TMLsHockeyBlog

Crawford lets the puck slide past him in overtime and the Blackhawks lose in another tight game with the Coyotes PHOTO: nhl.com So, we've made it to the halfway point of the first round of the playoffs, and it has been rather eventful when compared to previous years. Here is my breakdown of each series this far. VANCOUVER CANUCKS vs LOS ANGELES KINGS The Canucks finished this season with the best record in the NHL, which earns them the President's trophy, but things didn't quite go their way early in the playoffs. Daniel Sedin didn't play in their first three games for the Canucks as the Kings jumped to an 3-0 series lead. Vancouver would win game four with Daniel Sedin in the line-up, but have a big hill to climb. Roberto Luongo played in net for the Canucks in games one and two, and played considerably well, but Cory Schneider was given the call for game three to change things up. Despite the loss in game three, Schneider, who played well, was given the nod to start in net for game four which he won. This raises a lot of questions about the future of Luongo and whether or not he will be playing for the Canucks in the near future. The real goaltending story in this series is Jonathan Quick for the Los Angeles Kings. In my opinion he has been the best goalie of the playoffs thus far. Although the Kings are the eighth an final team to make the playoffs in the Western Conference, they are still a very good team with a very talented roster. I don't see the Canucks winning another three consecutive games to knock the Kings out. In fact, when the dust settles and the first round is behind us, I think Los Angeles will be many people's favourite for the Stanley Cup. ST. LOUIS BLUES vs SAN JOSE SHARKS After last nights win, the St. Louis Blues have a 3-1 series lead. The only game they lost happened in the second overtime. Even despite the injury to Jaroslav Halak, St. Louis' number one goaltender, they still managed to win with Brian Elliot in net. Although Elliot is the back-up goalie, he put up great numbers in the regular season and is continuing where he left off in the playoffs. Andy McDonald has been great as well as he leads the Blues offense with seven points. As for the Sharks, Neimi has played well enough to win most nights, but their top players need to start producing. Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski are still held pointless thus far in the series. PHOENIX COYOTES vs CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS Although Chicago is the lower seeded team in this match-up, many people considered them favourites to get past the Coyotes. With all the fire power and skill up front, it's surprising that the Blackhawks trail the Coyotes 3-1 in the series. Simply stated, Crawford has been bad in net for Chicago, and across the ice, Mike Smith has been phenomenal for the Coyotes. Granted, all four games were decided in overtime, but the last two games were decided by bad goals. In game three Crawford let in a goal from the icing line, and in game four he let a sliding puck get behind him. If the Blackhawks want to get back into this series, they need Crawford to start playing like a starting NHL goalie. But let's not put the whole blame on Crawford. Johnny Oduya, who the Blackhawks picked up at the trade deadline, is having an absolutely terrible run thus far in the playoffs. NASHVILLE PREDATORS vs DETROIT RED WINGS The Predators lead the series 3-1 over the Red Wings in another series where most games have been decided by a single goal. When things are that tight, it helps to have a goalie like Pekka Rinne in net. It also helps that Shea Weber is in the line-up and not suspended despite a vicious play involving him and Zetterberg earlier on the series. But that's another discussion entirely in itself. Who would've thought that two former Stanley Cup champions and one runner up, all within the last five years, would be on the brink of a first round elimination? Source

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yQX5XMYHvRk/T3agqYk_z2I/AAAAAAAAANM/m8mXhfcqM2c/s320/leafs+flyers.jpgLeafs are dominated by the Flyers PHOTO: mapleleafs.com The Toronto Maple Leafs suffer yet another humiliating loss at the hands of the Philadelphia Flyers and all is lost for many Leaf fans. While some fans are calling for General Manager Brian Burke to be fired, others are calling the Leafs the worst team in the league. The harsh words and opinions may simply be the aftermath of another disappointing season, which showcased a rather significant debacle. Regardless of anything, the fact of the matter is that the Leafs haven't appeared in the playoffs in eight years. But let's be honest, everyone calling for Burke's head and running around saying the Leafs are the worst team in the league, are the same people that were claiming to be the #1 Leaf fan a few months ago. So, sometimes things didn't go as planned. In fact, things went terribly. This season ends as a completely failure for the Maple Leafs, but why is everyone blowing up over how bad the team plays in meaningless games? After almost being a lock for the playoffs in January, the wheels came off the wagon and the Leafs find themselves in a lottery pick with half a dozen games left in the season. It's only logical that the players on the team would feel a little demoralized. I don't agree with the lack of effort the Leafs have put forth the last few games, but I'm not going to hold the teams future on the results of meaningless games. I, for one, am excited for the Leafs next season. Sure, it's the same thing most Leaf fans say every year, but this team has come a long way since Brian Burke took the helm as the GM. A clean slate after the harsh debacle this season will be good for the team. So for everyone who is going to watch the last four games of the season with expectations of seeing the Leafs play a great game, I'm sorry, but you will likely be disappointed. So take a nap, or fire up Netflix and start watching some NewsRadio if you can't handle watching the game tomorrow night.

The Toronto Maple Leafs suffer yet another humiliating loss at the hands of the Philadelphia Flyers and all is lost for many Leaf fans. While some fans are calling for General Manager Brian Burke to be fired, others are calling the Leafs the worst team in the league. The harsh words and opinions may simply be the aftermath of another disappointing season, which showcased a rather significant debacle. Regardless of anything, the fact of the matter is that the Leafs haven't appeared in the playoffs in eight years. But let's be honest, everyone calling for Burke's head and running around saying the Leafs are the worst team in the league, are the same people that were claiming to be the #1 Leaf fan a few months ago. So, sometimes things didn't go as planned. In fact, things went terribly. This season ends as a completely failure for the Maple Leafs, but why is everyone blowing up over how bad the team plays in meaningless games? After almost being a lock for the playoffs in January, the wheels came off the wagon and the Leafs find themselves in a lottery pick with half a dozen games left in the season. It's only logical that the players on the team would feel a little demoralized. I don't agree with the lack of effort the Leafs have put forth the last few games, but I'm not going to hold the teams future on the results of meaningless games. I, for one, am excited for the Leafs next season. Sure, it's the same thing most Leaf fans say every year, but this team has come a long way since Brian Burke took the helm as the GM. A clean slate after the harsh debacle this season will be good for the team. So for everyone who is going to watch the last four games of the season with expectations of seeing the Leafs play a great game, I'm sorry, but you will likely be disappointed. So take a nap, or fire up Netflix and start watching some NewsRadio if you can't handle watching the game tomorrow night. Source

I think my ball hockey team can put a pretty good match-up with the Habs haha...

i think burke has done an admiral job, but he hasnt done an absolutely amazing job. he has built up a good group of prospects in the marlies etc. and has brought some youth to the team that actually has skill. as i said before, when burke became the GM in Toronto he didn't have much to work with. Since he has became the GM he has made a much better team. There are a few terrible signings on the roster that you would like to avoid, but nobody is perfect, nobody is immune to such mistakes. I will say on thing though, despite the amount of garbage thrown on John Ferguson Jr, quite a few of the young Leafs/Marlies players are his draft picks. He may not have been a good GM, but he is definitely a good scout for the young players (either that or he got really lucky)

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DSK6m08WtZw/T2O_WJGk2-I/AAAAAAAAAM8/FAMqUTKEAA4/s320/reimer+and+kessel+celebrate.jpgJames Reimer and Phil Kessel celebrate after their victory PHOTO: mapleleafs.comQuite possibly one of the worst collapses in recent memory is that of the Toronto Maple Leafs this season. Two months ago the Leafs were in a respectable playoff position with hopes of playing in the post-season for the first time in almost a decade. However, a monumental collapse in February, that has continued into March as well, has left the Leafs stranded far from a playoff spot as they currently sit seventh last in the entire league. With the win yesterday, Toronto's record is 31-32-8 with only 11 games left in the season. But are the Maple Leafs really as bad as their record suggests? The Leafs only have three wins in their last 15 games, and many fans who were praising the team just a few months ago, are now turning against Brian Burke, with complaints that he hasn't assembled a good enough roster. In my opinion, such criticism is not fair to Brian Burke. Many are quick to judge, but have short memories. Before Brian Burke became the General Manager in Toronto, the teams top three forwards were Matt Stajan, Alex Ponikarovski and Nik Antropov. Now, our top three forwards are Phil Kessel, Joffrey Lupul, and Mikhail Grabovski, a big improvement from the previous three players listed. There is a simple way to sum up Toronto's woes this season. It isn't uncommon for a young team, who started out strong, watch their season crumble. This happened to the Leafs and they were unable to pull it back together. Add a coaching change and a new playing system and things get complicated even further. But are the Leafs a bad team? I don't think so. Sure, there are a few bad contracts on the team, but asides from those players, the Leafs are far from being a bottom ten team in the NHL. They may not be a Stanley Cup contending team, but they are definitely playoff contenders. Things didn't turn out that well for them this season, and the Leafs find themselves in a familiar position in the standings, near the bottom. After the playoff hopes went out the window, I am glad the Leafs continued to lose. There is no point in winning here and there and finishing just a few points out of a playoff spot but not having a top ten draft pick. It seems most fans understand this, and remember those years of finishing a few points out after the last lockout, yet these fans are the same ones that criticize the Leafs for losing a bunch of games. You can't have it both ways! So, I am looking forward to next season. A clean slate for the players to make up for the mid-season mistakes. A clean slate for the goaltending to step it up and for the defense to help the goalies out, instead of hanging them out to dry. All of this with a new coach and a new style of play, likely a more defensive strategy, and if all goes well, a high draft pick developing in the Leafs' system en-route to becoming a good contributor in the years to come.

James Reimer and Phil Kessel celebrate after their victoryPHOTO: mapleleafs.com Quite possibly one of the worst collapses in recent memory is that of the Toronto Maple Leafs this season. Two months ago the Leafs were in a respectable playoff position with hopes of playing in the post-season for the first time in almost a decade. However, a monumental collapse in February, that has continued into March as well, has left the Leafs stranded far from a playoff spot as they currently sit seventh last in the entire league. With the win yesterday, Toronto's record is 31-32-8 with only 11 games left in the season. But are the Maple Leafs really as bad as their record suggests?The Leafs only have three wins in their last 15 games, and many fans who were praising the team just a few months ago, are now turning against Brian Burke, with complaints that he hasn't assembled a good enough roster. In my opinion, such criticism is not fair to Brian Burke. Many are quick to judge, but have short memories. Before Brian Burke became the General Manager in Toronto, the teams top three forwards were Matt Stajan, Alex Ponikarovski and Nik Antropov. Now, our top three forwards are Phil Kessel, Joffrey Lupul, and Mikhail Grabovski, a big improvement from the previous three players listed. There is a simple way to sum up Toronto's woes this season. It isn't uncommon for a young team, who started out strong, watch their season crumble. This happened to the Leafs and they were unable to pull it back together. Add a coaching change and a new playing system and things get complicated even further. But are the Leafs a bad team? I don't think so. Sure, there are a few bad contracts on the team, but asides from those players, the Leafs are far from being a bottom ten team in the NHL. They may not be a Stanley Cup contending team, but they are definitely playoff contenders. Things didn't turn out that well for them this season, and the Leafs find themselves in a familiar position in the standings, near the bottom. After the playoff hopes went out the window, I am glad the Leafs continued to lose. There is no point in winning here and there and finishing just a few points out of a playoff spot but not having a top ten draft pick. It seems most fans understand this, and remember those years of finishing a few points out after the last lockout, yet these fans are the same ones that criticize the Leafs for losing a bunch of games. You can't have it both ways! So, I am looking forward to next season. A clean slate for the players to make up for the mid-season mistakes. A clean slate for the goaltending to step it up and for the defense to help the goalies out, instead of hanging them out to dry. All of this with a new coach and a new style of play, likely a more defensive strategy, and if all goes well, a high draft pick developing in the Leafs' system en-route to becoming a good contributor in the years to come. Source

So, I haven't put anything new up in about a week. If you want a Leafs update, they haven't scored in two games and I keep falling asleep while my TV is still on. I decided to make a list of some of my favourite posts and some of the most viewed posts on my blog, if you haven't checked them out before, give them a look... They are sorted from oldest to newest. Fifteen Ways To Become An Elite Hockey Player Defensive Mistakes and Coaching Errors - Leafs Lose Again Eric Staal and the Maple Leafs - Wishful Thinking Why Good Teams Never Trade Their Draft Picks and Comparing With The Leafs Leafs Have Messed Up Drafting For Twenty Years Leafs Trade Talks - Kulemin and Gunnarsson Is Dion Phaneuf the Most Overrated Player in the NHL? Concussion Prevention - Ten Questions Every Player Should Ask Themselves How Good Is Cody Franson and What Is He Worth? 2013 Winter Classic - Leafs vs Red Wings Rick Nash in a Maple Leafs uniform - Is it a good idea? Grabovski Trade Rumours - What Makes Sense? (pre-trade deadline) Leafs Fire Ron Wilson and Hire Randy Carlyle

So, I haven't put anything new up in about a week. If you want a Leafs update, they haven't scored in two games and I keep falling asleep while my TV is still on. I decided to make a list of some of my favourite posts and some of the most viewed posts on my blog, if you haven't checked them out before, give them a look... They are sorted from oldest to newest. Fifteen Ways To Become An Elite Hockey Player Defensive Mistakes and Coaching Errors - Leafs Lose Again Eric Staal and the Maple Leafs - Wishful Thinking Why Good Teams Never Trade Their Draft Picks and Comparing With The Leafs Leafs Have Messed Up Drafting For Twenty Years Leafs Trade Talks - Kulemin and Gunnarsson Is Dion Phaneuf the Most Overrated Player in the NHL? Concussion Prevention - Ten Questions Every Player Should Ask Themselves How Good Is Cody Franson and What Is He Worth? 2013 Winter Classic - Leafs vs Red Wings Rick Nash in a Maple Leafs uniform - Is it a good idea? Grabovski Trade Rumours - What Makes Sense? (pre-trade deadline) Leafs Fire Ron Wilson and Hire Randy Carlyle Source

Bruins celebrate second period goal vs LeafsPHOTO: mapleleafs.com The Toronto Maple Leafs were host to the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night in search of a win to revive their playoff aspirations, but things didn't go their way. As has been the tradition in the past, the Bruins dominated the majority of the game, especially the second period. The Leafs would lose the game by a score of 5-4.Toronto scored first and stayed in the game early, as the both teams bounced goals back and forth. The momentum began to seriously shift in Boston's direction late in the first period and continued in the second. A pair of quick goals from the Bruins in the second period was the turning point in this game. The Leafs would gain some momentum back in the third as Mikhail Grabovski, who just signed a 5-year contract extension, scored to cut the Bruins' lead in half. In the end though, some collapses in the Leafs defensive zone in the second period lost them the game. Randy Carlyle mentioned earlier this week that each player will have a specific role on the team under his coaching. That was evident as Jay Rosehill was inserted back into the Leafs starting line-up and fought Shawn Thornton. Colby Armstrong and Tim Connolly also dropped the gloves, although Tim Connolly and Brad Marchand were only given minor roughing penalties for their short tussle. More bad news came for the Leafs in terms of injuries. Toronto played half of the game with just three lines. Joffrey Lupul left the game early in the second period after being hit hard into the boards. The team is calling it an upper body injury. Colby Armstrong also left the game and didn't return after a fight between him and Dennis Seidenberg. On the plus side, Toronto's goaltending was much better than it has been recently. Despite what the scoreboard may lead one to believe, Jonas Gustavsson played a solid game. He looked quiet and steady from the start of the game and maintained that throughout the game. His rebound control was as good as it's been in any game this season. The loss tonight all but puts their playoff hopes to rest. Toronto heads into Pittsburgh tomorrow to play the Penguins. Then they will return home on Saturday to face the Flyers before heading into Washington on Sunday. Source

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UqhnZn4WagM/T1bOegNgHFI/AAAAAAAAAMk/TdS-ps68VCQ/s320/bruins+celebrate+goal+on+leafs.jpgBruins celebrate second period goal vs Leafs PHOTO: mapleleafs.comThe Toronto Maple Leafs were host to the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night in search of a win to revive their playoff aspirations, but things didn't go their way. As has been the tradition in the past, the Bruins dominated the majority of the game, especially the second period. The Leafs would lose the game by a score of 5-4. Toronto scored first and stayed in the game early, as the both teams bounced goals back and forth. The momentum began to seriously shift in Boston's direction late in the first period and continued in the second. A pair of quick goals from the Bruins in the second period was the turning point in this game. The Leafs would gain some momentum back in the third as Mikhail Grabovski, who just signed a 5-year contract extension, scored to cut the Bruins' lead in half. In the end though, some collapses in the Leafs defensive zone in the second period lost them the game. Randy Carlyle mentioned earlier this week that each player will have a specific role on the team under his coaching. That was evident as Jay Rosehill was inserted back into the Leafs starting line-up and fought Shawn Thornton. Colby Armstrong and Tim Connolly also dropped the gloves, although Tim Connolly and Brad Marchand were only given minor roughing penalties for their short tussle. More bad news came for the Leafs in terms of injuries. Toronto played half of the game with just three lines. Joffrey Lupul left the game early in the second period after being hit hard into the boards. The team is calling it an upper body injury. Colby Armstrong also left the game and didn't return after a fight between him and Dennis Seidenberg. On the plus side, Toronto's goaltending was much better than it has been recently. Despite what the scoreboard may lead one to believe, Jonas Gustavsson played a solid game. He looked quiet and steady from the start of the game and maintained that throughout the game. His rebound control was as good as it's been in any game this season. The loss tonight all but puts their playoff hopes to rest. Toronto heads into Pittsburgh tomorrow to play the Penguins. Then they will return home on Saturday to face the Flyers before heading into Washington on Sunday.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8kqQHMkO5mk/T1L13EtDL2I/AAAAAAAAAMc/RnyjzUJVPO0/s320/carlyle+in+practice.jpgRandy Carlyle during practice PHOTO: mapleleafs.comRandy Carlyle made his debut as Leafs coach tonight in Montreal. The Leafs won the game by a score of 3-1. The Leafs came out with some jump tonight, but the Habs quickly matches their pace and slowed down the team in blue. Montreal got on the board in the first period and really took the momentum from there. In the second though, the Leafs started to get their game going. Matt Frattin tied the game as he pulled the puck off a scrummed face-off and threw it at the net, over the glove of Carey Price. The third period was a little dull compared to the first two, until Mikhail Grabovski broke the deadlock with a beautifully placed shot into the top corner. The game really heated up after that goal as Montreal pressed for the equalizer, but late in the game Frattin fed the puck to Grabovski, who was wide open in front, and he put his second of the game past Carey Price. This was the first win for the Leafs since February 15th, and their second win in just under a month. It might be too late for the Leafs to rejuvenate a playoff run, but this win gives a glimmer of hope. The Leafs are three points behind the Jets for the last playoff spot, but will have to jump Tampa Bay, Washington, and Buffalo, assuming the Sabres convert their lead into a win tonight. The Leafs return home for Tuesday's game with the Boston Bruins, before heading back on the road for Wednesday night's match-up with the Penguins. These two upcoming games will effect their playoff run immensely. OTHER NOTES: Mike Brown left the game after fighting in the first period. David Steckel was moved up to the third line, Tim Connolly moved to the wing and Matthew Lombardi centered the fourth line, where Steckel has played for most of the season. Cody Franson and Colby Armstrong were healthy scratches, the Leafs have also called up Jay Rosehill from the Marlies.Jonas Gustavsson struggled early on before settling nicely for the second and third period.

Randy Carlyle during practicePHOTO: mapleleafs.com Randy Carlyle made his debut as Leafs coach tonight in Montreal. The Leafs won the game by a score of 3-1. The Leafs came out with some jump tonight, but the Habs quickly matches their pace and slowed down the team in blue. Montreal got on the board in the first period and really took the momentum from there. In the second though, the Leafs started to get their game going. Matt Frattin tied the game as he pulled the puck off a scrummed face-off and threw it at the net, over the glove of Carey Price. The third period was a little dull compared to the first two, until Mikhail Grabovski broke the deadlock with a beautifully placed shot into the top corner. The game really heated up after that goal as Montreal pressed for the equalizer, but late in the game Frattin fed the puck to Grabovski, who was wide open in front, and he put his second of the game past Carey Price. This was the first win for the Leafs since February 15th, and their second win in just under a month. It might be too late for the Leafs to rejuvenate a playoff run, but this win gives a glimmer of hope. The Leafs are three points behind the Jets for the last playoff spot, but will have to jump Tampa Bay, Washington, and Buffalo, assuming the Sabres convert their lead into a win tonight. The Leafs return home for Tuesday's game with the Boston Bruins, before heading back on the road for Wednesday night's match-up with the Penguins. These two upcoming games will effect their playoff run immensely. OTHER NOTES: Mike Brown left the game after fighting in the first period. David Steckel was moved up to the third line, Tim Connolly moved to the wing and Matthew Lombardi centered the fourth line, where Steckel has played for most of the season. Cody Franson and Colby Armstrong were healthy scratches, the Leafs have also called up Jay Rosehill from the Marlies.Jonas Gustavsson struggled early on before settling nicely for the second and third period. Source

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0yAnYID0rcs/T1F-SmawzdI/AAAAAAAAAMU/63Enuc_Ults/s320/ron+wilson.jpgRon Wilson, former Leafs coach PHOTO: mapleleafs.com The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired their coach, Ron Wilson. TSN's Darren Dreger broke the news just after 8pm EST today. Following a dreadful month of February, where the Leafs playoff aspirations fell from a near certainty to next to impossible, the move that many expected has been made, and the Leafs fire Wilson. Wilson has been the coach of the Maple Leafs since the beginning of the 2008-2009 NHL season. He coached the Maple Leafs for just less than four full seasons. His cumulative record with the Leafs was 130-135-45. The Leafs are in a terrible stretch where they have only won once in their last 11 games, with a record of 1-9-1 that seems to have crippled any hope for the post season. It's being reported that former Anaheim Ducks coach Randy Carlyle is new coach for the Maple Leafs. In six full seasons with the Ducks, Carlyle never had a losing season and won the Stanley cup in 2007. Carylye was fired earlier in the season after his Ducks only amassed seven wins in 24 games to open the season. Carlyle has only coached the Ducks in his career. His all time coaching record is 273-182-61. He has also won 36 of the 62 playoffs games for a 0.581 winning percentage. The word coming from the players in the Leafs dressing room is that it's not Wilson's fault, but coaches get fired when teams are losing. Clarke MacArthur stated that the players in the dressing room are all looking at themselves and can't blame Wilson for their recent string of loses. In any event, there is a big change in the Leafs dressing room, and they will head into Montreal with a new coach on the bench. The bad news is that many think Wilson was fired too late, had he been fired a week or two ago, the Leafs may have been able to minimize the damage to their season. Currently sitting in the 11th spot in the Eastern Conference standings, the Leafs are five points out of the final playoff spot. The Leafs would have to go 12-5-1 in their last 18 games just to reach 90 points, and that likely wont be enough to give them a playoff birth. Toronto is currently 8th last in the league, and many believe a top ten draft pick would be better than trying to climb back into a playoff race and finishing a few points short of their goal and outside of the top ten when the draft rolls around in June. Many also believe that Dallas Eakins is ready to become a coach in the NHL as soon as next season. If the hiring of Carlyle is a long-term arrangement, which from all reports I've heard is true, this may mean Eakins will be coaching for another team in the NHL in the near future. Much like when Kirk Muller left the Habs for a full time coaching job elsewhere, the Leafs may be left with a sour taste in their mouths if Carlyle doesn't work out and Eakins has already found a head coaching job in another organization. At the end of the day, Leaf fans who have been cheering "Fire Wilson" at the ACC and around the city for the past few weeks have had their wish fulfilled. The Leafs play the Canadiens tomorrow in Montreal before returning to Toronto for Tuesday nights match-up against the Bruins.

Ron Wilson, former Leafs coachPHOTO: mapleleafs.com The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired their coach, Ron Wilson. TSN's Darren Dreger broke the news roughly an hour ago. They have not yet named a replacement coach. Following a dreadful month of February, where the Leafs playoff aspirations fell from a near certainty to next to impossible, the move that many expected has been made, and the Leafs fire Wilson. Wilson has been the coach of the Maple Leafs since the beginning of the 2008-2009 NHL season. He coached the Maple Leafs for just less than four full seasons. His cumulative record with the Leafs was 130-135-45. The Leafs are in a terrible stretch where they have only won once in their last 11 games, with a record of 1-9-1 that seems to have crippled any hope for the post season. It's being reported that former Anaheim Ducks coach Randy Carlyle is new coach for the Maple Leafs. In six full seasons with the Ducks, Carlyle never had a losing season and won the Stanley cup in 2007. Carylye's was fired earlier in the season after his Ducks only amassed seven wins in 24 games to open the season. Carlyle has only coached the Ducks in his career. His all time coaching record is 273-182-61. He has also won 36 of the 62 playoffs games for a 0.581 winning percentage. The word coming from the players in the Leafs dressing room is that it's not Wilson's fault, but coaches get fired when teams are losing. Clarke MacArthur stated that the players in the dressing room are all looking at themselves and can't blame Wilson for their recent string of loses. In any event, there is a big change in the Leafs dressing room, and they will head into Montreal with a new coach on the bench. The bad news is that many think Wilson was fired too late, had he been fired a week or two ago, the Leafs may have been able to minimize the damage to their season. Currently sitting in the 11th spot in the Eastern Conference standings, the Leafs are five points out of the final playoff spot. The Leafs would have to go 12-5-1 in their last 18 games just to reach 90 points, and that likely wont be enough to give them a playoff birth. Toronto is currently 8th last in the league, and many believe a top ten draft pick would be better than trying to climb back into a playoff race and finishing a few points short of their goal and outside of the top ten when the draft rolls around in June. Many also believe that Dallas Eakins is ready to become a coach in the NHL as soon as next season. If the hiring of Carlyle is a long-term arrangement, which from all reports I've heard is true, this may mean Eakins will be coaching for another team in the NHL in the near future. Much like when Kirk Muller left the Habs for a full time coaching job elsewhere, the Leafs may be left with a sour taste in their mouths if Carlyle doesn't work out and Eakins has already found a head coaching job in another organization. At the end of the day, Leaf fans who have been cheering "Fire Wilson" at the ACC and around the city for the past few weeks have had their wish fulfilled. The Leafs play the Canadiens tomorrow in Montreal before returning to Toronto for Tuesday nights match-up against the Bruins. Source

Simply put, Brian Burke was noted as saying that he believes the current team he has built is a playoff team. Some may agree, some may disagree, the fact of the matter is that they're on the edge of becoming a lottery team. If it's not the players on the team he has built, it must be the coach. Yet, he still hasn't fired his buddy Ron Wilson. Something doesn't add up. FIRE WILSON!

Simply put, Brian Burke was noted as saying that he believes the current team he has built is a playoff team. Some may agree, some may disagree, the fact of the matter is that they're on the edge of becoming a lottery team. If it's not the players on the team he has built, it must be the coach. Yet, he still hasn't fired his buddy Ron Wilson. Something doesn't add up. FIRE WILSON! Source

Little blackmail never hurt anyone... Except the entire Leafs organization and fan base!

So, Ron Wilson is still the coach in Toronto despite their horrific run down the stretch. Many think this is an oversight, many think he is still a good coach and deserves to stay. The bottom line is that Brian Burke thinks that the Leafs are a playoff calibre team, and he has overhauled the team several times in the last few years. Indirectly, he is saying that the problem does not lie with the players, which means it must lie with the coach... so then why extend his contract this past December? Here's one thought....

simply stated, someone was willing to trade for tellqvist. Gustavsson, depite his problems in goal, is a better goalie than tellqvist was at comparable times in their careers. I do not disagree with you that there are better options, but you gotta think if you're one of those struggling teams a 4th or 5th round pick isnt a big loss and maybe Gus plays well through the remaining 20 games of the season... Regardless, its a moot point cause he's still in Toronto and the trade deadline has past...

The NHL's trade deadline past yesterday at 3pm EST. There were more than a few big names kicking around as many major sports broadcasts launched their respective ten-hour trade deadline specials. I'll cut to the chase though, most of the bigger name players, such as Nash, Grabovski and others, ending up staying put with their current teams. The day moved slow, but in the end there were more than a dozen trades before the deadline. Here is a recap of each trade and a bit on who I think walked out a winner, and who walked out a loser. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WNen4qUUITA/T0ynUK-t1JI/AAAAAAAAAKU/qCZR55_4Z2U/s1600/1.pngWINNER: TIE Nashville had one Kostitsyn brother, and got the other to get some chemistry between the two for their playoff run this season, but they may have given up too much for a pending UFA. Kostitsyn was drafted 10th overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the Montreal Canadiens. The 27-year old had 20 goals and 45 points in 81 games last season and is at a similar pace this season. Those aren't astonishing numbers, but he may prove to be a good secondary scorer. Andrei's brother Sergei will be an RFA this summer. If he decides to stay in Nashville, maybe he can convince his brother to stay as well, and Nashville might walk out winning this trade after all. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uR3m-6U62j4/T0yngLNKoxI/AAAAAAAAAKc/JIWPHOG3aLA/s1600/2.pngWINNER: TAMPA BAY The Lightning acquire a veteran defenseman from the Red Wings for a conditional seventh round pick. Commodore has an annual cap hit of $1 million and his contract expires this summer. The cost was low, his salary is low, and it expires after the season, why not take a chance at a player when it costs you so little. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T1rIYP0inbo/T0yn6Jv-yoI/AAAAAAAAAKk/Xl6A10ire9I/s1600/3.pngWINNER: TIE The Oilers wanted a more defensive defenseman, whereas the Wild wanted a more offensive defenseman. The two have almost identical contracts, except Gilbert has a $500,000 higher cap hit. If I were to pick which player I would rather have on my team I would choose Gilbert, but Edmonton already has several puck moving defenseman, so I don't see anything wrong in moving one of them. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MpEBYmLjTBE/T0yoD22lAnI/AAAAAAAAAKs/55aWwy_FCYc/s1600/4.pngWINNER: TIE Given the depth the Maple Leafs have at defense, Keith Aulie was expendable. Aulie has really struggled to find his game this season after a promising end to last season. In return the Leafs get former first round draft pick Carter Ashton. The 20-year old stands at 6'3" and 200lbs. He is the prototypical player that Brian Burke likes, he is big but can still skate and move the puck well. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--HrErBPgWZg/T0yoJUNYMUI/AAAAAAAAAK0/pBY5IpSZoog/s1600/5.pngWINNER: COLORADO The Sharks acquire Daniel Winnik and T.J. Galiardi, but gave up two good prospects and a roster player similar to the two they received in return. San Jose did not get an impact player in this trade. They are trying to bolster their team for a playoff run, but acquired a decent player in Winnik, and one that has really been struggling in Galiardi. The Sharks gave up Michael Sgarbossa, who is just 19-years old and has played very well in his last couple of seasons in the OHL. He has 146 points in 96 games for the Sudbury Wolves. They also gave up Mike Connolly who amassed 30 points in 40 games for the Worchester Sharks before being traded. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dXiXozNEzDQ/T0yoSrl89HI/AAAAAAAAALE/K_QZEP8TlVc/s1600/6.pngWINNER: TAMPA BAY The Lightning trade Matt Gilroy for a younger Brian Lee. Neither of these two are guys that will make of break your team, but I think the Senators gave up on Brian Lee a little too early in this deal. Gilroy is a UFA after this season. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MA4kOls3YD8/T0yoePt6AhI/AAAAAAAAALM/ESq76DZyTKE/s1600/7.pngWINNER: VANCOUVER The Canucks pick up a very good defensive forward in Sami Pahlsson. The price was moderate considering Ellington, a former second round draft pick, hasn't really shown much promise towards becoming a player in the NHL. Pahlsson will prove valuable to the Canucks in their playoff run in the spring. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kYro79UMaZ4/T0yokWMqO-I/AAAAAAAAALU/oj2bSiySeNA/s1600/8.pngWINNER: WINNIPEG The Blackhawks definitely overpaid for Johnny Oduya. The Jets had to part with a good defender during their push for the playoffs, but were rewarded generously for Oduya, who is a UFA in the summer. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IBg_De6pQDU/T0yoxarQlKI/AAAAAAAAALc/jycm4XlLJ5Y/s1600/9.png WINNER: BOSTON The Bruins gave up two struggling prospects in hopes that the 39-year old, Brian Rolston, can pull together a good run in the playoffs. Rolston has proven that he can be a quality goal scorer in the past, but his stats have fallen considerably this season. He is a UFA this summer. The Bruins also pick up Mike Mottau. He is also in the last year of his contact and will provide some depth for Boston's defense. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gs0BlROSuXs/T0ypBLUH9ZI/AAAAAAAAALk/e0USpDsyQjs/s1600/10.pngWINNER: BUFFALO I find it hard to believe the Predators traded their first round pick for a 30-year old rental player whose highest scoring season is 36 points, despite seven years in the NHL. Gaustad does bring some intangibles to the table, but Nashville overpaid. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qFB60A6l2E0/T0ypMDZhrGI/AAAAAAAAALs/r8EO_aYFFsk/s1600/11.png WINNER: MINNESOTA The Bruins make the swap for an older, more experienced Greg Zanon, but Kampfer is only 23 years old and has plenty of hockey ahead of him. Zanon's contract ends after this season whereas Kampfer's has another year. The only reason this trade makes any sense is if the Bruins are intentionally dumping a roster spot for next season. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x-qlsmgn_FM/T0ypSh97qKI/AAAAAAAAAL0/A0YPdf2u0xU/s1600/12.pngWINNER: TIE I don't know much about John Scott, but he is a 29-year old who just broke into the NHL a few years ago and has only mustered five points in 140 NHL games. I don't know know what the Rangers see in him, maybe they were trying to get TSN's James Duthie to stop making jokes and pushing buttons that make annoying sounds you would only hear in a mid-90's radio show. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--SbaBzOeNqA/T0ypbmjoh7I/AAAAAAAAAL8/_smP1rkffkQ/s1600/13.pngWINNER: ANAHEIM Anaheim wins simply because they put Fraser on waivers last month and the Leafs could have claimed him for free. This trade seems more of a good gesture from the Leafs to give Dale Mitchell a chance in another organization. He has struggled in his limited time with the Marlies over the past couple of seasons. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uXEt_4fU7PM/T0ypsaFYtZI/AAAAAAAAAME/T6Iu1sdgj_Q/s1600/14.pngWINNER: BUFFALO The Sabres walk away laughing with this deal. They didn't give up much and managed to pry Cody Hodgson out of Vancouver. I do like Gragnani for the Canucks, but it wouldn't have taken much to get him out of Buffalo. The deal hangs mostly on Zack Kassian, and I think the Canucks over-valued him significantly. He is just 21-years old though, so he has plenty of time to prove me wrong. How everyone on Buffalo's end managed to keep a straight face until the deal was signed is beyond me. And finally... http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ATs7Oo0pQZI/T0yp09Zn_mI/AAAAAAAAAMM/MIIA8AFg8do/s1600/15.pngWINNER: ANAHEIM The Canucks pick up Andrew Gordon in this deal, and although his AHL stats are great and would lead one to believe he is a very good pick up, the 26-year old hasn't been able to do much in the NHL. The Ducks pick up 22-year old Sebastian Erixon from the Canucks. The best show came from the Nashville Predators who continued to buy yesterday in hopes of a long and prosperous playoff run. Nashville has given up quite a few draft picks over the last week or so, I hope for their sake things work out. Overall, it was a boring day in the hockey world compared to trade deadlines in the past. Maybe next season TSN's trade deadline special wont be ten hours long. You know things are slow when you're looking at a possible roster selection for the 2014 Olympic games...

The NHL's trade deadline past yesterday at 3pm EST. There were more than a few big names kicking around as many major sports broadcasts launched their respective ten-hour trade deadline specials. I'll cut to the chase though, most of the bigger name players, such as Nash, Grabovski and others, ending up staying put with their current teams. The day moved slow, but in the end there were more than a dozen trades before the deadline. Here is a recap of each trade and a bit on who I think walked out a winner, and who walked out a loser. WINNER: TIE Nashville had one Kostitsyn brother, and got the other to get some chemistry between the two for their playoff run this season, but they may have given up too much for a pending UFA. Kostitsyn was drafted 10th overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the Montreal Canadiens. The 27-year old had 20 goals and 45 points in 81 games last season and is at a similar pace this season. Those aren't astonishing numbers, but he may prove to be a good secondary scorer. Andrei's brother Sergei will be an RFA this summer. If he decides to stay in Nashville, maybe he can convince his brother to stay as well, and Nashville might walk out winning this trade after all. WINNER: TAMPA BAY The Lightning acquire a veteran defenseman from the Red Wings for a conditional seventh round pick. Commodore has an annual cap hit of $1 million and his contract expires this summer. The cost was low, his salary is low, and it expires after the season, why not take a chance at a player when it costs you so little. WINNER: TIE The Oilers wanted a more defensive defenseman, whereas the Wild wanted a more offensive defenseman. The two have almost identical contracts, except Gilbert has a $500,000 higher cap hit. If I were to pick which player I would rather have on my team I would choose Gilbert, but Edmonton already has several puck moving defenseman, so I don't see anything wrong in moving one of them. WINNER: TIE Given the depth the Maple Leafs have at defense, Keith Aulie was expendable. Aulie has really struggled to find his game this season after a promising end to last season. In return the Leafs get former first round draft pick Carter Ashton. The 20-year old stands at 6'3" and 200lbs. He is the prototypical player that Brian Burke likes, he is big but can still skate and move the puck well. WINNER: COLORADO The Sharks acquire Daniel Winnik and T.J. Galiardi, but gave up two good prospects and a roster player similar to the two they received in return. San Jose did not get an impact player in this trade. They are trying to bolster their team for a playoff run, but acquired a decent player in Winnik, and one that has really been struggling in Galiardi. The Sharks gave up Michael Sgarbossa, who is just 19-years old and has played very well in his last couple of seasons in the OHL. He has 146 points in 96 games for the Sudbury Wolves. They also gave up Mike Connolly who amassed 30 points in 40 games for the Worchester Sharks before being traded. WINNER: TAMPA BAY The Lightning trade Matt Gilroy for a younger Brian Lee. Neither of these two are guys that will make of break your team, but I think the Senators gave up on Brian Lee a little too early in this deal. Gilroy is a UFA after this season. WINNER: VANCOUVER The Canucks pick up a very good defensive forward in Sami Pahlsson. The price was moderate considering Ellington, a former second round draft pick, hasn't really shown much promise towards becoming a player in the NHL. Pahlsson will prove valuable to the Canucks in their playoff run in the spring. WINNER: WINNIPEG The Blackhawks definitely overpaid for Johnny Oduya. The Jets had to part with a good defender during their push for the playoffs, but were rewarded generously for Oduya, who is a UFA in the summer. WINNER: BOSTON The Bruins gave up two struggling prospects in hopes that the 39-year old, Brian Rolston, can pull together a good run in the playoffs. Rolston has proven that he can be a quality goal scorer in the past, but his stats have fallen considerably this season. He is a UFA this summer. The Bruins also pick up Mike Mottau. He is also in the last year of his contact and will provide some depth for Boston's defense. WINNER: BUFFALO I find it hard to believe the Predators traded their first round pick for a 30-year old rental player whose highest scoring season is 36 points, despite seven years in the NHL. Gaustad does bring some intangibles to the table, but Nashville overpaid. WINNER: MINNESOTA The Bruins make the swap for an older, more experienced Greg Zanon, but Kampfer is only 23 years old and has plenty of hockey ahead of him. Zanon's contract ends after this season whereas Kampfer's has another year. The only reason this trade makes any sense is if the Bruins are intentionally dumping a roster spot for next season. WINNER: TIE I don't know much about John Scott, but he is a 29-year old who just broke into the NHL a few years ago and has only mustered five points in 140 NHL games. I don't know know what the Rangers see in him, maybe they were trying to get TSN's James Duthie to stop making jokes and pushing buttons that make annoying sounds you would only hear in a mid-90's radio show. WINNER: ANAHEIM Anaheim wins simply because they put Fraser on waivers last month and the Leafs could have claimed him for free. This trade seems more of a good gesture from the Leafs to give Dale Mitchell a chance in another organization. He has struggled in his limited time with the Marlies over the past couple of seasons. WINNER: BUFFALO The Sabres walk away laughing with this deal. They didn't give up much and managed to pry Cody Hodgson out of Vancouver. I do like Gragnani for the Canucks, but it wouldn't have taken much to get him out of Buffalo. The deal hangs mostly on Zack Kassian, and I think the Canucks over-valued him significantly. He is just 21-years old though, so he has plenty of time to prove me wrong. How everyone on Buffalo's end managed to keep a straight face until the deal was signed is beyond me. And finally... WINNER: ANAHEIM The Canucks pick up Andrew Gordon in this deal, and although his AHL stats are great and would lead one to believe he is a very good pick up, the 26-year old hasn't been able to do much in the NHL. The Ducks pick up 22-year old Sebastian Erixon from the Canucks. The best show came from the Nashville Predators who continued to buy yesterday in hopes of a long and prosperous playoff run. Nashville has given up quite a few draft picks over the last week or so, I hope for their sake things work out. Overall, it was a boring day in the hockey world compared to trade deadlines in the past. Maybe next season TSN's trade deadline special wont be ten hours long. You know things are slow when you're looking at a possible roster selection for the 2014 Olympic games... Source

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-piO70ff0-Qc/T0VMRHRly-I/AAAAAAAAAIM/lmINdOnqr6A/s320/gustavsson+pad+save+feb+21+2012.pngJonas Gustavsson, #50, Toronto Maple Leafs PHOTO: mapleleafs.comIn the movie of the Toronto Maple Leafs 2012 season, the hero is currently at war with the villain. However, in this complex story-line, the villain is actually one of the good guys who means well, but can't seem to handle the pressure and ends up doing harm to their surroundings. The villain is Jonas Gustavsson, and even though he is good at heart, the hero, Brian Burke, needs to take him down, away from the surroundings where he is causing all this destruction. Last nights hockey game will likely mark the beginning of the end of the Gustavsson goaltending experiment in Toronto. It takes a special kind of goalie to play in this city. He has to be composed, confident, and skilled. It doesn't take much for the fans in Toronto to turn on you, as we have seen in recent years with Vesa Toskala and Andrew Raycroft, just to name a few. Without those three characteristics in perfect balance, this city will eat you up as a goalie. Gustavsson, who is 27 years old and in the last year of his current contract, will likely be a free agent this summer. I hope the best for him, and I hope he thrives in a smaller market that doesn't demand perfection from their goalies. Without all the pressure on his shoulders, he may be able to find more consistency in his game. As it stands now, the Leafs have two struggling goaltenders. Gustavsson has been known to make some really big saves, but let in some really bad goals. The other, James Reimer, hasn't shown that he will make the big saves for the Leafs as much as Gustavsson, but he has shown that he will let in few bad goals in comparison. In my opinion, the Leafs need a steady goaltender in Reimer down the stretch. It was pretty evident, by the look on the faces of several of the Leafs players, how they felt about Gustavsson in net on Tuesday night. So, with the trade deadline just a few days away, why not move Gustavsson? There are a handful of teams around the league that have major goaltending woes and would likely take on Gustavsson for the remaining 20 or so games in the season. If he doesn't pan out, it's not a big deal because his contract is ending, but just maybe he can thrive in another market, and its a winning situation for both the Monster and his new organization. In comparison, in November of 2006, the Leafs traded Mikael Tellqvist to the Pheonix Coyotes for Tyson Nash and a fourth round pick. The Leafs would end up using that fourth round pick to draft Matt Frattin, who has shown good signs of NHL potential. In my opinion, Jonas Gustavsson is a better goalie than Tellqvist was at the time the Leafs traded him. I don't think it would be unreasonable for the Leafs to get a fourth round pick in return, and maybe, just maybe the Leafs can turn that pick into something of value. The Leafs have had above average success with their fourth round picks in recent years. James Reimer and Korbinian Holzer along with Frattin were all fourth round picks. The Leafs can give the goalie another chance in a smaller market, get a mid-to-late draft pick in return, and hope the best for everybody... Or they can keep him down the stretch. Either way, I would expect James Reimer to get the majority of the starts from here on out for the Leafs.

Jonas Gustavsson, #50, Toronto Maple LeafsPHOTO: mapleleafs.com In the movie of the Toronto Maple Leafs 2012 season, the hero is currently at war with the villain. However, in this complex story-line, the villain is actually one of the good guys who means well, but can't seem to handle the pressure and ends up doing harm to their surroundings. The villain is Jonas Gustavsson, and even though he is good at heart, the hero, Brian Burke, needs to take him down, away from the surroundings where he is causing all this destruction.Last nights hockey game will likely mark the beginning of the end of the Gustavsson goaltending experiment in Toronto. It takes a special kind of goalie to play in this city. He has to be composed, confident, and skilled. It doesn't take much for the fans in Toronto to turn on you, as we have seen in recent years with Vesa Toskala and Andrew Raycroft, just to name a few. Without those three characteristics in perfect balance, this city will eat you up as a goalie. Gustavsson, who is 27 years old and in the last year of his current contract, will likely be a free agent this summer. I hope the best for him, and I hope he thrives in a smaller market that doesn't demand perfection from their goalies. Without all the pressure on his shoulders, he may be able to find more consistency in his game. As it stands now, the Leafs have two struggling goaltenders. Gustavsson has been known to make some really big saves, but let in some really bad goals. The other, James Reimer, hasn't shown that he will make the big saves for the Leafs as much as Gustavsson, but he has shown that he will let in few bad goals in comparison. In my opinion, the Leafs need a steady goaltender in Reimer down the stretch. It was pretty evident, by the look on the faces of several of the Leafs players, how they felt about Gustavsson in net on Tuesday night. So, with the trade deadline just a few days away, why not move Gustavsson? There are a handful of teams around the league that have major goaltending woes and would likely take on Gustavsson for the remaining 20 or so games in the season. If he doesn't pan out, it's not a big deal because his contract is ending, but just maybe he can thrive in another market, and its a winning situation for both the Monster and his new organization. In comparison, in November of 2006, the Leafs traded Mikael Tellqvist to the Pheonix Coyotes for Tyson Nash and a fourth round pick. The Leafs would end up using that fourth round pick to draft Matt Frattin, who has shown good signs of NHL potential. In my opinion, Jonas Gustavsson is a better goalie than Tellqvist was at the time the Leafs traded him. I don't think it would be unreasonable for the Leafs to get a fourth round pick in return, and maybe, just maybe the Leafs can turn that pick into something of value. The Leafs have had above average success with their fourth round picks in recent years. James Reimer and Korbinian Holzer along with Frattin were all fourth round picks. The Leafs can give the goalie another chance in a smaller market, get a mid-to-late draft pick in return, and hope the best for everybody... Or they can keep him down the stretch. Either way, I would expect James Reimer to get the majority of the starts from here on out for the Leafs. Source

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-94upNWvd_Xo/T0RnQFCSBwI/AAAAAAAAAIE/8YeqROlFlZc/s1600/lupuls+face+after+terrible+goal+by+gus.pngJoffrey Lupul's facial expression says it all. Leafs lose 4-3 in overtime on Tuesday night PHOTO: TMLsHockeyBlogThe Maple Leafs played 60 hard minutes in Toronto tonight. It has been a while since I have seen the team put in a complete effort like this. They are on the wrong side of a losing skid and barely in a playoff spot, mostly due to the Washington Capitals struggling just as much as Toronto. The Leafs started the game with a ton of effort and speed, but it was the Devils that scored first as the Leafs defenders left Petr Sykora wide open to tap in his own rebound. From there, Jonas Gustavsson would take over. He let in two bad goals through the five hole that seemed to zap the Leafs of any momentum as they were pushing back to take the lead in the hockey game. Down 3-2 in the final minute of the third period, Phil Kessel would slide the puck past Brodeur and tie the game, but in overtime the Monster struck again. Mark Fayne's point shot was going wide, but Gustavsson stretched to stop it anyway. The puck would hit Gustavsson under his left arm and bounce into the net. The Leafs would lose 4-3 in overtime. This is the final straw for the goaltenders in Toronto. Enough is enough and something needs to give. I can't imagine Gustavsson will get another start for a while. To say the Toronto's playoff hopes are in jeopardy is an understatement. They need a goalie that can make the simple saves, and sometimes make a big save. As it stands right now, neither of the goalies on their active roster, James Reimer or Jonas Gustavsson, have proven to be a number one goaltender. The starting role has bounced back and forth for a while now. You would think that one of the goalies would take the opportunity and run with it, but that hasn't happened. So, the pressure is on Leafs GM Brian Burke. With the trade deadline less than a week away, Burke needs to decide once and for all what to do with his goaltending. Is there anything better out there than what Toronto currently has? You would have to assume so, because it is looking ugly for the Leafs night after night. Rick Nash has been on the Leafs radar for a while, but the price is apparently too high for the Leafs, who are unwilling to give up Jake Gardiner, amongst others. With the added pressure on Burke to get the Leafs into the playoffs, he might be tempted to pull the trigger on a deal. There are some suggestions that the Leafs should try to get Steve Mason as well as Nash out of Columbus, but such a deal would have a pretty large price tag attached to it. Next on the chopping block is Leafs coach Ron Wilson. With six loses in the Leafs last seven games, many are pointing the finger at the coach. Wilson was given a contract extension in December that is expected to have him coaching the Leafs until at least the summer of 2013, but with the recent string of loses, he may not be Toronto's coach for much longer. Expect a ton of trade rumours involving the Leafs, from now until the trade deadline next week. Also, expect James Reimer to start in net for the Leafs on Thursday night, when they host the San Jose Sharks.