Leafs Need To Bounce Back Tonight
Tonight we will find out a lot about the 2012-13 Toronto Maple Leafs. After having been thoroughly dominated by the Boston Bruins on Wednesday night, the Maple Leafs must try to find a way to straighten out their game and give themselves a chance to win. Reports are that Leaf Coach Randy Carlyle will be making some line-up changes for Game 2. It would appear that Jake Gardiner will make his first NHL playoff appearance to replace the injured Mike Kostka. Carlyle should go one step further and replace John-Michael Liles with Ryan O'Bryne. O'Byrne has playoff experience and provides toughness on the back end. He also is a good penalty killer.
Up front it appears that Ryan Hamilton may be in the lineup. In my opinion, this is a good move as Hamilton was in the lineup in the last two games against the Bruins in the regular season where the Leafs went 1-1 and were every bit as good as Boston. Hamilton is a rugged forward who has some scoring touch and is a good penalty killer. Coach Carlyle should make another move, one that I know that he won't. Clarke MacArthur should be replaced by Matt Frattin. MacArthur has been slumping and Frattin is not afraid to take the body, has speed and can score.
There are some who confuse fighting with toughness. The Leafs had both Colton Orr and Fraser MacLaren in the lineup on Wednesday yet the only one to fight was Leo Komorov. If it were me, I'd keep Orr in the lineup and take MacLaren out. How about these lines: Kessel-Bozak-JVR, Lupul-Grabovski-Kulemin, Frattin-Kadri-Komorov and Hamilton-McClement-Orr. Carlyle wouldn't have a problem rolling these four lines and would have enough players in the lineup who will finish their checks and not be afraid to use their body.
The Leafs need to use their speed as they are much faster than the Bruins. Utilizing their speed should help them to have an aggressive forecheck. They need to test Tuukka Rask and put a body on the Bruins defense every chance they get. This team has exceeded all expectations this year. No one had the Leafs making the playoffs this year. For a young team, this is a learning experience. Hopefully, they have learned from the lesson of Game One. They have an opportunity to minimally lay the groundwork for seasons to come. It starts tonight. Anything is possible, just ask the Islanders.
Special Time When Leafs Are In The Playoffs
As the clock wound down in Ottawa on Saturday night and the Leafs were on their way to clinching a playoff spot for the first time in 9 years, I began to think about how special it is when the Leafs make the Stanley Cup Tournament. My first playoff memory goes back to the 1968-69 season where the Leafs would be squaring off with the Bobby Orr-led Boston Bruins. A Leaf playoff tradition began that year when my grandmother made blue ice cubes for Game One.(the tradition will continue next week) She, along with my brother and I, had a Seven-Up with our blue ice cubes in honor of the Leafs. Unfortunately, things didn't turn out well as the Bruins swept the Leafs 4-0 and as a result Punch Imlach was fired.
The next Leaf playoff series that sticks out in my mind was the 1970-71 series against the New York Rangers. The Leafs had a 2-1 lead in the series and I was convinced that they were going to knock out the Rangers behind the goaltending of Bernie Parent and Jacques Plante. The series had a wild game at Madison Square Garden where a bench clearing brawl broke out and Parent's goalie mask was thrown into the crowd by Ranger Vic Hadfield. Parent didn't have another mask so Jacques Plante had to finish the game. The Leafs won the game but eventually lost in 6 games, losing the last game in overtime on a Bobby Nevin goal that beat Jacques Plante. The loss resulted in a heated discussion between me and my Dad who was a Ranger fan the next evening at the dinner table.
The 1975-76 season saw the Leafs take on the Philadelphia Flyers in the playoffs. The year before the Leafs gave the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Flyers all they could handle taking the series to 7 games. This time around, Leaf Coach Red Kelly invoked Pyramid Power to give his team the edge over the Broad Street Bullies. As a result, we constructed our own blue and white pyramid and we placed the Stanley Cup from our table top hockey game inside. Again another seventh game and another Leaf loss. The pyramid was smashed to pieces but the Cup was saved.
The 1977-78 playoffs saw the Leafs take out the Los Angeles Kings in the preliminary round. I remember Game One was in L.A. and Tiger Williams was taking on everyone who wanted to go. The Leafs would advance to take on the New York Islanders and would win an exciting Game 7 in New York when Lanny McDonald scored the overtime winner. I was watching the game at my cousin's house with a bunch of Leaf fans and the place exploded. Found out a few days later from my cousin that the neighbors weren't too happy. The Leafs would eventually lose four straight to Montreal with the last game decided by a Cam Connor goal in overtime.
The 1982-83 playoffs had the Maple Leafs taking on the Minnesota North Stars. This series marked the first time that I would attend a playoff game at Maple Leaf Gardens as my wife and I attended Game 3 as we scalped tickets out on Carlton Street. The Leafs would win that game and the place was absolutely crazy as they staved off elimination. But they would lose in Game 4 at the Gardens.
In the 1985-86 playoffs, the Maple Leafs would take on the high-flying Chicago Black Hawks in the preliminary round. After winning the first two games in Chicago, the Leafs came home for the opportunity to knock off Chicago. My 2 brothers and I made the trip to Toronto and scalped tickets for the game and what a game it was as the Leafs buried the Hawks and eliminated Chicago. It was pandemonium at the Gardens but the best was when we got out onto Carlton Street. The street was wall-to-wall people and a sound truck was blaring out the song, "The Night Chicago Died." It was unreal. St.Louis was Toronto's next opponent and had the opportunity to see another Leaf win at the Gardens. But the series would go seven games with the last game in St.Louis. After regulation the score was tied. The Leafs had a glorious chance to win when Wendel Clark hit both goal posts and the resulting play led to a Blues goal which ended the series. I was enraged and punched a door waking up my two year old which didn't make me too popular with my wife.
The 1992-93 playoffs were for me the most exciting of all Leaf playoff seasons. The Game 7 victory over the Red Wings set off a wild celebration at my house. Next up was the St. Louis Blues and I can remember being all out of sorts when the Leafs played the Blues on a Sunday afternoon. The Leafs would win that series and next was the LA Kings. The Game Six loss was difficult, especially since Kerry Fraser was blind in one eye and couldn't see out of the other. But I still BELEAFED that the Leafs would prevail. My brother and I had the opportunity to go to Game 7 at the Gardens. We got to Toronto early and the city was electric. A bed sheet was hanging out on a balcony on Yonge Street saying: Beleaf In The Dream! Even with the Leafs down and the goalie pulled I thought they would tie it up but it didn't happen. Without a doubt the most devastating loss I have experienced as a Leaf fan. With a tear in my eye we left the Gardens before they gave the Kings the Clarence Campbell Trophy.
The 2000-01 playoffs saw the Leafs sweep the Ottawa Senators and go on to face the New Jersey Devils. I was convinced that the Leafs would advance especially when they were up 3-2. But the Leafs dropped Game Six at home and then were trapped to death in Game Seven to lose the series 4-3.
The following season was a special one as the Leafs were without a few regulars, including Captain Mats Sundin. They would defeat the New York Islanders in a very physical series and then head to Ottawa hurting big time. But they would come from behind several times and defeat the Senators once again to go on to the Conference Finals against the Carolina Hurricanes. Once again, I felt that they were the better team and they were getting some of their regulars back, including Sundin. However, they would lose in six games.
The Leafs entered the 2003-04 playoffs after acquiring Brian Leetch and Ron Francis. I was convinced that this would put them over the top to get to the Stanley Cup. They would defeat the Ottawa Senators once again and move on to face the Philadelphia Flyers. After dropping the first two games in Philly, the Leafs came back to the ACC and won the next two games. I had the opportunity to be at Game 4. But the Leafs would lose Game 5 and set up a must win Game 6 at the ACC. After tying the score to send the game to overtime, they would eventually lose which led to quite a terrible scene at my house as my son and I were stunned.
Throughout the years, the thing that is consistent is the fact that everything centered around the Leafs success in the playoffs. A loss usually meant that the next day would be miserable. A win always meant having a little extra spring in my step the next day. There has been rage, tears, elation, screaming (in joy and outrage) and nervousness. There is undoubtedly lucky shirts worn, the same rituals set and the need for no interruption for 60 minutes. You can bet that come next week I will be wearing a Leafs lapel pin to work, maybe even Leaf cuff links. I have a blue sapphire and diamond ring that usually comes out come playoff time when the Leafs are in it. Take it to the bank that it will be on my finger next week.
There is nothing like the playoffs when the Leafs are in it. It will be interesting to see who becomes this year's playoff villain. Over the years there have been: Ken Hodge, Wayne Cashman, Dave Schultz, Don Saleski, Steve Webb, Daniel Alfredsson, Marty McSorley, Dino Ciccareli, Steve Payne and the list goes on. The fact that this year's Leaf team is the youngest in the league really has me excited. There are players that I really like and if they have some success it will be even more gratifying. One thing is for sure, I will be living and dying with them come Game One. Batten down the hatches, the Leafs Are Back In The Playoffs.
Tuesday’s Thoughts
While wondering if Hal Steinbrenner recognized all of the empty seats Sunday night at Yankee Stadium during the Yankee-Oriole game, here is what's on my mind this morning:
* James Reimer stole the show last night leading the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 2-0 victory over the slumping New Jersey Devils at the Air Canada Centre. Reimer stopped 31 shots and made two huge saves in the third period prompting the normally sedate ACC crowd to go wild giving the young backstop a standing ovation. If there is any doubt that this kid is a number one goalie then it should be put to bed after last night's performance as Reimer was the sole reason why the Leafs managed to get a victory. So much for Roberto Luongo and Mikka Kiprusoff.
* Can we finally put to bed the constant criticism of Phil Kessel? If you've watched Leaf games this year, it is easy to see that the 25 year-old sniper has changed his game and has bought into Coach Randy Carlyle's style of play. While he will never be an overly physical player, Kessel has been more defensively responsible. By the way, he leads the team in points with 16 goals and 27 assists.
* The New York Yankees have managed to weather the storm as they are 6-5 heading into a three game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Big start tonight for Ivan Nova as this kid has shown the potential to be a solid big league pitcher but has taken a huge step back starting at the midway point last season. The Yanks have to be concerned about this coupled with the early season ineffectiveness of Phil Hughes.
* By the way, have I said before that I hate Interleague play?
* Watched the Masters on Sunday and found it very compelling as Adam Scott and Angel Cabrera battled it out heading into their two hole playoff. What was really annoying was Jim Nantz's melodramatic commentary. The guy is terrible and unfortunately he will remain the number one voice at CBS.
* Wonder if Gary Bettman was in charge of the Masters would we have a longest drive contest to see who would win if it ended in a tie?
* For the second game in a row, Montreal goaltender Carey Price was pulled from a game.
* Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula is finally feeling some heat for his team's performance. When he took over the team, Pegula said in three years the team would win a Stanley Cup. Well this is year three and they will not make the playoffs. If Pegula wants to right this ship he needs to get rid of Darcy Reiger.
* I'm really tired of all of the NFL Mock Drafts. Let's just make the picks and get on with it.
* The New York Knicks will begin their playoff series with the Boston Celtics on Saturday and it will be interesting to see how Tyson Chandler and Kenyon Martin play. The Knicks need these two big men if they are to go far in the playoffs.
* Really enjoyed watching the 1973 Game 5 lost tape of the Knicks-Lakers game which marked the last time the Knicks won the NBA Championship. The game was truly different then and it brought back some great memories. It was also Wilt Chamberlain's last game.
* What are the odds Ryan Miller gets traded next season?
* In case anyone didn't notice, Jason Pominville scored two goals last night for the Minnesota Wild.
* And finally, let's keep the people of Boston in our prayers and hope that the scum responsible for this are caught and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
Tuesday’s Thoughts
While wondering if Buffalo is Hockey Heaven what must Hockey Hell be like, here is what's on my mind this morning:
* The Toronto Maple Leafs survived two Rick Nash goals by getting two goals from Phil Kessel in defeating the NY Rangers 4-3 last night at the Air Canada Center. The victory gives the Leafs a six point lead over the Rangers and NY Islanders and a four point lead over the Ottawa Senators. The win ensures that the Leafs would maintain at least a four point lead over the 8th place Rangers if New York wins Wednesday at MSG in the return match against Toronto.
* It's really time for Toronto media and fans to stop the Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf bashing. Kessel has 38 points in 39 games with 12 goals and 26 assists. Kessel has been a playmaker this season and I'm not sure who the Leafs would get to replace him. As far as Phaneuf goes, this guy logs big minutes against the other team's top line. Once again who replaces him.
* The Leafs will have a tough decision to make at the end of the season as it relates to UFA Tyler Bozak. While I believe that Bozak is not a number 1 center, he is an excellent face-off man and has developed his offensive game. The big question, once again, who replaces him. Depending upon the price tag, I think it may make some sense to bring him back.
* The New York Yankees built off the great performance Sunday by CC Sabathia in spoiling the Cleveland Indians home opener with an 11-6 win. Robinson Cano finally broke out of his post-WBC slump going 3 for 4 with 2 home runs. Hiroki Kuroda battled back after a terrible first inning to get his first win of the season.
* The Toronto Blue Jays are struggling early which should come as no surprise to anyone. How often to we see pre-season World Series winners struggle.
* Kudos to Coach Rick Pitino and the Louisville Cardinals for winning the NCAA National Championship. The Cardinals were truly the best team in the tournament and I love the way they play defense. Of course that defensive philosophy has been the trademark of Pitino's coaching career.
* Sunday's road victory over Oklahoma City should hopefully answer the critics that the New York Knicks are for real. Since JR Smith has started to take the ball to the hoop, the Knicks have been very dynamic offensively and their defense has improved dramatically. Smith and Carmelo Anthony have been a Dynamic Duo offensively and Melo has been a force on the offensive backboard. It was also good to see Tyson Chandler back on his game.
* The Rutgers basketball situation is really a disgrace. Being a tough coach is one thing but being a sadistic tyrant is another. Can't see how Mike Rice gets another head coaching job. It's also interesting that we have heard absolutely nothing from any of the Rutgers players.
* Watched the Sabres-Devils game on Sunday night which was on the NBC Sports Network and realize that why I can't stand watching Sabre games is Rick "Pork Chop" Jenneret and Rob Ray. Without those two babbling, the game was enjoyable to watch.
* Nearly died from laughter when I read a letter to the Buffalo News sports page on Sunday advocating Rob Ray to be the next Sabres Head Coach.
* Did anyone else find Clark Kellogg's screaming at every commercial break annoying?? Seems like CBS asked all of their broadcast teams to try to imitate Dick Vitale. Unfortunately for CBS, there is only one Dickie V.
* And finally, how long will it take for the gasbags at GR550 to turn on Kevin Kolb??
Nonis Gets It Right
Toronto Maple Leafs General Manager Dave Nonis refused to mortgage his team's future by going after Roberto Luongo and was not able to get a deal done with Miikka Kiprusoff but he added some much needed depth on the blue line by acquiring Ryan O'Byrne from the Colorado Avalanche for a fourth round pick in 2014. O'Byrne is a tough stay at home defense man who will be a perfect pairing with either John-Michael Liles, Jake Gardiner and Mike Kostka. O'Byrne is also a very good penalty killer and should really help an already vastly improved PK unit. He also has playoff experience which should help the likes of Kostka and Gardiner.
By adding O'Byrne, Coach Randy Carlyle can really spot when he wants to use his two young defense man. This was the type of move that I had hoped Nonis would make: adding depth to the defense corps. O'Byrne is not a Norris Trophy candidate but he is the type of defense man who will fill fit nicely in Randy Carlyle's system. With respect to Kiprusoff, based upon what Nonis said at his press conference, the Calgary goalie had personal considerations which prevented a deal from getting done. It was clear that Kiprusoff would have come to Toronto as a mentor and he was excited about that role. But in the end, he did not want to make a commitment that he couldn't keep and for that Kiprusoff is to be respected.
As far as Luongo goes, the Canucks goaltender is clearly frustrated as he realizes that his ridiculous contract term is what has held up any trade. As a result, until Vancouver General Manager Mike Gillis comes down on his ridiculous demands, the Canucks will have nearly $10 million tied up in goalies. Better them than the Leafs.
Nonis made it clear in his press conference that the Leafs would not mortgage the future nor put themselves in cap hell. The Leaf GM gets it and with that philosophy Leaf Nation may have something good going for the next several years.
Do You Remember Felix Potvin?
The 1992-93 Toronto Maple Leafs captured the hearts of Leaf Nation as they made their way to the Western Conference Final and but for a blown call by Kerry Fraser should have been in the Stanley Cup Finals. The goaltender for that team was a 21 year old by the name of Felix Potvin. Potvin played well enough that the Leafs were able to trade Grant Fuhr to Buffalo for Dave Andreychuk and Darren Puppa. The Leafs were one high sticking call away from the Finals and a date with Montreal with a 21 year old inexperienced goaltender and a defense that was anchored by veterans Jamie Macoun, Dave Ellett, Bob Rouse, Todd Gill, Sylvain Lefebvre, and Dmitri Mironov.
Why am I bringing this all to light?? Rumors are hot and heavy that the Leafs are interested in acquiring Miikka Kiprusoff. Many are saying that Toronto needs an experienced goaltender but as history shows that is not the case. If the current edition of the Maple Leafs could add an experienced defenseman to go along with Dion Phaneuf, Mark Fraser, John Michael-Liles, Carl Gunnarsson and Cody Franson, the Leafs would be able to bring Jake Gardiner and Mike Kostka into the fray if necessary.
James Reimer and Ben Scrivens have led the Leafs this far and to now add a Kiprusoff or a Luongo would make no sense. Combined their salaries don't come close to either Kiprusoff's or Luongo's and would allow the Leafs greater flexibility in the off season. Moreover, how can these kid goalies gain playoff experience if they don't play. Being in a playoff spot is great and certainly anything can happen but logic would say that the Leafs will not win the Stanley Cup this year so why not allow these kids to grow by experiencing what it means to play goal in the playoffs.
This morning Darren Dreger said that the Leafs getting Kiprusoff would make them a better team. I disagree. Getting a player like a Keith Yandle would be much better than getting Kiprusoff. Here's hoping Dave Nonis sticks to the plan and doesn't mortgage the future. Does anyone remember Owen Nolan??
Tuesday’s Thoughts
While wondering how long it will be until the New York dailies begin to put some heat on Brian Cashman, here is what's on my mind:
* The Yankees dropped an 8-2 decision yesterday at Yankee Stadium to the Boston Red Sox in the season opener for both clubs. CC Sabathia is a slow starter so I am not worried about his performance. What was interesting was the fact that there were a couple of times when Robinson Cano had a chance to come up with a big hit to pull the Yankees close before the game was blown open in the top of the ninth. There will be plenty of pressure on Cano, particularly in the months of April and May and the Yankees will get a good look at who will be the face of the franchise if they elect to re-sign him to what will be a 6 to 8 year deal.
* http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/KfwXrexIN1.GpriNFvWdsQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NQ--/http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/sptusmlbexperts/yankeescover040113.jpg
Maybe this should be the cover of the 2013 New York Yankee Yearbook.
* I usually enjoy listening to John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman but if Sterling performs like he did Monday afternoon I'm not sure how much I will be able to take of him this year. The nicknames for players was borderline annoying. He incessantly referred to Eduardo Nunez as "Nunie" and David Phelps was "Phelpsie". It didn't stop with Yankees as Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia was referred to as "Salty". C'mon John give it a break.
* Couldn't help to think that there was more hope for Red Sox fans in their line up with outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. (22 yrs old), Jose Iglesias at shortstop (23 years old) and Wil Middlebrooks at third base (24 years old). Throw in pitchers Jon Lester (29 yrs old), Clay Bucholz (28 years old) and Felix Doubront (25 years old) and you have something to be hopeful about. Wish I could say the same thing about the Yankees.
* Don't understand the Cleveland media's love affair with Jason Campbell. Saw this guy last year when Jay Cutler was injured and he was terrible. Might as well have been Caleb Hanie. He couldn't cut it with Washington or Oakland and I'm suppose to buy that he is going to vie for the starting job over Brandon Weeden?? Once again, just be honest. This should be the year that they decide if Weeden is the guy, if not you are looking for a franchise QB next year. Campbell is nothing more than a back up and if you think anything else you're drinking the Joe Banner Kool-Aid.
* Best of luck to Colt McCoy who was traded to the San Francisco 49ers. The kid is a gamer and he gave his all to this team including playing with a concussion against the Steelers. It was that situation where I lost all respect for Mike Holmgren.
* The Maple Leafs continue on their run to a playoff berth as they finished off a very successful week with a 4-0 win over the Ottawa Senators. Nazem Kadri has really turned into a star and I must admit I didn't see this coming. In spite of what Don Cherry and others had to say, the Leafs were right in keeping him in the AHL for as long as they did.
* With the trade deadline approaching, there is plenty of talk of the Leafs being interested in a veteran goaltender and according to Darren Dreger they have had conversations with Calgary about Miikka Kiprusoff. I'm not sure what the Flames would want for the veteran goalie but I don't think that the Leafs need him. I would much rather they try to get a veteran defense man who can help shoulder the load with Dion Phaneuf.
* I am tired of all of the criticism of Phaneuf, Phil Kessel and Brian Burke. Phaneuf has shown his ability to come up with some big goals this year and he logs an incredible amount of ice time against the other team's top line. Phil Kessel has improved his all around game tremendously this year and as Randy Carlyle said Monday morning, despite his low goal total he still has 34 points. As far as Brian Burke goes, enough already. If you can't admit that this is Burke's team that has captivated Leaf Nation then you are blind.
* By the way, what more can you say about Joffrey Lupul other than he is unbelievable.
* The New York Knicks will try to make it 9 in a row when they take on the Miami Heat. You really have to give credit to Knicks coach Mike Woodson who has weathered the storm with so many players being felled by injuries. I am really impressed with the play of Kenyon Martin as he has really brought an old school defensive game to the Knicks which has become infectious for the whole team. Hopefully, he will be able to play along with Tyson Chandler against the Heat.
* JR Smith has really picked things up with his game on both ends of the floor. His drives to the basket make him a more effective player as opposed to just launching three bombs. I also hope that we continue to see more of Chris Copeland. This kid can play and hopefully he is out of Coach Woodson's doghouse.
* What a terrible injury to Louisville's sophomore guard Kevin Ware. Here's hoping that the kid has a good recovery.
* Speaking of Louisville, love the way they play defense. I don't see how this team doesn't win the NCAA Title this year. I really love Gorgui Dieng's game.
* Kudos to Niagara and Canisius for their outstanding hockey seasons this year as both teams represented Western New York well in the Frozen Four tournament. Here's hoping that both programs can build on this success and we can have WNY be a college hockey hotbed. With that said, can someone please tell me why the University of Buffalo doesn't have a Division I hockey team?
* If the Buffalo Sabres trade Ryan Miller who plays goal?? Jonas Enroth?? David Leggio?? Please!!! The Miller bashing is disgusting and would serve them right when he goes to a team that has an average defense and they win the Stanley Cup.
* Kevin Kolb because the new QB savior for the Buffalo Bills. Good luck with that.
* And finally, the World Series will be between the Los Angeles Angels and the Washington Nationals with the Nats winning in 6. And here's a tip, don't bet the mortgage on it.
Do The Leafs Need A Veteran Goalie??
With the trade deadline next Wednesday, the Toronto sports talk radio stations were buzzing about whether or not the Maple Leafs need to acquire a veteran goalie. Tuesday there was all kinds of talk about the Leafs going after Miikka Kiprusoff. That was squashed that evening when it was reported that Kiprusoff would not report to a new team. But the discussion continues.
While it may make some sense to acquire a veteran, the question becomes who is available and at what cost? In the beginning of the season, there was plenty of talk about trading for Roberto Luongo. Where would the Leafs be if they made that trade which may have required Toronto to part with Nazem Kadri, Tyler Bozak and more. There was a suggestion that the Leafs should look into acquiring Nikolai Khabibulin but at what cost?
The Toronto young goaltending tandem of James Reimer and Ben Scrivens have played a part in bringing the Leafs very close to securing a playoff spot for the first time since the 2003-2004 season. What I find interesting is the criticism that is heaped on these two youngsters. Every goal allowed is dissected and heaven forbid there is a bad one. Has Martin Brodeur, Patrick Roy or Henrik Lundqvist ever let in a bad goal?
As Coach Randy Carlyle has said over and over, the goalies need to give the team a chance to win. Based on that expectation, Reimer and Scrivens have succeeded. For that reason, I don't believe that the Leafs need to make a move on a goalie. It would seem to me that the team would be much better off trying to acquire another veteran defenseman or an accomplished forward who have some playoff experience. If the Leafs are able to maintain their success in penalty killing and not forget the need to be defensively responsible, James Reimer and Ben Scrivens have shown that they can handle goaltending duties.
Tonight Toronto takes on Carolina at the ACC. The Hurricanes have had the Leafs number this season but will be without goaltender Cam Ward. Carolina is 0-4-1 in their last five starts. This is a game that the Leafs must win to solidify their playoff position, particularly with an upcoming schedule that includes at Ottawa on Saturday, Philadelphia at home on Thursday and at New Jersey on Saturday April 6th. The following week the Leafs will have a back-to-back series with the eighth place New York Rangers.
Puck drop is 7pm.
It’s Time To End The Shoot Out
Kudos to Red Wings GM Ken Holland for raising the issue of dropping the ridiculous skills competition known as the NHL shootout. What other major sport uses a skills competition to decide the outcome of a team game. Just imagine NFL games decided by placekickers kicking field goals and the one who made it the furthest away from the goal posts wins the game. Or how about baseball having a home run derby to determine who wins a team game. It's totally a joke and another one of the outcomes of Gary Bettman's reign as Commissioner of the NHL.
Holland proposes that if a game is tied after the first 5 minutes of 4-on-4 overtime play, the two teams would play another 5 minutes 3-on-3. This proposal is much better than the current set-up but I want to take it two steps further. First, at the end of the first overtime, teams would change ends resulting in a longer line change which could certainly result in a goal being scored. Secondly, the team that wins in overtime gets two points the losing team gets zero. If after both periods of overtime the score is still tied then both teams would get a point.
What do you think?? Let me know at tonytalkssportsblog or on twitter @tonytalkssports
Leaf Nation Chill Out
After the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 loss last night against the Winnipeg Jets, members of Leaf Nation and the Toronto media were pressing the panic button big time. The Leafs have lost three games in a row for the first time this season and people are convinced that we are going to have a repeat of last year. Let's examine the three losses.
The first loss was at the hands of the Boston Bruins in Boston. The Leafs lost 4-2 with Boston's last goal being in the empty net. In watching the game, the Leafs never quit and in fact could have rolled over when Boston went up 3-1. I venture to guess that last year's team would of rolled up in a ball and died. When that game ended, I was proud of the effort that the Leafs put out that night.
Loss number 2 was against the Pittsburgh Penguins at the ACC. The Leafs came back from a 4-2 deficit to tie the game and send it into overtime. The Leafs traded chances with the Penguins in overtime and lost in the skills competition known as the shootout. The NHL is the only major sports league that determines wins and losses by a skills competition but that is for a post on another day. The Leafs got a point in a game that they twice battled back from a 2 goal deficit. Once again, I was happy with the effort.
Last night, loss number 3 was the worse loss the Leafs have suffered since they lost to the Canadiens at the ACC. The turning point was their inability to score on a 1:53 2 man-advantage. Bad line changes and terrible defensive zone coverage led to an embarassing loss against a team that is not better than Toronto.
So what does this all mean? Well, the way I see it we will find out a lot about this edition of the Leafs over the course of the next two games. In listening to Toronto radio today, the Leafs shouldn't show up tomorrow against the Penguins. But, the Leafs beat the Penguins in Pittsburgh and we saw what happened Saturday night. The Leafs can win tomorrow and they can win against the Jets on Saturday night.
The Leafs need to make some changes in my opinion. Jake Gardiner needs to be brought up immediately. As I have stated many times, Gardiner is a special talent. He has the ability to carry the puck out of the defensive zone, the ability to make the quick pass and will be a huge difference on a power play that needs help. The other change I would make is move Mikhail Grabovski on the first line with Phil Kessel and James van Reimsdyk. Tyler Bozak would go on the new third line with Nikolai Kulemin and either Jay McClement or Leo Komorov. The new second line would be Nazem Kadri with Clarke MacArthur and Matt Frattin. Randy Carlyle must also limit the amount of ice time that the fourth line receives.
The Leafs also need to spend less time trying to create fighting opportunities and more focus on taking the body creating an aggressive forecheck. The power play needs some changes. Along with Gardiner coming up, Carlyle needs to mix things up. Have Grabowski center JVR and Kessel with the 2nd unit being Kadri with MacArthur and Frattin. If MacArthur or Frattin don't go to the net then put McClement, Komorov or Kulemin out there to screen the goalie. You might want to consider moving Dion Phaneuf upfront with Franson and Gardiner at the point.
As far as the goalies go, it drives me nuts when Leaf fans start calling for Roberto Luongo. Last night, I would only fault Reimer on one of the 4 goals. Other than that, he was hung out to dry and the first Jets goal was a lucky deflection off the body of Nik Antropov. The Leafs can make the playoffs with Reimer and Ben Scrivens. If they don't make the playoffs, they will get a good draft pick in a deep draft. So Leaf Nation, take a deep breath!! If someone told you before the season that the Leafs would be in 6th place at the halfway point of the season would you have been surprised?? I think so.
Eklund’s Hockey Buzz
Pro Football Talk
Post Archive
- December 2013 (2)
- September 2013 (1)
- August 2013 (3)
- July 2013 (1)
- May 2013 (4)
- April 2013 (6)
- March 2013 (8)
- February 2013 (14)
- January 2013 (20)
- December 2012 (17)
- November 2012 (14)
- July 2012 (6)
- May 2012 (2)
- April 2012 (19)
- March 2012 (20)
- February 2012 (22)
- January 2012 (25)
- December 2011 (22)
- November 2011 (26)
- October 2011 (29)
- September 2011 (25)
- August 2011 (28)
- July 2011 (31)
- June 2011 (29)
- May 2011 (30)
- April 2011 (24)
- March 2011 (36)
- February 2011 (13)