Troubles Are All The Same

So, we're at the 3/4 mark for the season, with just 21 games to go, and the Leafs are dead last in the Eastern Conference, 29th in the NHL overall. Seemed like it might be a good time to take a break and hit the "reset" switch. Yet again. And then I found out that the Leafs don't play another game for 3 whole weeks due to something called the "Oplinkits" - according to my 2 and a half year old daughter - which I've never heard of until just now even though every four years it gets more media coverage then Christmas.

Speaking of Oplinkits, you might already know that I think that women that compete are magnificent. So I've had my eye on the Canadian Women's hockey team with some interest. In 3 games now they've outscored their opponents, Slovakia, Switzerland, and Sweden, 41-2. I especially like the line of Wickenheiser, Apps, and Piper, who've totalled 27 points between them so far in the tournament. Piper is from Toronto, and Apps of course is a granddaughter of Maple Leafs Hall of Fame legend, Syl Apps. Wickenheiser is in her 4th Olympics, as is sweet-skating Jennifer Botterill, and ultimate hockey-mom and stay-at-home defenceman (defencewoman?) Becky Kellar. Good luck, ladies!

More Oplinkits! Nice to see Matt Stajan's favourite teammate, Jerome Iginla, with the hat-trick last night. The Canadian defence moved the puck efficiently all game while the forwards looked dangerous and determined. About half-way through the game I realized that if I screwed with the tint-control on the TV I could kinda make their uniforms look sort of a pinky-purplish-blue, and with the Maple Leaf crest on their sweaters, I felt like I was watching a beautiful, psychedelic dream.

I still can't cheer for Danny Heatley. His second goal of the game to make the score 5-0 was just a rocket of a shot, but it didn't make me feel good. I don't admire the guy. I don't think I ever will. I don't care how good he is. Is that wrong, or is it right? Doesn't really matter much, it's just the way it is.

I'm looking forward to seeing Tomas Kaberle and Pavel Kubina re-united tonight when the Czechs take on the Slovaks. Speaking of Kaberle, which apparently I often do, I think it's worth pointing out that on the last Leafs' goal, scored by Kessel on the powerplay in the 2nd period against the San Jose Sharks, Tomas earned his 40th assist of the season, and the 400th assist of his career - all in the Blue and White. Maybe not as glamorous or outstanding as 500 goals, but I think it's still worth recognizing.

The Leafs last game, an uninspiring 4-0 loss to Carlo Colaiacovo, Alex Steen and the rest of the Unstempniak'd Blues, was disturbingly familiar to many, if not most, of this season's performances. Made me feel nostalgic for the good old slightly less crappier days. The temporary glitz and sparkle of the new Leafs sadly faded in that game, revealing a team very much reminiscent of the old Leafs, with similar results but only half the personnel. It occurred to me that since Wilson came to town, Fletcher and Burke have combined to trade Antropov, Moore, Colaiacovo, Steen, White, Hagman, Stajan, Mayers, Blake, Toskala, and two 1st round draft picks, for Phaneuf, Kessel, Giguere, Sjostrom, Stempniak, and two 2nd round picks.

So with nostalgia in mind, and nothing else for me to say, I've decided to end this post with some favourite pictures of familiar faces from the recent past, starting with Alex Steen and his visit to the dentist!

"Yeth, a thorthanded goal. Weally cruffed thier thpiwit."

"A'splode for glory!"

"Hey, look at me! I'm worth a 2nd round pick AGAIN! I can't wait to play for my new team, the Buffalo Sabres Florida Panthers Montreal Canadians. I made Jason Blake's contract seem almost reasonable! I should be a billionaire!"

"Whoo! Antropov is Atlanta Thrashers leading scorer now! Ilya and I are unstoppa... wait, what?"

Dear Vesa; Please wash that blue and white out of your equipment. Signed, Finland.

Jamal Mayers: Motivation leads to success, or in this case, doing stuff."I am the God of Misfortune!"

He's a complicated man, But no one understands him but his woman...IAN WHITE!"Happily married? Well, yes. Why would you ask?""See ya next year, everybody!"

An Un Bee Lee Ba Ba Turn Of Events

Colossal is the only way to describe it.

Let's begin with Saturday night's epic disaster in this tragedy-filled season. This has to be the worst loss ever. I thought losing to Paul Maurice and the Carolina Hurricanes in a game where Ian White had given the Leafs the lead with 30 seconds to go was the most humiliating that it could get. I certainly never imagined - honestly, no one imagined - the Leafs building a 3-0 lead against Vancouver and chasing Luongo from the net, only to blow that lead and give up the game-winning goal with 2:04 to play, followed by an empty-netter, and then have that bastard Raycrap doing victory laps and waving to the fans at the ACC. A new low. Absolute rock-bottom. The only thing worse would be to have John Ferguson Jr. score a goal against the Leafs himself.

Warning: the video below contains graphic scenes of outright horror that are highly disturbing and may not be suitable for some audiences. Viewer discretion is advised.

Unforgivable. And so, we don't forgive. We blow the whole thing up and forget instead. The guys that lost to Raycoft and Vancouver are not our guys anymore - those are their guys, Calgary and Anahiem - we got new guys now. Not really, but y'know...

The Shake-Up

Forget that awful game on Saturday, let's get to the reaction of the trades. This is a major shock to the culture of the Maple Leafs dressing room. Six fairly prominent personalities - Stajan, White, Hagman, Mayers, Blake, and Toskala - have been moved out. With the prolonged injury to Komisarek, leadership will weigh even heavier on the shoulders of Kaberle and Beauchemin, and yes, even Luke Schenn. Phaneuf will slide nicely into the top-4 rotation and has a cannon for a shot so he might pair up with Kaberle very well. Hopefully Phaneuf can find chemistry quickly on a blueline that remains surprisingly deep yet was curiously dysfunctional. In Giguere, the Leafs add a Conn Smythe trophy winner to the dressing room and an intelligent mentor for Jonas Gustavsson. Finally, it appears that Bozak is here to stay and that Exelby will likely get his wish for more playing time, though Finger may end up being the next defenceman that gets moved.

Words For The Not-So Dearly Departed

Matt Stajan

I'm gonna miss Matt Stajan. A lot. I know not everybody's gonna agree with this, but I thought he gave a real honest effort most nights and exceeded expectations for a season and a half. At the time of the trade, he was leading all Leaf forwards in points and was actually chasing down Kaberle (just 2 points behind) for the team lead.

Ian White

It hurts to lose Ian White, it really does. Since the beginning of last season, when he sat out the first 11 games and then debuted as a forward, White has been earning admiration and respect. One of the very rare pleasures of this dreadful Maple Leafs season was witnessing the continuous ascension of Ian White's stardom. He was the heart and soul of this mostly passionless team, which isn't saying much I guess, but his contributions and efforts were appreciated and will be remembered. His mustache is immediately an honoured inductee in the Maple Leafs Mustache Hall of Fame.

Niklas Hagman

For the first quarter of the season, Hagman was the Leafs most consistent and complete player. He began to fade after that though and never really got it back. It also seemed that Hagman was reluctant to play a physical game and was in the bottom half of the roster for hits and blocked shots. Already a 20-goal scorer this season, Hagman does have fantastic skills, but wasn't a difference-maker often enough.

Jamal Mayers

How ironic is it that Mayers scores a goal and two assists in his final two games as a Leaf? Was his performance the tipping point for Calgary on this trade? Were they not sure until Mayers ripped one by Loungo with 5 seconds left in the first? Hilarious. If so, thank you Jamal, for finally doing SOMETHING. It's too bad things didn't work out 'cause your eyebrows are astounding, but 5 years from now the only thing I'm going to remember about you is that you were a part of this trade. Congratulations, you're Craig Berube now.

Vesa Toskala

AhhHahahahahahahaha!!! What were they thinking? I can't believe somebody actually took Vesa Toskala off our hands. And I can't believe they actually shut down his season last year for surgery that would make him feel great about being terrible! What kind of groin surgery did they do that fucked up his head like that? The VESA2010 was a total disaster and a disgrace. Stupid bio-engineered piece of junk. On the other hand, I now fully expect Toskala to return one day and shut-out the Leafs with a ridiculous 50-save performance, but this time there won't be any mini-lap celebrations, 'cause I'll be there, and I'll be waiting...

Jason Blake

THANK YOU ALMIGHTY JESUS! THANK YOU MERCIFUL ALLAH! THANK YOU BUDDHA! BLESSED THANKS TO BRAHMA, AND VISHNU, AND SHIVA! THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE INFINITE GODS THAT EXIST IN OUR UNIVERSE FOR THIS MOST UNDESERVING OF MIRACLES. IT IS TRULY A BLESSING AND A SIGN THAT OUR SUFFERING WILL SOON BE AT AN END! PRAISE GOD, WHOSE INFINITE WONDER KNOWS NO BOUNDS!

For years from now, fans of hockey teams anchored under the weight of outrageous contracts and cap-hits will look to this day and say, "If Jason Blake can be traded, anyone can get traded." I do want to recognize Jason Blake for having a terrific bounce-back season last year, and for keeping his chin up during some very difficult times in Toronto. However, I was worried at the beginning of the season that Blake might have little left in the tank, and even less to prove, and eventually that became apparent and it was time for him to move on. Good luck in California, I wish him well, but every time I see Blake in another team's uniform I'll bow my head and give a quiet thanks to Wendel.

So, it's like a whole new season from here on out, hopefully with new results. The past is the past. Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust. Broken sticks and shin-guard tape goes in the basket. We're past the darkest hour now, and heading for the dawn.

Seven General Observations

Eyebleaf has this Deep Thoughts thing going, and a lot of people seem to like it, so I thought I'd try my own and give it my own spin. This is general borschevky's Seven General Observations:

#1. First off, a very general observation about the NHL. The West is the best. So far this season, the West is killing the East, winning 78 games to 58. It took me a while to calculate this but I have the West's record against the East at 78-42-16, while the East is 58-62-16 vs. the West. If we don't count the extra point for OT and shoot-out losses, it's a .426 winning percentage for the East compared to .574 for the West, and .485 compared to .632 if we add the point. That translates over 82 games to a 104 point season vs. an 80 point season. Why the West should be so dominant I don't know, and maybe it'll even out over the second half, but at this rate it will impact the final standings, and specifically the projected totals needed to make the playoffs. Rather then the expected 95 point plateau, teams in the West may have to break the 99-point barrier and have 100-point seasons or better in order to reach the post-season, while a team in the East may qualify for that 8th and final playoff spot with just 90 points, perhaps less. At the moment, 8th-seed in the East is held by Florida, with 37 points after 37 games, 15-15-7, exactly .500, and in the new NHL, the definition (or so we had presumed) of mediocre. I can't believe that 82 points will be enough to secure the last playoff spot in the East, but we're very close to the half-way point in the season and that's what we're on pace for.

#2. So now that .500 is the new .500 again, and not the challenging and awkward .579 that had momentarily usurped it, making the PLAYOFFS!!1 just got a whole lot easier for the Blue and White. For that reason, I'm adjusting my sidebar to show the winning percentages to reach 91 points from the beginning of the season and from where we are today. I may adjust it further if this trend of the West beating up on the East continues.

#3. The Buffalo Sabres, the Leafs next opponent, are the only team in the East with a really impressive record vs. the West. They're 6-0-0 against the opposing conference. Washington is 5-2-1. The Leafs are 3-6-1.

#4. What a weird schedule and what a month of hockey. We've already had the Bruins 3 times in 14 days, now we get the Sabers for the 2nd time in 4 days. We'll also see the Islanders and the Habs for a 2nd time each in December. The Leafs are currently 3 wins under .500 after 36 games, so with 5 games left in 2009, they'll have to go 4-1 against Buffalo, the Islanders, Montreal, Pittsburgh, and Edmonton to get there before the month, and the year, (and the decade?) is out.

#5. A word about the goaltending situation: It's crystal clear who the starting goaltender is on this team. But not because of Vesa's terrible mistake* the other night in Buffalo. Gustavsson's numbers are simply superior, by leaps and bounds. The Monster has run his SV% now up to .907, which is really impressive given all that he has had to deal with this season. Meanwhile Toskala's languishes at .870, the worst in the NHL. Consider that Gustavsson has now seen 14 more shots against, yet Vesa has given up 16 more goals. Each goalie has played 18 games. Those numbers aren't going to turn around. A 40-point differential on SV% amounts to 1 goal for every 25 shots. Given that the Leafs have surrendered 1089 shots, or roughly 30.25 a game, the difference then between Gustavsson and Toskala in net is over a goal per game. Under the Helmet of Slava Duris has an excellent breakdown of the stark contrast between the Leafs' netminders effectiveness when they need it most - on the penalty kill.

*(For what it's worth, I thought there was quite an over-reaction in Leafs-Nation to the Vesa screw up Friday. Yes, it was absolutely brutal, horrible and unacceptable - one of the worst goals I've ever seen. But that's all it was. Just one goal in a game we probably weren't going to win anyhow. Nobody died. People make mistakes and those people have to live with those mistakes. It's nothing for us, as fans, who've seen pucks over the line that didn't count, and pucks that no one saw over the line that did, and goaltender interference penalties that go uncalled, and dubious penalty shots awarded, and at least 3 phantom high-sticks, and on and on and on, not to mention Alfredsson from behind on Tucker, nor The High-Stick That Really Ruined Everything. It was a terribly embarrassing goal, and I'm sure no one feels worse about it then Toskala. Mostly I feel bad for the Vesa 'cause now the illusion has been shattered. He's not going to be considered a good goalie ever again unless he wins the Stanley Cup standing on his head under a constant rainstorm of burning garbage. Still, as fans, I think it's better if we turn our attention and energy toward ridicule and comedy, rather then anger and hate. It's a sad state of affairs for Toskala, but by acquiring Gustavsson, Burke has ensured that we're not at the mercy of one player's abilities. We can laugh about it, and so we should.)

#6. Tomas Kaberle continues to impress. Not only did he score a nice goal on Saturday night, the winner as it turned out thanks to Gustavsson's shut-out, but Kabby was also the first man to go after Boychuk that set off the scrum following the hit on Stajan. Good for Kaberle, showing some guts and coming to the aid of his friend and teammate. I'm not going to moan about it not being a clean hit, though. It was fine. Stajan needs to keep his head up, and I think Kabby knew it was a bit of a suicide-pass as soon as he let it go. I don't think Boychuk was trying to kill Stajan, but he popped him pretty good. Could have been worse. When I compare it to the famous Stevens hit on Lindros, or Bell's hit on Alfie, it doesn't seem that bad or out of line. Still, I was glad to see Tomas sticking up for his mate.

#7. Even better, I was really glad to see that Stajan wasn't too badly hurt and eventually returned to the Leafs' bench. Not that I'm big on unnecessary bravado or machismo, but when a player gets hit like that and leaves the ice in a bloody mess and then returns to the bench and tells his teammates he's ready to battle on, it gives them a huge lift. Did you know that Saturday night was Stajan's birthday? Yup, Matty turned 26 and got smashed, but not the way he expected. He then received the gift of having his teammates stand up for him, and returned the favour with his own display of guts and courage.Happy Birthday, Stajan! With love from Kabby, Kessel, Poni, and Komi, and the rest of the gang.

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

Behind The Monster

I like the word unfathomable. It's a good word to describe the effect that the Monster is having on the Toronto Maple Leafs.Last night Gustavsson turned aside 35 of 36 shots, and despite the fact that the Leafs managed to score 5 goals, it's the goaltender's stats that are fascinating me at the moment.

In his last 3 starts, Gustavsson has faced 104 shots, turning aside 99, for a .951 SV% and a 1.66 GA while the Leafs have picked up 5 out of 6 points.Three games is a small sample size, but so far the Monster looks comfortable at the ACC with 1-1-1 record and a stunning 1.65 GA and .941 SV% in three home games.

The Leafs are currently on a 7-game point streak that began with the return of the Monster to the line-up in Anahiem. Gustavsson has started all but one since then - a 5-4 OT loss to Montreal - as the Leafs have picked up 10 of a possible 14 points.
In 5 starts, Toskala has allowed 4 goals once, 5 goals twice, 7 goals once, and was yanked once after allowing 3 in the opening period. Gustavsson has allowed 4 in one game only - an OT goal against Dallas - and has kept the opposition to 2 goals or fewer four times in seven starts.

"He's made big saves at key times. When you've got that in goal, it gives you confidence."
Beauchemin

"The way Gustavsson played was unbelievable. I don’t know what to say about him, doing that two games in a row."
Kessel “When you do get saves and the goalie bails people out, obviously you appreciate him even more."
Wilson

"The whole bench gets pretty excited when they see the saves he can pull off."
Wilson, again"

We get excited. He's been outstanding. He's making key saves at key times and he did a tremendous job all night."
Blake
"He's made some saves that I call game-changers. Right at the key times and they've been outstanding. Last night and tonight, he was the difference. It was good to see."
Blake, again

"He has been huge for us the last five or six games, he just never gives up on a play. Even in practice, you think you have him beat and he just slides over and makes a big save."
Komisarek

Friday Night Ramble

A new hockey season is here! Spirit is Everything again, except even more this time, with less losing, hopefully. A very warm welcome to any new readers here in the General Area. I'm going to try and spin out posts with a little more consistency again, but I usually get a little depressed in January/February, so we'll see how it goes.

First of all, let's kick things off with a little house-cleaning: I have a few announcements.

Francois Beauchemin won the poll for "favourite new Leaf" in a tight race over Kadri and Gustavsson. Bozak and Stalberg, for some reason, were left off the list, so we'll never know how that would have effected the voting. Congratulations Francois, I'd say you deserved it. Judging only what I saw in the pre-season, it looks like Beauchemin is a very solid defender.

The other poll I conducted recently was your favourite goaltending tandem. The winners were Potvin and Rhodes, with Vesa and Gustavsson close behind. Thanks to everyone for voting. I was gonna do a "Larry Murphy" poll, but ended up doing the goaltending one instead. I think it's safe to say that, with a late surge, the Vesa would have won the "Larry Murphy" trophy by a landslide.

Last announcement before I begin rambling: There's a new poll up. Wilson has announced his 3 Alternate Captains for the season (or, the time being) and (gasp!) none of them are Luke Schenn. Even more puzzling is the fact that he suggested the issue would be revisited again in a month, with a full-time Captain possibly being named in November (when it really matters! Oh wow, The Berger Prophecy is true?!). So - who do you think should be Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs? One of Wilson's chosen Alternates; Kaberle, Beauchemin, Komisarek, or my (our) choice, Luke Schenn. If we don't decide, Ron Wilson will do it for us. You have 30 days. Go.

Okay, enough with the formal pleasantries, let's get ready to RAMBLE!

MON 4(OT), TOR 3

Disappointing result, but Montreal loses Markov for four months, so there's a big picture here. The Leafs controlled the play well, but couldn't finish and seemed to lack the killer instinct needed to put it away. They worked hard for that 3-2 lead and then let it slip through their grasp. Do I sound like I'm talking about a Paul Maurice coached-team? Shudder. C'mon Wilson, Hanta Yo, Baby.

MATT STAJAN

...is on pace for 162 goals. Awesome. That joke is going to be hilarious for about another 15 hours. Unfortunately, Matty didn't register an assist on opening night so I don't see how he's going to repeat his 40-assist performance this year when he's currently on pace for zero. In all seriousness, Stajan played a great game and was maybe the best Leaf on the ice. His first goal was a beautiful deflection off an equally beautiful feed from Tomas Kaberle on the powerplay. His second goal, also on the powerplay, came from going hard to the net and cashing in a loose puck off a Jason Blake stuff-in attempt.

.852

The Vesa's save percentage is off to a rocky start. Do you think it'll go up or down after they play Washington and OV? Not that he was to blame for Thursday's loss, uh... entirely, but he didn't exactly impress too much either. Some good saves, but no biggies, and ultimately, one less then we needed. Still, we did get a point, which keeps Toskala's bizarre individual streak of not having lost an NHL game in regulation alive and up to 14 games. His last recorded defeat in regulation goes all the way back to a 2-0 loss to Carolina on January the 19th. His record over those 14 games is 4 wins, 1 OT win, 2 Shoot-out wins, 4 OT losses, 2 Shoot-out losses, and one no-decision.

Penalties

The Zebras were not our friends on Thursday night, but in Toronto they never are and they're never going to be. We have to make our own rules. If Komisaerk has to spend 15 minutes in the box to get the point across, so be it. The main thing is to get the penalty-killing to the next level. If opponents know they will be punished for crossing the line, and realize that taking the punishment for the sake of a powerplay is mostly pointless, the payoff will be well worth it by December.

I Could Go On...

...and I guess I will. Primeau (4:22, -1) was on the ice too much doing too little, and Orr (1:28, 5PIM) wasn't on the ice enough...

...the Leafs had 46 shots but most of them were soft...

Are you playing SPG? I had Poni in the 1st period for the goal. I'm gonna be ultra-competitive about it this year 'cause I heard the winner gets Chemmy's job. Don't blame me if that isn't true...

There's a lot of really good new blogs out there. I've tried to keep up and added quite a few to the sidebar. The Blogs of Distinction will probably stay the way it is for awhile, but the Web of Distraction continues to grow and grow and there's a lot of really good material worth exploring. If you think you should be in there and for some reason I've missed you, drop me a link in the comments...

Also, THE TRUTHULENCE is fun and doing pretty well, so I think I'll keep that up. I'm hoping by the end of the year it'll make an awesome coffee table book. I've added all the blogs to the blog roll over there, and as you'll see if you check it out, the Barilkosphere has gotten HUGE. Congrats to everyone, keep 'er goin', and best of luck this season.

Don't forget to vote in the poll. Thanks for dropping by.
Go!Leafs!!Go!!1

The Vesa Strikes Back!

First off, if you haven't seen it yet, it's absolutely mandatory that you view the video below and introduce yourself to what the Monster can do:

Amazing. Unbelievable. Everything you dared to dream. The Monster is for real. A good assessment of his talents is found here:

"When I look at the leg extension involved in that save from the overhead camera it’s not the distance his right leg covers that’s amazing, but the angle at which it travels from his body to the post. Look at it and pause it. It’s insanity. He cuts off angles like I’ve really never seen before…his style is unique for sure. Sick."
-TheAvalancheGuild

But this post isn't about Jonas Gustavsson, as I'm sure many, if not most, of the others will be. Instead, I feel compelled to add some balance, particularly in regards to good ol' Mr. Dogshit, my dear friend, the Vesa.

I was as hard as anybody last season on Toskala. I wrote post after post after post demoralizing the Leafs' starting goaltender. And then I wrote another, and then another on top of that. And yet oddly, despite an uninspiring preseason, I find myself cheering for the Vesa again, and even , dare I say it, believing in him.

I'm not crazy. I do remember that Toskala did suck. I do remember his habit for soft goals and his terrible tendency to let them in off the first shot of the game. But did you know that in the Vesa's last 15 starts before surgery, the Leafs lost only twice in regulation? One of those losses was actually credited to Joseph who replaced Toskala and surrendered the winning goal, while the other was a game in which the Leafs were shutout 2-0 and Toskala made 32 saves.

7 wins. 2 losses. 6 overtime losses. 20 points of a possible 30. A 666. winning percentage and a .907 save percentage over that time.

He was on a roll and getting better. Toskala's last 5 games before surgery were his best performances of the year. All five went to overtime or a shoot-out:

Feb. 21, 2009. The Sundin game. A 3-2 shoot-out win for Vancouver. 35 saves for Toskala.

Feb. 22 and 25, 2009. Back to back coach-killing victories over the NY Rangers, one in overtime, one in shoot-out. 39 saves and 31 saves.

Feb. 26, 2009. A 5-4 shoot-out victory over the NY Islanders. 40 saves.

Mar. 3, 2009. A 3-2 overtime loss to New Jersey. 49 saves.

3-0-2. Eight of ten possible points. A .941 save percentage.

.941

Despite a season with numbers no better then that horrible Raycrap, there's no comparison between the two goalies. For one thing:

He's maybe not up there with Todd Gill in terms of heart, and he's nowhere near Wendel Clark, but the Vesa kinda resembles Ian White in soul and spirit, and we saw the way he turned himself around with the right mentors and teammates.

It's actually a really good scenario right now. Either Gustavsson pushes Toskala to be a better goalie, or he just takes the starting role on his own merit. One thing is for certain: the Leafs' starting goaltender will be better then he was last season. Which reminds me - let's go back to one of those old posts and see what MF37 had to say at the time:

"Perhaps the best case scenario for the Leafs and Toskala is hanging on to him to platoon with Pogge, lessening his workload and hopefully repairing his game."

Mm-hmm. The Bitter Leaf Fan is a smart guy, obviously. Well, what did I say?

"...let him share the duties with Pogge until next year's deadline. With another year off his contract he might seem more attractive to other NHL teams, and with a decreased workload, it's not unfathomable that he might rebound and have a stellar year."

Uh-huh.

...

Who the fuck is Pogge?!

**UPDATE**

Okay, so the Vesa just gave up 7 goals tonight on 24 shots and the Leafs end up losing their last preseason game to Buffalo, 7-6. A brutal performance. Quite horrifying, really. Toskala's preseason save percentage is so depressing I can't be bothered looking it up. It's might be under .700. Doesn't matter what it is, he doesn't appear ready.

Does it change the way I feel? Not too much, but it has accelerated my interest. Toskala's time is up. If he starts on Thursday in the opener against Montreal (and I think he will), he has to perform right away. The pressure from the fans is on his shoulders like never before and tolerance for Raycrapian-style nights, like the one we just witnessed, will be non-existent.

So, it doesn't look good for the Vesa, but I'm still cheering for him anyways. I can't help it, I love rooting for the underdog, especially when they have their back up against the wall. It's a huge part of what makes me a devout Leafs fan, and right now, Toskala is the biggest underdog of all.

He's also winning the Larry Murphy race.

The Top Twelve Toronto Maple Leafs Goaltending Tandems Since 1970

Special thanks for this post goes out to Vintage Leafs and Goalie Cards for providing most of the pictures below. The rest were found using Google Images.

#12. 1990-91 Peter Ing and Jeff Reese

22-42-11

Peter Ing 16-29-8 3.84
Jeff Reese 6-13-3 3.86

Okay, this tandem was pretty brutal and easy to forget about. The only pair that ranks lower in my mind is the awful combination of Raycroft and Tellqvist - who didn't make the list and come in dead last. Reese would eventually find a place for himself in Maple Leafs' lore by being included in the Gilmour-trade with Calgary. Peter Ing, meanwhile, disappeared into wikibscurity.

#11. 1982-83 Mike Palmateer and Michel Larocque
24-31-10

Mike Palmateer 21-23-7 3.99

Michel Larocque 3-8-11 4.89

These two make the list based on name-recognition and not their stats. Palmateer's comeback was less then sparkling, barely able to keep his goals-against under 4 through 51 decisions. "Bunny" Larocque, meanwhile, had a cool nickname and a cool helmet, but really wasn't a very good goaltender, able to win only 3 out of 22 decisions. Ouch. This pairing didn't last long as Larocque was traded to the Flyers for Rick St. Croix midway through the season.

#10. 1986-87 Ken Wregget and Allan Bester
32-42-6

Ken Wregget 22-28-3 3.97

Allan Bester 10-14-3 3.65

Despite their crummy statistics, this duo is often fondly remembered. The Leaf teams they played for were rock-bottom terrible and this tandem were often required to stand on their heads just to keep the games respectable. Both goalies, however, brought an attitude of "gamesmanship" to the ice, that sometimes produced stunning and spectacular saves at completely meaningless moments of games long out of reach. The stats above are actually from their best season together; the following year they would combine for an astonishing 20 wins and 47 losses.

#9. 1971-72 Bernie Parent and Jacques Plante

33-31-14

Bernie Parent 17-18-9 2.56

Jacques Plante 16-13-5 2.63

I'll be honest, I don't know much about this pair or this season. I recognize their names but I never saw them play in Leaf uniforms. Parent played one season as a back up and then one season as the Leafs' starting goaltender, with the 42-year old Plante as his back up. Parent would then jump to the newly formed WHA for a season before Toronto traded his rights back to the Flyers, where he made a name for himself as a premier goalie and immediately won 2 Stanley Cups. The Leafs had trouble in the early '70's finding a durable, dependable unit between the pipes, but for one year, this tandem turned in a combined winning record and kept their goals-against under 2.65.

#8. 1976-77 Mike Palmateer and Wayne Thomas
33-31-14
#7. 1975-76 Wayne Thomas and Gord McRae
34-29-14
#6. 1977-78 Mike Palmateer and Gord McRae
41-29-10

Mike Palmateer(77) 23-18-8 3.21

Wayne Thomas(77) 10-13-6 3.86

Wayne Thomas(76) 28-24-12 3.19

Gord McRae(76) 6-5-2 3.70

Mike Palmateer(78) 34-19-9 2.74

Gord McRae(78) 7-10-1 3.29

So, I'm cheating a little by doing the next 3 all in one paragraph. Positions 6, 7, and 8 on the list are the same 3 players in three different pair-sets over three consecutive years. In '76, Palmateer arrived on the scene with his infamous declaration that the Maple Leaf "hunt for a goaltender is over". His style was flashy and acrobatic and highly entertaining, making him instantly popular. He was young and talented and fun to watch. The previous year's starter, Wayne Thomas was demoted to back up. While Palmateers' numbers were indeed good, Thomas' dropped off significantly, the end result being that their combined numbers were no better then the combination of Thomas and McRae from the previous season. So, for the following year, McRae reclaimed his familiar role as back up, this time behind Palmateer. That final pairing seems to have been the best fit as the duo combined to top 40 wins in 77-78.

#5. 1992-93 Grant Fuhr and Felix Potvin

38-24-11

Grant Fuhr 25-15-7 2.50

Felix Potvin 13-9-4 3.14

The best duo we never knew we had. This is kind of a fantasy tandem 'cause they didn't really spend that much time together, but the Cat did get in there enough to prove himself and get comfortable, eventually giving Fletcher the confidence to deal Fuhr to Buffalo for the all-important Andreychuk. Even though Fuhr was traded mid-season, I included this pair because when you look at their combined numbers from this season, they're excellent, especially Fuhr's 2.50 goals-against.

#4. 2003-04 Eddie Belfour and Trevor Kidd

40-24-8

Eddie Belfour 34-19-6 2.13

Trevor Kidd 6-5-2 3.26

If this list was a personality competition, this combo would win hands down. I'm really surprised there weren't more fireworks when they were around, 'cause they seem like two really fun guys that know how to have a blast. Kidd and the Eagle worked well together for a couple of years, but I picked this season because both goalies have winning records combining for over 40 wins, and Belfour's goals-against is a staggering 2.13.

#3. 1999-2000 Curtis Joseph and Glenn Healy

45-30-7

Curtis Joseph 36-20-7 2.49

Glenn Healy 9-10-0 3.04

Hard to argue with the success of this pair. Healy was a capable back up to the superstar Cujo and their two personalities seemed to compliment each other very well. Indeed, Joseph's confidence and passion paired with Healy's maturity and poise produced a combined 45 wins, the highest total of any tandem on this list. It was a good fit for the Leafs, and for two players who took their roles seriously.

#2. 1993-94 Felix Potvin and Damien Rhodes

43-29-12

Felix Potvin 34-22-9 2.89

Damien Rhodes 9-7-3 2.62

My favourite Leaf goalie of all-time paired with my favourite back up goalie of all-time. The Cat was obviously amazing in his best years, and hugely popular, while Damien Rhodes was the quiet, capable, charming and unassuming back up who provided solid relief when called upon, the way you'd expect. Their combined record speaks for itself as both goaltenders produced winning records and goals-against under 3 while combining for over 40 wins. Finally, as far as I can recall, Rhodes is the only back up goalie who ever held a press conference and cried for the media after getting traded. Every kid in Toronto was dreaming of playing with Doug Gilmour and Felix Potvin, and I guess Damien Rhodes was no different.

#1. 2009-10 Vesa Toskala and Jonas Gustavsson

- - -

"What in the Bozak of Stajan is goin' on?! Have you lost your Stempniak?!" Maybe. Allow me to step out-to-lunch for a moment and PREDICT that this year's tandem is going to be the best we've seen in over three and a half decades. I must be a little loopy 'cause it makes me dizzy just thinking that. But before you go and decide to never read one of my posts ever again, let me spell out the criteria that they would need to achieve.

1) To get on the list at all, they only need to be better then Raycroft/Tellqvist and Ing/Reese.

2) Both goalies with goals-against under 3. I don't just think that's possible, I think it's a reasonable expectation for what might be a low-scoring, tight-checking team.

3) Both goalies with winning percentages. Not going to be easy, but if the Leafs are going to make the playoffs, it'll have to happen. I think it can, and I think they can do it.

And 4) Combined wins over 40. Thanks to the league's system of having a win for every game on the schedule and zero ties, this is actually easier to accomplish with a little help in the shoot-out and overtime. If they can achieve the 2nd and 3rd conditions, 40 wins is a done deal.

So, it's not really an honest list so much as a projection. Still, can you believe how much work I did just to make the point that I think the Vesa and the Monster are going to make a great tandem and have a great season? No, me neither. It took like three days.

Nope, Not Gonna Be Him Either

Do the Toronto Maple Leafs need a Captain? Are they ready for one? Do they have anyone that qualifies? This post is really a sequel to last summer's smash-hit, "Well, It's Not Gonna Be That Guy". Maybe it'll end up being a series. Running with the same theme, I'm not really looking for the right choice, but trying to present the best arguments for the worst choices you could make. An exercise in anxiety release. Not meant to be taken seriously.

Lee Stempniak should be named Captain of the Maple Leafs.

Great leaders are often responsible for deeds that go unseen or unrecognized. Many would suggest that there must be more to Lee "2 for 1" Stempniak then meets the eye. Not one to showboat or draw attention to himself (in any way, whatsoever), Stempniak quietly, rather, silently goes to work without flare or quarrel, or even a solid physical form. Putting a "C" on his sweater would help the fans recognize Lee's omnipresent contribution, and so would giving him a red and yellow helmet with a windwheel on top.

Matt Stajan should be named Captain of the Maple Leafs.
Stajan is from Mississauga, and damn'it, that's local enough. He had 40 assists last season, and double-damn'it, that's a lot. While maybe not a legitimate top-six or bottom-six player, Stajan is the prototypical middle-six forward. Meaning - he eats up a lot of quality ice-time in between the stuff that happens, allowing the game to flow without a whistle at a steady pace. Stajan is the team's media darling and Toronto's MSM writers would certainly react to "their choice" with euphoric elation and dangerous levels of intoxication and fornication, perhaps ending in tragedy, though no one would actually use that word.

Mike Van Ryn should be named Captain of the Maple Leafs.
This is just an opportunity to recycle my old Carlo jokes: Blood and guts effort; inevitable sacrifice; the whole team gets a turn at the rotating captaincy as Van Ryn inspires them to lift their spirits again and again, from the surgery ward recovery room.

Rickard Wallin should be named Captain of the Maple Leafs.
Rickard Wallin is a centre, and he's from Sweden. Not much more to it then that really. We should also let him wear number 13 - just to see what happens. Just to see what it feels like. Seems to possess remarkable decision-making capabilities.

Ian White should be named Captain of the Maple Leafs...
...for possessing facial hair truly worthy of a Captain. Really, we're giving the "C" to White's mustache, but it would look ridiculous dangling from his lip so we'll sew it on to his sweater. I personally really like the idea that when a contentious call is made, Wilson can send White over to the referee with the instructions, "Tell them to explain it to the mustache".

Vesa Toskala should be named Captain of the Maple Leafs.
Naming goaltenders the Captain is totally in vogue right now, and being in vogue is totally the Vesa. Hey, why not let the goaltender have completely all the pressure? He can handle it. The weight of the world is nothing compared to 21 hockey players on your back. Being on the ice for the entire game gives Toskala the unique ability to influence its outcome. When the team needs a big hit, or a sustained attack, Toskala will be there on the ice - usually 180 feet away from where it needs to happen... and unless, of course, it's the final minute and we actually need a goal, in which case he'll be headed to the bench, to lead the team from there. Hmmm... maybe this one needs to be thought out a little better. People in Vancouver must be high as kites 'cause I'm really stoned and I still can't imagine how a goalie can be Captain.