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.
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.
Gotham Geezers
I nearly fell off my chair at work today when I saw on twitter that Brian Cashman was going to reach out to Chipper Jones to play third base. Jones' agent quickly indicated that his client had no desire to play baseball, even though it would be nice to put the Pinstripes on. But it didn't stop with Chipper. It has been reported that Cashman is now reaching out to Derek Lee and Scott Rolen. Maybe the Yankees figure if they can sign a few more geezers maybe they can get Social Security to pay for some of the salary.
If this doesn't illustrate the depth of mismanagement of this organization I don't know what does. Scott Rolen will only come if he gets guaranteed playing time. Derek Lee?? Really?? The Boss must be rolling over in his grave. Brian Cashman should be fired. He has totally screwed this season up. Some will say, "how could he predict the injuries to Granderson & Teixera." He couldn't but he could have had depth players ready to fill in if necessary. He had Jayson Nix, Juan Rivera, Matt Diaz, and now Ben Francisco which makes up the weakest Yankee bench in a long time.
If Hal Steinbrenner wants to believe that the Yankee farm system will provide cheap talent to keep this team winning then why not give Ronnier Mustelier a shot at third base. The kid can hit and I would rather have him there than the ancient Rolen. I would also rather see Zolio Almonte play over Matt Diaz and Juan Rivera. The Yankees would be no worse off going with these two kids for a month.
This is the perfect opportunity for the Yankee organization to come clean and say we need to rebuild for the future. Of course they believe that won't fly with a fan base that has been fed the corporate crap that the season is not a success unless they win a World Series. As a Yankee fan for 50 years, I can take a rebuilding season. I've suffered through many. But what I can't take is the propaganda which tries to make us believe that this team has a shot at winning their division and being world champions.
Get ready for the 2013 season for the Gotham Geezers!!
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.
More Deception From Cashman
Yesterday, a report from Tampa said that Yankee GM Brian Cashman will be dropping out of an Army airplane continuing his role as the daredevil general manager of major league baseball. The day before Cashman did some more dropping as he told the media that the Yankees have made a substantial offer to Robbie Cano. Cashman then caught himself and said he thought he was just repeating what Hal Steinbrenner had said earlier. Really??
Cano is represented by Scott Boras and the super-agent did not confirm Cashman's assertion which leads one to believe that the Yankees were playing the PR game. You see, the Yankees have made it their team policy not to negotiate during the season. They held this policy with such Yankee icons as Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Bernie Williams. They also did not negotiate before Alex Rodriguez's contract expired. Cashman will tell you that said policy isn't written in stone and any organization can decide to change.
While that may be true, this whole orchestrated announcement by Cashman reeks of trying to paint the Yankees in a positive light to the fan base. You see when contract negotiations stall, the Yankees will be able to say, "see we told you we made a substantial offer. It's that damn Boras being greedy." I'm one Yankee fan who won't buy it.
I have been complaining for awhile now that all I want is for the Yankees to be upfront and honest. If it is true that Hal wants to get the payroll down to $189 million by 2014, then they should also tell us that they are committed to a rebuilding process. From where I sit, you can't sign late 30-somethings to one or 2 year contracts and expect to continue to contend for a title. It would make more sense to let some kids play and see what they can do. While it's true that the Yankees best prospects are probably 2-3 years away, there are kids like Zolio Almonte, Ronnier Mustelier or Melky Mesa. Let them play as opposed to Matt Diaz or Juan Rivera. The results in the standings probably won't be that much different. In fact, they might be surprised that they could find a potential starter.
The problem with what I'm suggesting is that the Yankees fear that the fan base won't buy into it. Less people in the stadium. Ratings for YES would fall. That's why they re-sign Ichiro to a two year contract. That's why they sign Kevin Youkilis and Travis Hafner. You see the Yankees need the names to provide false hope. After all, the Yankee mantra is that if they don't win the World Series then the season is a failure. This was created by the Yankees and the fan base has bought into it hook, line and sinker.
NHL Realignment Proposal Needs Work
The proposed four division realignment plan that has 16 teams in the Eastern Conference and 14 teams in the Western Conference leaves a lot to be desired. The plan moves the Detroit Red Wings and the Columbus Blue Jackets into the Eastern Conference and Winnipeg into the Western Conference. The four divisions would breakdown like this:
Eastern Conference
Division 1: Carolina, Columbus, New Jersey, Philly, NYR, NYI, Pittsburgh and Washington
Division 2: Boston, Toronto, Montreal, Buffalo, Ottawa, Detroit, Florida and Tampa Bay
Western Conference
Division 3: Chicago, Dallas, Colorado, St.Louis, Minnesota, Nashville and Winnipeg
Division 4: Anaheim, Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Jose and Vancouver
The East has 16 teams and the West has 14 teams. The top three teams in each division and two wild card teams from the rest of the conference would make the playoffs. This is where the first problem crops up. There is an inequity as 2 wild card teams in the East would come from the 10 remaining teams while in the West 2 wild card teams would come from the 7 remaining teams.
The second problem is that what happens if Phoenix goes belly up? Quebec City or a second team in Toronto could not be added because they would create a bigger imbalance between the two conferences. It would appear that this would mean that Seattle would be the most likely fall back solution if the Coyotes need to head out of the desert.
Can Seattle support an NHL team? Maybe, as its close proximity to Vancouver could result in a similar situation as you have in Buffalo. However, there would be no question about the ability to support a team in Quebec City or a second team in Toronto.
Realignment should be the opportunity to strengthen the league and should result in an even amount of teams in each division. That would mean either adding two teams or contracting two teams. In my opinion, contraction is the answer. My plan would be the following:
* Move Phoenix to Seattle
* Contract the Florida Panthers and the New York Islanders
* Two 14 team Conferences: top 8 teams make the playoffs or 2 seven team divisions within each conference
Eastern Conference
Division 1: Boston, Buffalo, Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Detroit and Columbus
Division 2: Philadelphia, NY Rangers, New Jersey, Washington, Carolina, Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay
Western Conference
Division 3: Chicago, St.Louis, Minnesota, Dallas, Nashville, Colorado and Winnipeg
Division 4: Anaheim, Los Angeles, Seattle, Vancouver, San Jose, Edmonton and Calgary
Contraction would strengthen teams and makes more sense than adding two teams. Each conference would be balanced. The loss of the Islanders would be a shame based on the team's history but that was almost 40 years ago and the ownership has done nothing to bring this club along. In fact, they have actually damaged the Islander brand. Will contraction happen?? Absolutely not. The owners and the players would never agree to it. But if they did what was right for the NHL that's what needs to happen. What do you think??
Tuesday’s Thoughts
While thinking about how many times Yankee-Red Sox games will be on national television this season, here is what's on my mind this morning:
* The Toronto Maple Leafs came up with a big road win last night defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2. The Leafs received scoring from four different players and once again received solid goaltending from Ben Scrivens. This was the type of game last year that the Leafs would have dropped as it was an opportunity to extend the gap between themselves and the teams below them. The victory left the Leafs 5 points ahead of Philly and Tampa Bay and 6 points ahead of the NY Rangers. They are also only 3 points behind conference leading Montreal, who they will face Wednesday at the Air Canada Centre.
* Interesting stat: the Canadiens only have 4 regulation losses this season and 2 of them were at the hands of the Maple Leafs. This should make tomorrow's game pretty heated between these long time rivals. On top of the fact that the Leafs beat Montreal 6-0 a couple of weeks ago that included plenty of fights where the Leafs came out on top.
* Dave Feschuk, a writer for the Toronto Star, is one of the most negative media types around. His column today about the Leafs not being straight about the return of James Reimer was a typical example. Feschuk keeps on saying that Reimer was suppose to be back in a week when in fact the initial statement from the Leafs was that Reimer would be out a minimum of one week. Most hockey observers and legitimate hockey media types concluded that this was going to be a 2-3 week recovery period. Obviously, Feschuk doesn't pay attention to that because he spends his time trying to cause a controversy where there is none.
* Once again, kudos to Buffalo News columnist Jerry Sullivan for continuing to tell it like it is. Yesterday on Schopp & the Bulldog's show, Sullivan said what most Sabre fans and Buffalo media types don't want to hear: the Sabres are not as good as we think they are. He went on to say that he questioned the claim that the team has all this talent and just haven't been able to mesh together. I'm sure Sullivan's comments didn't sit well with the WGR 550 gasbags as they have been responsible for building up expectations.
* You could tell that Schopp was uncomfortable as he changed the subject trying to get Sullivan to talk more about the firing of Lindy Ruff. Sullivan expressed that Ruff should have been let go last year and now the focus needs to be on General Manager Darcy Reiger which once again led Sullivan to proclaim that the roster that Darcy built is not that good.
* The New York Rangers had very high expectations this year, particularly with the addition of Rick Nash. However, they moved or let go a number of heart and soul types which has had an impact on the team. This is another example that winning the off season does not translate to winning on the ice or playing field. Think about that Blue Jays fans!!!
* Read an article in the NY Daily News questioning whether the Yankees should be interested in Alfonso Soriano. The point being made was that they only needed a short-term solution as a result of the injury to Curtis Granderson. Hello!!! The Yankees need a legitimate right-hand hitting outfielder and Soriano is a big upgrade over Juan Rivera and Matt Diaz. He also hits for power. In addition, Soriano's contract would be offset by the Cubs and he would be a Yankee next year when all signs point to the possibility of Granderson exiting due to free agency.
* Didn't watch one second of the NFL Combines.
* Nearly drove off the road yesterday when Schopp & the Bulldog actually were talking about baseball. For the record, Schopp was predicting the Rays to win the AL East and the Bulldog concurred while still thinking the Yankees and Red Sox will be contenders. That will probably be the extent of GR550's baseball talk for the season. It lasted a whole 3 minutes.
* I wonder when GR550 gasbag Jeremy White will finally admit that the Sabres have wasted a year of development for Mikhail Grigerenko. White had a man crush on the 18 year old and was lobbying hard for the Sabres to leave their first rounder up with the big club. Grigerenko should have been sent to Rochester where he could play. Now that this team looks to continue to fall hopelessly out of the playoff picture, Grigerenko should get more minutes. If he doesn't, whoever was responsible for keeping this kid in Buffalo should be held accountable.
* And finally, has anybody seen Ville Leino???
Now What Mr. Cashman??
Yesterday afternoon, the big experiment of moving Curtis Granderson to left field and Brett Gardner to center field came to a screeching halt as Granderson will be out for ten weeks as a result of a broken right forearm. Granderson was hit by J.A. Happ in his first at bat in a game against the Blue Jays at George Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida. Upon seeing Granderson get hit, you knew it might not be good. I thought it was his wrist but when I heard it was the forearm I thought maybe there was a chance it wouldn't be that bad. So much for wishful thinking as it was later announced that the Yankee outfielder would be out for ten weeks due to a broken forearm.
The injury leaves the Yankees with a whole in their lineup as Granderson was hitting fifth behind Mark Teixiera. The injury also means that the Yankees lose another legitimate power hitter. So now what?? How is the void going to be filled for the 30-some games that Granderson will miss? Yankee General Manager Brian Cashman indicated that for the time being the answer will be found internally. That would mean that it must come from Matt Diaz, Juan Rivera or one of the youngsters in training camp. Among that group, I say go with one of the kids.
Since we are only talking about 30-35 games, why not try one of the kids in left field. The group to choose from could be Zolio Almonte, Melky Mesa or Ronnier Mustelier. Almonte probably has the most upside of the three yet he is also the least experienced. Mesa is a solid outfielder but probably the weakest hitter of the three and Mustelier falls somewhere in between as the Yankees haven't really figured out where this kid should play. With the Yankees committed to getting their payroll down to $189 million in 2014, they are going to need to have young talent make the big club.
Granderson is a free agent next year and there is plenty of speculation that the Yankees will not be able to re-sign him as they will be focused on re-signing Robinson Cano. Granderson's injury allows the Yankees to see what they have and how life will be without the classy outfielder. While Cashman says the answer to the problem is internal, that doesn't mean that bringing in a veteran from elsewhere isn't a possibility. Of the names mentioned, the only one that makes sense to me is Alfonso Soriano.
Soriano is a right-handed hitting outfielder who has power and would also be your right-handed hitting designated hitter. The former Yankee would be a good addition and the Cubs would be willing to eat a significant portion of his contract. I am not crazy about getting Vernon Wells, as his production has been on the decline for the last two years. If your going to bring Johnny Damon back you might as well bring in Bernie Williams.
For me, I'd like to see them go with one of the kids. While Slade Heathcott, Tyler Austin or Mason Williams are the top outfield prospects in the Yankee system, if the decision is made to leave these kids in the minors then I say let either Almonte, Mesa or Mustelier play left field. Do you remember the energy that Melky Cabrera brought to the team when the Yanks gave him a shot in center field?? It would be exciting to see a young kid in the lineup as opposed to Matt Diaz or Juan Rivera. If the Yanks aren't comfortable with that, then they need to get Soriano. Hmmmm...would things be so bleak if the Yanks still had Raul Ibanez and Andruw Jones?? Maybe someone should ask Mr. Cashman that question.
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
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