The Leafs Hate Us

So the Leafs scratch and claw to get this:

And then the Habs do them a favour by losing to the Rangers and the Leafs respond by...blowing the game in the third after they had tied it early. At the end of the year when people are asking why the Leafs are not in the playoffs the answer will not be found by laying the blame at the feet of Raycroft or any other individual but in the major defensive breakdowns (easily the cause of the majority of the goals against) that came at crippling times (the 3-2 goal tonight). Whether it was a lack of concetration, failing to clear the zone when within five feet of the blueline or RUNNING INTO EACH OTHER!!!! these braincamps have always been of the soul crippling variety.

Maybe the Leafs needed a dispiriting loss (Buffalo, NYR) so that they could be ready for Saturday night against the Habs. If they win then tonight can be forgotten but of course now the Leafs are dependent on the help of a Flyers team that is out of the playoffs and a Devils team that has already clinched the Atlantic Division. Suddenly this plan does not seem so great. At the end of the day all that the Leafs can do is win.

An Open Letter to the Maple Leafs

Hey Guys,

Tough game tonight eh? I know you guys don't like pressure and knowing that a win would have put you in a tie for 7th must have raised the blood pressure a bit. That must be why you guys made about a month's worth of mental errors in the game tonight. 7-2? You guys knew it was game 79 tonight right? I don't know if anyone told you but April Fools ends at noon and this game certainly wouldn't have found itself on any list of accepted pranks.

It sort of reminded me of the way that you guys came out and were destroyed in back-to-back games in Montreal last year. The team was really left for dead after that pair of stinkers but you guys reeled off a 9-1-2 finish to the season. It was not enough to make up the ground since you didn't play any teams that you were chasing. I guess playing with the lowered expectations of the fanbase and press felt liberating but it's not something I would encourage.

The reaction tomorrow in the press and among a lot of fans will be to quit on the team. Last Saturday morning, after your great third period against the Sabres, the papers were awash with articles about how the team didn't deserve to be in the playoffs and how the season was over. Then Sunday morning, after the 4-1 win, they ran the complete opposite stories. Seriously, it was like reading freaking Mad Libs that were filled in with an optimistic viewpoint instead of their usual pessimistic spin. You can expect to read a lot of the same tomorrow. If it helps you play the kind of hockey that saw you beat the Devils, Sabres, Hurricanes, and Penguins than you should accept the pessimism. Feel liberated from the crushing expectations of a fanbase that has not celebrated a Stanley Cup in 38 seasons.

If you can rebound from today's debacle like you did after blowing leads against the Sabres and Penguins then you'll be in good shape. Your destiny is still in your own hands but don't think that it means that you are expected to beat three teams that you have dominated this year (not entirely in results but on the balance of play). That might increase the pressure and we wouldn't want you guys squeezing your sticks or letting opposition forwards stand unmolested in front of the net. Not only do you guys face the worst team in the East (Philadelphia) at home and a DiPietro-less Islanders squad that could already be eliminated from the playoffs by game time but you get to face your oldest rival on home ice in a game that will most likely decide the 8th seed.

Those three games look pretty winnable but only if you play the kind of hard forechecking, opportunistic hockey that has kept you guys in the playoff race despite losing over 330 man games to injury. Three wins would see you guys qualify for the playoffs and since you'll be expected to get drilled in the first round you'd probably have a chance at springing a surprise since it would be totally unexpected. Let me tell you that a playoff spot in itself would be appreciated greatly. Things are hard enough as fans when your drought is heading towards 4 decades but when you miss the playoffs you really put us in a tough position. Fans of other teams start crawling out of the woodwork to take potshots not to mention having to deal with the bandwagoners. A playoff spot would be appreciate but no pressure. That's the last thing you guys need.

Leafs Charged with Attempted Murder, Escape with Win

Luckily for the Leafs Julie Beattie, a nurse from McMaster University Hospital (I hear that she walks and talks a little faster than her Brock counterparts), was in the stands as her quick reaction and CPR training saved the life of a fan that had just seen his team cough up a 4-1 lead for the second time in the past fortnight when Ryan Whitney buried his shot with just over four seconds remaining in the third.

Like that Sabres game a scant eight days ago, there is a lot of good to take away from this game. Andrew Raycroft played a very good game. The three goals could hardly be laid at his feet (in order their would be Kubina, Poni, and Poni/McCabe's fault) and his play through the first 55 minutes was what must be replicated tonight against the Rangers in order to keep the Leafs in the playoff picture. For those first 55 minutes the Leafs held a team that they had struggled against under control and had built a strong lead. And the biggest plus was the Leafs' reaction to losing their lead late. Instead of folding up their tent they came out and completely dominated the overtime period before Tomas Kaberle scored his second of the game on a long shot from the point. The Leafs certainly picked the perfect game in which to break their goose egg against the Pens.

Tonight the Leafs play their game in hand on the Habs as they travel to Madison Square Garden to take on the Rangers. Last night the Leafs received no help as the Rangers, Lightning, and Habs all won their games (Stupid Buffalo!). The season series stands at 2-0-1 in the Leafs favour including a 5-4 loss in overtime that featured a barnstorming third period by the good guys, a 9-2 blowout which saw Wellwood and Ponikarovsky tally five points, and a 2-1 nailbiter in one of Raycroft's best performances as his 37 saves featured a few of the spectacular variety. The Leafs will be facing a white-hot Henrik Lundqvist and the usual suspects (Jagr, Straka, Nylander) who will need to be shut down to give the Leafs a chance to not only leapfrog the Habs but tie the Rangers for 7th in the conference.

A Tale of Two Games

Leafs 6 v. Hurricanes 1: Relentless

Secondary scoring carried the day in this game, as Ninja noted, because the top two lines played the Hurricanes big guns to a standstill. Carrying on from three great (mostly) games against the top two teams in the east the Leafs established their forecheck early and used it to cause numerous turnovers. Again, most teams in the conference do not have the size to deal with the top line or the skill to make breakout passes under pressure, at least not throughout their defence corps. When the buds can get this part of their game going the opposition, especially teams that rely on speed and quick puck movement, struggle to create the chances off the rush that fuel their offence. This game gave the Leafs the season series with a 3-1 mark.

Leafs 2 v. Thrashers 3 (OT): Crap

Boyd Devereaux clearly did something wrong to someone on the Thrashers in some past lifetime because he was getting run all over the ice. Unfortunately, it was the pattern of the game. No one from the Leafs outside of the usual suspects (Carlo and Kilger) replied in kind. The Leafs certainly created enough chances to win but as in so many losses the finish was not present. In the end, they let themselves get beat on a terrible penalty call after the defence had lost track of Kovalchuk! The worst part were the two blown calls on Pohl (before) and Sundin (after) that the referees apparently missed.

I have noticed that the referees have been missing more calls, letting more go, and calling more useless penalties (player reaches out stick, taps puck carrier, gets called for hooking). I imagine that it will only get worse in the playoffs. The loss (and thank God for that point) gave the season series 3-1 to the Thrashers a year after the Leafs swept them. This sets up the Leafs for a huge (and rare) Saturday/Sunday back-to-back with the Penguins and Rangers. Head over to the BoO for in-game comments.

A Week in the Life of the Leafs (March 19-26)

This week had the potential to be more about the death of the Leafs playoff hopes than offering any sort of hope but it ended up providing the latter (with an early dose of the former). Three games against the top two teams in the East were skillfully handled (for about 171:15) and personally it gave me the belief that the Leafs are rounding into form just in time. They control their fate as their schedule gives them games against each of their rivals (except Tampa, dammit). Here's a quick look back at the games.

Leafs 2 v. Devils 1: Sweet Revenge

Wade Belak got the sideshow out of the way early with a looong fight in which he took the decision with some good early shots but kudos to the scrub for playing his role. He could have spent his three minutes on the ice hiding but he didn't. In the game, the Leafs picked up goals from Kyle Wellwood (who says his return wasn't like a deadline pick-up now?) and the suddenly scorching hot Nik Antropov. Both were set up by the captain on rushes in which he hit the zone with a full head of steam. Raycroft got some help from the posts as he outdueled Martin Brodeur.

Leafs 4 v. Sabres 5: Heartbreak

Well this was a gut-punch game if I have ever seen one. At 4-1 I was soaring. Devereaux-Steen-Stajan was the best line on the ice and Raycroft had barely been tested. Then a funny thing happened as the Leafs got greedy. Not content with taking the gift from the hockey gods (the fourth goal) and going home to attempt to complete the sweep over the Eastern Conference's best team the Leafs tried to run up the score. It quickly fell apart as a couple of bad line changes, a terrible tripping call on Kubina, a soft play by Carlo, and a missed timeout (Maurice knew that the next whistle after the 4th goal was a tv timeout but his team couldn't last until the next whistle) cost the Leafs their hard-earned points.

Leafs 4 v. Sabres 1: Resilience

I won't lie. After the previous night's events I was expecting the Leafs to get buried. But the coaching staff dedicated themselves to showing the team how they had dominated the Sabres for most of the previous evening and wouldn't you know it, they repeated it at home for their 5th straight home win. Again, the Steen-Stajan-Devereaux line was golden as both kids were playing with an incredible amount of confidence and skill. They are both becoming very difficult to handle in the offensive zone while maintaining their defensive responsibility. Darcy Tucker potted a couple of goals including a Leafs powerplay special in celebration of the reunion of PP # 1.

These three games, minus the meltdown, have to have instilled a huge amount of confidence in the entire team. If they can keep it going against the Hurricanes then they will start to build the kind of momentum that saw them finish last year on an 11-1-2 streak and with the team gelling after a season of injuries they look like a team that could make some noise in the playoffs. But first things first, time to beat the storm.

A Week in the Life of the Maple Leafs

Tuesday March 13, 2007 - Leafs 3 v. Lightning 2: Season Sweep

This game was closer than it had to be as the Leafs' shooters again made a subpar goalie look like a world beater. The game was one-way traffic for the first 50 minutes as the Leafs completely dominated the play save for Ian White's lovely deflection into his own net and Dan Boyle potting a shorty 20 seconds after clipping Mats in the face. Great call.

Thankfully, the Leafs were able to eventually take the lead courtesy of a personal favourite, Nik Antropov, who showed some good anticipation and hands in creating some space for himself down low before tucking a shot in at the far post.

Friday March 16, 2007 - Leafs 1 v. Capitals 5: I Want A Refund

Stupidly, I thought that a well-rested Leafs team might be able to handle a Hershey Bears team that had lost to the Bruins the previous night and in fact was on a 9 game win streak. Unfortunately, Olaf Kolzig was back in net and with the Leafs in the mood to make Johnson look great they were not going to get any favours playing against an actual world class goalie.

I compounded my error by purchasing the LeafsTV interactive feed for my computer. In a pinch it is actually worth it but that money would have bought me more happiness if they had been used for anything else. The worst part was that my buddy and I were conversing over MSN about how McCabe seems to have picked up his defensive play over the past few games and had dedicated himself to a simpler game. Literally 20 seconds later he tried to freaking pokecheck Alex Semin in front of the net. HIT HIM!

Saturday March 17, 2007 - Leafs 2 v. Canadiens 3 (SO): St. Patrick Returns

Maybe the Leafs' long-term plan is to screw the Habs over by making them think that Jaroslav Halak is a good goalie rather than a goalie that is benefitting from a Leafs team that has gone into another offensive funk. The Spirit of St. Patrick (no, Roy is not dead) was certainly in a giving mood for the Habs. I missed the Tucker-Bouillon fight but I heard it was a much fairer tilt than last time what with the Hab waiting for Tucker to join the fight before punching him in the face.

The Leafs' again dominated the Habs (that's 6 times out of 7 for those keeping count) and again lost in a shootout. Mats went to his patented move, top shelf, but Wellwood lost the handle on his deke, Perreault ran out of room, and Tucker took a bad shot. Unused after their previous success were O'Neill and Steen. Raycroft was looking good until Koivu scored with the Habs' third shot and Andrei Kostitsyn potted the winner.

The upcoming week sees the Leafs host the Devils and Sabres to bookend a trip to Buffalo. The Leafs will probably have to pick up three points at a minimum which means that the forwards cannot be happy chucking 30 shots at the net. They have to tap their inner-snipers and find a way to shot somewhere other than at the goalie's crest. Anywhere else. Ask McCabe how he misses the net entirely and adjust a bit.

A Week In The Life...

The past week for the Leafs has seen Wellwood and Tucker make their returns to the lineup, Kaberle continue his recuperation from the scrub's hit, a couple of tough losses, a stultifying win, and a momentum shifting comeback.

Saturday March 3, 2007 - Leafs 1 v. Sabres 3: Will No One Finish?

The Leafs hosted a Sabres team that was ripe for the picking as they were (and continue to be) in their first real injury crisis since last year's playoffs. I guess the Leafs understood how they felt and wanted to do their part to help the Sabres through their troubled time. It was a magnanimous gesture on the part of the Leafs but one that they could hardly afford. Despite keeping a lid on the Slugs the buds coughed up enough mental errors and missed chances to allow the team from across the Peace Bridge to steal a 3-1 decision.

If you assume that the Leafs will face the Sabres in the first round if they qualify then it could hvae been a strategic move to play the inept possum. However, considering the Leafs have two games left against these same Sabres then you would not be wrong in thinking that the Leafs lacked a certain finishing edge to their chances. Something that a player like Tucker or Wellwood could provide when healthy.

Tuesday March 6, 2007 - Leafs 3 v. Capitals 0: Shoot Me

This was a terrible game that lacked flow, passion, and excitement but the Leafs won so I cannot be too upset despite having to pay MLSE's ridiculous prices. We kept joking that we did not realize that Ovechkin and Semin were healthy scratches as they were completely invisible. Raycroft had a good solid game as he turned away 24 shots for his second shutout of the season and Tucker picked up the GWG. Yanic Perreault scored his first goal in his third run with the team on a nice burst of speed down the boards before slotting the puck behind the Hershey Bears' starting goaltender. Nik Antropov and Alex Ponikarovsky combined to ice the game on a nice bit of interplay. Poni dropped the puck at the blueline and drove to the net where he deflected Antro's low, hard shot into the net.

Thursday March 8, 2007 - Leafs 1 v. senators 5: No Goals Please, We're Grinders

This was a game of missed opportunities as Travis Green, Matt Stajan, Bates Battaglia (TWICE!), and John Pohl all missed wide open nets. Each (save for Green's) came at crucial junctions that could have changed the momentum of a game that saw the senators score on their first two powerplays and one of Toronto's. Not the start that the Leafs wanted to this home-and-home series with their nemesis.

Saturday March 10, 2007 - Leafs 4 v. senators 3 (OT): Domination Rewarded

I stretched my personal win streak to three games with this one although the result was in doubt for most of the game. It was an odd one that, despite numerous scoring chances for the Leafs, had a bit of a dull feeling to it until the last 10 minutes of the third. The senators looked poised to steal a win on the back of some opportunism and excellent goaltending by Ray Emery despite being heavily outplayed by the good guys.

First, Boyd Devereaux scored on the only mistake in an otherwise stunning display of goaltending when he sneaked a shot over the shoulder of Ray Emery who had gone down too early. Then, Mats outskated Wade Redden and slipped a pass to the much maligned Nik Antropov who used his 8 foot reach to whack home his own rebound. That set the stage for the Leaf fans' sweetheart, Darcy Tucker, to finish the game off on a nice one-two with Pavel Kubina to notch his second goal of the game. The ACC erupted as the Leafs' faithful celebrated a deserved victory and smug sens' fans sat shocked wondering how another lead slipped away in the third.

Wellwood made a welcome return to the Leafs lineup and his skill showed as he set up a number of chances. Last night was the first time since December 19th that he and Tucker were both in the lineup. No surprise that one of them was the difference in the game as both picked up stars. They provided the skill and finishing that was lacking on Thursday night and that has cost the Leafs so many points in 2007. The race for eighth is down to the final 13 games and the cavalry looks to have made its appearance just in time.

Leafs 4 v. Devils 3 (SO): A Call to Arms (Elbows)

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This part is just to blow off some steam. I don't actually want to see anything other than clean hits on Janssen. Lots and lots of clean hits. And a fight with Belak.

Let's get the hit out of the way first. You can see the video on YouTube but I cannot link to it because I can feel my blood pressure rising with each viewing. It was a disgusting hit from an absolute scrub. A hit by such a gutless puke that he did not touch the ice for the rest of the game despite Belak not being in the lineup. Of course the referee, Kelly Sutherland (that's a girl's name) missed the hit. He was probably stoned.

The hit was late (later than the Neil hit on Drury) and from the blindside. But that's not what gets the hackles up since, in my opinion based on the replays, Neil's hit was not an attempt at a headshot. This hit was different as you can see Janssen make a clear move to not only hit Kaberle's but to drive through his head. As a proxy, look at the Letowski hit on Armstrong earlier in the season. The frustration is only amplified by the realization that Colin Campbell's Wheel of Justice will most likely fall on a 0 game suspension. With that disgusting thought in mind, Al Capone sums up the message that should be sent to Belak and Tucker and whoever else is in position to get Janssen:

I want you to get this f-ck where he breathes! I want you to find this nancy-boy Cam Janssen, I want him DEAD! I want his family DEAD! I want his house burned to the GROUND! I wanna go there in the middle of the night and I wanna PISS ON HIS ASHES!

The Leafs did nothing at the moment of the hit and I will atribute that to the fact that the play was going up ice and that Ms. Janssen did not see the ice again. However, on March 20th I want to see vengeance. Whether it's Belak fighting him three times or the Leafs repeatedly running Elias, Gionta, Parise, or any other skill player on the Devils I want some price to be paid. If the league won't handle things then they will see some vigilante justice which I am sure will make Campbell happy. That must be why his suspensions are so haphazard and ineptly handed out. He wants to see it happen. I hope the Leafs give him his money's worth.

As for the game, the Leafs looked completely out of it as they played their way to a 2-0 deficit but something funny happened in the third period. The Leafs' defenders took up the charge for their fallen compatriot. First Carlo burst through the Devils' defence and pick up a nice Steen pass before deking Brodeur. Then White took a good point shot on the powerplay that was tipped in by Antro before Hal Gill scored on a shot that deflected off of Paul Martin's stick.

The Leafs looked poised to cap the comeback before Bryan McCabe and a bad bounce conspired to send the game to overtime. Nothing was settled in the extra period so the Leafs tooke their 3-6 record into the shootout. Stajan (despite deking Brodeur out of his jockstrap) and Sundin both missed their opportunities before "Don't Panic It's" Yanic Perreault, Alex Steen, and Jeff O'Neill all tallied to give God's team an improbable victory. The boys can't dwell on the win for too long as they travel home to face the Sabres who are 8-1-1 in their last 10 and just waxed the Leafs 6-1 on Tuesday. Kaberle will be out of the lineup so the team will have to show the same jam as their did in the third period last night or that effort will have been wasted.

Leafs 4 v. Devils 3 (SO): Early Thoughts

WOOOOHOOOOO!!!!!

Death to Janssen, Death to Lou, and Death to the Devils!!

More tomorrow. What a game.

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Leafs 5 v. Flyers 2 - Saturday February 24th
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Too often the Leafs find a way to lose games against teams like this year's Flyers. After trading away Forsberg this was a team playing the schedule out with an eye towards next season. However, on Saturday night the good guys were able to overcome any complacency (of course the next two games were a different story) to quite handily put the league's cellar dwellars to the sword. The line of Steen-O'Neill-Stajan were at their best cycling the puck well and creating numerous scoring chances. Steen and O'Neill led the way with a goal and an assist in a game in which the result was never in doubt. The win leaves the Leafs with a 3-0 lead in the season series.

Leafs 4 v. Canadiens 5 - Monday February 26th
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I defy any Leaf fans to tell me that the first two periods of this game did not give them post-traumatic stress flashbacks of the two games in March of last year which effectively killed the Leafs' playoff hopes. Against a team that borders on incompetent 5-on-5 a key to the game is to stay out of the box. When the powerplay is their one weapon and your penalty killing is 26th in the NHL it behooves a team to play disciplined.

Instead, as Raking Leafs notes, the Leafs played the part of the Montreal Canadiens in getting dominated physically while Les Habitants showed that they still possessed a bit of mettle. The third period saw Maurice juggle the lines in an attempt to revive the Leafs' flagging hopes. It worked.

The game returned to the form of the five previous games between the two storied franchises as Toronto asserted their size advantage and dictated the pace of the game. Lo and behold, the Leafs were rewarded as first Jeremy Williams and then Alex Steen tallied to bring the score to 5-4. Unfortunately, the rally ended there as Aebischer shook off the Swiss Goalie Disease to shut the door and a late, blatant high-stick on Mats was missed by all four officials.

Leafs 1 v. Sabres 6 - Tuesday February 27th
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The Leafs are running out of gas. The great stretch to start off the year has petered out into some terrible mix of MASH and Slap Shot.

This game came right out of the Bruin's book 'How to Make Leaf Fans Kick Kittens'. The Leafs came out with jump and drew three penalties in the first period and scored on none of them (Where are thou Tucker?). The Sabres promptly went down the ice and score on a rebound as the normally reliable Devereaux lost his man on the backcheck. Two bad bounces later the Leafs are down 3-0.

Finally, Ponikarovsky scores a goal and the Leafs are coming on! Unfortunately, their hands are still...somewhere in Montreal...so the chances go wanting. Then a boneheaded move by Ponikarovsky (hey, weren't you just the hero?) led to a scrambled play, another crappy bounce, and a 4-1 lead for the Sabres. 4 goals on 11 shots only tells half the story. The Leafs' shitty defensive play tells the other half. McCabe got the Alfie treatment from the home crowd which was a long time coming.

Maurice is hamstrung by the injuries to Wellwood, Tucker, and Peca. It wasn't a problem when the team was giving their all every night but that counted on contributions from guys that have never been counted upon to produce night in and night out. They were bound to hit a wall and they have done that. Unfortunately, Maurice can't institute a similar policy to that long-ago replacement coach. He cannot punish poor performance with a spot in the press box because who will he call upon?

Yanic Perreault our (Leafs) nation turns it's lonely eyes to you.

Leafs 2 v. Islanders 3 (SO): Who's a D-bag?

This guy is a douchebag. Can a Catholic put a fatwah on someone's head? Who will rid me of this meddlesome referee. While not on the level of Gretzky-gate it was nonetheless another atrocious call by the head douchebag himself. If I was a Leaf and he was reffing another game this year I'd take those stripes are targets. Another lost point against an Islanders game that the Leafs for the most part dominated. Bitter Leaf Fan takes a much more reasoned approach.

I was at my sister's play, Nunsense, (HILARIOUS) so I missed the game but read The Star and you'll see that my pet peeve of player's grabbing their opponent's stick and the referees assuming that it's a hook has finally bitten the Leafs in the butt. DiPietro is a cheater and Fraser is corrupt and now the Leafs are in 10th. Flyers are up next and the Leafs need to come ready to play.

Leafs 0 v. Bruins 3: Bogey Team

The Leafs biggest weakness this season and cause of a lot of lost points has been their inability or unwillingness to jump on opponents when given the opportunity. Third period leads were lost when the Leafs did not get the next goal and teams that should have been handled have instead done the handling. Kevin McGran notes that it's a killer instinct that seems, at times, to be missing from the Leafs.

Last night was the Leafs fifth loss to the Bruins. Their games have inspired two of my more despondent posts and it usually boils down to the same problem: The Leafs do not have the high-end creative talent to break down a team that sits back and defends with five men. So much of the Leafs' offence is predicated on a successful forecheck and crashing the net. However, in the games in which the Bruins have clogged up the slot and sat back all game the Leafs have been unable to work to their strengths. How they are the only team to realize this is a mystery but thank God because if every team played the Leafs like that they would have a lot fewer points.

Luckily, the Leafs head back on the road where they apparently morph into one of the top teams in the league (4th best road record). They better find their shooting hands because Thomas is no DiPietro. Thursday night will require a much better effort. On the bright side, that game probably helped JFJ realize that trading for the future is what needs to be done at the deadline.

The Final Word

"It seems like when you're playing well, you're working hard and you do get the breaks, too," said Sundin. "Hockey is one of those sports where you do have to earn your breaks a little bit. Tonight, we didn't."

The Captain sums up the keys to the game.

Leafs 4 v. Oilers 3: Symmetry

The pre-game ceremony was a tasteful affair that allowed each player to receive the crowd's affections. The loudest cheers were reserved for Johnny Bower, who is a regular at the games, and prodigal son Dave Keon. There was a nice bit of symmetry in the Leafs' win Saturday night. On the night that fans were able to cheer a player that had been in a self-imposed exile a Maple Leaf that has only recently begun to receive similar adulation from the Leafs' fan base showed once again that he is a unique talent.

While John Pohl impressed with his first multi-goal game it was Mats Sundin that sealed the victory with an incredible individual effort. I don't know the origin of the saying 'he beat him like a rented mule' but what Sundin did to Staios could have inspired it. In the end the Leafs needed a great save from Andrew Raycroft, who is on quite the streak, to seal the win after Ryan Smyth had deflected a wayward shot with a minute left in the game.

Watching the Oilers' defence struggle to put an outlet pass on the tape of an Oilers' forward (I counted 3 passes in the first period that went for icing) I wondered if some of the fans (read: Sean McCormick) regretted denigrating the Pronger for Kaberle and Steen trade. The season-long lament has been that the Oilers lack a PP quarterback and a puck-moving defenceman and we all know that Kaberle has evolved into one of the best in the league in both categories. Smid is young and still developing but the Oilers could have had Kaberle's prime years at a bargain price. As for Lupul and Steen, the offensive upside might be higher for Lupul but Steen is the much more complete player right now and has matched his counterparts offensive numbers this year.

The Leafs have a big week coming up a home date on Tuesday against the Bruins before hitting the road for dates at Nassau Coliseum and the Wachovia Center on Thursday and Saturday. In order to solidify their hold on 8th place the Leafs need to at least win two and one of them has to be the Islanders game. However, with the standings being as tight as they are the Leafs need to win all three in order to keep their chances at a better playoff spot alive.

A helmet tap to the group at Southeast Shootout for pointing the way to ESPN's Elias Bureau feature. Here is one that features the Leafs' captain:

Mats Sundin scored two goals and won 18 of 26 faceoffs in the Maple Leafs' 4-3 win over the Oilers. This was the third time over the past two seasons that Sundin has scored more than one goal and been "plus-10" or better on faceoffs. No other NHL player has had more than one such game over that span.

Leafs 4 v. Flyers 2: Fortuitous Scratch

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I missed this game but it sure sounded like a doozy on the radio. Between the warm-up and the opening face-off Peter Forsberg got trade to the Nashville Predators. Mirtle has a pretty good take on the trade. Not that it affects the Leafs unless they play the Predators in the final. Boy, would I be upset if that happened now.

Anyway, onto the game itself. The Leafs chased Michael Leighton with 3 first period goals off of the sticks of Carlo Colaiacovo, Jeff O'Neill, and Nik 'everybody hates' Antropov. The Leafs got into some penalty trouble and almost managed to let Philly all the way back but a fourth from Mats was enough to deliver the win and move the Leafs into the 8th and final playoff spot.

Considering the Leafs' dads were in attendance as part of a take your dad to work program I would assume that the flight back to Toronto had a lot of 'DAD! did you see when I hit the Flyer?" "DAD! did you see when I made that pass and it was almost a goal?". Maybe their presence inspired them. Well that or a desire to not get a timeout in front of the other kids.

After a long hiatus...

The Final Word

Andrew Raycroft started his 19th straight game, running his record in that span to 11-5-3. He was at his best in the third, when the Flyers outshot Toronto 16-3.

Razor keeps improving as the Leafs move up the table. Is there a way to play the remaining schedule on the road?

Leafs 2 v. Islanders 3 (SO): Pissed Away

Last season the Leafs had a 3-7 OT/SO record and they missed the playoffs by two points. This year the Leafs have 8 OT/SO losses. If the Leafs miss the playoffs then their goaltender's inability to stop penalty shots (12 saves on 20 shots) or the team's inability to score them will once again be the difference between a playoff run or running from the scorn of their fans. Antro and Poni are pet projects of mine but those were two terrible penalty shots. Why not use Kaberle more often after his sick deke against Aebischer? Or use Ian White? Just switch it up for the love of God.

Leafs are in 10th on goal differential but the Habs lost thanks to Eddie Belfour's shutout. Thanks Eddie! Could have used a couple more of those last year. But thanks anyway Eddie, give yourself a billion dollars.

I think habsgood of my new favourite site summed up the two games best:

What a beautiful loose. they go to special training to loose like this.

A special loose indeed.

Leafs 5 v. Penguins 6 (OT): Grit and Determination

Game Recap
Scoresheet
Statistics

Due to some problems that Hockey-Recap has run into the format for the game recaps will revert to it's original form. Thankfully, Hockey-Recap will return for next season because his stats page was one of the better creations on the net.

Anyone that missed this game missed one of the more exciting games of the season as well as a national coming out party for one of the game's great young talents. Jordan Staal scored a hat-trick, including the OT winner, and showed that the Calder race is probably being run between Penguin teammates.

The bright side of the game was that the Leafs managed to get a point from a game in which they were trailing 3-0 at the halfway mark. I am sure some of the fairer-weather fans had packed it in at that point but the Leafs stuck to their game plan of dumping it in and using their size to get their cycle going. The Soviet Bloc got the comeback rolling as Antropov scored the opener on a nice feed from Ponikarovsky from the side of the net. Mats knocked in a loose puck after some good forechecking resulted in a good scoring chance for Antro. Fleury made the initial save but it trickled behind him and was slipped in by Sundin.

The newly formed Redemption Line of Devereaux-Kilger-Battaglia chipped in with two goals as they constantly harried and hassled the Penguins defence into a number of turnovers and used their size and strength to match the top line's ability to control the puck in the offensive zone.

At the end of the day, the Leafs picked up a valuable point, regulation losses should be viewed as anathema, from a game in which it would have been easy for them to pack it in. It could have been two points if Bryan McCabe didn't break rule # 1 of defence - don't flop on your stomach within 6 feet of the net - but you can't teach an old dog new tricks.

Leafs 4 v. Hurricanes 1: Great Success!

Game Recap

Coach Paul 'Space Cowboy' Maurice could not have asked for a better birthday present as he celebrated his 40th in the rink where he had his greatest success. Andrew Raycroft stopped 28 of 29 shots including a first period penalty show and Nik Antropov used his quick hands and long reach to pot two goals in the third to break a 1-1 deadlock.

Bates Battaglia opened the scoring with his eighth of the year as he corralled a loose puck at the side of the net and slid it into a yawning cage. Ray Whitney tied the game on a breakaway that trickled in off both of Razor's pads. That would be the only time he was beat as he turned away everything that the Hurricanes could throw at him including a 17 save second period.

The Leafs successfully repeated the habits that helped them handle the Canadiens on Saturday night. The Hurricanes have a lot more skill and size than the Habs but the Leafs and especially their defence were able to handle the likes of Staal and Justin Williams, Cobourg's greatest export since Steve Smith (yes, that one). The forwards were at their forechecking and cycling best as the were able to neutralize the opposing D's ability to make a good first pass. The third goal by Antro actually came as a result of three consecutive shifts that hemmed the Canes in their own zone. The other half of The Soviet Bloc did not want to be left out of the limelight so Ponikarovsky dropped the mitts with David Tanabe in a pretty even matchup after the Leaf had a knee-on-knee collision with Brind'Amour. I did not get a good look at the hit but it looked like Rod was trying to get off the trolley tracks and did not quite make it.

Tomorrow night the Leafs travel to the Big Apple to take on the New York Rangers. They are currently tied on points with the Rangers having played one fewer game and possessing one more win [the first tie-breaker]. The last time these two teams met was the infamous 9-2 shellacking in TO that the boys in blue meted out to their guests. The Leafs have had trouble in NYC over the past few seasons so they will have to bring the same effort that has led to back-to-back 4-1 wins.

Leafs 4 v. Habs 1: Eight Is Enough

Game Recap

The Leafs kicked off their post-All Star schedule with an almost perfectly played game. Pavel Kubina had a hell of a game with two goals and an assist and the Leafs' special teams outdueled the Canadiens top ranked PP and PK. The Habs have gone 6-10 in their last 16 and have slowly been returning to the pack where they belong. Their heady position was built on excellent special teams and any Leaf fan can relate to how shaky that sort of foundation can be. The Habs are a deely flawed team that has been dominated in all five games by the Leafs and have picked up two wins on the basis of incredible goaltending and their special teams. This is the second game in Toronto between the two in which neither showed up and they were easily handled by a team that Sheldon Souray labelled as 'not as good as us' in post-game comments.

Easy Sheldon, I think you might be letting your place as Montreal's Bryan McCabe go to your head. I have a newsflash for you: Your team is not as good as the Leafs and the final standings will reflect that fact. I am sure that the Habs are glad that they will only have to face the Leafs three more times during the run-in to the playoffs. Not even with the Leafs laundry list of injuries could the Habs compete with the boys in blue. It was nice to see Souray, who will no doubt wrangle a ridiculous contract on the back of his wicked slap shot despite his complete inability to play defence (see last year's top 10 goals for 3 appearances by Monsieur 44 and he was not scoring them).

Andrew Raycroft had another game in which he made the big saves when needed (that's 3 of 4 since the Canucks debacle) and the team played the simple game. They rarely got caught turning the puck over in their own end, they chipped it out, and they dumped it in and worked to their strength. They dominated the Habs defence down low and caused numerous turnovers. On the powerplay, the second unit of Stajan, O'Neill, Steen, Kubina, and Carlo showed that they could be a viable threat with two goals and excellent puck movement.

The 4-1 defeat of the Canadiens was a great send-off before embarking on a five game road trip. There are 13 games left before the February 27th trade deadline. They include only four home games which in itself may be a blessing. The Leafs sport a 12-9-3 record away from the ACC and Andrew Raycroft is clearly more comfortable away from the boo-birds as his 11-5-1 attests.

Those 13 games include eight games against teams that are either in the playoffs but within striking distance or in the chasing pack on the ouside looking in. The first five will give JFJ a good indication of what sorts of deals he will be able to make. Bitter Leaf makes a good case for not giving up on the season while still making trades that will benefit the future of the team. Dave Shoalts outlines how Richard Peddie, Larry Tanenbaum and the rest of the MLSE board have put JFJ in a ridiculous position. He can either look out for his own best interests, in this case make short-term trades in order to make the playoffs and retain his job, or do the right thing for the club, cash in assets and build for the future, and risk being fired if the Leafs miss the playoffs.

JFJ has already walked down the path of self-preservation during the off-season and it left the Leafs with a Bryan McCabe contract that gives the team an anchor around its neck more than an anchor on defence and a Pavel Kubina contract that until recently was looking every bit as bad. My belief is that when JFJ examined the team last year he saw a team that missed the playoffs because of injuries to the forwards and shaky goaltending. He addressed the goaltending issue well (whether he made the right decision is up in the air considering most fans would have lived with an Aubin-Telly platoon and that Manny Legace was available cheaply since teams were inexplicably uninterested in him) but he made a calculated gamble based on the advice of the Leafs scouts and their depth at the goaltending position.

He addressed the forward issue by letting Allison and Lindros walk and allowing the younger forwards to take on a bigger role for the club. Despite the doomsday predictions about the lack of scoring the Leafs sit in the top quarter of the league in goals for. The problem lies in JFJ's decisions about the back-end. Kaberle's deal was a steal and he should receive credit. However, in examining the team's chances of success I think that JFJ looked at the powerplay and saw that he had to maintain it in order to have the best chance to save his job. That reasoning is how Bryan McCabe and Pavel Kubina ended up getting such large contracts. Yes, both would have probably received more on the open market (Kubina was offered more for longer by the Blues but chose Toronto) but keep in mind that Zdeno Chara, the kind of defenceman that chews up minutes and can shut down the opposition's top line, was available. Him and Jay McKee could have been available for the same money but JFJ must have felt that keeping the McCabe and Kaberle partnership was necessary for the powerplay to keep humming along which in turn gave the team, and by extension himself, the best chance to succeed. He didn't want to risk having the powerplay fall off because the team could not adapt to a different strategy on the powerplay.

So once again the Leafs and their fans enter a decisive period with a GM that has his own interests ahead of the team's long-term succes. He not only has to decide if Mats and Darcy remain Leafs but at what price. Will any of the Cup contenders make offers worthy of those two? When will he start/finish negotiations with the pair? If the Leafs are not able to decline Mats' option and negotiate a better deal (thereby reducing the $6.3M cap hit for next season) then will JFJ move him to a team like Anaheim and thereby free up a large chunk of cap space for the next Leafs star? If Darcy insists on more money or a longer term than the Leafs are willing to spend will he move him before he can leave for nothing? or will he cave and sign him to a McCabe-like deal? I love both players and they would be nigh on irreplaceable but if they were not then these would be easy questions to answer. As it stands, they run through my mind every day.

My own view is that if JFJ takes the easy route and tries to save his job again and succeeds (gets a playoff spot) it will most likely be a Pyrrhic victory because he will probably have traded some portion of the Leafs future to ensure short-tem gains. Leaf fans already frequently tear their clothes, refuse to cut their hair, and moan 'Pat Quinn/JFJ, give me back our future!' without tossing some more picks/prospects/youngsters to the mix. JFJ's next month needs to be focused on ascertaining if Mats and Darcy can be brought back at a good price or, failing that, what the best mix of players/prospects/and picks is that he can get for them. A couple of bad contracts or losing Darcy for nothing would be disastrous for the Leafs.

However, there is nothing that I can do but hope that the Leafs, injuries and all, have learned to succeed over the first 50 games and can use those lessons to reach the playoffs. Before the season I believed that they would make it and the signs have been distinctly positive of late. As for the rest, all I can do is hope for divine inspiration to strike JFJ.

Ups and Downs

Game Recap - Tuesday January 16, 2007 - Leafs v. Lightning

Game Recap - Thursday January 18, 2007 - Leafs v. Panthers

Game Recap - Saturday January 20, 2007 - Leafs v. Penguins

The good news is that while the Leafs were recovering from their fun in the Florida sun Andrew Raycroft was stealing them a couple of wins. The Soviet Bloc returned and powered the offence in the Tampa game with a goal and an assist each. The Florida game showcased JFJ's talent for spotting unappreciated players that could help the Leafs as Battaglia, Kilger, and Devereaux scored the goals. This probably the biggest mystery surrounding the Leafs' GM. He has shown a great skill for the little deal but not much for the blockbuster and that is worrisome as the Leafs head towards a deadline day in which they have several assets that could be moved to either build for the future (I hope) or make a last desperate push for the playoffs (a pyrrhic victory is successful) or he could sit on his hands again (the most likely scenario).

Unfortunately, Raycroft's great play apparently made the rest of the team think that they could be completely absent and they were buried in Pittsburgh. In a game that featured undisciplined play and some atrocious refereeing the Leafs were done in by their useless powerplay and their shockingly inept penalty kill. It is incredible just how much the Leafs PK misses Peca. The team suffered as they repeatedly lost defensive zone faceoffs and ran around like chickens with their head cut off. Travis Green has helped take some pressure off of Mats' shoulders on faceoffs but they both were outclassed by Crosby.

The good thing is that the Leafs have focused much more on the confidence that they derived from the two games in God's Waiting Room than the mess in Pittsburgh. The Leafs take on the Habs tonight, a team that they have dominated this season and save for some incredible goaltending would be 4-0 against, in Toronto. It will come down to the goalies which was a much scarier prospect two weeks ago.

Leafs 1 v. Canucks 6: Good Time Gang Gets Routed

Game Recap

On Saturday night, the Leafs played host to the Canucks. ACC patrons were treated to a ceremony celebrating the Canadian Armed Forces (a Hockey Day in Canada theme) and the stench of incense from the blue and green clad pot-smoking hippies. Some negotiating wizardry landed myself and three friends in the lower bowl where we were joined by a big chuck of the patchouli set. The atmostphere in the rink was great during the game and my one Canucks friend took all of the ribbing during the warm-up, the pre-game ceremonies, the first period, and the second period very well. Being the nice Toronto fans that the three of us are we decided to go easy on him during the third period. The Leafs decided to play the compliant host and followed suite.

The score notwithstanding, this was one of the most enjoyable nights out at a hockey game since Game 1 of the 2000 series against the sens. After the game about 300 fans surrounded the LeafsTV set to serenade Jody Vance, get pictures with the lovely host, and trade good-natured chants. It was probably confusing to the Canucks to see so many Leaf fans joining in the Raycroft chants but their drug-addled minds probably concocted some sort of explanation. The friendly atmosphere was a testament to the welcoming Leafs crowd and the Canucks fans that realized that despite large numbers they would probably have been routed in a fight (plus the pot makes them too apathetic to get worked up into a frenzy). sens and habs fans do not get the red carpet rolled out for them and I would guess that things are different for Canucks fans in Stabmonton but it was good to see two large groups of fans get along and it made for some good natured banter.

The big lesson that I learned from this game was: do not trash talk early. Earlier in the season I mocked Tim Thomas and the Bruins' defence only to see them shut down the Leafs in four straight game so I guess I should be grateful that the Leafs do not play the Canucks again until sometime in the 2044-45 season. Well, that's actually the second biggest lesson that I learned during the game. The most important revelation concerned Andrew Raycrfot the Leafs # 1 goaltender. Most people are probably expecting an expletive-laced, unhinged rant about the six goals and by most people I mean the Canadian government. But you will not find that here. I waited to write this because I am sure that if I had been able to type something up post-game it would have resembled the worst of internet message board fodder. Instead, I think I have solved the enigma that is the Andrew Raycroft situation.

The biggest issue is the recent history of the goaltending position for the Leafs. Raycroft does not have the luxury that Felix Potvin had of taking over the number one spot after Allen Bester, Peter Ing, Mark LaForrest, and a washed up Grant Fuhr had tended the net at the Carlton Cash Box. Raycroft has had to wrest the mantle of # 1 from the memories of Curtis Joseph and Eddie Belfour, two goalies who (last year notwithstanding) regularly stole games for the Leafs that they had no business winning and allowed the team to play a post-lockout run and gun game when most of the league was playing some version of the trap.

What is sometimes lost in all the hemming and hawing about Raycroft is that both of the aforementioned goalies came to Toronto as established stars. They had gone through the learning curve, they had honed their skills almost to perfection, and they had earned their fearsome nicknames through their success in the battle that is the playoffs. Raycroft has his own nickname, Razor, but he has not earned it in the same fashion as the other two. His potential (2003-2004 Calder Trophy Winner) has kept many in his corner, including myself, while his struggles in Finland during the lockout and last year have given many pause to question the trading of Tuuka Rask for a seemingly washed up goalie. The truth is that there is a long line of goalies that were voted the best at the WJHC and never made it and this year's performance by Rask was definitely underwhelming. Any suggestion that the deal has been a bust is premature to say the least.

The Leafs have a young team that will only get younger after this year. Raycroft is still working on perfecting his game. He already has 20 wins at the break. He could hit 30 easily. That is a very good figure for a goalie that only won 8 games in the last season before the lockout. He has a manageable three year contract at $2M/year after which the Leafs will be able to re-sign him if his development continues or well placed to chase a free agent goalie to give Justin Pogge (then 23) a little more time to develop if he is not already set to take over the reins. Raycroft has the game to be an elite goalie in the NHL and his Calder Trophy is proof of that ability. He is coming off two disastrous years but has shown in many games the level to which he can aspire. The difficult thing for Leaf fans and the team's management will be whether they are patient enough to see if he can find the consistency that the Leafs need and he needs to properly lay claim to his nickname.