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.
Tuesday’s Thoughts
While wondering how often Punxsutawney Phil is right in predicting the weather, here is what's on my mind this morning:
* The Toronto Maple Leafs continued their losing ways on home ice dropping a 4-1 decision to the Carolina Hurricanes last night. The power play was once again dismal going 0-4. The Leafs have only scored twice in their last 26 power play chances. Coach Randy Carlyle really needs to shake things up by maybe giving the Nazem Kadri-Matt Frattin-Leo Komorov line power play minutes. I also think that John-Michael Liles should be paired with Dion Phaneuf on the first power play unit.
* It might also be a good idea to shake up the team's first 2 lines. What about having Mikhail Grabovski center a line with Phil Kessel and JVR? That would leave Tyler Bozak to center Nikolai Kulemin and Clarke MacArthur.
* The Leafs really miss Carl Gunnarsson and Jake Gardiner. Was not impressed with Korbinian Holzer last night. He looked very tentative. Leafs should leave Mike Komisarek in the lineup and may want to consider pairing Mark Fraser with John-Michael Liles.
* I have never been a Joe Flacco fan but I have to give him credit for a remarkable playoff run that was capped off with being the MVP of the Super Bowl. Going through the playoffs without throwing an interception is an accomplishment that is rarely met.
* Jim Harbaugh is really getting to be annoying. His sideline histrionics are a bore and his claim that the refs stole the game from his team is more befitting of a Pop Warner coach. Maybe it's time to worry about your porous defensive secondary as opposed to the referees.
* So glad that the Ray Lewis Idolization Show has come to an end. Lewis hardly distinguished himself in the big game as he could not keep up with Niners tight end Vernon Davis. For my money, the Raven defender who deserves star honors for his play in the Super Bowl was Ed Reed.
* Kudos to Boomer Esiason for not backing down to CBS co-host and resident loud mouth Shannon Sharpe. Sharpe interviewed his good friend Ray Lewis and did ask Lewis about the double homicide 13 years ago. Lewis gave his usual answer, invoking God and blaming the authorities for not getting answers for the families. Esiason flat out said that Lewis was involved with a double murder and didn't give answers that the public was looking for. Way to go, Boomer.
* Let me go on record as saying I will not watch whatever network hires Ray Lewis for its pre or post game shows.
* Many were raving about the Beyonce half-time show. Quite frankly I thought I was at a strip club.
* Kudos to New York Knicks All-Star Center Tyson Chandler for his third straight game with 20 rebounds which ties a franchise record with none other than Willis Reed. Chandler could break the record Wednesday when the Knicks take on the Washington Wizards.
* The Knicks are on a roll having just completed a 5-0 homestand. Full marks have to go to Knicks Head Coach Mike Woodson. He has really taken hold of this team by making everyone accountable for their play, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. This is rare in the ego-driven NBA.
* I've never been a big Tim Tebow fan but the New York Jets have ruined this kid's career. How can a quarterback go from leading his team to the playoffs, including a victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on wild card weekend, to now having to wonder if he will play in the NFL again. Here's hoping the kid can get a chance to re-establish himself in the NFL.
* The NY Daily News is reporting today that ARod is believing that there is a conspiracy involving the Yankees and Major League Baseball to bring him down and end his career. Of course, this is coming from the public relations firm and lawyers that ARod has assembled to defend himself from the recent allegations reported in a weekly Miami newspaper. It's becoming more and more painful for this guy to continue to be a Yankee.
* Last night I saw the Yankeeography on Whitey Ford and in it Ford says how he was honored to have the opportunity to wear the Pinstripes and understood the pride and tradition of the uniform. I wonder if the same can be said about ARod.
* I can't think of hockey fans that are more smug than Buffalo Sabre fans. There is the belief by many of them that their team is so much better than they are playing. Really??? Does the team have a true number one center?? What about the defense corp?? The fact is that the Sabres will be one of the teams that will be hovering between 8th and 13th place.
* Listened to WGR550 afternoon Gasbags, Mike Schopp and the Bulldog yesterday. The big question was whether they believed that Sabre owner Terry Pegula is actually evaluating Lindy Ruff's performance as head coach in lieu of the team's recent troubles. At one point, Schopp said that he feels that this team has good players and that they should be playing better. Really???
* As far as Pegula goes, he made a huge mistake by extending Darcy Reiger. As long as Reiger is GM, I find it hard to believe that Lindy Ruff would be fired. While I think Ruff is a good coach, the time has come for a change. If Pegula says its all about winning the Stanley Cup, then look at Ruff's record: 0-15.
* How well are Pegula's big free agent signings playing?? Ville Leino may be out for the season and Christian Erhoff is hardly worth what he's getting paid. While the GR Gasbags love to get on Goalie Ryan Miller, I hardly hear them talk about the lack of performance from the pair of free agent signings that had Sabre fans all a flutter in the summer of 2011.
* So much for the Sabres added grit leading to winning results.
* By the way, has anyone seem John Scott??
My Take On ARod, Yankees
With pitchers and catchers scheduled to report in a couple of weeks, it is a good time to look at the upcoming season for the New York Yankees. Tied to that is the blockbuster story that has come out linking Alex Rodriguez, once again, with performance enhancing drugs. When the Yankees acquired ARod in 2004, it was believed that the Yanks were set up for another run of multiple championships. But here we are in 2013 and the boys from the Bronx have only added one championship and along the way ARod has caused plenty of controversy.
We all remember the reported feud between ARod and Derek Jeter. But that paled in comparison when it was reported in 2009 that ARod had used performance enhancing drugs. ARod, at the time, admitted using steroids but indicated that it was during the time period of 2001 through 2003. He stated that he was clean since then. At the time, I wasn't enraged at ARod. In fact, I felt like he was singled out because of who he was as there were a number of players who were named in the report but their names were never published. He was contrite and was committed to educating young baseball players about the ill-effects of steroids.
The Yankees won the World Series in 2009 and ARod seemed to be on his way to having a place in Yankee history as he led the team, particularly in the division series against the Minnesota Twins. However, if last week's reports are true, as far as I'm concerned ARod will go down as one of the biggest embarassments in the history of this storied franchise. You see, as long as Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association refuse to police itself, the whole argument about these guys being cheaters doesn't fire me up. But what does have me boiling is if these allegations are true, then ARod flat out lied to all of us. He said his use of PEDs was between 2001-2003. The recent reports allege that he was using PEDs in 2009 and beyond. In essence, he was taking us all for suckers.
How much more can this franchise take from ARod? The feud with Jeter, flirting with women in the stands during the playoffs and his much publicized dalliances with a stripper in Toronto are all incidents that the team has had to put up with but are not situations that were earth shattering. After all, there are many stories about teammates not getting along and players' extracurricular activities. But if you lie about taking a substance that enhances your ability to perform then you not only make yourself look bad but it also looks bad for the organization you work for. One has to wonder, what did the Yankees know and if they knew anything, when did they know it.
What makes it worse for the Yankees is the amount of money that they have tied up with ARod. With Hal Steinbrenner's self-imposed $189 million salary cap, the ARod contract is a killer particularly in that they don't know how he is going to recover from the recent hip surgery and if these allegations are true will he be suspended and for how long. As has been mentioned before on this blog, what compounds the problem is that the Yankee farm system is probably 2 to 3 years away before it will bear any fruit for the big club. And at the end of the 2013 season, the Yankees will have to decide what they are going to do with free agents Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson.
The Yankees still don't have a legitimate right handed hitting outfielder unless you consider Matt Diaz the answer. The signing of Travis Hafner as your left handed DH is questionable based upon Hafner's health status over the past several years. The pitching staff needs to hope that over 35 year olds, such as Hiroki Kuroda, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera, stay healthy.
The 2013 season looks to be a very difficult one for the Pinstripers. Many question marks and the never ending soap opera surrounding ARod. It will all begin soon enough and I can hardly wait.
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.
Tuesday’s Thoughts
While wondering if WGR's Jeremy White has a man crush on Sabre 18 year old rookie Mikhail Grigerenko, here is what's on my mind this morning:
* White's Sabres will be hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight at the F'N Arena in downtown Buffalo. Last week, Ryan Miller was outstanding at the ACC and unless the Leafs can figure out a way to solve him it could be a long night for the Blue and White.
* Interesting article this morning in the Toronto Star by Damien Cox. Cox is advocating that Leafs GM Dave Nonis move Phil Kessel at the trade deadline on April 3rd. Kessel is one of my favorite players on the Leafs. He is the best pure scorer that the Leafs have had in years. I've said many times that it's too bad Kessel wasn't around when Mats Sundin was the Leafs number one center. Not sure who replaces Kessel's goal scoring ability as evidenced by the 33 goal a season average that the 25 year old has produced since coming to the Leafs. To be honest, I'm tired of the constant lamenting of the trade that brought the kid to Toronto and I'm beginning to believe that as with Luke Schenn the best thing that can happen to Kessel is if he is moved to a place where his ability will be fully appreciated.
* Here's hoping James Reimer continues to play well so that the incessant Roberto Luongo to Toronto rumors can be put to rest.
* It's funny but after the cancellation of the 2004-2005 hockey season there was greater emphasis on speed and skill and many experts said that with rule changes there would be more of a chance for smaller, skilled players to succeed in the NHL. Funny how now there is more emphasis on big bruisers who will crowd the net. Kind of makes the lost season of 04-05 pointless. Thank you Emperor Bettman.
* The Sabres reaction to anyone who gets close to Ryan Miller borders on the ridiculous. I want to see how tough they are when they take on the Bruins or the Rangers.
* Full marks to Tim Gleason of the Carolina Hurricanes for going at it with Boston's Milan Lucic. In last night's game, Gleason went toe-to-toe with Lucic and didn't back down. Wonder who on the Sabres will do the same thing.
* Don Cherry continues to become more ridiculous as evidenced by his calling Edmonton Oiler rookie Nail Yakupov "an idiot" as a result of the 18 year old's goal celebration. Maybe one of those good old boy Canadians should have warned the young Russian before the season started that he must not show any emotion and be stoic. You can bet your bottom dollar that if this was some 18 year old from Kingston, Ontario that Cherry's reaction would be different. I wonder if Cherry has ever called P.K. Subban "an idiot".
* Kudos to Tim Graham and Jerry Sullivan for their work in Sunday's Buffalo News pertaining to Ray Lewis. If you get a chance check them out.
* NY Daily News columnist Bob Raisman this morning wonders whether or not a reporter will have the guts to press Lewis about what happened on that fateful night in Atlanta 13 years ago. My guess is the answer to that question is no.
* This Super Bowl could be tops in ridiculous statements from its participants. First, you have Joe Flacco saying that having next year's Super Bowl in New Jersey is "retarded". Then you have the bombastic 49er coach Jim Harbaugh proclaiming that Niner DE Justin Smith is one of the best all-time players in the NFL. And let's not forget Raven Terrell Suggs who is talking about Rex Ryan's tattoo. With media day today, can't wait for more pearls of wisdom.
* Knicks Coach Mike Woodson is going to have to get his team playing better defense if they are to have a good chance to play deep into the NBA playoffs.
* The Niagara-Canisius game on Sunday was reminiscent of year's gone by as it was a thriller that had people talking about it. All people except the gasbags at WGR 550. Too busy debating who is the Sabres number one center. Earth to gasbags: the Sabres don't have a legitimate number one center.
* Niagara University has something special going on at Monteagle Ridge with the Purple Eagles being first in basketball in the MAAC and the hockey team being ranked 17th in the country. Of course, you don't hear too much about this from Gasbag 550.
* And finally, the Yankees signed Juan Rivera to a minor league contract with the hope that the 34 year old could be their right handed hitting outfielder/DH. This must be the big January move that we have been waiting for from Brian Cashman. I wonder if Chad Curtis, Ricky Ledee or Shane Spencer are available.
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.
Tuesday’s Thoughts
While wondering if Jeremy White will be the Grand Marshall for the Sabres Stanley Cup parade, here is what's on my mind this morning:
* Ryan Miller was in the zone last night as Buffalo defeated the Maple Leafs 2-1. The Leafs had plenty of chances but could not capitalize, particularly on the power play where they were 1 for 7.
* Not sure if I have heard a worse broadcast team than the duo of Kevin Sylvester and Rob Ray. How these two picked Patrick Kaleta as the "Miller Time" player of the game is unreal. Kaleta's ill-timed penalty late in the game resulted in the Leafs lone goal and provided for some scary moments for Sabre fans. How Ryan Miller wasn't selected beats the hell out of me.
* One would think that James Reimer will get a start either in Pittsburgh on Wednesday or Thursday at home against the Islanders.
* The Los Angeles Kings are in need of a defenseman. Wonder if Dave Nonis will look to make a deal since the Leafs would seem to have too many defenseman especially with Jake Gardiner due to come back later this week.
* The Super Bowl is set as San Francisco will take on Baltimore. Get ready for the over-hyped angle of the Harbaugh brothers coaching against each other. First Super Bowl in a long time that I have no rooting interest.
* Brace up for two more weeks of the inspirational Ray Lewis story. Makes me want to puke!!
* Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam needs to tell his right hand man, Joe Banner, to concentrate on the upcoming draft and keep his mouth shut. Banner went back and forth with Eagles owner Jeff Lurie and then tried to explain away his failure to bring Chip Kelly to Cleveland as head coach.
* As has been reported since November, Banner has hired Mike Lombardi to be the Browns Director of Player Personnel. I'm getting a bad feeling already of what lies ahead for the Browns. Prediction: Banner, Lombardi and Chudzinski will all be fired in 3 years. Hope I'm wrong.
* When will everyone realize that the New England Patriots and the Green Bay Packers are flawed teams. Both defenses are not championship material.
* Does anyone really care that the Pro Bowl will be played Sunday??
* Looks like this year's March Madness will be wide open as none of the top teams look dominant. Wouldn't it be something if a Butler won it all??
* Weren't Yankee fans being told during the Winter Meetings that Brian Cashman does his best work in January?? Well, it's January 22 and the Yanks right-handed hitting outfielder appears to be the 34 year old Matt Diaz or the 26 year old Russ Canzler. Diaz hit .222 last year for the Braves with 2 home runs in 51 games. His best season was in 2009 when he hit .313 in 125 games with 13 HRs and 58 RBIs. Canzler was claimed on waivers three times this winter. And don't forget they have Chris Stewart and Francisco Cervelli behind the plate. Boy, sure seems like the makings of a great summer!!
* R.I.P. Stan Musial and Earl Weaver.
* And finally, when will the Gasbags on GR550 begin the call for Jonas Enroth??
My Expectation For 2013 Maple Leafs
It's been a long wait, but tonight the NHL season begins for the Toronto Maple Leafs as they face-off against their long time rivals the Montreal Canadiens. In light of the trading of Matthew Lombardi, the waiving and subsequent demotion of Tim Connolly and no trade for a veteran goalie (Roberto Luongo), it appears that the Leafs are content to go with more youth. And I'm in total agreement with this path.
Several months ago, I believed that the Leafs should get Luongo. The pressure was on to make the playoffs at all costs. After all, plenty in the media were saying that in order for Brian Burke to keep his job the playoff drought needed to end. But with Burke gone and Dave Nonis being given the reins long term, it makes more sense not to mortgage the future to get Luongo since the Canucks are still wanting a huge ransom for him. With a promising crop of prospects available in this year's draft, coupled with the young corp that they already have and plenty of cap space available heading into next season, it makes sense for the Leafs to go with youth.
If the Leafs make the playoffs this year, I will be as excited as the next member of Leaf Nation. But more than a low seed playoff spot, I want to see Jake Gardiner back and continue to progress. I want to see the line of Leo Komorov-Nazem Kadri-James Van Reiemsdyk develop into an aggressive hard charging third line that makes it tough to play against the Leafs while also providing some scoring punch. I want to see Tyler Bozak take his game to another level. I want to see Phil Kessel continue on an upward trend. I want to see Dion Phaneuf grow more into the captain's role and be a leader on the ice. I want to see the Leaf special teams improve to the point where they are a strength. I want to see the young goalies, James Reimer and Ben Scrivens, develop into a good NHL goalie tandem. I particularly want to see James Reimer bounce back. And I want to see Nikolai Kulemin revert back to his 2010-11 form.
To me, making the playoffs would be a side benefit for the Leafs. What is more important is seeing progress from the young players that the Leafs currently have. If they don't succeed, the Leafs will be in a position to select a franchise-type prospect. More than anything else, there is reason to be hopeful that this franchise is turning the corner. I've believed that for the last 2 years based on the young talent that has been brought in. Now is the time to let the kids play and let the chips fall where they may. Can't wait for it all to start tonight. And there would be nothing better than a win over Montreal on a Saturday night. Go Leafs Go!!!!
Leafs Making The Right Moves
The opening of the NHL season is a little over 24 hours away and the direction of the Toronto Maple Leafs under new GM Dave Nonis seems to be directed toward youth and for me it's the right move. On Wednesday evening, the Leafs moved Matthew Lombardi to Phoenix for a 2014 fourth round draft pick which could turn into a third round pick if Lombardi re-signs with the Coyotes at the end of this season.
To further clear up space for young players, the Leafs yesterday put Tim Connolly on waivers. Connolly was one of the worst free agent signings by Brian Burke. The oft-injured center hardly made an impact last year playing like a third or fourth line center as opposed to being the guy to center Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul. On Wednesday, Coach Randy Carlyle indicated that he was not happy with Connolly's effort in practice. It's highly unlikely that anyone will claim Connolly with his $4.75 million salary cap hit which could mean that he will find himself playing with the Marlies.
These moves would indicate that Nonis is ready to give more younger players a chance to excel in the NHL. It would appear that Nazem Kadri would be a lock to start with the Leafs. It was reported in the Toronto Star that Kadri was paired with newly acquired James Van Riemsdyk and Leo Komorov. Komorov is the type of player that the Leafs have been looking for as he is a banger who will go into the corners and be a real pest to an opponent. The Leafs haven't had that since Darcy Tucker. Van Riemsdyk is a big body who likes to go to the net and has a good scoring touch. Take these two and add them with the offensive skills of Kadri and the Leafs could have a very talented high energy third line. The other factor to consider: this line is young. Komorov is the oldest at 25, while Van Riemsdyk is 23 and Kadri is 22.
Who is kept on the defense corp is also going to be interesting. It appears that Jake Gardiner is close to coming back from his concussion. Obviously, Dion Phaneuf, John-Michael Liles and Carl Gunnarsson will anchor the blue line along with Gardiner. It would seem that Cody Franson will also be a part of the team's defense corp. The competition will be for the sixth and seventh spots. Based on reports, Marlies Mark Fraser and Mike Kostka have outperformed veteran Mike Komisarek. Would the Leafs send Komisarek down to the Marlies?? What is also interesting is whether or not Korbian Holzer has a shot of making the big team.
The Leafs must get their roster down to 23 by 3pm today and it will be interesting to see who makes the trip to Montreal. Tomorrow, I will share what my expectations are for the upcoming 48 game schedule and the goaltending situation. Go Leafs Go!!!
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