Leafs Fight Hard To Earn A Point
Being down 3-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins after the first period, it looked like the Toronto Maple Leafs were going to be blown out of the ACC. But the Leafs turned things around in the second period and tied the game late in the third to earn a big point before losing in the shootout 5-4 to the Penguins. Randy Carlyle deserves full marks for making line-up changes heading into the second period when he moved the Grabovski line against Sidney Crosby's line and moved Tyler Bozak's line against Evgeni Malkin's line. Carlyle moved Jay McClement on Grabovski's line and put Leo Komorov on the 4th line. The other big move was pairing Cody Franson with Dion Phaneuf.
James Reimer over came a rough first period and made some critical saves particularly in the third period that gave the Leafs the opportunity to tie the game. Reimer also had a huge save on Crosby in overtime. James van Reimsdyk was a physical presence as he gave Marc-Andre Fleury fits all night, parking himself all night in front of the net which resulted in his 14th goal of the season that got the Leafs on the scoreboard. He also leveled Evgeni Malkin in the third period that sent Malkin to the bench for the rest of the game.
Phil Kessel tied the game late in the third and he also had 2 assists. Kessel was flying in the third period. The Leafs outplayed the Penguins in the third period and in the overtime. They also had 2 power play goals and killed off all 4 of the Penguin power plays, including a 5 on 3. An unsung hero was Jay McClement. He was a force on the penalty kill and he really was aggressive on the forecheck particularly when he was re-united with Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin.
Tonight was a clear indication that this team is quite different from last year's squad. In a week that they faced New Jersey, Ottawa, at Boston and Pittsburgh, the Leafs earned 5 points out of a possible 8. The point tonight was huge, especially with the way the game started.
The Leafs are next in action Tuesday at Winnipeg, at home against Pittsburgh on Thursday and close the week out at home against Winnipeg.
Burke’s Fingerprints All Over Leafs 3-1 Win
On a day that Brian Burke's relationship with the Toronto Maple Leafs officially came to an end, his fingerprints were all over the Leafs 3-1 win over the slumping Buffalo Sabres. Phil Kessel, the player Burke traded for and was routinely criticized for acquiring, showed why he is a special player even though he didn't score a goal last night. Kessel assisted on Dion Phaneuf's first goal while the Leafs were on a power play as he made a nice pass setting up the Captain. But as nice of a play as that was, Kessel's second assist was the offensive highlight of the game as he fooled Leaf-killer Ryan Miller and made a beautiful pass to James van Riemsdyk who tapped the puck into the net and gave the Leafs a 2-1 lead. There is no doubt that Miller thought Kessel was going to shoot the puck as the Leaf forward decoyed him beautifully.
van Riemsdyk, acquired by Burke from Philadelphia, scored his second goal late in the third period on a nice pass from Cody Franson while the Leafs had a two-man advantage. JVR now leads the team with 11 goals and has been a big contributor, not only offensively but also killing penalties. The 23 year old seems to be buying into Coach Randy Carlyle's system as he is consistently placing himself in front of the opposing team's goalie.
Ben Scrivens bounced back strongly from Tuesday's 4-2 loss against Tampa as he was solid in goal particularly in the first period when the Sabres outshot the Leafs 13-10 in the first period and turned away 31 shots overall. I had to laugh Wednesday morning as hockey expert Pierre MacGuire was critical of Scrivens based upon his performance against the Lightning. The kid had one bad game in the last five, yet MacGuire had the gall to say that Scrivens needs to show that he wants to be the number one goaltender. Well, the way to do that is to bounce back from a bad game and the kid did just that last night.
Cody Franson had one of his better games as he was definitely a force offensively and showed some of the promise that the Leafs believed was possible when Burke acquired him in a deal with Nashville that sent Brett Lebda to the Predators. Not sure if either Lebda or Robert Slaney, the other player Burke sent to Nashville, are playing in the NHL.
It is obvious that this young team has bought into Randy Carlyle's system of play. The Leafs are becoming a more difficult team to play as they lead the league in hits and in fights. It should be pointed out that Brian Burke inherited Ron Wilson. Wilson was hired by Cliff Fletcher, prior to Burke's arrival. As Burke admitted upon Wilson's dismissal, he and Wilson had a difference of opinion on the team's style of play. As a result, Burke's biggest mistake may have been hanging onto Wilson for too long. Who knows if the fiery Irishman would still be here if Wilson was let go prior to last season. However, it may not have matter as Burke wasn't corporate enough for the Bell/Rogers executives. But as Dave Nonis said, when this team sees playoff success it will be because of the groundwork laid by Brian Burke.
Game Notes: Sabre fans and media types have a hard time admitting that the Leafs are a better team right now - Rob Ray is one of the worst analysts in the NHL. He referred to Nazem Kadri as Nathan Kadri and at the end of the game praised the Sabres for a good effort. Not sure what game he was watching - It will be interesting to see how long Terry Pegula keeps Darcy Reiger as GM - WGR 550 resident hockey gasbag Paul Hamilton was lamenting Steve Ott's goal being disallowed for goaltender interference. This from a guy who was all over the Milan Lucic hit on Miller last year when Miller was in the faceoff circle. Miller was even questioning last night's call but what would you expect from a team looking for excuses as opposed to looking in the mirror - check out the following column from Damien Cox. Great read:
http://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/2013/02/21/exmaple_leafs_gm_brian_burkes_departure_to_anahiem_as_parttime_scout_shouldnt_be_a_surprise_cox.html
Scrivens Leads The Way As Leafs Win 3-0
Ben Scrivens was solid in goal last night as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated their provincial rivals, the Ottawa Senators, 3-0 at the Air Canada Centre. With James Reimer out of action, the pressure was on Scrivens to perform and off of the last two games the Leafs have to be happy so far with his performance. Last night, the Maple Leafs did not play their best game and were still able to come up with two points as a result of the play of their young goaltender.
In the second period, Scrivens was solid as the Senators fired 19 shots at him without putting one in the back of the net. The Senators had a couple of point blank chances in the third that would have tied the game but Scrivens was equal to the task and shut the door. Credit must be given to Ottawa for mounting an attack with a depleted lineup but the Leafs young goalie showed that he can hold down the fort until Reimer comes back. It also allows Leaf General Manager Dave Nonis to concentrate on other areas of the team and not make a rush move for a veteran goaltender.
Both of the Leafs first 2 goals were a result of players going to the net. That is a positive and something that Coach Randy Carlyle has been preaching. However, it seems that the Leafs have not been able to utilize their speed to generate offense. I thought that they were better in their own zone last night but they didn't seem to have much going in pressuring Ottawa in the Senator end of the rink.
Nazem Kadri seems lost out there without Matt Frattin. The two had some good chemistry going and the injury to Frattin has impacted Kadri's play. In addition, Kadri is brutal on faceoffs and is a part of his game that he needs to work on. I did not have a problem with Colton Orr being on that line but until Clarke MacArthur is able to develop some chemistry with Kadri, it appears that this line will have difficulty generating offense.
The Leafs head to Florida for back-to-back games against the Panthers and the Lightning. It will be interesting to see how Carlyle handles the goaltending situation. Will Scrivens start both games or will Jussi Rynnas see his first start of the season with the Leafs. Either way, the rest of the team will have to be on its game defensively in order to pick up some valuable points. It won't be easy.
Mistakes Galore: Leafs Lose 3-1
The Toronto Maple Leafs played one of their worst games of the season dropping a 3-1 decision to the Carolina Hurricanes. The Leafs saw their road record fall to 6-2 as their defensive play reminded me of times last season when the wheels fell off. Bad pinches by defensemen, lack of a forecheck and an inability to get out of their own end marked most of the night in Raleigh for the Blue & White.
Ben Scrivens, filling in for the injured James Reimer, was solid but made a bad decision in trying to unsuccessfully cover a puck which resulted in the winning goal for the Hurricanes. Scrivens gave the Leafs an opportunity to come back in the third period as he made several key saves. But Toronto was unable to generate any offense as Carolina continued its winning ways.
John-Michael Liles had one of his worst games as a Maple Leaf and I have to wonder if he might not be a player that the Leafs could move before the April 3rd trade deadline. Liles has not provided much offensive punch from the blue line and is not overly physical. His brutal pinch when Clarke MacArthur turned over the puck led to a 3 on 1 break which resulted in the third goal for the Hurricanes. What was even more disturbing was the fact that Scrivens made the first save but no Leaf was around to pick up the other Carolina players. That play specifically reminded me of the Ron Wilson coached teams.
MacArthur is one of a few forwards who really needs to step up their game. He really has not been a consistent contributor offensively. I have been a defender of Nikolai Kulemin but I'm beginning to wonder if we may have seen his best season 2 years ago when he scored 29 goals. He appears to be totally out of it offensively and should not be getting the amount of power play time that he does. Mikhail Grabovski is also slumping offensively and without his scoring really puts the Leafs in a deep hole.
The Leafs first line was nearly invisible last night. What was clear is that the Bozak line can't compare to the Eric Staal line. Once again, Staal was a threat all night and Alexander Semin seems to have have been rejuvenated playing alongside the big center man. If you want to see the importance of a big center all you had to do was watch Staal last night.
It's not time to give up on the Leafs, after all they were not going to win the rest of their games. What was upsetting was not the loss but was the lack of effort. Saturday's game against Ottawa will be very telling as to how the rest of this season will unfold. If the Leafs play hard and provide the effort which was evident in their four game winning streak, then it would be evidence that Coach Randy Carlyle's system has taken hold. But if the Senators take it to the Leafs at the ACC, it might be time to begin to wonder if GM Dave Nonis may be willing to move some players before the trade deadline in April. In my mind, effort will be what I will be looking for on Saturday night at the Air Canada Centre. A spirited game at home against their provincial rival is what we should expect. Anything less will be cause for concern in this shortened season.
Leafs Pound Canadiens 6-0
Some where Brian Burke has to be smiling. Phil Kessel had a goal and 2 assists, Dion Phaneuf a goal and an assist, James van Riemsdyk a goal and an assist and James Reimer pitched a 37 save shutout. All four of these players were in Burke's mind the building blocks for turning things around. On top of them, the truculence that Burke talked about was on full display last night as the Maple Leafs pounded the Canadiens physically and on the scoreboard with a 6-0 win at the Bell Centre.
From start to finish the Leafs were the better team and the outcome of the game should put to rest the ridiculous talk on Toronto radio earlier in the week when it was stated emphatically that the Canadiens were so much further ahead of the Maple Leafs. Don't get me wrong, I'm not planning the parade down Bay Street. But the big difference between the two teams is goaltending. However, last night Reimer outplayed Carey Price and the way Reimer has been playing the best move the Leafs made may be not giving up young assets for Roberto Luongo.
The Canadiens whining over the rough stuff in the third period is interesting. If they wanted to play out the string, why was Brandon Prust out on the ice?? Prust going after Mikhail Grabovski is what started the brawl in which Max Pacioretty had Grabovski by the back of his neck with his arm over Grabovski's mouth. Was there a bite?? I didn't see it but what else would you expect from the Canadiens but to complain. Maybe what they should do is look in the mirror.
The key for the Leafs will be to have a strong performance Monday at home against the Flyers. Their 6-1 road record is outstanding but the 1-4 record at home is abysmal. Improvement at Air Canada Centre might ensure a playoff spot for the second youngest team in the NHL and if Reimer & Company are leading the way, Brian Burke will know his plan is starting to come to fruition.
Leafs Bounce Back With 3-2 Win
The Toronto Maple Leafs bounced back from a disappointing home loss against Carolina with a 3-2 win in Washington over the Capitals. The win bumped the Leafs road record to 4-1 while they are 1-4 at the Air Canada Centre. James van Riemsdyk led the way with 2 goals for the Leafs while Korbinian Holzer scored what proved to be the game winner.
Ben Scrivens was in goal for the Leafs and while he looked shaky at times, he made some big saves in the third period to preserve the win. Scrivens flopped around quite a bit in the crease and had Leaf fans nervous throughout the game. What should have Leaf fans more nervous is the continued dismal power play and the sudden demise of the penalty killing units.
The power play had another 0-fer night and I still believe that there needs to be a shake-up in personnel. Maybe have Dion Phaneuf go down low in front of the net or use a big body like David Steckel or Colton Orr. How about giving Matt Frattin some power play time?? How about a line with Phil Kessel-Mikhail Grabovski-JVR and a second line of Matt Frattin-Nazem Kadri-Jay McClement. Change is necessary because the current set-up is not working with the big problem being there is too much perimeter passing which allows the opposition to stay in their box.
The Leafs penalty killing units have abandoned staying in the box as evidenced by the last two games. Both Capital goals were on the power play and both times all four Leaf penalty killers were chasing the puck. The same was true against Carolina on Tuesday. Prior to Tuesday's game, I felt that Randy Carlyle had made strides in improving what had been an achilles heel for the Leafs throughout the Ron Wilson era. But it seems the Leafs are getting overly aggressive and need to be more disciplined. With limited practice time it may be difficult for the coaching staff to make corrections but this could be a big problem if not corrected soon.
The Leafs head to Winnipeg for a game against the Jets tomorrow night at 8pm. Almost a year ago, Toronto dropped a 2-1 decision to the Jets which started their dismal run over the cliff which ended the season and resulted in the firing of Ron Wilson. Will see what happens tomorrow as James Reimer should get the start in goal.
Leafs Top Sabres In OT 4-3
In a place that has routinely been a house of horrors, the Toronto Maple Leafs went into the First Niagara Arena and defeated the Buffalo Sabres 4-3 in overtime. Matt Frattin had two goals for the Leafs, his second being the game winner with 1.5 seconds remaining on the clock. Frattin, as you recall, was sent down to the Marlies after having a less than inspiring training camp but has come back strong providing the Leafs with some needed scoring punch.
Coach Randy Carlyle had to juggle his lines and moving Jay McClement to Mikhail Grabovski's line paid dividends as McClement notched his first goal of the season that gave the Leafs an early 1-0 lead. Carlyle evened out minutes for his defensemen and it worked out well as Cody Franson played one of his best games as a Maple Leaf. Franson's goal gave the Leafs a 3-2 lead but the Sabres tied it forcing overtime.
James Reimer had another solid game in net for the Leafs. There should be no question that he should be the Leafs number one goalie. The kid really looks confident in net and the Leafs need that to have a chance to win. It will be interesting to see if Carlyle comes back with Reimer on Thursday night against the Capitals.
This game should also wipe away the smugness that Sabre fans have. There is not much difference between the Leafs and the Sabres. Both teams need a legitimate number one center. Both teams need secondary scoring. The key difference is in goal but last night Reimer stood toe-to-toe with Ryan Miller and Frattin beat Miller to win it. For me, there is nothing better than a win over the Sabres, especially in Buffalo.
Reimer Plays Well, But Leafs Lose 5-2
For the second time in two games, the Toronto Maple Leafs blew a 2 goal first period lead as they dropped a 5-2 decision to the New York Rangers. Going into the game, it was clear that the Leafs would have their hands full as the Rangers were 1-3 and the pressure was mounting at MSG as the Blueshirts are one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup. The only bright spot for the Leafs was the play of James Reimer.
Reimer gave the Leafs a chance to win the game by making big saves in the first 2 periods, which included two beauties against Rick Nash. The Leafs were badly out shot and Reimer's stellar play had the Leafs ahead 2-1 heading into the third period. Prior to the game New York hockey broadcast legend, Stan Fischler, posted on Twitter that the Rangers had the advantage going into the game because the Leaf goaltending was bad. After the game, the respected Fischler posted that the Leafs got good goaltending but that the Rangers dominated in all other aspects of the game. Reimer's performance last night and Wednesday in Pittsburgh should cement his status as the team's number one goalie.
Last year, the Leafs speed seemed to give the Rangers fits. Last night, it looked like the Leafs were playing the Bruins. You remember the Leaf games last year against the Bruins where the Beantowners outmuscled the Leafs. Well, that's what happened last night as the Leafs speed advantage was gone right from the beginning as the Rangers got the puck deep in the Toronto zone and smothered them. I have a feeling we will see the same thing next Saturday night when Boston comes into the ACC.
The Leafs are the second youngest team in the NHL. They faced a team last night that is a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. However, the Leafs need to exhibit the ability to deal with adversity. It's also apparent that the Leafs need a shutdown line beyond Mikhail Grabovski's. His line provides the Leafs with offense. In fact, it has been the team's most productive line of late. If they have to be in defensive mode against the likes of Brad Richards, Marion Gaborik and Nash, then offense becomes secondary. Without Joffrey Lupul, it appears the Bozak line is having trouble mounting scoring chances. Lupul provided the jam in the corners and traffic in front of the net to allow Kessel space. I'm not sure what Randy Carlyle can do to make up for that.
Nazem Kadri's line was non-existent last night as the much bigger Rangers just banged them around preventing their speed from being a factor. It's also apparent that Carlyle has little confidence in Mike Komisarek and whoever his sixth defenseman happens to be. It will be interesting to see how much longer Dion Phaneuf and Mike Kostka can continue to log big minutes without their play suffering.
While there will be some beating the drum for the Leafs to get Roberto Luongo, the acquisition off the high-priced over thirty goaltender will not solve this team's problems. James Reimer should be the team's number one goalie and the Leafs should go with him and Ben Scrivens the rest of the way. What is of bigger need for this team is getting a big forward or two that have some skill. Of course, that is easier said than done. With plenty of defenseman, maybe Dave Nonis can swing a trade for a big forward who has some offensive ability. If not, the Leafs will have plenty of cap space in the summer and could have a high enough draft pick to select an impact player and isn't that what all the Burke haters wanted all along.
Leafs Fall Again at Home 7-4
In by far their worse performance of the year, the Toronto Maple Leafs blew a 3-1 first period lead falling to the New York Islanders 7-4. With an opportunity to pick up another two points after knocking off the Penguins on Wednesday night, the Leafs abandoned their recent defensive responsible style of play and gave up five unanswered goals.
The turning point of the game was while the Leafs were shorthanded in the second period. The Leafs actually had the Islanders on their heels coming up with two shorthanded scoring chances. However, the Islanders weathered the storm and two Leafs were caught up ice as Mark Streit put one past Ben Scrivens making the score 3-2. It was all downhill after that as the Islanders took the play to Leafs.
The aggressive forecheck and responsible defensive play that was exhibited the night before in Pittsburgh was completely abandoned. Ben Scrivens did not have a good night. Scrivens made some nice saves early on but seemed to falter like the rest of the team as the game wore on. He was pulled in the third period with the score 5-3. James Reimer played the rest of the way, allowing a Matt Moulson goal with the Islanders seventh goal going into an empty net.
In this 48 game compressed season, the Leafs will have to put this game behind them and get ready for the Rangers, who they play Saturday night. However, I think that Randy Carlyle will remind this team today that they can't be successful if they play like they did against the Islanders. The Leafs must be willing to pay the price every shift in order to have a chance to win. Last night, that didn't happen and I'm sure Carlyle will have something to say about that today at practice.
Leafs Win In Pittsburgh, Lose Lupul
The Toronto Maple Leafs went into Pittsburgh Wednesday night to take on the high-flying Penguins in their home opener in the Steel City and came out with a solid 5-2 win. While there was plenty to be happy about with the victory, the Leafs suffered a big loss when Joffrey Lupul was hit by a Dion Phaneuf slapshot that resulted in a broken forearm for the Leaf winger. It has been reported that Lupul will be out 6 to 8 weeks.
Many were not giving the Leafs much of a chance heading into the game, but they received contributions from a number of players and as a unit appear to be accepting Coach Randy Carlyle's defensive style of play. Carlyle challenged Mikhail Grabovski and James van Riemsdyk to pick up their game and they responded. van Riemsdyk scored twice and Mikhail Grabovski also scored with their linemate Nikolai Kulemin getting three assists. Kulemin may have played his best game in 2 years as he was driving the net consistently and was his usually responsible defensive self. van Riemsdyk's second goal was a bullet that Penguin goalie Marc-Andre Fleury had no chance on.
James Reimer made his return to the Leaf net with a solid performance in his first game since last March. Reimer made saves when he had to and was especially solid during the second period when Malkin and Sidney Crosby were out on the ice together against the Leafs fourth line. Both Malkin and Crosby were stoned by Reimer, as a Penguin goal there may have changed the complexion of the game. While I'm sure he would like another chance at the 2 shots that beat him, Reimer met the expectation that Carlyle has for his 2 young goalies: they don't have to win the game for us, they have to give us a chance to win.
Tyler Bozak may have played his best all around game as a Maple Leaf. He was going into the corner after pucks, winning face-offs, killing penalties and was rewarded with a goal late in the third period which salted the game away. Dion Phaneuf played a solid game, once again logging the most minutes of any Maple Leaf. There seems to be a difference in the Captain's play, as he appears to be more responsible defensively and he was matched up quite a bit against Malkin and Crosby.
Clarke MacArthur replaced Lupul on the Bozak-Phil Kessel line and seemed to fit in. MacArthur's first goal of the season gave the Leafs a 3-2 lead which they never relinquished. While he didn't score, Phil Kessel once again played a solid all-around game. He was robbed by a great glove save by Fleury, as the Leaf right winger continues to be snake bitten. It's only a matter of time before the Leaf sniper finds the back of the net.
The Leaf penalty killing has been solid this year and last night was no different as they killed off 4 out of 5 penalties. Jay McClement has been a big reason along with solid play by Leo Komorov. Tyler Bozak and Nikolai Kulemin have also formed a nice PK unit. It appears that the system employed by Carlyle and his staff is much more aggressive in nature than that used previously by Ron Wilson. The Leafs are pressuring the points and are doing a good job in obstructing passing lanes.
The one area that still needs work is the power play. The Leafs seem to be looking to be too cute in passing the puck around looking for the picture perfect goal. The Leafs speed will continue to provide them with power play opportunities as team's are not able to match it. Carlyle's plea for his team to go to the front of the net must be adhered to on the power play if the Leafs are to capitalize.
With Lupul out for an extended period of time, it will be interesting to see who is called up as his replacement. I would think that Matt Frattin is the likely candidate and it remains to be seen how Carlyle alters his lines. Another thing to watch is whether Cody Franson gets back into the lineup and if Jake Gardiner gets more power play time.
While it has only been three games, it appears that the Leafs have bought into Coach Randy Carlyle's message of being defensively responsible as evidenced by giving up only 5 goals in 3 games. If they can keep this up throughout the 45 games remaining, the Leafs may be able to break their playoff drought.
They are back in action at the ACC tonight to take on the Islanders and John Tavares.
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