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

Reimer Posts Shutout As Leafs Win 1-0

In a game that had the feel of one in a playoff series, the Toronto Maple Leafs bounced back from a disappointing shoot out loss the night before by defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins 1-0. James Reimer played in his first game since January 17th and posted the shut out. Reimer looked shaky in the first period but seemed to get stronger as the game went on. He benefitted from a couple of goal posts and a crossbar but he provided the Leafs with the goaltending that they needed to bang out a win in this tight defensive contest. Hopefully, the win boosts Reimer's confidence and is something that the young netminder can build on for the rest of the season.

The Leafs played a good game defensively which obviously helped out their young netminder. The second and fourth lines of the Maple Leafs were especially responsible defensively. Once again, the Mikhail Grabovski line shut down the other teams big line as Evgeni Malkin was kept off the score sheet. There was a moment in the third period after the Leafs had scored where Malkin had the puck along the boards in the Leafs zone and the much-smaller Grabovski was tying up the towering Malkin. It was Grabovski's line that scored the Leafs only goal after some beautiful puck movement by Jake Gardiner. Gardiner made a nice pass to Nikolai Kulemin who made a nice play at the blue line to get the puck to Grabovski. The 28 year old center man found an open Clarke MacArthur who put it past Brent Johnson to give the Leafs the lead that they would not rellinquish.

The Leafs newly constructed fourth line of Mike Brown, David Steckel and Colby Armstrong were strong all night. Armstrong, who has been injured more than he has played, had a good first game back. With less than 3 minutes to play his persistent forechecking kept the Penguins bottled up in their own end and eventually forced a faceoff as the Leafs 4th line created a goal mouth scrum that forced Johnson to cover up the puck.

One thing the Leafs have to be concerned about is the scoring drought of the first line. They are obviously getting a lot of attention and they are getting pushed around. It makes one think that Brian Burke may have to make a deal to get a big bodied center for Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul. That will be easier said then done, but if anyone can pull it off its Burke.

This morning the Leafs find themselves in seventh place, one point ahead of New Jersey and two points behind Ottawa. Saturday's game against the Senators is a huge one. It will be interesting to see who is in goal and if Jay Rosehill and Mike Kommisarek find their way back into the lineup against the physical Senators. Saturday night on Hockey Night In Canada from Kanata, Ontario. Can't wait!!!

Leafs Dominate & Lose In Shoot Out 5-4

For 48 minutes last night the Toronto Maple Leafs dominated the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Console Energy Center and had a 4-1 lead. (which should have been 5-1 but more on that later) Then Jake Gardiner fell at the blue line and Steve Sullivan rushed down the right wing and took a shot from at the top of the circle beating Jonas Gustavsson on his glove side and the Penguins pulled to within 2 goals. Then with just under 5 minutes remaining, Joe Vitale scored off a goal mouth scrum that Gustavsson should have covered and the Penguins made it 4-3. This just after the Leafs had successfully killed off a Penguin power play. The rest is history as Evgeni Malkin scored with 6 seconds remaining in the game to send it to overtime. Malkin's goal was lucky as James Neal shot deflected off Malkin's shoulder and found the back of the net.

The Leafs came out flying and Tyler Bozak scored on a beautiful pass from Phil Kessel which should have made the score 1-0. However, the referees waived the goal off saying that Marc-Andre Fleury was interferred with by Joffrey Lupul. Replays clearly showed that Lupul was no where near Fleury. Even the ridiculously terrible Pittsburgh broadcast team admitted that it was a bad call.

It's really hard to fault anyone for this loss however Jonas Gustavsson has to be better. There has been a disturbing trend with Gustavsson as he seems to allow a terrible goal at least once a game. This can't happen if the Leafs are to make the playoffs and defnitely can't happen once in the playoffs. One can make the argument that the second Penguin goal was simply bad luck as Jake Gardiner blew a tire at the blue line which resulted in Steve Sullivan's breakaway. I maintain that Gustavsson should have stopped Sullivan's shot however I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. But the third goal is inexcusable. Gustavsson had an opportunity to cover that puck and didn't. The Leafs had just killed off a penalty. Should Vitale have been tied up? Yes. But if you watch the replay on that goal, Gustavsson had his glove on the puck and couldn't smother it. Really, no excuse for not covering it up. In the end, Fleury outplayed Gustavsson.

Last night, the NHL Center Ice package only carried the Pittsburgh feed for the game. Without a doubt, these two guys were flat out terrible. They might be bigger homers than Jack Edwards of NESN. In the second period after Mikhail Grabovski's second goal, Paul Steigerwald lamented over a non-call on Grabovski on a supposed hook on Evgeni Malkin. It looked to me like Malkin embellished. Steigerwald was yelling that the reason why the Leafs are not taking many penalties is because the referees aren't calling them. Bob Errey explains to his flabbergasted broadcast partner that this is what happens when the referees acknowledge that they have made a bad call. You see, according to Errey, the refs were told during the intermission that they blew the no goal call in the 1st period and that they had to even things up for the Leafs. Really???? It was at that point that I watched the rest of the game with the mute button on. These guys are the worst. Unfortunately, Center Ice may only have the Pittsburgh feed again. Looks like a no sound game for me once again.

These two teams meet again tonight at the Air Canada Centre. If the Leafs win tonight, last night's loss won't sting as bad as they would have got 3 out of a possible 4 points in this pair against Pittsburgh. A loss tonight and last night's game will sting worse. The Leafs need to take this game to the Penguins once again. A lack lustre performance tonight will be terrible. It will be interesting to see if Coach Ron Wilson comes back with Gustavsson. Personally, I'd consider James Reimer tonight. Last season I can't remember Reimer allowing one stinker a game.

This game is huge as the Capitals and Panthers play each other tonight. The Leafs are one point ahead of Florida however the Panthers have 2 games in hand on the Leafs. Conversely, the Leafs are only 4 points behind Ottawa with 3 games in hand. Tonight is one of those games.

The puck drop is 7:35 at the ACC.