saw the Leafs dominate in the first half of the extra frame and James Reimer saving the day in the latter half, the Leafs won the shootout 2-0 as Joffrey Lupul and Matt Frattin scored and Leafs closed out the home stand with a 4-3 win.
Positives:
* What can you say about Phil Kessel. The Leaf right winger has been on fire and he has developed a great chemistry with Joffrey Lupul. The two of them have been in effect the total offense of the team. Kessel is really playing with a lot of confidence and every time he has been on the ice he has been a threat. Lupul has been a great pick up for the Leafs as he has been a very good compliment for Kessel.
The other player the Leafs received in the Francois Beauchemin trade was Jake Gardiner. Last night, the young 21 year old defenseman was arguably the best blue liner for the Leafs. Gardiner was very cool inside his own zone last night and was an offensive threat all night setting up Phil Kessel a couple of times. There is no way this kid can be out of the line up.
David Steckel continued his dominance as the Leafs face off specialist winning 16 out of 18 and was a key factor in the Leafs comeback when he was placed on the power play. I have been suggesting this for the last two games. Steckel's ability to win face offs and his size make him a great asset on the power play and it was borne out last night. It will be interesting to see if Ron Wilson keeps Steckel on the power play especially tonight when they go up against the Boston Bruins and Zdeno Chara. Steckel may be the only player on the Leafs who can physically match up with Chara.
Carl Gunnarsson also continues his steady play on the Leafs blue line.
Negatives:
Despite winning, there are plenty of things to be concerned about as the Leafs head out on the road for the next 4 games. They desperately need the Grabovski line to start scoring. Due to injury, Matt Frattin was moved up to this line and I hope that Ron Wilson keeps him there with Nikolai Kulemin and Grabovski. This line had more chances in the first two games of the season when Frattin was playing on the line and Clarke MacArthur has looked extremely rusty. Frattin has scoring ability and could be a good source for some offense. In addition, he's solid physically along the boards and could really compliment Grabovski and Kulemin.
Luke Schenn had a terrible game last night and quite frankly has not played well at all in the first 5 games of the season. He obviously lacks confidence and seems terrified when the puck lands on his stick. With the glut of defenseman it would seem that based on his play, Schenn should be the one relegated to the press box.
If not Schenn, then another candidate should be Mike Kommisarek. Last night was one of the worst games that he has had as he looked extremely slow and took two penalties in a row in the second period. While Kommisarek is the Leafs most physical defenseman, if out of position he does not have the speed to recover and it usually results in a penalty or a good scoring chance for the opponent.
The Leafs begin a four game road trip tonight in Boston, which has been typically a tough place to play for them though they did win a couple of games there last year in their late season run. We all know that the Bruins will shadow Kessel with Chara which may make it more imperative that someone else start scoring besides Kessel and Lupul. It will be extremely interesting to see how Kessel reacts tonight.
The power play also needs to get its act together consistently. The insertion of David Steckel on the power play should continue. I also think that if Frattin plays with Grabovski and Kulemin this could help the second power play unit. If that doesn't work, maybe you need to give Mike Brown some power play time to stir things up. Another option could be to get Dion Phaneuf in front of the net and have either Gunnarsson, Liles, Franson or Gardiner at the point.
The road trip takes the Leafs to Boston, Montreal, Philadelphia and Madison Square Garden, traditional hockey markets where the fans will be into to it from the opening face off. We will learn a lot about this young team. If the Leafs were to grab 4 points out of the four games I would consider it a success. We will see what happens tonight. Jonas Gustavsson is reportedly going to be in the nets tonight for Toronto. It's a big game for The Monster and the Leafs brass will be watching closely. If The Monster looks bad tonight, Leaf management will be roundly criticized for not bringing in a veteran goaltender to back up Reimer.
The puck drops tonight at 7pm at the TD Center.
Kessel, Reimer Leads Leafs In 3-0 Win
Phil Kessel and James Reimer led the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 3-2 win over the Calgary Flames boosting the Leafs record to 3-0. After falling behind 2-0 in a first period which saw the Leafs look rather sluggish, the Leafs started their comeback on a goal from Joffrey Lupul who was set up on a nice pass from Phil Kessel. Kessel was not done as he scored at the 16:38 mark on a beautiful shot that beat Mikka Kiprusoff. And then early in the third, Kessel drove hard to the net and scored his second goal of the night which put the Leafs ahead to stay. Kessel picked up where he left off last week and was the most dangerous player on the ice.
After falling behind 2-0, James Reimer was solid in the net as he turned aside whatever the Flames threw at him. But the best save of the night was late in the third period with Phil Kessel in the penalty box and the Flames net empty, Alex Tanguay had a beautiful opportunity alone in front of the net and somehow Reimer stoned him preserving the victory. The Reiminister of Defense made 30 saves to post his third win of the season. Can't believe that some were questioning Reimer after the first period as he had no chance on the first Calgary goal.
There were a number of players who impressed me tonight. Tyler Bozak was very good tonight as he had two assists and was a dynamo on face-offs. He also made some excellent defensive plays particularly one on Jerome Iginla which ended up resulting in Kessel's first goal. Bozak's play has to make you wonder why the Leafs would move him off the first line when Tim Connolly comes back.
I was extremely impressed with Matt Frattin tonight. While he didn't score a goal, he was a force inside the Flames end and really uses his body along the boards. He had a couple of good scoring chances, including ringing one off the crossbar has he was coming to the end of a shift that he worked his butt off. I don't see how this kid can be sent down to the Marlies.
Joffrey Lupul also played very well tonight and he has 5 points in 3 games. Lupul seems to really have developed a chemistry with Phil Kessel and if he can stay healthy, the Beauchemin trade will even tilt more in the Leafs favor.
Carl Gunnarsson was very solid on defense tonight. There have been plenty of rumors that the Leafs were showcasing Gunnarsson and if he continues to play like he did tonight he could be a very marketable commodity. I've always liked Gunnarsson and I would be just as happy if the Leafs held on to him. The play of David Steckel and Matthew Lombardi certainly has made the Leafs penalty killing much better. Their ability to win face-offs gives Ron Wilson plenty of options when it comes time to take a big draw in their own end. I also thought Dion Phaneuf was solid as was John-Michael Liles.
The Leaf power play continues to sputter as it had a couple of two man advantages and came up empty along with an extended power play as a result of a four minute high sticking penalty against Oli Jokinen. The coaches need to come up with something different because what they have going is not working. I would love to see David Steckel on the power play. Put him in front of the net and it will be very difficult for their opponents to move him out. The other thing may be to put a Colby Armstrong or a Matt Frattin upfront to create space. I was really hoping with having a week to work on special teams that we would really see some progress with the power play however that was not the case tonight. This is an area that the Leafs must improve particularly when they face some of the Eastern Conference toughies.
The Leafs next game will be Monday against the Colorado Avalanche, who defeated the Montreal Canadiens tonight 6-5 in a shootout. It's a game that the Leafs can win but they will have to be on their game as the Avs have some offensive weapons. They need to have this effort every night if they are to make the playoffs. Until Monday night, GO LEAFS GO!!!!!
Leafs Hope To Keep Things Rolling vs Flames
Not having played since last Saturday, the Toronto Maple Leafs will continue their extended early season home stand tonight against the Calgary Flames. The Flames are coming off a 4-1 Thursday night win over the Montreal Canadiens. It has been reported that the Leafs have worked extensively on special teams during the past week and hopefully we see the fruits of that work.
There will be lineup changes tonight as Clarke MacArthur returns from his suspension and Cody Franson will make his regular season debut. MacArthur will find himself back on the line with Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin as Matt Frattin will be shifted to the third line with Colby Armstrong and Matthew Lombardi. With Franson moving into the starting lineup, Jake Gardiner will be sitting out tonight's game. It is being reported that the Leafs will go with a 3 man rotation, Gardiner, Carl Gunnarsson and Mike Komisarek, for the 6th D-spot.
This week, Franson stirred things up a bit by expressing his disappointment with being in street clothes for the first two games of the season. The young defenseman that the Leafs acquired from the Nashville Predators was expecting a big role on the Leafs blueline. But, quite frankly I wasn't overly impressed with Franson in the pre season and maybe Leaf management wasn't either. Based on Franson's comments I wonder if Coach Ron Wilson didn't sense that Franson figured he had a spot on the opening night game roster locked up. Since Brian Burke has taken over as General Manager, we have heard over and over again about the need to eliminate the sense of entitlement that has existed on previous Leaf teams. Maybe that was the message that was being sent to Franson. He will have to be on his game tonight as I think the young defenseman has put a lot of pressure on himself.
How the message was delivered to Franson may leave a lot to be desired. According to the player, he found out about his demotion to the press box through the team's website. Ron Wilson has not confirmed or denied this which leads me to believe that Franson is telling the truth. I understand that Wilson wants to make it clear to Franson that he has to earn his keep but there may have been a better way to do it. This type of situation doesn't help Wilson's reputation in Toronto and don't be surprised if Don Cherry doesn't have something to say about it. Of course, I'm sure Wilson could care less what the fans, the media or Grapes has to say about the whole thing.
The Leafs will have to be on their game tonight and I don't think they can afford a third period breakdown like they had last week against Ottawa. With Mikka Kiprusoff in goal for Calgary, James Reimer will have to stand tall tonight to give the Leafs the opportunity to win another Saturday night contest. After a week's rest with plenty of practice time, the Leafs begin a stretch of 4 games in 6 nights: Flames, Avalanche and Jets at home and then their first road game on Thursday night against the Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins. The 3 home games are games the Leafs should win if they play to the best of their ability. Starting out 5-0 or 4-1 on this early season homestand would be a great start as they head out on the road for the Thursday game vs the Bruins and then road games in Montreal (next Saturday), Philadelphia and Madison Square Graden.
As usual I am fired up for the game as its Saturday night. Hopefully the Leafs can keep this train rolling the right way. Go Leafs Go!!!!
Reimer Stands Tall: Leafs Win 2-0
The Toronto Maple Leafs started the 2011-12 season in grand fashion shutting out their old time rivals, the Montreal Canadiens, 2-0. James Reimer was outstanding for the Leafs making 32 saves and being really strong in the first period when the Leafs were out shot 14-4. Reimer's play certainly should quiet all of the critics who were concerned about his play in the preseason which was less than stellar. But the Reiminister of Defense came up big when he needed to.
Everyone watching the game had to feel really good when Matthew Lombardi scored the Leafs first goal while shorthanded as it was Lombardi's first goal in over a year. The Leafs seemed to really pick up the momentum after the shorthanded goal as they really pressed the Canadiens in the 2nd period.
Early in the third period, Captain Dion Phaneuf scored on a beautiful goal that extended the Leaf lead to 2-0. Phaneuf ended the game with a goal and an assist and if the Leafs are going to be successful this year they will need their Captain to chip in offensively.
Despite being out shot 32-18, I thought after the first period the Leafs seemed to carry the play to the Habs. The penalty killing was perfect tonight as the Canadiens were 0-5. Matthew Lombardi and recently acquired David Steckel were keys to that success along with Reimer. Steckel was unreal on faceoffs winning over 70%. Late in the 3rd period, Ron Wilson had a checking line of Lombardi-Steckel-Armstrong and they looked pretty good.
I thought Matt Frattin fit in quite well with Nikolai Kulemin and Mikhail Grabovski. Frattin created some chances with some strong board work. The Grabovski line was dangerous all night. I was impressed with the play of John-Michael Liles and I also thought Mike Komisarek had a strong game for the Leafs.
The Leaf power play was not good tonight. They did not record many chances and there did not seem to be much chemistry. There didn't seem to be much traffic in front of Carey Price and I would like to see David Steckel maybe draw that assignment. I also thought that Philip Dupuis was not a factor and quite frankly I don't see how he stays with the Leafs once Connolly comes back and if Lombardi continues to get stronger. The Leafs scaled back Jake Gardiner's ice time but the youngster did not look out of place.
The Leafs need to build on this win Saturday night when they take on their provincial rival, the Ottawa Senators. Last season, the Leafs were terrible on Saturday night, particularly at home. If they are to make the playoffs this year they need to improve on that record and this Saturday is the perfect time to start.
Gardiner Belongs In The NHL
After watching last night's 2-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres, there is no doubt in my mind that the Toronto Maple Leafs need to have Jake Gardiner on their opening night roster. Not since the acquisition of Brian Leetch have the Leafs had a defenseman who is such an excellent skater and has the ability to set up scoring chances even from in his own end of the rink. Moreover, not since Borje Salming can I remember the last time the Leafs had a young defenseman with this much skill.
You might think I'm going overboard with comparisons to Leetch and Salming, but in my mind this kid is special. Often times during Tomas Kaberle's time with the Leafs you waited for him to take over a game. While Kaberle was a fine player in his prime with the Leafs, he did not have the ability to set the pace for the game when he was on the ice. Leetch and Salming had that ability. When they were on the ice they were a threat from anywhere. They also were excellent defensively. I see the same attributes with Jake Gardiner.
Gardiner's long pass to Matt Frattin last night is the type of play that would make Leetch and Salming proud. It was a beautiful tape-to-tape pass that sent Frattin in on Ryan Miller for an excellent scoring chance. Gardiner has the ability to read and react both offensively and defensively. It is very telling that Ron Wilson was not afraid to put this kid out their during penalty-kill situations.
Putting Gardiner down with the Marlies would be a huge mistake. This kid exudes confidence and has special talent. The Leafs need to think long and hard about who the 7 defenseman will be to start the season. It's obviously a forgone conclusion that Dion Phaneuf, John-Michael Liles and Luke Schenn will be on the roster. That leaves Cody Franson, Mike Komisarek, Keith Aulie, Carl Gunnarson and Gardiner. I think Aulie fits in perfectly paired up with Phaneuf and with his size can be a presence in the Leafs end of the rink. He showed his ability last night in preventing a Nathan Gerbe scoring chance in the 2nd period. That leaves 4 D-men with 3 spots left.
For some reason I don't think that the Leafs will send Komisarek to the Marlies. In fact, the big defenseman played well last year when his ice time was scaled back. The Leafs need a big tough defenseman and Komisarek has that ability. It then comes down to Gunnarson, Franson and Gardiner. Of the three, Gardiner is the clear choice to take one of the 2 remaining roster spots and should be on the ice opening night against the Canadiens.
Brian Burke and Company tend to be conservative when it comes to playing rookies. But Gardiner is 21 years old and has excelled in college hockey and looked good in his brief stint last year with the Marlies. The kid has a special ability. You know it when you see it. Every time he touches the puck you have a feeling that something good is going to happen. Gardiner belongs in the NHL and it will be disappointing if he is not on ACC ice come October 6th.
It’s Hockey Time: Leafs Open Camp Today
The Toronto Maple Leafs begin the 2011-12 journey to get into the Stanley Cup tournament today as training camp officially opens. There has been a dramatic turnover in personnel throughout the organization since Brian Burke took over the reins 3 years ago. Burke's Leafs are considerably younger and deeper throughout the organization as the Leafs' farm system is filled with possible NHLers with plenty of potential. But for a fan base that has not seen their team in the playoffs since prior to the lockout, the focus will be squarely on whether this team makes the playoffs this season.
The key to the whole season will be whether the Leafs goaltending tandem of James Reimer and Jonas Gustavsson are able to carry this team throughout the season. Reimer's emergence as the Leafs starting goaltender after the 1st of the year propelled the Leafs into a surging club in the last half of the season. The Leafs posted wins with Reimer in net against division rivals Boston and Buffalo as the Leafs gave their long suffering fans hope. Reimer will have to continue that type of play if the Leafs are to have any chance of making the playoffs. Gustavsson came to the Leafs with all kinds of hype, the best goalie not in the NHL the experts said. But the Monster has yet to live up to that title as he has been bothered by a heart problem and inconsistent play. The Leafs are taking a big gamble going with one of the youngest goalie tandem in the league. If Reimer or Gustavsson are not able to provide quality goaltending, the Leafs chances for making the playoffs are strongly diminshed.
The Leafs defense corp has the potential to be one of the best in the league. Dion Phaneuf really stepped up his play after Tomas Kaberle was traded and the Leafs need their Captain to continue on that path. The power play, which has been dismal, will hopefully get a boost with the acquisition of John-Michael Liles. Liles is an offensive minded defenseman who should be able to quarterback the power play and is not afraid to shoot the puck from the point. Luke Schenn has signed a new contract and the 21 year old is ready to continue on the rise to being one of the best shutdown defenseman in the league. Acquired Cody Fransen, Carl Gunnarsson, Mike Komisarek and Matt Lashoff will round out the defense corp with talented Jake Gardiner waiting for his turn while with the Marlies.
The Leafs search for a number one center now rests on the shoulders of Tim Connolly. I was not happy with the Connolly signing because of his injury history. As a Leaf fan, you have to hope that the guy stays healthy because he does have the ability to be a positive force for the first line that will consist of Connolly, Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul. If Connolly can stay healthy, Kessel could reach 40 goals this year.
Last year's second line remains intact and the Leafs hope that Mikhail Grabovski, Nikolai Kulemin and Clarke MacArthur build on their breakout season. If this line falters, the Leafs will have trouble scoring goals. The third line will be centered by Tyler Bozak, who I believe will excel in that role. We know for sure that one of his linemates will be Colby Armstrong. The Leafs play extremely well when the rambunctious Armstrong is in the lineup. Bozak and Armstrong's linemate will come down to Nazem Kadri, Joe Colborne or Matt Frattin. Kadri seemed to come on at the end of the season while on the third line. I like Joe Colborne a lot but I think he is better suited at center and could be a top 6 forward. Frattin had a great rookie camp and looked good in his only appearance with the Leafs last season. It will be interesting to see how this shakes out.
A wild card in all of this could be Matthew Lombardi. Lombardi missed all but a few games last season with a concussion. Prior to that, he was considered a speedy play-making center who had the ability to put the puck in the net. If he is able to contribute in any way, the Leafs could have a real find.
The pressure is squarely on Coach Ron Wilson to make sure that the Leafs do not get off to a bad start, which has characterized Wilson's teams the last 2 seasons. The fact that Brian Burke did not give Wilson a contract extension and required that Wilson make coaching staff changes tells you that Burke will not tolerate a sluggish start. With the changes in the coaching staff, it is hoped that the Leafs will improve on their terrible special teams. The Leafs were one of the least penalized teams last year, but their penalty killing was terrible. The power play has been abysmal and hopefully with Connolly and Liles that will improve.
In the end, there is no question that the playoffs are the goal. But in my mind I want to see continued improvement and consistency. A good season by Reimer, Connolly stepping up, Kadri taking the next step, Phaneuf raising his level of play, and the second line continuing to play the way it did last year will be what I am looking for this season because in the end it really needs to be more than just making the playoffs. It needs to be about being a legitimate contender to win the Stanley Cup.
Yanks Drop One For Colon & Ryan Malone a Leaf??
Bartolo Colon bounced back from two bad starts with a strong game last night but the Yankees gave the game away with a 3-2 loss to Tampa. Colon's line score was impressive: 6.1 innings 5 hits 3 runs 2 earned 2 walks and 9 strike outs. However, a disasterous 7th inning that saw Curtis Granderson lose a ball in centerfield and Boone Logan botch a certain inning ending double play gave the Rays the go ahead runs and tagged Colon with the loss.
Colon's start was impressive as his fastball was consistently in the 90's and he didn't exhibit any problems with his hamstrings. Colon will probably have 2 more starts before the end of the month as the Yankees consider making a move for a starting pitcher. Tonight it's Freddy Garcia's turn to try to bounce back from a bad outing against the Blue Jays. Whether these two aging pitchers bounce back or not, I still think the Yankees need to make a move for a pitcher. Again it was reported in the NY Post that they had scouts at Ubaldo Jimenez's game last night against Atlanta. Jimenez had a strong start once again and would certainly look good in pinstripes. The key is trading prospects. While I am all in favor of building through the system, the problem is when do we see these kids play???
Russell Martin is hitting .220, why not call up Jesus Montero? How come other teams bring up young pitchers and they excel but the Yankees can't seem to do that?? Jimenez is only 27 years old and has an unbelievably inexpensive contract. It's not like your trading for a 34 year old.
2 other notes on the Yanks: Boone Logan takes a lot of heat and I'm at the front of the line as far as being critical. However, last night he pitched well. If the Yankees were playing in a major league ball park last night, Granderson catches that ball and Logan just needs to go to first to end the inning. The other item, the Yankee offense has been brutal. Mark Texiera needs to step it up. Hitting around .240 is unacceptable especially without ARod. The lineup is really shortened with Jorge Posada and Russell Martin hitting around .220. I'm not sure how much longer the Yanks can go with Posada as the everyday DH.
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There were plenty of reports that the Leafs and Lightning are talking about a possible trade that would bring Ryan Malone to the Maple Leafs with the Lightning getting Jussi Rynnas and a 3rd round pick. The Leafs have plenty of goaltending prospects so trading Rynnas would not be a bad move. Malone would certainly bring a tough, trucculent forward to the team who knows what it takes to win. One report I saw had Malone slotted in with Tim Connolly and Phil Kessel on the ist line. Malone would certainly clear space for the two smaller forwards. It would also help the power play as Malone can be a force in front of the net as evidenced by his play in Pittsburgh and Tampa. This would also strengthen the 3rd line with Joffrey Lupul teamed up with Nazem Kadri and Tyler Bozak. It will be interesting to see if there is anything to this in the upcoming weeks but it would certainly improve the Leaf roster without weakening their developing farm system.
Connolly??? Colon Keeps It Going
The Maple Leafs, having lost out on Brad Richards, signed Tim Connolly to a two year deal at $4.75 million per year. Richards went to the Rangers in spite of the fact that the Leafs actually offered him more money per year, however the Leafs contract was only for 5 years while I believe the Rangers deal was for 8 years.
Every pundit that I have read indicate that the Connolly signing was a good move despite his injury history. I don't see it. If you look at Connolly's career it is average at best, one filled with promise but not production. His best year was in the 2009-2010 season when he played the most games (73) in his career scoring 17 goals and 48 assists. Last year in 68 games he scored 13 goals and had 23 assists. Hardly the stats of a first line center.
I think the Leafs should have tried to make a trade and maybe they still will do that. Dave Nonis indicated that there may be some other moves. I certainly hope so otherwise I think that before the end of the season Tim Connolly will be out for some period of time and the Leafs will be relying on one of the kids to fill the role.
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Bartolo Colon continues to impress as he looked masterful in his return from the disabled list by shutting down the Mets as the Yankees won game two of the Subway Series at Citi Field. Brian Cashman rolled the dice based on Tony Pena's winter observations of Colon down in the Dominican and it has paid off big time for the Yankees. Today the Pinstripers look to sweep their cross town rivals as Freddy Garcia faces R.A. Dickey, the same guy who confounded the Yanks with his knuckleball at the Stadium leading the Mets to a 2-1 victory back in May.
Yanks 4-2 On Road and Big Time For The Leafs
The New York Yankees split yesterday's doubleheader with the Cincinnati Reds ending their Midwest road trip with a 4-2 record and pulling 1/2 game behind the Boston Red Sox. Since being swept by the Red Sox at home for the second time this year, the Yanks over their last 13 games are 10-3. They now head home where they will be hosting the Rockies with Jason Giambi and then the Milwaukee Brewers. The Yanks will need to take care of business before heading to Citi Field for a weekend series against the Mets July 1-3. They then head to Cleveland for a series against the Indians that begins on July 4th before heading home to take on the Rays before the All-Star break.
Over these next 15 games, the Pinstripers need to go 11-4. Over this same time period, the Red Sox hit the road against the Pirates, Phillies and Astros before heading home to take on the Blue Jays and Orioles. Beyond the Phillies and possibly the Pirates, the other teams could be cannon fodder for the Red Sox so the Yankees will need to be on their game. After the All-Star Game, rumors will be flying as we approach the July 31st trade deadline. For the Yankees we should also know more about Phil Hughes and Rafael Soriano. It's going to get interesting.
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Friday will be Round 1 of the NHL Entry Draft and it will officially begin the most important time for the Toronto Maple Leafs as they begin to prepare for the 2011-12 season. As I have stated many times, this off season will be the biggest one yet for Brian Burke and his management team as they try to get the Leafs back into the post season and be a legitimate Cup contender. With two first round picks, a high second round pick, plenty of money to spend under the newly increased salary cap, Burke is in a position to make some moves that could achieve these goals.
One thing is for sure, the Leaf GM and President will not be afraid to make a move to improve his hockey club. In my opinion, he has done a great job in adding young talent and putting on the ice a team that captured the imagination of many starving Leaf hockey fans from February through the end of last season. With the coaching changes that recently took place, its clear that Burke & Company are expecting playoff hockey next April. However, in order to accomplish that Burke will need to push the right buttons beginning on Friday.
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