Meet The D-Men: How Many Do We Need?

The first edition of Maple Leafs Nations: Meet The D-Men is now outdated and needs revision. Specifically, my prediction was wrong and Bryan McCabe has been sent packing and is no longer a Maple Leaf. That leaves Kaberle and Kubina as the top two defenceman without a doubt. From there, it's wide open. Ian White and Carlo Colaiacovo are next in seniority with the team, but they will be challenged for playing time and possibly a spot on the roster. Jeff Finger, with his enormous high-profile contract will definitely be in the mix and should see substantial playing time. Expectations are high this year for Stralman to get increased playing time and opportunities to develop his offensive game. That's six defenceman already. I think it's doubtful that Kronwall will see any action with the big club this year, based partly on his past performance, but also due to the additions that Cliff has made and the heavy competition there will be for the remaining spots. Schenn is the future, and I'm not expecting to see him in a Leaf uniform this year, but maybe next.

In this episode of Meet The D-Men, we try to get more familiar with the recent additions to the Leafs' blue line, Josef Boumedienne, Jonas Frogren, and Mike Van Ryn. The only player I'm not covering is Richard Petiot, whose NHL career consists of 2 games with L.A. in 2006. Otherwise, he has spent the last three seasons in the AHL with the Manchester Monarchs. His AHL numbers don't impress and I think he has no chance of making the team unless Carlo somehow explodes one day and takes out himself and 3 other defenceman at the same time. Don't laugh, it could happen.

Josef Boumedienne

I'd like to see Boumedienne crack the line-up. He's got a scary look in his eyes that kinda reminds me of Danny Markov. He's also got an interesting backround:

He scored a goal in his first NHL game, for the New Jersey Devils, but that was the only game he played for them. They traded him that season (2001-02) to Tampa Bay where he appeared in 3 games without a point. This will be his 4th NHL team, although most of his career has been spent in the minors. He has not played in the NHL since 2004. That year for Washington he had 14 points in 37 games plus 30 PIMs, which isn't bad.

After playing a few seasons in Europe, Boumedienne returned to North America and had a very productive season with the AHL Hershey Bears, scoring 42 points in 52 games to go along with 81 PIMs.

Born in Sweden, Boumedienne played for the Swedish juniors, but his mother is from Finland and his father is from Algeria. He shares a last name with a former Algerian President (who I think looks just like legendary Leaf coach and scout, Tom Watt), and has expressed interest in playing for the Algerian national team. I didn't even know they had a team, or ice, for that matter, but check out their cool jerseys.Jonas Frogren
Drafted by Calgary in 1998, Jonas Frogren has yet to play a game in the NHL. His entire professional career has been in the Swedish Elite League, playing all nine seasons with the same club, Farjestads BK Karlstad. Judging by his statistics, 1 point in 47 games last year, he's strictly a stay at home kinda guy, so it's interesting that he's making the big jump to North America.

Above is a funny picture of him modelling a motorcycle helmet for some reason. Below are pictures of things I'd like to see him doing in a Leafs' uniform.
Slammin' little pukes like St. Louis into the boards.
Knockin' guys down in front with no effort at all.
Givin' Jason Spezza a stick in the face any time he gets anywhere near Toskala or Cujo. I like the way Frogren looks, in pictures at least. We'll see how he handles the Big Show if he's given the chance.

Mike Van Ryn
Van Ryn comes to Toronto from Florida in the much-celebrated Bryan McCabe deal, so he'll have some pretty big red rubber clown shoes to fill. Probably Van Ryn is the front runner of this group to crack the starting line up, but his big salary could be conveniently sent down to the minors to clear up cap room if need be (hello Sundin mid-season return, bye-bye Van Ryn). Van Ryn had a pretty decent year with the Panthers the year before the lock-out, his first full season as a pro. After the lock-out, his next two seasons were almost as productive, though his goal total did drop from 13 in 2004, to 8 in 2006, to just 4 in 2007. Last year, Van Ryn played just 20 games because of injury problems, tallying only 2 assists. He says he feels "comfortable here already", but first he'll have to prove himself in training camp, and then continue proving himself throughout the season.
The biggest question I have for Mike Van Ryn, is why does every picture of him on the internet show him getting intimate with a bottle of water?

It's a strange thing to be unique for, but I guess the Leafs have seen stranger.

General Images: Exclusive Festival Cup Photos!

If you missed the summary of the game, my last post has it covered and then some. (I found greener!) As Damien might say, maybe you'll laugh your head off, but then maybe you won't.

The Event

The Festival Cup for Right To Play.

The Opening Face-Off

That really is Mats and that really is Dougie shaking hands at centre ice. Breathtaking.

Cujo

The first and only star of the game. Still has it.

A Fight!!!

Tim Robbins (see Bob Roberts, and The Player, awesome movies), wearing an Obama '08 jersey, beats up a McCain supporter on team Republican, whoops, I mean, team Red.

Gettin' pounded at a charity game is a bit sad.

The Reunion

Beautiful picture of Sundin and Sir Gary Roberts getting reacquainted during the warm up skate. Two of the most outstanding gentlemen and hockey players to ever play for Toronto. Weird that Sundin has the wrong team's socks on.

The Captain

Despite the fact that the red team squandered a 6-2 lead and lost, 9-8 in a shootout, it was great to see the former Leaf Captain. In fact, it was strikingly like old times. I personally have a great deal of admiration and respect for Sundin as an athelete, and as a person, and I really appreciate the comments he made while he was in town:

"The fans in Toronto certainly deserve to have a team that competes for the Stanley Cup every year. Whatever happens to me — whether I'm not going to play anymore or whatever happens — I think Toronto's always the team in my heart."

Pure class. We know what it's like to come back. We feel it, too.

"... it definitely feels like coming home, for sure."

The Festival's In Town

It wasn't much of a hockey game. "Exhibition" game would be a poor description. This was a charity game. For a good cause, for sure, but it had the energy of an old-timers skill's competition. At one point in the third period, Cujo attempted to stick-handle the length of the ice and made it all the way to the opposing blue line before he was checked off the puck. He also made it back to his crease before anybody threatened the open goal. It was that kind of a game. It was all for a good cause.

I didn't recognize most of the "celebrities" or even some of the NHL low-stars like Wojtek Wolski. Mostly it looked like a bunch of half-baked, pudgy, goofballs floating around the ice. Imagine 40 Kyle Wellwoods and you've got it.

There were a few surprises: Alan Thicke was no-show. It was better that way.

Gilmour left early, sometime in the first period. He wore the "C" for the white team, but I didn't see him at all in the 2nd or 3rd or even after the game.

A wonderful surprise was Sir Gary Roberts wearing the red sweater alongside Sundin, also in red and wearing the "C" in place of Luc Robitaille. It was good to see Sir Gary. I thought of Norte.

Stajan was awful. Does that count as a surprise? I know it was a charity game, but he did nothing to be noticed except when he was dumb, lazy, or clumsy. I'm sorry brothers and sisters, but it doesn't look good. Even Spezza was better and Spezza really sucks. The best player was Draper, I thought, and Avery was allright, but here's what a monkey he is: He deliberately shoots the puck at the goalie after the whistle, then whirls around with a smile on his face, ready to punch someone, in a charity game. He was booed even more then Spezza and Spezza really sucks.

I did take pictures, and I'll post them as soon as I can. Too sleepy.

Summary

I didn't keep record of the times for any of these events. At one point, my wife asked me if they were even keeping score. I looked up and said "yes", but was genuinely surprised to see that they were actually stopping the clock between plays.

1st period

Kypreos and Joe Thornton assist on the opening goal. Didn't catch who scored it.

Roberts fires the puck at Cujo really hard. (He ends up doing this several times throughout the game, each time getting a loud ovation.)

Avery misses the net on a penalty shot. The booing begins.

Sundin assists on Luc Robitaille's goal, red team takes a 3-1 lead.

D.B. Sweeny, who sounds like a Boston Bruin, but isn't, makes it 4-1.

2nd period

Popcorn and a soda costs $9.25!

Sir Gary Roberts scores from Sundin and Kypreos to make it 6-2.

Tim Robbins, wearing an Obama '08 jersey, scores on a penalty shot, when the referees pulled the net to the left of the unsuspecting goaltender, helping Robbins and team white on their comeback. It wasn't as bad as the Fraser call, but it was close.

Avery makes a nice pass and someone else scores (how often has that happened? Ladies?) and it's 6-4.

3rd period

Wojtek Wolski scores his second to make it 6-5, Cujo with an assist. Will Wojtek Wolski stwike for a hat-twick. We'll have to wait and see.

Despite really sucking, Spezza ties it, 6-6.

A beautiful pass from Robitaille to smooth skating Jennifer Botterill makes it 7-6, red. A lot of nice features on that line, especially Robitaille, around the eyes.

Spezza ties it again. Stajan is nowhere. Here's what should have happened:

"As Spezza was about to score his second goal of the game late in the third, Stajan catches him with his head down and nails him to the ice. The full impact of his shoulder knocked Spezza's helmet flying, and his consciousness from his body, which lay motionless for some time. What began as a night of charity and goodwill has become Matt Stajan's greatest showcase of his will to succeed and deliver."

The white team goes ahead for the first time with 2:45 remaining, 8-7, on Craig Simpson's goal. The collapse is complete for team red, and its Captain, Sundin, and I start to think about what Ron Wilson said about leadership.

A Too Many Men On The Ice penalty gives red a chance to tie the game. With the extra attacker, Sundin and Draper assist on Derek Roy's goal to make it 8-8. Yawn.

Craig Simpson appears to score for team white with 5 seconds left, but the goal is waived off and disallowed. Total bullshit. (The whole game I'm practically in a panic about Dougie, 'cause he hasn't come out of the dressing room since the 1st.)

Oh no. A Shootout.

Washington's Mike Green scores for team white.
Joe Thornton scores for team red.
Spezza scores but he still really, really sucks.
For red, Derek Roy scores.
For white, funny Tim Robbins scores.
Red: Sweet Jennifer Botterill scores. It's 3-3.
The guy from Blue Rodeo misses.
Here comes D.B. Sweeney: He misses.
Sundin! Out of nowhere! In alone against Joseph...! Misses with the back hand. Anti-climax.
Then somebody for the white team misses.
Then Luc Robitaille misses.
Then someone else misses. Then who cares? Another miss. Shoot-outs suck. They're so boring and retarded. Ah, finally someone scored! Some guy for the white team, doesn't even matter.
And now Joseph makes an easy save and it's over. Joe Bowen, whose comedy stylings kept us entertained throughout the entire evening, announces Cujo as the player of the game. They give him a funny little trophy and everyone crowds around and has their picture taken with it.

And then it's over, and suddenly Sundin is gone. I didn't even see him go or say goodbye. He just vanished. Maybe he was mad about missing on the shootout. Maybe he was concerned about Dougie. Or maybe he just never stopped to consider that this might be the last time he skates off the ice at the ACC because, well, he doesn't need to. It won't be.

Welcome back to Toronto, Mats. One step at a time.

Wilson vs. McCabe Is A First Round TKO

Welcome to Florida, Bryan McCabe. We know your family is gonna love the Sunshine State. Hockey fans in Florida must be really excited to have you on their team and many of them will want to know, how do you feel about the Panthers' chances this season?

"That's why I came here, I really, truly believe they have an opportunity to absolutely make the playoffs and hopefully make a run for the ultimate prize," he said.

Really, absolutely? Truly an opportunity? Making a run at hopefully making the playoffs is what hockey is all about! When you say the "ultimate prize", you mean the Stanley Cup, right? It could be a funny euphemism.

Travel back in time with me now Leaf fans to a date in early June when Ron Wilson was first hired and Paul Hunter(Star) and I(general borschevsky) had strangely similar conversations with the new Leaf head coach.

"I can't guarantee that we're going to make the playoffs this season... The only thing I can guarantee is this team will not accept defeat."

Refreshing honesty. And I liked the part about not accepting defeat. Should we dare to ask? Excuse me, Mr. Wilson, uhm, some of the cool Leaf fans were talking over at this site and I was there and I heard them wondering if you thought we could maybe, hopefully make an "ultimate prize" run for a playoff opportunity or something like that?

"Making the playoffs is not our goal. Our goal is to win the Stanley Cup. Period."

Wow. Man, that is powerful. When you said "Period" it was like you punched me in the eye. It's like - The Wendel Truth, if there is such a thing.

Wait a minute, back to McCabe, is he still there? Hey Bryan, remember the night you scored a goal into your own net, in overtime, no less? I know, sorry to bring it up again, but I'm trying to make a point.

"I try my best. Nobody is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. That's the game of hockey. ... I just try to brush it off. I'm not the only one who gets booed."

Oh, for sure. Guys like Sean Avery, Daniel Alfredsson, Gary Bettman - they get booed all the time. Don't take it personal, it just means everyone hates you. And it's beside the point right now. It doesn't matter who put the puck in the net that night. It could have been you, it should have been someone on the other team, but the point is, goals like that can't happen. Third period breakdowns like that can't happen. Ugly collapse after ugly collapse is a reflection of poor leadership and a ... sorry, what's that? Ron Wilson would like to get in here? Yes, Mr. Wilson, you were mentioning something on this subject just the other day, weren't you? Go ahead, Ron.

"The team has struggled in third periods, and rarely does that come from a coach - that comes usually from your top players. ... I've seen this team. I experienced it live last year [during a 3-2 Leafs collapse in San Jose] - a team with a 2-0 lead blowing it in the 3rd period. And if you look at the Leafs last year, there were about 20 times when they did that ... And that's a direct reflection of leadership."

Okay, that's it. Stop and get back to your corners. I've seen more then enough. TKO in the first round. Don't bother getting up, McCabe. This one was over before it began.

This Is How We Say Goodbye

Exciting news, everyone! Important things are happening and they're happening quickly:

Bryan McCabe is officially no longer a Maple Leaf.

Mats Sundin is back in town for a charity hockey game.

Jaredoflondon has magical powers!

Who is the "interesting mystery personality" that has just been added to the growing list of famous names scheduled to attend the Festival Cup?

And why has no one heard of the Festival Cup before?

So, Cliff had a plan to make the 16th Captain more comfortable, and now Sundin has come back to witness the "final execution" of that masterplan, that is - the realization of a once-considered impossible challenge of dispatching Bryan McCabe to anywhere for anything.

If you admire Sundin and you still want to see him return to the NHL as a Maple Leaf, don't give up hope. The door is still open. For all other teams, however, time has run out. Sundin is nowhere near being ready for opening night, so that eliminates any "group" considering itself a contender.

"I never believed in rental players to start with," Sundin told reporters. "I think if you want to be part of the team that has a chance to win the Stanley Cup or a team that is going far in the playoffs, my opinion has always been that you want to be there from training camp or the start of the season to be part of the group."

We know Sundin is not, and will never, ever be, a rental player for a contending team. That leaves only the Leafs and other teams that suck, and I can't imagine him finishing his brilliant career with a half-season on some crappy team, unless for some reason, it's what he dreams about it.

"My dream and the best scenario would be if I ended my career as a Toronto Maple Leaf."

Remember the Dream, Mats. One last time, one more year. Dream.
Here's how it goes down: Cliff says to Mats, "This is what I'm going to do...", then he whispers in Mats' ear. Mats says, "Wow, the whole team! That would be comfortable! Sounds too good to be true and I've been fooled by you guys once before. Call me when it's done. Until then, I'm going fishing." Fletcher's a responsible guy and he can't chase Sundin the way he deserves, so he does the next best thing: he trades the right to do it to Bob Gainey. It's a test of faith, but also a way of flattering Sundin the way he ought to be, by letting someone else do it. Gainey goes to Sweden, Vancouver perpetuates its own fantasy, and meanwhile Fletcher keeps himself busy improving the hockey club.

Sundin never had any desire to play for anyone else, but he also had no desire to waste an entire summer training and conditioning for a team he's not employed to, that owes him no commitment, and may not follow up on its promises. Cliff went to work while Sundin went fishing. Essentially, he retired at that point. Now that Cliff's work is done, Sundin can begin to see if his body is ready for another NHL season, and if his spirit is willing to return to that level. Friday, at the Festival Cup, is Step One.

I'm sure by now everyone is dying of anticipation, wondering who is the "interesting mystery personality" attending the Festival Cup, but first let me point out some important names that have already been announced. Curtis Joseph, Doug Gilmour, Matt Stajan, will all be playing, but there's also Joe Nieuwendyk, not officially participating, but he'll be hangin' around the building somewhere. Both Cujo and Joe are good friends with Sundin and are likely to encourage him one way or another.For Stajan, the game possibly represents a passing of the torch. It is beginning to look more and more like Matt Stajan is being groomed to be the next Captain of the Maple Leafs. While Kaberle has been invisible this summer, Stajan has introduced Leaf fans to a free (promotional) exhibition contest, and is now representing the Leafs at a high profile charity event. One thing is clear: Mats Sundin is no longer the Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, nor will he be on opening night. Sundin may yet return, but the Blood Of My Chief waits for no one. Along with a new "A", there will be a 17th Captain wearing the "C" for that first game. With the departure of McCabe, and the indefinite absence of Sundin, Stajan will have a letter on the front of his sweater, it's just a question of which one.

Exclusive Leafs(sort of)-Hockey-Fan-Related Minor Announcement

And now finally, the moment you've all be waiting for! About to be revealed for the very first time, the "interesting mystery personality" whose name has been added to the exciting list of celebrities and hockey players appearing at the Festival Cup! Joining Mats Sundin, Cujo, Stajan, Doug Gilmour, along with Sean Avery, Joe Thornton, Jason Spezza and Steve Stamkos, will be, from Hollywood; Luc Robitaille, Tim Robbins, Alan Thicke and... (if you guessed Kirk Cameron, boy, you are so close!) In fact, the latest addition to this exciting list of names is none other then me, Leaf-blogger extraordinaire, general borschevsky! The guy who's typing what your eyes are reading. Yep, just your usual general borschevsky will be in attendance at the Festival Cup. I will not be participating in the actual game, but I will be surveying and recording the action and events in my mind (or with a notepad, I haven't decided yet) and will post the results as soon as I can. So, probably long after you've already read about it somewhere else.

Thanks for dropping by everybody. Lots more to come!