January Jobbers

This is a follow-up, sort of, to a post I wrote at the beginning of this month. The Leafs played their best hockey of the season in the first half of December but then things came apart for the team in the second half of the month as all of Toronto's forwards fell into a deep funk. As I noted in that earlier post, the Leafs most consistent forwards for the month of December were Jason Blake and Lee Stempniak, not exactly an auspicious scenario. As I also noted recently somewhere else, usually by the time I notice a statistical trend, it starts to go the other way.

Troubles Remain In Top-Six Town

Well, "completely the other way" is a good way to describe Jason Blake's play this month. One goal and one assist thus far. After having an excelent December, Blake has simply not shown up for January. As an example, his pathetic penalty-killing effort on Thursday directly led to Tampa Bay's first goal of the game. (Check the tape - 2:15) After losing his stick and failing to throw the puck out of the zone, Blake then stands absolutely still and watches as Lecavalier sets up Stamkos for an easy one-timer. Two points in 12 games for January. So watch for Blake to start feeling the heat from Wilson and then suddenly start running goaltenders and producing again.

Stempniak continues his curious and enigmatic play. He's currently on a 4-game pointless streak, his longest slump in 7 weeks. He has 3 goals and 3 assists, 6 points in 12 games for January, but he's also a minus 3 for the month so far, the lowest plus/minus of any of the Leafs current "top-six" forwards. Stempniak's work ethic and production this season has been fairly dependable and consistent, and his value to any team, while low, is easily measured. For that reason alone, I'd be very surprised if Lee isn't dealt before the trade deadline.

Hagman was a rock through the first half of the season but seems to have lost his game now. Just 2 goals and 3 assists so far for January, however 4 of those 5 points have come in the last 3 games previous to tonight's game in Florida. Hagman has just 7 points in his last 21 games, and prior to the victory against Nashville, January 18th, had just 3 points in a 17-game stretch. The absence of production from Hagman, now coupled with Grabovski's injury, puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the rest of the team's forwards, especially Stajan, Poni, and Kessel.

Ponikarovsky is not doing much better. He has 6 points for January so far. 5 of those points are goals, the most of any Leafs forward this month, but he also has just one assist in his last 13 games. Recently, he took two penalties late in the game Thursday against Tampa, and while they may have been questionable calls, they also proved quite costly. I'm at the point now where I'm disappointed with Poni's production. I expected him to be leading the Leafs in at least one offensive category (currently he's tied with Hagman for the team lead in goals; 18), but he hasn't blossomed any further then he did at the end of last season, and I now think he's the most likely candidate to not be with the team come the second week of March.

Phil Kessel is finding ways to contribute again, even if his teammates aren't able to set him up with good scoring opportunities, and even as the opposition focuses their defence squarely on him. After being held off the scoresheet for the first four games of the month, Kessel was riding a 7-game point streak heading into Florida and has 8 points for January, second most among Leafs forwards. While he has just one goal this month, he has 7 assists, a few of which were beautifully slick passes that led to wide-open, easy tap-in goals for his teammates.

As he nearly did in November (10 points, 1 less then Kessel), and December (tied with Poni, 12 points each), Matt Stajan leads all Leafs forwards in points thus far for the month of January. With 4 goals and 5 assists for 9 points, Stajan is also a +1 in the New Year, and from my perspective, has been giving the Leafs exceptionally honest efforts. He had an awful slump in the last 2 weeks of December, but it's interesting to note that ALL the Leafs forwards, except Stempniak and Kulemin, struggled with poor play at that time. Otherwise, Stajan has been a consistent producer this season, and currently has had his name appear on the scoresheet 8 times in the last 12 games. He's second on the team in scoring, behind only Kaberle.
Kulemin, not really considered a "top-six" forward for most of this season, has been the Leafs best player in 2010, in my humble estimation. Beyond consistent, Kulemin seems to be improving greatly from one month to the next, and right now appears to be the Leafs most complete hockey player. Kulemin's skills have come together very nicely to produce a forward who forechecks tenaciously, backchecks relentlessly, throws body checks in all 3 zones on the ice, and has a keen sense for creating or finishing offensive chances. For January, Kulemin has 3 goals, 4 assists, for 7 points (equal to Kaberle's production, 1 less then Kessel, and more then either Poni, Hagman, Stempniak, or Blake), while he is also a surprising plus seven over the last 12 games.

After tonight's 2-0 shutout to the lowly Panthers, it seems the offensive woes of the Leafs forwards will continue. While Bozak tallied 5 points in his first 5 NHL games, he too is getting a taste at the fountain of futility now with his third consecutive game without a point. Take it easy on the kid though, eh, he's doin' fine. I wouldn't put any more weight on his shoulders then there already is, anymore then I'd expect Wallin to step up and contribute when Grabovski gets injured, or Mitchell to lift his game when Hagman struggles, or anyone to do anything if Stajan has an off-night 'cause he gets hit in the face with the puck on his first shift. Expectations have to be realistic and achievable in order for them to be helpful, y'know?

I've Got A Feeling

Hey everybody! I haven't written a post yet for the month of December but that doesn't mean I haven't been watching - and enjoying - the Leafs play this month. It's been tremendous. Despite losing Mitchell, Gunnarson, and Gustavsson to injury, the Leafs continue to roll and there's a lot of positives worth pointing out.I wonder if anybody's noticed my new sidebar feature? I thought it might be interesting to track the Leafs' progress towards the 95-point plateau. As you can see, their winning percentage is currently .450, and they would have to maintain a .654 winning percentage from here until the rest of the season to reach 95 points. However, in their last 10 games, they've picked up 15 out of 20 possible points and have 4 wins in their last 5 games. After an awful October start, going 1-7-4, the Leafs have since gone 9-6-3, for a .583 winning percentage.

I've noted this before, that inside the Leafs' dressing room are just 4 players who have been with the team since 2005 - Kaberle, Ponikarovsky, Stajan, and White. Another thing these 4 players have in common is that none of them has played for any other NHL team but the Toronto Maple Leafs. This dressing room is the only NHL dressing room they've ever known and the Leafs' jersey is the only NHL jersey they've ever worn. This season, all 4 players have emerged, in their own way, to become significant contributors and leaders.
Matt Stajan: Is on a 3-game point streak, and has been on the scoresheet 4 out of the last 5 games, 7 out of the last 9 games, and 11 out of last 14, scoring 6 goals, 8 assists for 14 points. That's a point-per-game pace for 14 games for Matt Stajan. For the season, he's currently on pace for 25 goals and 35 assists. Tied for second on the team in scoring with Hagman.

Alexei Ponikarovsky: I think maybe Poni reads my blog. On November 25th I mentioned that Poni wasn't "lighting up the score sheet at the same remarkable pace as he closed out last season". The next game he had 4 points. Poni didn't register a point last night against the Islanders, but he still has 9 points in his last 7 games. He leads all Leafs forwards in plus/minus at +7.
Ian White: Even more impressive then Poni's plus/minus is the astounding magnificence that is Ian White and his +11 rating. Astonishing. Scored a beauty last night against the Islanders with a well-placed shot off a nice set-up from Stajan.

Tomas Kaberle: Continues at nearly a point-per-game pace with 29 points after 30 games. Set up Beauchemin's goal in the first period against the Islanders. More importantly, the Leafs' puck possession has looked smooth and confident, at times even dominant. But wait there's more... Two players who struggled out of the gate this season are both showing postive signs and may have turned the corner.

Vesa Tokala: Statistically, he's still the worst goalie in the NHL, but after a dreadful October and posting a horrendous 5.13 GAA for the month, the Vesa bounced back in November with a 2.68 GAA.. In 4 of his last 6 starts, his SV% has been .912 or above, averaging out to .911 over those 6 starts, while Toskala has blanked opponents in 9 of his last 17 periods of play. I'm hesitant to suggest that Toskala's troubles are over because there's still a long way to go for him to save his season, but I also saw him catch a puck with his glove-hand last night, so who knows what the Vesa2010 is capable of next.

Luke Schenn: I really wanted to bring this to people's attention: Luke Schenn is now on the plus side of the ledger. He had been a +1 for 4 consecutive games, including the 7-2 loss to the Bruins, and was a +2 last night against the Islanders. His plus/minus for the season now stands at +1. In the last 7 games, OLAS is +7 overall. And then he drops a bone-crushing bomb to top it all off.

"Just keep believing, I think we're eventually going to get there."
-Wilson

There's still a long way to go, but the Leafs finally seem to be on the right track. They're playing an exciting style to watch and they look capable of winning more games then they lose. Will it be enough to get into the playoffs? Only 5 points back of Montreal for the final spot with a game in hand, believe it or not, they're making a run for it and there's still two weeks before Christmas.

Go Leafs Go

Those Who Could And Those Who Couldn't

Just before the season started, on October 2nd, I published a post about 7 Leaf players who all had a chance to notch their 100th career assist this season. I didn't think they would all do it, but I thought it would be interesting to see who could and couldn't, and also thought it would be a good way of measuring the team's success overall. Well, we're pretty close to the end now with just 6 games to go, so let's have a look and see who did, and who didn't, reach this mini-milestone.

Mark Bell only needed 5 assists to reach the 100-mark for what started out as a promising career. Unfortunately for Mark, he hasn't had one assist this year because he hasn't appeared in a single NHL game, not even for the Rangers. It's kind of puzzling that Mark Bell was able to pick up 10 points (4G 6A) last year despite a cracked orbital bone and jail time looming in the summer, yet this year, with all of that now behind him, he's been unable to find a spot on an NHL roster.

Mike Van Ryn needed only 9 assists for #100 in his career. Let's see what I had to say about his chances of reaching that mark at the beginning of the year: "...if he plays a full season, it should be no problem". Well, sadly, Van Ryn has played nowhere near a full season. The new Colaiacovo has appeared in just 27 games in an injury-plagued season, picking up a total of 8 assists, leaving him one shy of the magic 100 mark. While Van Ryn's tragic season is over, I only hope he nails that 100th assist in the season opener next year for an auspicious start to a year of better fortune in 2010.

Jamal Mayers needed 13 assists to hit the milestone, and at the beginning of the season I thought he had a good chance to get there based on his previous 2 seasons ('07 14A, '08 15A). This year, Mayers has only been able to pick up 7 assists so far, his lowest total since 2004. It's probably safe to assume that Jamal is not getting the opportunities or the ice time that he enjoyed in St. Louis, but still, I would have liked to have seen a little more from Jamal, especially early on. Unless Mayers can somehow break out with 6 assists in the last 6 games, this one is also a miss.

Niklas Hagman needed 15 to get there. This one was easier then I thought it would be. On February 7th, Hagman recorded his 99th and then 100th career assist in the 3rd period of a 5-2 win over those dirty Habs. Hagman currently has 18 assists on the year (103 career now), equalling his previous single season high in just 59 games, and looks sure to set a new standard for himself as he returns to the line-up for the Leafs' final stretch. I've been really impressed with Hagman's all-round abilities - a feisty checker and a natural scorer with 20 goals this season -  as the playmaking side of his game is progressing well.

Alexei Ponikarovsky needed 17 and it wasn't even close. Poni blew this one out of the water. With 35 so far on the season, 1 behind Stajan for the team lead, Alexei now sits at 118 career assists. Poni's numbers this year don't just look good, they look great. He is 2 behind Blake for the team lead in goals and points and may catch him in both categories before the season ends. With Poni absolutely blossoming in the absence of Antro, it's quite conceivable that when the season ends, Poni will be leading the Leafs in all offensive categories, except on the powerplay. He also leads the team in plus/minus at +8 (no one else is above +2!) and is one of only 2 Leafs (Kubina the other) to appear in all 76 games this year for the Blue and White. Suddenly, Ponikarovsky looks like this season's best candidate for Maple Leafs' MVP.

Alex Steen needed 26. This one looked tough at the beginning of the year, but Steen had totalled 27 assists twice before in his career (2006, 2008), so it seemed within his reach. Well, after starting the season with 2 assists in his first 20 games, the chase for 100 was already over, and Steen was dealt, along with Carlo Colaiacovo, to St. Louis for Lee "2-for-1 special" Stempniak. In 55 games this year with St. Louis, Steen's numbers have returned to near-respectable levels; 6G, 15A, giving him 91 career assists in just his 4th NHL season. While it's still very early in his career, it is disappointing to see him take a step backwards this season, and it was probably the right move to help him find his game somewhere else.

Matt Stajan needed 29 assists to get to 100. This was the one that I said was the "longshot". In order for Stajan to reach the milestone he needed to have a career year, and that's exactly what he's done. 36 assists, so far. In 2006-7 Stajan recorded exactly 29 assists, so I knew he could do it, but still, I find it utterly astonishing that he has easily surpassed that total by 7 with a half-dozen games to go on the schedule. Even more astonishing when one realizes that Stajan has hardly played that well lately, but has still managed to pick up 9 assists in his last 18 games, keeping him on pace for 40. Did anybody, I mean, really, ANYBODY predict Stajan would have a 40-assist season? Well, he's very close. Six games left, 4 assists to go, and he's there. Not bad for a player I once referred to as the "Invisible Matt".

So there you have it. 3 for 7. Bell, Van Ryn, Mayers, and Steen fail to reach the 100 asssist milestone this year, while, maybe surprisingly, Hagman, Stajan, and Ponikarovsky all achieved that plateau with ease. When I wrote the original post at the beginning of the season, I predicted that we could measure the Leafs' success based on how many achievers we had in this group. Here's the correlating prediction for 3 out of 7: "Hmmm. Easy come, easy go, I guess. We suck, but probably not bad enough to get Tavares." Not exactly a bold prediction but it sounds about right. Easy come, easy go. Don't get too excited, but a pick in the top 5 is still a real possibility.

Our Poni Comes Of Age

Way to go, Alexei. You're doing it.

Eat it, Montreal.

I was really concerned at the Trade Deadline about losing Dominic Moore because I thought it might negatively effect Jason Blake's production. As for trading Antropov, it wasn't concern, I simply accepted that Ponikarovsky's numbers would go down and that he would struggle on his own. Whenever the two were separated, I always assumed it was because Poni wasn't playing well and saw it as a demotion from the top line. What I never imagined happening after the Antropov trade, was Ponikarovsky suddenly emerging from the shadows as the team's best forward.

Since March the 4th, Poni is on a tear. In the last 9 games he has 4 goals, 10 assists for 14 points, has had 3 multiple point games, and has only been held without a point twice. Oddly, both those games were against Tampa Bay. In last night's game against Montreal he was absolutely outstanding. Playing on a line with Grabovski and Kulemin, Poni dominated the game with 2 goals and 2 assists, earning the first star.

To put in perspective what Poni has done since the loss of Antropov and Moore, we'll compare his stats with those of Stajan, Stampniak, and Blake, since the Trade Deadline.

Ponikarovsky: 4G 10A 14P +2 23 Shots

Averaging about 2.5 shots per game and 1.5 points per game.

Stajan: 0G 5A 5P +2 12 Shots

Stajan is nowhere near producing at the level he was before the tragic soccer-ball-in-the-eye-fiasco. Just five points since Antropov and Moore were traded, he's been held pointless 5 times in that span, and without a shot twice. Stajan is hardly stepping it up. In fact, he's now in a deep goal scoring slump and hasn't put the puck in the back of the net for 14 games, going back exactly a month to February 21st when he scored a short-handed goal in the Mats Sundin/Vancouver game.

Stempniak: 3G 3A 6P -3 25 Shots

Held pointless 3 times, but never held without a shot, he's averaged over 2.5 shots per game in his last 9. His numbers are still less then thrilling, though, especially the minus 3.

Blake: 3G 3A 6P Even 37 Shots

Blake's output has suffered a bit with the loss of Moore. Held pointless 4 times in the last 9 games, including the first 3 games immediately after the Trade Deadline, Blake's offensive numbers look similar to Stempniak's. He does have one multiple point game in there though, while Stempniak does not, and he continues to be a shot-firing machine, with never less then at least 2 shots, averaging over 4 per game in this stretch. All those shots, and the fact that his plus/minus is at Even, indicate that Blake is still playing fairly well and continually pressuring the other team's defence. Without Moore's occasionally brilliant instincts however, success just isn't coming as often.

This post isn't meant to slam any of those other players (although Stampniak and Stajan could both sure use a kick in the butt), but simply to point out how well Poni has adapted and grown in the absence of Antropov and Moore. The word blossom comes to mind. As a final comparison, let's look at the stats of the two forwards that were traded and see how well they've done in their new enviornments:

Antropov has played well in New York with 4 goals and 4 assists for 8 points in 8 games, on 19 shots and an even plus/minus. Not bad at all, but imagine what we'd be saying if he had 14 points and two 4-point games already under his belt in the Big Apple?

Moore, meanwhile, has made less of a splash in Buffalo, picking up a goal and 2 assists for just 3 points in his first 8 games with the Sabres. He has 14 shots on goal, and is a plus 2.

Hopefully this is just the start for our Poni-boy on his journey to becoming a Poni-man. If he can finish the season the way he's playing right now, he should be able to come into camp next season with an abundance of confidence and maturity, ready to assume an important leadership position on the team. For years, Ponikarovksy played second-fiddle to Antropov's lead, the tall, lanky Kazakh's long, lanky shadow shielding Alexei from the spotlight, but also from stardom. Finally, the time has come for Poni to emerge and show us what he can do on his own. Indeed, it might be the best thing that could have happened to him.

Keep 'er goin', Poni. You're making us very happy to have two 2nd round draft picks.

Third Line Charm = Freedom 55

Leafs 5, Oilers 2. A solid effort all around and the Leafs are rewarded with an excellent result. Early on in the evening there was a familiar sound:

"Breaking in down the wing, Jason Blake fires... right on... and Deslauries will... hang on to the puck." /throw to commercial break

Yes, it was Freedom 55, back on the ice, fermenting and pissing his way to two important assists in the 3rd period. Good for him (and good for Ron Wilson), as that's exactly the contribution Blake needs to make on a regular basis. Hopefully this will help Blake realize his role as an effective 3rd line player, inspiring him to play his best in every situation, not just his favorites. Perhaps because of the Blake benching, I've been thinking about Cliff Fletcher's words this summer, which bkblades also made a point about in the GameThread. Remember when the Silver Fox said:

"If you look at our club, we really have only one player you can consider a top-six forward, and that’s Antropov... We have a couple others that are on the fringe of the top-six, but no one else".

Well, the Leafs do in fact have 6 top-six forwards, but Jason Blake ain't one of 'em, anymore then Ian White is.

The top two lines look set and pretty solid. I've been tracking the Leafs statistics the last 6 games, ever since the thrilling Rangers comeback, and a clear pattern of succesful point production has emerged. The victory against the Rangers belonged to the third line, who were in on almost every goal, with John Mitchell as the key motivator. It was the last game Jason Blake made any kind of meaningful contribution. Since then, including tonight's victory over Edmonton, the Leafs have scored a remarkable 24 goals in 6 games, almost all of them coming from the top two lines.

Grabovski has been on fire the past two weeks and is leading the way with 10 points in his last 6 games. His linemates - Hagman and Kulemin - have added 6 points each. This line has found some chemistry, and is clearly capable of carrying the Leaf offence on any night. However, what I like best about this line is that while Kulemin's game still needs a lot of improvement, the potential is there that as he improves, so will the line, and hopefully SuperKule will grow into a top line superstar.

"I don't know how much more you can say about Matt Stajan."

-Jim Ralph

Totally. It's not like Ralphie to be at a loss for words. Matt Stajan has come alive. He's completely convinced me that he's a first or second line player who belongs with Antropov and Ponikarovsky. Amazing, but whatever, it's working.  Stajan had another big night with 3 assists, and now has 9 points in his last 6 games. Ya, 9. I know - wow. He's really come along way since the begining of the season. Sure looks like a top-six player to me this week.

Stajan's linemates, Antropov and Ponikarovsky round out the Leafs top-six. The Lanky Kazakh, with another goal tonight, has kept a point-a-game pace for six games, with 3 goals and 3 assists. Poni, meanwhile, hasn't let a newborn in the house slow him down too much, chipping in with 3 points over the last six games.

I like this top-six, and I think Ron Wilson does too. At this point, the only player I could see replacing Stajan on the Antro-Poni line would be the Captain himself. Hopefully Jason Blake can see the talent and the chemistry on these two lines and will realize that the only way to get top-six ice time is to be the best 3rd or 4th line player on the ice, night after night.

Tonight was definitely a step in the right direction. Now, if they could get their 3rd and 4th lines rolling with the same attitude and regular success, Wilson might soon have this team looking like a serious playoff contender, or even, like a dangerous playoff darkhorse. Jason Blake may be the key in that regard. If he can come to work and accept the role that Wilson gives him with enthusiasm and determination (i.e. Ian White, 5 points in 6 games), the confidence and the expectations of the entire team might be raised.

415!

Finally, I'd like to finish this post with a special congratulations to Tomas Kaberle. Tomas has struggled a bit this season in his own zone, but lately seems to be finding the offensive side of his game again. After last night's game in which Kaberle had a 3-point night,with a goal and 2 assists, he now has 8 points in his last 6 games, and, of more historical importance, equalled and passed Ian Turnbull for 3rd in all-time career points by a Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman, with his 414th and 415th points. Salming, the all-time leader (768) is still a long way off, but Tim Horton (458) could definitely be reached this season. Nicely done, Tomas. Keep 'er goin'.

Maple Leafs' Halloween

So, I heard that Ron Wilson was going to let the players have a night off for some Halloween fun. Don't be surprised if a few of the Leafs come trick-or-treating at your door tonight. To help you figure out who's who underneath those scary costumes, here's a sneak preview of what some of your favorite Leafs might be wearing...

Jeff Finger

...as a big walking hand! I know, too easy.

Nik Antropov

...as Frankenstein! "Buuugrrrzz Kang!"

Alexei Ponikarovsky

...as the Bride of Frankenstein! Scary.

Ryan Hollweg

...as a Gorilla. That's about right.

Jiri Tlusty

...as the Pizza Boy! Yikes. Delivers, extra cheesy.

Matt Stajan
...as the Invisible Man. A throw back to the first 2 games of the season.

Jamal Mayers
...as the Hot Cop! Arresting and enforcing.

Nikolai Kulemin
...as the Kool-Aid Guy! Oh-Yeah!

Carlo Colaiacovo
...as the Mummy! He must have spare bandages around he can use.

Jonas Frogen

...as the Techno Viking! Except, in this case, he really is.

Trick or treat, everybody. Have a safe and happy Halloween!

(Vincent Price voice) Oooohwaahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.......!

Battle of Ontario Blow by Blow

Toronto and Ottawa resumed their rivalry last night, and so for the grand historical significance of the occasion, I've covered the game for anyone who didn't get to see it, or for the rest of you that want to relive it again and again. Here's the Battle of Ontario Blow by Blow, also known as the BoOBbB, round 1.

One minute in. Neil gets a piece of Stajan and Schenn goes after him. They have a scrap and Schenn looks awesome. Neil comes out of it allright, but the rest of his NHL career is about to get a lot more painful, and a lot shorter.

Bad choice Neil. There will be payback.

First shot for the Leafs goes to Kulemin. Are you playing SPG? Don't ask why. Just do it, okay, who cares why!

Two minutes, 15 seconds in,, Vermette is stopped on a breakaway. Shortly after at the other end Steen is set up nicely by Blake and stopped by Auld.

4 minutes in. Poni takes a hit to get the puck in deep and then Antro does some bangin' down low. Strong play from those two.

5 and a half minutes. Some nice defending by Van Ryn. 45 seconds later, Blake's hard forechecking leads to a good shot from the point.

6 and a half minutes gone. Moore is hauled down. Ottawa penalty Volchenkov goes for clipping(?).

The powerplay had an early drive but then looked slow and lethargic, starting with Kaberle's lazy retrieval of a puck down the ice.

At the half way point of the period, Schenn is looking great and leading the way.

11:30. Great save Tosakla on Alfie in close and then Alfie takes a stupid holding penalty shortly after. The powerplay is again weak. Stajan does okay digging behind the net, but Van Ryn didn't look focused at the point.

Next shift, a beautiful pass by Kaberle up the middle to Grabovski, who is stopped on a breakaway.

Another good shift for the Blake line. Jason Smith nails Moore and gets called for a cross-checking penalty.

6 minutes left in the first. Leafs are 75% on face-offs so far.

14:14. GOAL!!! Taken it to the net! Blake makes a nice play at the side of the net to get the puck in front, and a good crash by Van Ryn and Moore. Dominic Moore gets his second of the year, on the powerplay, from Van Ryn and Blake.

With three minutes remaining in the first, Sens put together a decent shift against the Hagman-Grabovski-Kulemin line.

18:15. Good hit by Steen.

18:45 More pressure by the Sens leads to their first powerplay. Stralman goes off for hooking. (He had a good goal Thursday, but I am surprised he's getting so much playing time over Carlo)

Period ends. Overall a very good first 20 minutes for the Leafs. Shots were 21-9! Faceoffs, 14-3! Wow. Moore leads the way with 4 shots, 1 goal, while 13 different Leafs also had at least one shot on net that period.

2nd Period

First minute. The penalty to Stralman expires and he steps out of the box and into a breakaway, but has his shot stopped.

Next shift features some nice passing by Schenn, Kaberle, Antropov, Ponikarovski, and Stajan.

2 minutes, 15 seconds. GOAL!!! Grabovski from Hagman. Stralman nearly loses it at the line but then kept the puck in and threw it deep to pick up the other assist. Kulemin doesn't get an assist but made a really nice play to protect the puck until it got to Hagman behind the goal. Grabovski's skot was like a comet to the top corner.

4:06. Goal. Mitchell loses his stick in the defensive zone, and then a point shot is deflected. Donovan from Picard and Kuba. Boo.

4:42. Penalty to Ottawa. Volchenkov for hooking. The powerplay for Toronto has some okay pressure but no goal. Should have been another penalty to Ottawa on a Hagman takedown.

7 minutes played in the 2nd. Shots are 9-2 for the Leafs so far in this period (30-11 overall).

The Blake-Moore line again with some pressure. Seems like the Leafs have 3 good lines going tonight.

8 and a half minutes. The 4th line gets some ice time and pressures Ottawa. Leafs controlling the play through the first half of the 2nd.

10:20. Stralman throws a hit.

10:50. Kulemin-Hagman-Grabovski hemmed in. First poor Leaf shift in a while.

14 minute 45 seconds. Mayers and Neil get the crowd going but don't scrap. Mayers drops his gloves, but Neil won't go. Coward. Shortly after, Neil shoves Grabovski into Toskala and receives a 10-minute misconduct.

11 seconds later, Moore gets a holding penalty. Ottawa fails to score or get a good chance. Stajan does a nice job on the penalty kill. Moore then gets a chance in the slot with 2:45 remaining in the period.

With a minute and 8 seconds left, Antropov draws an Ottawa penalty, Schubert for interference. The powerplay really goes nowhere, and the period ends.

Shots 33-13. Face-offs 24-7. The goals advantage is only by one, 2-1.

3rd Period

The good pace to the game continues and the first six minutes of the 3rd go by quickly. Steen has the only early chance.

6 minutes, 45 seconds, Toskala makes a great save, and Finger does a good job clearing the puck.

7:40. Antropov leads a nice rush.

10 minutes left. Back and forth, but neither team with any solid pressure. Leafs are doing a good job of limiting the Senator's attack. Shots are 4-3 for the Sens in the 3rd at this point, 36-17 for the Leafs overall.

11:30. Good shoulder by Finger! His name still sounds weird but he's lookin' allright.

7 minutes left. Another nice pass from Kaberle and Blake is away on a breakaway but then loses the puck.

37 seconds later. Good pressure. Antropov shot - rebound, Pony! GOAL!!! Complete phantom assist for Stajan, who led the rush, stopped just inside the blue line and then had his shot deflect wildly off the glass, behind the net. Antropov picks it up, skates around to the slot, and throws the puck at the net where Poni bangs it in. Leafs lead by 2, 3-1.

Under 5 minutes. Blake throws a hit?! Then Kubina throws a hit. That's more like it. Ottawa's pressure is all on the perimeter.

Blake's hustle with 2 and a half minutes to go leads to a Sens' penalty. Phillips goes to the box for hooking, and that's pretty much it for Ottawa. Great work, Blake.

55 seconds left. Ouch! Ugly short-handed goal by the Senators cuts the lead to one, 3-2. McAmmond banks it in off of Van Ryn's skate, who goes bezerk on his stick and chops it in two. How huge is that Poni goal now? Or the Phillips penalty?

30 seconds. Woweee! Mad scramble and then a lot of pushing and shoving. Spezza gets a little aggressive with Scehnn. I guess Emery wasn't the only player on the Senators lookin' to sabotage their own career. Spezza's is done for.

10 seconds. Senators win an important face-off and Heatley has a chance, but hits Toskala with the puck and it bounces away. Finger clears the puck and the Leafs win!

Two in a row!

My Three Stars:

The third star, Alexei Ponikarovsky

The second star, Jason Blake

The first star, Luuuuuuuke Schenn!!!

Overall, a very satisfying game. There's a box score here. It's always fun when the Leafs beat Ottawa, but tonight it was nice to see the Leafs come together and show some real confidence. Blake really rebounded with a strong effort, Toskala had 22 saves for the win, and several key players, including Moore, Antropov, Kaberle, and Kubina, had strong games. There's still long way to go for both the Leafs and the Senators, but right now, I'd so much rather be us then them. We're four points ahead of them in the standings, but more importantly, we have Luke Schenn - they have a funny lookin' zero on their shoulder.

It's Time To Pump Up The Jam!

Spirit is Everything! Winning... not so much.

Tomas Kaberle presents... "Commitment To Execution"

2008-2009 Toronto Maple Leafs

"I am the Pony-King! I can do anything!"

Only a few more hours to go, Leaf fans, before we drop the puck on yet another un-glorious season. It's a year that begins with "zero" fans, zero expectations, and zero Captains.

It's a fresh start. A clean slate. And in mere moments it will all unfold, the living monument that is Leaf-history will yet again be carved with Blades of Honour and Glory. Towards victory or defeat, we march with a mighty roar...

"Go! Leafs! Go!"

"Go! Leafs! Go!"

"Go! Leafs! Go!"

"Yaaaaah! We love to win!"

Time to paint your face and get your freak-on, Leaf Nation. Despite the discouraging opinion of the sad, morose Damien Cox, this is going to be an exciting season. But don't take my word for it. Check out some of the comments from Damien's blog. Here's a good one:

Rather then the usual dissapointment and frustration of losing with under-achieving "superstars", Leaf fans will get to see a new coach with a new style, players whose jobs depend on their performances, unknown quantities like Kulemin and Frogren attempting to establish themselves, and working-class journeymen (Mayers, Stajan, Moore) emerging as leaders. Do the words "develope, blossom, mature" sound boring? ... If you live in Toronto, and you follow hockey, but you don't see this set of circumstances as being positive or exciting, well then you're just a sad, morose person who can't be encouraged about anything.

Surprised they printed that. Here's another:

The only folks who are "suggesting" the things that Damien is talking about get paid to express their opinions either on TV, print or radio. Not one fan with a brain in their head is as delusional as he suggests, he should check the meals at the ACC press room.
-TorontoSpotsMedia

And another:

Folks, it's about more than just having lots of names, bald heads, and arrogant columnists.
The Maple Leafs might have the weakest media corps in the entire league.
-PensionPlanPuppets

Hahahahaha. Hilarious. Maybe it won't be exciting to Damien because he just doesn't care. That's fine, that's his choice. I choose: "Go! Leafs! Go!"

"Go! Leafs! Go!"

"Go! Leafs! Go!"

"We did it again! Scoring goals is awesome!"

With the final cuts to Bell, Devereaux and Kronwall this week, the line up appears set. Coming out of camp, the big surprises for me have been Luke Schenn and Ian White. It remains to be seen how long either will stick with the club, but congrats to both for finding a way to get on the team for now.

And so here's where I take a stab at projecting the forward line matchups:

Poni - Antro - Blake (Tlusty/Kulemin)
Hagman - Grabovski - Mitchell (Kulemin/Hollweg)
Stajan - Steen - White (Tlusty/Mitchell)
Mayers - Moore - Hollweg (Blake/White)

The names in blue are the players that I think should play everyday together. The players on the right are the remaining 6 rotating through 4 spots. In bold is my first choice and in brackets are players they could be interchanged with depending on game situations, injury, etc.

"Something had to be done to change the culture of this hockey club."

I think Cliff's moves this summer have been very cunning and I really like what I've seen from Ron Wilson. The record in the exhibition (2-5-2) didn't show it, but this is a far better team then what we had last year. Wilson's attitude is already making a difference and he's also given us some great quotes early on. So far, this is my favorite:

"The only thing I guarantee is this team will not accept defeat. If they go down, they'll go down swinging."

Fuck, ya!! It's like I can feel something in my heart again. What is that? Love? Pride? Passion?!?

"Go! Leafs! Go!"

"Go! Leafs! Go!"

"Go! Leafs! Go!"

Look at those beautiful, sensitive, understanding eyes. What a dreamboat!

If ever there was a man to have a man-crush on, it is Vesa. The most adorable tandem the Leafs have seen since Damien Rhodes and Felix the Cat, Toskala and Cujo are going to bring respectability back to the Leafs' blue-paint this year. While the world waits for Pogge to mature, the time is now for Vesa to prove he is a superstar goalie in the NHL.

"Hey! You really don't suck! We might actually be good again someday!"

Finally, we need to acknowledge Luke Schenn. Thank you, Luke, for all you've done so far. Your skill, your poise, your power - humbles us and reminds us that the great hockey players of our time have all been worth waiting for. For this tremendous gift of genuine optimism we will, in return, have eternal patience (well, 2 to 3 year patience actually, but that's like an eternity on a Leaf Nation time-scale) while we wait for the right team, one that Luke Schenn deserves, to be assembled and delivered to him.

The future is bright Leaf fans. The future starts now. Get excited. This is it. Let it begin...

"Go! Leafs! Go!"

"Go! Leafs! Go!"

"Go! Leafs! Go!"

Further Deconstruction Of The Inner Circle

Since the beginning of the off-season, a lot of Leaf-talk has revolved around the Muskoka Deconstruction Project. While Sundin takes retirement for a test-drive, McCabe is dispatched to Florida and Tucker is bought-out and goes to Colorado. Neither Kaberle nor Kubina, the two remaining of The Five, are given the C to wear, nor are they openly endorsed by the coach for their leadership. In fact, sort of the opposite.


You have to look at the leadership in the locker room, and it has not been there.


So we looked elsewhere. A lot of attention this summer has also been paid to the Leafs recent additions: Mayers, Finger, Van Ryn, Grabovski, Hollweg, and Hagman. These players will likely contribute to a higher work ethic on the ice with less disfunction off of it, but they are not a collective nor are they the leaders. They are individuals who can set a fine example for others to follow but won't be blamed when those others don't. No one will look at Mayers at the end of the year and say "we didn't win because Jamal didn't show enough spirit in the locker room".


So has the culture in the Maple Leafs' locker room changed? Or will it? A 2-5-2 record through the pre-season, including 3 games where 2-goal leads in the 3rd period turned into losses, is disturbingly similar to what we experienced last year. If our recent additions can't be fairly blamed for not having enough influence at this early stage, and the former usual suspects (Raycrap included) are all somewhere else, then who should we be talking about now? Who represents the identity and character of this year's Toronto Maple Leafs? Which players form the new Inner Circle?


In my last post, I looked at a group of seven Leaf players that could all possibly hit the 100 assist milestone this year. In this post, I'm going to look at another group of seven - no, not that Group of Seven - , Leaf players, that as a unit, form the new dominant entity within the team, and thus, have the strongest influence over the locker room and its personality. (Also, what should we call them? The Muskoka Five was so catchy. This group needs something similar.)


The core group of players that best represent this team's identity now are: Kaberle, Antropov, Ponikarovsky, Steen, Stajan, Colaiacovo, and White. All seven of these players have been with the team since at least 2005. All seven have never played for another NHL team. Like friends who travel through high school together, these seven are all very familiar with one another. To say that they should be comfortable in Toronto is an understatement. None of them have ever played for any other team. The Leafs' locker room is the only one they've ever known. It's practically their living room, minus the fireplace. For all of them, this year represents a cross-roads in their careers - greater opportunities and greater responsibilities - a chance for each of them to cement their presence on this team as long-time Leafs, but if individually they falter or can't find success, this group may be broken up very quickly, and their careers re-evaluated, probably somewhere else.


So how have they done so far?


Kaberle: Tomas is the unappointed leader of the team. By far their best player, but maybe also their quietest, Kaberle's silent leadership was once endearing to me, but I think a more vocal role is expected of him now. I'd like to see him doing more post-game interviews and I'd like to see some fire in his eyes. Nothing wrong with his hockey though; in 5 exhibition games played, Kaberle averaged nearly 24 minutes of ice time, had 1 goal, 3 assists, and was a plus 3, with 6 PIMs.


Antropov: The lanky Kazakh is gonna be leaned on heavily by Ron Wilson this season, and his shortcomings won't be as easy to hide. Without Sundin, Antropov is going to face a lot of pressure from other team's front line defenders. It'll be his job to lead the team on the scoreboard, but also, to get guys going on the bench. His pre-season stats were only okay; in 6 games played he failed to find the back of the net, but did have 6 assists. Remarkably, Antro stayed out of the penalty box, but was overall a minus 2. His ice time was fairly consistent, ranging from 16 and a half minutes to just over 19.


Ponikarovsky: Alexei could be headed for a break-out year and he really needs it. He definitely had some spark in his last game, scoring an Andreychuk-like goal from the crease, throwing a couple of hits, and he even had a fighting major. Not that he should be defending Jason Blake's stupidity, but if Alexei can play like that every game, the fans will soon be chanting "Pony! Pony! Pony!" His preseason stats are: 6 games played, 3 goals and 3 assists, which is very good, but he was somehow a disappointing minus 4. He also tallied 13 PIMs while averaging 16:54 ice time.


Stajan: The enigma. Has had a very quiet pre-season. Hasn't really stood out one way or the other. I have the feeling MLSE would really like to see Stajan take a more prominent role with the team, but I'm not sure he's ready for it mentally. He needs to find away to get people excited and to play his heart out when the time is right. Obviously, exhibition is not that time, but here's what he's done with it: In only 5 games, Stajan had 1 goal, 1 assist, 8PIMs, and came out minus 1. His ice time ranged between 14 minutes to 19 minutes. Nothing special, but I think he didn't have the same kind of pressure to impress as some of the others in camp did.


Steen: Alex also needs to have a breakout year. His numbers after 3 seasons with the Maple Leafs are not bad, but this year they need to get better. Steen is another quiet leader that I'd like to see more passion from. Whether we win or lose, I want to see the results on his face. His pre-season stats are not great: 8 games played, 2 goals, no assists, 4 PIMs, and a minus 2. His ice time was all over the place, ranging from 13:47 to 21:13.


Colaiacovo: We know what Carlo can do, the big question is for how long can he do it? I don't think Carlo has to worry about ice-time, he'll get plenty of it as long as he stays healthy. He had a very decent pre-season in limited action, seeing only 5 games, but registering 4 points. Carlo had 1 goal and 3 assists, including a couple of really nice plays, and also picked up 4PIM's . His plus/minus finished at even, while averaging well over 20 minutes a game (22:02). Carlo's looking good so far and his effort on its own is uplifting and inspiring. Another spiritually-deflating injury however, and it might be the end of the line for this wonky warrior.


White: In this group, Ian "Snow" White, is the fairest of them all, and appears to be the most on the bubble. In fact, he may already have lost his job as a 5th or 6th defenceman as he doesn't appear to have the skills Ron Wilson values on the blue line. However, his recent transition to forward has been nothing short of inspired and dramatic. White looks good there, especially in that first game on the wing against Detroit where he played beside Stajan and Steen. That line had jump and forechecked very effectively, mostly thanks to White who seemed quick, tenacious, and aggressive. A brilliant move by Wilson, and I'm really hoping it works out for White (as long as he doesn't grow a mid-season beard). This may be his last chance to stick with the team, and to be part of a nucleus of imporant core players whose future is now.


This is the group our fortunes will follow. Their efforts, their attitudes, their responses to their own failures and successes will dictate the character of the team, and will define the identity of the Toronto Maple Leafs this season. Will they be known as the Magnificent Seven, or as Ian White and the Six Dorks? The Personality Of The Room: A New Season, episode 1, begins Thursday night.


*Update - Earlier today, Mark Bell was placed on waivers. I guess this means you can probably scratch his name off the list of Leaf players on pace to get their 100th career assist. The other thing that occurred to me, is that in just 3 games, Ian White outplayed Mark Bell for a job in the lineup as a forward. Congratulations to Ian White, best of luck Mark Bell.

The Hundred-Helpers Club

Seven New Members Are Waiting To Join!

Does 100 assists mean anything? Is that really a milestone? Well, it's not spectacular, but in a way, it's a significant indicater of a player whose having a legitimate NHL career with meaningful contributions. I don't know how many players have reached the 100 assist plateau, a lot I guess, but there must be even more who haven't. It's a line in the sand that seperates those that could from those that couldn't.
So, I was looking to see what milestones any Leaf players might achieve this season, and discovered a few - Antropov, if he stays somewhat healthy, will play in his 500th NHL game this season. He has 54 games to go. Blake is 10 games away from his 600th career game and is destined to take his 2,000th career shot on goal this season, and then later, his 3,000th. 3.5-million dollar defenceman Jeff Finger is just 6 games shy of 300 games in the NHL. Wait. That should be 200. No. Sorry, again. 100 games, and worth every penny.
Hey, remember that exciting opening paragraph? The only other milestone any Leaf players are likely to hit this year is in the category of Assists. Specifically, that first big milestone, 100. Seven players on the Leafs' roster will have a shot at it this season, which seems like quite a lot, and it gives you a pretty good idea of what kind of a team we have this year. Young and inexperienced, yet on the verge now of proving themselves to the league and establishing their right to be recognized.
The seven Leafs who might join the Hundred-Helpers Club this year are: Mark Bell with 95 assists, Mike Van Ryn 91, Jamal Mayers 87, Hagman at 85, Ponikarovski has 83, Steen 74, and Stajan 71. Mark Bell - 5 to go. Bell might be the first to reach 100 assists, and he might do it by December. If he doesn't, it means he's not on the team, or shouldn't be. Last year he had 6 assists in 35 games, but I think this year he'll have less time to show that he can do more. If he's in the line up on a regular basis, it means he doin' allright, and 100 is in the bag.

Mike Van Ryn - 9 to go. Again, Van Ryn is going to need playing time in order to get there, but if he plays a full season, it should be no problem. In three full seasons with the Panthers, in which he played 79, 80, and 78 games, Van Ryn collected 24, 29, and 25 assists, repectively. If he's playing everyday, he could reach 100 before mid-season.

Jamal Mayers - 13 to go. It might take the season, but Jamal has a chance to get to 100 career assists this year. Last year with the Blues, Mayers had 15 assists in 80 games played. If he's healthy all year he'll probably see increased ice-time with the Leafs and will have a good chance to hit the 100 mark if he plays with anyone who can score. Mayers brings leadership and toughness to a team that needs it, so if he can contribute 13 assists as well, I'll call that a success.

Niklas Hagman - needs 15. This one will be close. Hagman is more of a goal scorer. He had an imressive 27 goals last year with the Stars, but only 14 assists. He's only had more then 15 once in his career, way back in 2002 when he had 18 with the Panthers. The following year he had exactly 15. Obviously the pressure will be on Hagman to score goals, but if he doesn't reach the 100 assist milestone this year I'll be a bit dissapointed. It should be within his potential, and given his role as an offensive player, he should also have talented linemates to work with. This will be one to watch.

Alexei Ponikarovsky - needs 17. For 4 straight seasons, Ponikarovsky has not produced fewer then 17 assists, averaging 19.5. Last season he had exaclty 17 assists in only 66 games. This one may take all season as well, but Poni will be expected to produce and deliver this year, and if he can't reach the 100 assist plateau by season's end then he's probably not had a good year, and neither have the Leafs.

Alex Steen - needs 26. In three seasons with the Maple Leafs, Alex Steen has recorded 27, 20, and 27 assists, so 26 is very much in his range, but he'll need to have a good season, stay healthy, and be a leader on the ice in key situations. Steen is a good player, there's no doubt about that, but if he can get up to 100 assists this season, in just his 4th year with the team, it'll show that he's still got a great future.

Matt Stajan - needs 29. This is the long shot. Last year Stajan was well off pace with a disappointing 17 assists. However, the year previous, Stajan recorded a career high, 29 assists, which is exactly the total he needs this year to reach 100. So basically, Stajan needs to have a career year or better. Can he do it? 29 assists, in today's NHL, seems like an awful lot for someone who'll be used in a checking role primarily. But he's done it once before, and I think Stajan has a lot he wants to prove. Reaching the 100 mark for career assists would definately help in that regard.

Seven players. 100 assists. Can they do it? All of them? Will any of them? Why should I care?
I'm going to make a chart with all of their names on it, with a blank space beside each. Whenever (if ever) any of them hit the 100 assist plateau this year, I'll write a 1 in the blank followed by 2 happy faces. At the end of the year, I will count up the total number of happy faces and compare it to my projection below:

No one does it, so - no happy faces: Here comes Tavares!
Only two happy faces: Here comes Tavares!
Four happy faces: Tavares?
Six happy faces: Hmmm. Easy come, easy go, I guess. We suck, but probably not bad enough to get Tavares.
Eight happy faces: Aw, crap. Not even a top 5 pick.
Ten happy faces: Please no, not 9th place!
Twelve happy faces: Hey, is this team playoff bound? Damn, still 9th place, but that was close and a lot of these players had really good seasons. Hopefully Cliff can swing a nice trade at the draft for one of these proven performers.
Fourteen happy faces - all of them do it: Holy smokes, what a season! Team chemistry, career-years, and exceeded expectations! Man, it's weird to be back in the playoffs!

So, there we go, a way to measure success or failure this season, since everyone knows we're probably not gonna win the Stanley Cup: How many milestone-makers will finish the season in the Hundred-Helpers Club?

Dougie's Tip For Frequent Helpers: Pass the puck to Kaberle.

What YOU can do to help: Yell "SHOOOOOOOOOT!!!"