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TMLsHockeyBlog

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  1. TMLsHockeyBlog
    Leafs win 4-0 but Dion Phaneuf leave the gameafter taking a puck to the face
    PHOTO: mapleleafs.com
    The Leafs climb back into a playoff spot with a convincing 4-0 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Winnipeg, who lost last night to Montreal, were no match for the Leafs. Jonas Gustavsson earned his first shutout since December 19, 2009. Gustavsson didn't have to make very many saves, but when he was called upon, he was perfect on all of the 24 shots the Jets put at Toronto's net.
    The biggest improvement about Jonas Gustavsson's game is that he looked confident. There have been far too many games this year where he looked really shaky and lacked the confidence that a good NHL goaltender needs, but after tonight I am pretty optimistic to see what he can do on Saturday nights game against the Red Wings (I would assume he would be the starting goaltender). James Reimer sits at the end of the bench, on the outside looking in. It's not that he has played really bad, the results are what matters and with Gustavsson earning two wins in as many games in the new year, how do you justify starting Reimer? The Monster will really press Reimer and it will be nice to see some improved goaltending, from both goalies, knowing that one bad game could have you on the bench for a week or two.
    Just five minutes into the first period the Leafs opened the scoring. Phil Kessel tucked the puck in for his 23rd goal of the season. In the second period Tim Connolly had the lone goal for the Maple Leafs and Grabovski and MacArthur each scored in the third. The win tonight puts the Leafs back into a playoff spot just one game away from the half way point of the season.
    The Leafs were perfect on the PK again tonight, although they only took one penalty. With the improvement on the penalty kill and the fact that they aren't taking as many trips to the penalty box, the Leafs are giving themselves a much better chance at winning games, and ultimately making the playoffs. Colton Orr cleared waivers and report to the Toronto Marlies. Orr has been a healthy scratch for the Maple Leafs for all but five games this season and was send down due to the return of Mike Brown. He has been on the IR for quite some time now and the Leafs feel that he will be ready to return within the next couple of games.


    There's some bad news on the injury front though. Dion Phaneuf took a puck to the face in the third period and did not return to the game. The Leafs had already built a solid lead and Winnipeg showed no signs of making a come back, so he could have been kept in the back for precautionary reasons. Ron Wilson did not have an update on his condition as he spoke to the media following the game. It didn't appear that Phaneuf lost any teeth during the play but he was bleeding on the ice. Hopefully the injury to the Leafs captain is not a major set-back and it would be nice to see him on the ice as the Leafs host Detriot on Saturday night. If you missed the game, here's a video of the puck hitting Phaneuf in the face...
    Dion Phaneuf hit in the face with the puck

    Saturday will be the third game of the Leafs current four-game home stretch. They will also host the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night. On Friday the Leafs head into Buffalo to complete the home at home, which is divided by a two day resting period. They will return home to square off against the Rangers next Saturday night as they open a five-game home swing. The Leafs have been much better at the Air Canada Centre than they have been on the road. Stacking a few victories this month may prove to be very useful down the stretch run as they search for the post season.Source
  2. TMLsHockeyBlog
    In a late surge of votes Ottawa fans managed to stack the starting line-up with Senators players. Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Speeza, Milan Michalek and Erik Karlsson were all voted in as starters for the 2012 NHL All-Star Game. They even managed to out-vote Phil Kessel who led the race for the majority of the voting period. Had this not occurred, here's my take on how the all-star game player fantasy draft would have gone. Hosted by none other than... Darryl Sutter!

    Source
  3. TMLsHockeyBlog
    Kessel scores on a penalty shot in the first periodPHOTO: mapleleafs.com
    Say what you want about Jonas Gustavsson... He's too awkward in net. He always lets in the easy goals. He's flopping around everywhere... At the end of the day all that matters is whether or not he gets the win and he's riding a three game winning streak. The most recent win being tonight's game against the Detroit Red Wings, one of the best teams in the league. The Leafs started off strong in the first period scoring three unanswered goals. Phil Kessel was hooked on a breakaway and scored on the resulting penalty shot. Dion Phaneuf scored a powerplay goal a few minutes later and Joffrey Lupul would set up David Steckel for the third Leafs goal. At the end of one period not too many people would have expected the Leafs to be sporting a three goal lead, but things would change in the second period.
    The second period was all Red Wings. The Leafs could not get the puck out of the defensive zone as the Wings worked the puck down low shift after shift. The Leafs did manage to insulate Jonas Gustavsson for the majority of the first period and early into the second but things came apart when Todd Bertuzzi tipped in a shot for the Red Wings first goal. The ref ruled it a goal on the ice but his stick was at one point a foot above the crossbar so the goal was reviewed. Upon review the goal counted due to there not being sufficient evidence to overturn the ruling by the referee on the ice. Apparently the only angle CBC wanted to show the fans at home was from 20 feet above ice level behind the net. It's impossible to tell if a play is a high stick from that angle. You would think that in a sport where goals are reviewed for possible high sticks there would be a camera angle at the same height as the crossbar to have an accurate view of what's a goal and what isn't... Apparently that's not the case. So the Wings are on the board with a rather questionable goal in my opinion. Just a few minutes later, with Detriot carrying all the momentum, Jonas Gustavsson makes a big diving pokecheck to prevent a partial breakaway from materializing. The Leafs didn't get their first shot of the second period until over 13 minutes into the period. Detroit would score again in the second on a miscue of defensive zone coverage between the Leafs players.
    The third period was better for the Leafs, but just four minutes into the period Jiri Hudler scored the tying goal and the three goal lead that Toronto had built in the first period had evapourated. The Leafs were slowly getting their legs back and managed to hold off the Red Wings for the next few minutes. Then, Tim Connolly won an offensive zone face off forwards and the bouncing puck made it's was to Lupul, who pulled the puck to the front of the net and lifted it over a sprawled Howard. The Leafs would hang on to the lead and win their third game in a row.
    NOTES:

    The Leafs sent forward Matt Frattin and defenseman Korbinian Holzer back down to the Toronto Marlies. Jake Gardiner was a healthy scratch for tonight's game. Colby Armstrong had a set back in his recovery of a concussion... There is no timeline for his return. Dion Phaneuf played tonight despite his cheek being swollen to the size of a softball after taking a puck in the face in Thursday nights hockey game. Phaneuf scored the second goal of the game and didn't miss a beat despite his injury. Joey Crabb did not look too good playing on the second line with Kulemin and Grabovski. He's had his up and down shifts with that line but it just seems that the chemistry isn't there. There seemed to be a lot of chemistry between Connolly, MacArthur and Kadri, but since Tyler Bozak was injured and Connolly moved up to the first line, there hasn't been that chemistry with Matthew Lombardi centering that third line. Both Brown and Komisarek returned from their respective injuries to play tonight. They both played well enough in their first game back. Jonas Gustavsson picked up his third win in a row. He is getting great goal support from the Leafs who have scored 59 goals in Gustavsson's last 12 starts (nearly five goals for per game). I'd like to see a bit of line juggling when Tyler Bozak returns to the line-up. If Ron Wilson decides to keep Connolly on the first line, which is almost a guarantee, I'd slot Bozak to center the third line between Kadri and MacArthur. Joey Crabb would be the odd man out and I would move Matthew Lombardi up with Grabovski and Kulemin on the second line. I think Lombardi's speed will compliment the second line where as Bozak's passing will work nicely with Kadri, who has great vision, and MacArthur, who would be the trigger man on that line.The Leafs finish their current home-stand on Tuesday night as Buffalo comes in to town. Then on Friday the Leafs will make the short trip into Buffalo to complete the home-at-home series before heading back to Toronto for five more games at home over the next two weeks. I'd imagine Jonas Gustavsson will get the start again on Tuesday as it seems Ron Wilson could be running a "win and you're in" coaching philosophy regarding the starting goaltenders. I like the idea as it will push both Gustavsson and Reimer to improve their game, though when the dust clears I would assume James Reimer would be the starting goaltender. He plays in a very calm manner that seems to be contagious to the rest of the Leafs line-up and for the most part they play better in front of him. If Reimer was getting the kind of goal support Jonas Gustavsson has been getting the Leafs would have put up a few more wins in the month of December.
    The Leafs are at the half-way marker of the season and currently sit in sixth spot in the East. If they keep up the hard work and determination, Toronto fans will be delighted to see playoff hockey return to the city for the first time in nearly a decade.
    Source
  4. TMLsHockeyBlog
    Gunnarsson is getting a lot of looks from around the league.Could he be traded out of Toronto for an elite forward?
    PHOTO: mapleleafs.com
    Toronto is one of the best places to play hockey. If you're a professional hockey player, how could you not want to play in Toronto? The city is always in a buzz about the Maple Leafs, whether they're doing well or struggling. Although sometimes playing in Toronto may bring a lot of heckling and grief your way (see Andrew Raycroft, Brian McCabe and many others) for the most part, this is the place to play.
    Another good thing about Toronto from a management perspective is that players don't often step into their GM's office and demand a trade. In fact, it's the exact opposite. Back in the John Ferguson Jr. era, where he threw around no trade clauses like they were pieces of candy, we saw many players veto possible trades that were orchestrated by Toronto's GM. The only players that usually want out of Toronto are the ones that get boo-ed every night and endure months of heckling from Leafs Nation. Those players, like Andrew Raycroft, usually haven't played well in a while and likely wont be much help to the Maple Leafs going forward, so trading them isn't a bad idea.
    So, we've established that most players would enjoy playing in Toronto. Since that is the case, Toronto always has the opportunity to hold on to players who's trade value may be lower at this time, because of their struggles on the ice. This affords the Leafs the opportunity to trade such a player at a different time when they are playing better and their trade value has increased.
    Why am I saying all of this? To dive right into it I'm referring to Nikolai Kulemin. His offensive struggles have been well documented this season. Coming off a break-out year last season, many expected similar numbers (60 points) from Kulemin. At the half-way marker of the season he only has 16 points in 41 games. He's on pace for only half the points he had last season. So, why trade him now? Sure, he isn't scoring as much, but he is by no means a liability on the team. He is one of the best defensive forwards on the roster and can easily play a defensive third-line role if his scoring slump continues. If the Leafs really want to trade Kulemin, now is not the time. I think we can all agree that a 32 point season for him would be well below average. I don't expect him to throw up 60+ points every season, but he's a very talented two-way player.
    I also think trading any first round picks is completely off-limits. The Leafs have traded enough top picks. It's too early to tell where this team will end up in April and if we drop to the bottom ten without a first round pick again, we're losing both in the short and long term. Another player that must be off-limits for Brian Burke is Nazem Kadri. At the start of the season I had almost given up all hope on Kadri. He looked too weak to play in the NHL, every time he took a hit, he would turn invisible for the rest of the game. So I was more than pleasantly surprised with his play since his last call up. He's playing a lot stronger, he's setting up plays in the offensive zone, and he isn't trying to make something out of nothing that ends up with the puck in the back of our own net. When the end of his shift is approaching, he dumps it in and heads off. There's no doubt that he's a really skilled player, but it was always some of the little things with Kadri that would bother me. He has cleaned up well in most of those areas.If the Leafs want to pick up a big player, they need to shed some salary first. I really like the speed of a guy like Lombardi, but when you look at the roster, he's simply not needed. He makes 3.5 million against the salary cap for both this year and next year, so he won't be an easy player to trade. But if the Leafs find a team that's interested in taking Lombardi and his salary from us, and also find a trade for one of those big named players that are being rumoured, such as Getzlaf, Ryan, and Staal, that fits with what the Leafs are willing to give up, then pull the trigger.
    Also, what's Joe Colborne's value in a possible trade? He's a former first round draft pick that is only a few years away from making it into the NHL in many people's minds. I would rather trade him than our next first round pick, and you would probably get more value for him. I wasn't impressed with his speed when he was called up and for a player with his size he was letting himself get pushed around. I haven't by any means given up on him as a player, he's definitely got the potential to become a good NHL player.

    Another name being thrown around is Luke Schenn. I can't imagine Burke honestly trading Schenn. Schenn is his kind of guy - a big defenseman who isn't afraid to throw his body around. His puck handling skills are definitely not as good as we would have liked to see from him at this point in his career, but I think once he regains his confidence, he could be a very talented defenseman. The only way you trade Luke Schenn is if you get a very good player in return without crippling the rest of the Leafs roster, or shipping off several prospects. That being said Schenn does make over 3.5 a season and trading him would free up some valuable cap space.
    How about Clarke MacArthur? He's at a reasonable 3.25 million dollar per year against the salary cap. He's proven he can score, but this year has fallen off a bit. He has 12 goals and 9 assists for 21 points in 34 games with the Leafs this season. He's the type of player many teams would look at for some secondary scoring. If I'm Brian Burke, he's a player that I'd be willing to trade to trade in a package to get something bigger in return. He would likely be more valuable than Nikolai Kulemin, and would free up more cap space.
    But please, oh please, don't trade Carl Gunnarsson. He's so calm and collected in the defensive zone. He makes his other defense partner look at least three times better when he plays with them, whether it was Phaneuf, or Schenn, or whomever. He's a good puck moving defenseman, and he's usually reliable in the defensive end. The one knock I have on him is that sometimes he doesn't wrap the puck around the boards as hard as he should and turns the puck over. That's not really a big problem when you look at all the good he brings to the team. What drives his value even higher is his attractive contract. He is set to make 1.325 this year and next year before becoming a restricted free agent.
    In conclusion, the Leafs already have a top scoring line and two good secondary scoring lines. If they are going to grab an elite forward, they should be looking at trading one of their secondary guys, mainly someone like MacArthur, who's value is still close to where it should be, as opposed to a guy like Kulemin who is really struggling. Keep your draft picks and keep your players who's value is much lower than it should be.Source
  5. TMLsHockeyBlog
    The NHL made it official yesterday. The Winter Classic for next year would be in Detroit at Michigan Stadium, which is more commonly known as the Big House. The Leafs would visit the Red Wings in front of over 110, 000 fans. This isn't big news as this was a poorly kept secret, the rumours had been around for nearly a month. Assuming HBO does a 24/7 series on the event, like they have in the past, it will be a very exciting month leading up to the Winter Classic.
    Two Original Six rivals will be going at it in front of an NHL record breaking audience. Leafs GM Brian Burke said, "It's Hockeytown against the center of the hockey universe", when describing the event. The Winter Classic is expected to break the NHL record for largest attendance at a single game, but there are also plans for a series of events to build up to the game around the city. Rather than calling the entire plan the "Winter Classic" its being dubbed the "Hockeytown Winter Festival".
    The Winter Festival is set to include far more than the outdoor game between the Leafs and the Red Wings. As per tradition there will be an alumni game played at Comerica Park, but there is expected to be far more. The Great Lakes Invitational, which is a tournament of Michigans four college teams, is also to occur during the weeks leading up to the outdoor game. There is also going to be an AHL match-up between the Maple Leafs affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, and the Red Wings affiliate, the Grand Rapid Griffins. Two OHL games, high school games, youth hockey games, and public-skating sessions are also to be arranged at Comerica Park.
    Lets not forget about HBO's 24/7 series. A series of four episodes that shows footage of what really happens behind closed doors with these two teams. This will be the first 24/7 series showcasing the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs fan base is a very off-the-wall fan base. It seems everyone thinks they're a better GM or coach or player than the ones currently employed. Brian Burke and Ron Wilson are criticized after every game, lose or win. In the past, these rather opinionated, and often uneducated, fans would call in on radio shows and voice their thoughts. As technology advances, avenues such as twitter give an open shot to everyone to say speak their mind, regardless of how vulgar or indecent their thoughts are. It's sad when someone creates a twitter account solely for the purpose of retweeting the stupid things that other people tweet to Brian Burke. If you want a good laugh and you're a twitter user you should follow @AskBrianBurke.
    The reason I decided to bring this up is because the 24/7 series will show an in-depth look at how Brian Burke works, and how Ron Wilson and his assistant coaches run the team. There are a ton of people that say the Leafs should have fired Wilson, but they have never seen the team in practise. They have never seen what he tells the team to do, and how the players react to him. A coach loses his job when the players stop playing for him, when they don't try because they're fed up, and once the team stops listening to the coach, there's no reason for him to be there. There's no evidence that the Leafs have ever stopped playing for Ron Wilson, and based on what I have picked up from interview of both the coach and the players, the relationship seems to be a very strong one. That being said, I could be completely wrong. The point is that I just dont know, and neither do most people. That is why it will be interesting to watch the 24/7 series and get a look at how Ron Wilson chooses to coach the team and on where the respect level is for both him and the players.
    The bad news is that all this news broke almost a calendar year before the event is set to take place. So everyone just needs to sit tight in anticipation for the next few months...
    Source
  6. TMLsHockeyBlog
    Flyers beat the Leafs 4-3PHOTO: mapleleafs.com
    The Maple Leafs schedule is starting to get the better of them. The team suffered its second consecutive loss after playing their third game in four nights. Things dont get better for Toronto as they have very few rest days over the next handful of games. The Leafs came out really flat in the first period and for the most part James Reimer held the Leafs in it until Hartnell batted a bouncing puck out of the air and through Reimers legs. The Leafs would answer back several times in the game, but ultimately lose 4-3. Tyler Bozak had a very strong game, he scored twice for the Leafs in the losing effort.
    Toronto picked up their game at some points through the second and third periods but ultimately made one too many mistakes in front of James Reimer tonight. When you're playing a quality team like the Flyers, you cannot make as many mistakes as the Leafs did, but you could somewhat justify it with the packed schedule and players being tired.
    James Reimer played well again tonight. Unfortunately some crazy bounces and redirected shots made their way behind him asides from Claude Giroux sniping one into the top corner after a giveaway and bad defensive zone coverage.
    What I liked about the two loses is that the team didn't stop competing. Sure, they came out flat and didn't really play a good game in either of the loses, but they gave it their all until the final whistle. You can tell that this team really wants to make a playoff run and doesn't take losing lightly.
    The worst news came after the Leafs game had finished. All the teams who played today that are around Toronto in the playoff race earned at least a point. The Capitals gave up a late lead on a bad goal from a shot taken by Bogozian from outside the blueline and would lose in a shootout. The Devils would also lose in the shootout to the Blues. Ottawa and Florida won their respective games in regulation.
    At the end of the day the Leafs drop to eighth spot as the Sens jump them, but the Sens have played two more games than the Leafs. The win for the Panthers put them back in third and send the Caps to ninth, but the Caps have a game at hand over the Leafs.
    The Leafs play the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night in Toronto. Toronto is a much better team at home and hope to get back to the win column as the playoff race intensifies.
    Source
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