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Improbable Victories
2008-03-24 06:10:00
It only took 70 plus games but, to a man, the Toronto Maple Leafs are finally pulling their weight. The Leafs went into Buffalo and Ottawa over the weekend, two buildings where they haven't had much success over the years, and came out with two improbable wins including Saturday night's thriller which I'm still pumped about.Pumped up, you know, like Matt Stajan was after he scored to give the Leafs a 5-4 lead Saturday night. Some serious fist-pumpage and glass-bangage action, please! I totally dug how emotional Stajan was after the goal. He was dynamite over the weekend. Hands up if you thought Blake was going to pass back to Matty on the two-on-one? That's right, no hands. And if your hand is up, put it back down, because you're lying.And lets not forget that both wins, the 4-1 marker over Buffalo and the 5-4 triumph over those losers in Ottawa, came without the services of Antropov and Sundin. Somehow, someway, this team just will not go away, and it's a testament to the cha...

A Professional Baller
2008-03-21 06:10:00
How god-awful are the Miami Heat? Coming off a five game losing streak and a 2-8 record without CB4 in the lineup, there was no better cure for what was ailing the Toronto Raptors than the so-called "basketball team" from the sunny confines of south Florida.The Raps, with Bosh back in the lineup, opened up a can of whoop ass against the Heat on Wednesday night, the likes of which haven't been seen around these parts before. It was the biggest win in Toronto franchise history, a 42-point margin with a final score that read 96-54. The Raptors scored more points in the first half - 58 - than the Heat managed all game. If that doesn't blow you away, this should: Chuck Swirsky brought out the salami and cheese with three minutes left...in the second quarter. It's been a tough season for Miami. Those of us who play sports have all been in the situation where the team you're up against is just a gazillion times better than yours. You know it, the opposition knows it, and you don't hav...
More About: Professional

Until Friday
2008-03-19 04:01:00
I'm running out of cliches when it comes to the Maple Leafs' playoff push. After another Tuesday night come-from-behind special, the Leafs live to see another day (how do you like that one?). If you missed the game, you missed one hell of a goal by the New York Islanders. A real doozy. I've been watching hockey a long, long time and have never seen a goal like the one Rob Davison scored last night. It was probably the ugliest goal I have ever seen in my life. If you missed it, here it is in all its glory.Ugly eh? I told you so. A hop, skip, jump and a right turn - "in mid air, mind you" - and into the net. The goal, and how he reacted to it, said a lot about Vesa Toskala. A lesser goalie (ie: Andrew Raycroft) wouldn't have been able to rebound and finish the rest of the contest off strong. Toskala, however, is the real deal. He shook it off, and took the goal for what it was - a complete and utter fluke - and kept the Leafs in the game until they woke up in the third period. He ...
More About: Friday

Sundin In The Bleu, Blanc Et Rouge?
2008-03-16 23:05:00
Painful loss last night by the Maple Leafs in more ways than one. It took a hell of a lot longer than I thought, but Nik Antropov has finally been injured. A knee injury to boot. His was a run that was good while it lasted. I hope you enjoyed it.Already missing Sundin from the lineup, once Niky went down the Leafs didn't have much of a prayer. A win minus the big Swede and the lanky Kazakh, who have 58 goals and 129 points between the two of them, was too tall an order for the remaining Maple Leafs.The Buffalo Sabres, also fighting for their playoff lives, came out hungrier and harder and were full marks for a 6-2 win. They did score some hella cheap goals, though, so I can't blame Vesa back there (not that I ever would).Toskala does, however, look a bit tired. Can't blame him for that, either. Vesa has started 57 games for the Leafs this season, including something like the last 22 or 23 in a row. His previous career-high in starts? Thirty-three, established last year with San J...
More About: Bleu , Rouge

Stepping Up
2008-03-13 06:10:00
On the road, in the back half of a home-and-home series of another must-win game, and without their captain, leader of men, and best player Mats Sundin, the Maple Leafs stepped up and departed Philadelphia victorious, 3-2.With their season once again hanging in the balance, the Leafs dug deep, played a gritty and gutsy road game, and even held on to a third period lead (shocking, I know). They continued their chase for a playoff spot which is now only five points away. What an effort. I'm not going to waste time and emotion wondering where this Leafs team was back in October, November, December and January. It's not worth the pain, or the tears. I'm simply going to live in the present and enjoy this team right here and right now. Let's be honest: in all likelihood, these are my playoffs. Last night in Philly, Toronto was once again the better team, out-shooting the Flyers 31-20 and winning 34 of 66 faceoffs without Mats Sundin, who only played five minutes before leaving with a ...

Alive
2008-03-12 05:01:00
Wow. What a hockey game. The Toronto Maple Leafs, down 3-0 in the third period with 15 minutes left to play, refused to roll over and die. With a courageous 4-3 overtime win, the Leafs live to see another day.That's one game, more specifically one third period, I won't soon forget. It was textbook Toronto Maple Leafs hockey: outplay and out-shoot your opponent badly, find yourself down 3-0 in the biggest and most important game of the season with the clock running out, and then roar back with a vengeance.The table was set for the dream of sneaking into the playoffs as the eighth seed to finally and mercifully be put to rest, or so it seemed. But the Captain still had some fight in him. Sundin finally broke through the wall known as Martin Biron - what's up with these French goalies named Martin coming to Toronto and stoning the Leafs? - and got the Leafs on the board. Then Pavel Kubina found the twine, after Sundin won an offensive zone faceoff; 3-2 Philly. This is when I started...
More About: Alive

Be-Deviled
2008-03-09 06:12:00
I've got a math question for you: what does snowed in by another freak snowstorm plus a heartbreaking 2-1 Toronto Maple Leafs loss to the New Jersey Devils equal?The answer, my friends, is alcohol. A little bit of The Famous Grouse (respect Alz) followed by some good old Alexander Keith's. It sucked to be a Torontonian yesterday. On multiple levels.The Maple Leafs season was on life support heading into last night's matchup with the Devils. Toronto's loss, combined with a Philly Flyers win, means the Leafs are eight points out of the eighth and final playoff spot with only 12 games to go. And the Flyers have a god damn game in hand.The Leafs are taking their final breath. It's all but over, and only a formality now. I would have loved for the Leafs to prove all the douche bags out there wrong and go on a fairytale-like run, but they've got to pretty much run the table from here on out to really have a shot at making the post-season. The odds of that happening? About as good as...

The Not-So-Instant Analysis
2008-02-28 05:02:00
Forget "Family Day." If Dalton McGuinty and the Liberals wanted to give Ontarians a February holiday, it should have been on Tuesday so we could have all celebrated "Trade Deadline Day" at home. I guarantee it would have assured McGuinty more than 42.2% of the popular vote. McGuinty declaring "Trade Deadline Day" a province-wide holiday likely would have found PC leader John Tory in an even bigger mess than he finds himself in today. Although, after last weekend, that's debatable. But I digress.Another NHL trade deadline has come and gone, but fret not internet, I'm here to offer my $0.02. In contrast to the hours and hours and hours and hours of deadline day coverage on TSN, Sportsnet and The Score - I think TSN was on the air at a ridiculous 8:00 am - which were full of breaking trades and expert opinion, I offer you my not-so-instant analysis. Better late than never, right? First of all, Maple Leafs fans rejoice! The trade deadline is done and gone and Yanic Perreault is not a ...
More About: Analysis

I Ain't Mad At Cha
2008-02-26 07:35:00
After refusing to waive his no-trade clause, Mats Sundin remains, for better or for worse, a Toronto Maple Leaf. Amidst intense speculation, the Captain couldn't abandon ship. To quote the late, great Tupac Shakur, "Shit, I'm wit cha, I ain't mad at cha. Got nuttin but love for ya, do your thing boy."Only a couple of days ago I wrote on this very blog that loyalty in pro sports is a myth, and that it simply does not exist. Mats Sundin proved me wrong. He showed that an athlete, in today's day and age, can be loyal to a franchise, and to his teammates.There are those who will chastize and rail on Sundin for refusing to leave town at management's request. How these people can do that is beyond me. Mats did nothing wrong. He did what he felt was right in his heart and, man, it just makes me feel all warm inside.For Sundin, it was a no-win situation. If he accepted a trade out of town, there would have been those who would have been labelled him a quitter and a selfish hockey playe...

A Dying Dream
2008-02-23 07:30:00
The wheels are in motion. It's actually happening. Mats Sundin is on the verge of being traded. Tonight, at the Air Canada Centre, may be Sundin's final game on home ice as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. My dream of Sundin hoisting the Stanley Cup above his head in the blue and white is dying a slow and painful death. The dream has been on life support for some time now, and Cliff Fletcher is reaching for the cord. He's pulling the plug. As difficult as it may be to do so, it's the right thing to do. The time has come. The moment has passed us by.The odds of Sundin remaining a Maple Leaf after Tuesday are looking mighty slim. TSN "hockey insider," and long-lost twin brother of John Ferguson Jr., Darren Dreger, reported yesterday that Cliff Fletcher asked Mats Sundin for a list of teams he'd be open to being traded to (assumed to be Anaheim, Detroit, Vancouver, and maybe even New Jersey or Montreal). Fletcher apparently asked Bryan McCabe the same. Come Wednesday night dow...
More About: Dream , Dying

Happy Birthday Mats!
2008-02-13 19:12:00
Dear Mats Sundin,Happy 37th birthday, big fella! Old? Hardly! You've still got the goods, my man.I just wanted to take a moment to wish you all the best on this very special day. Hopefully after you blow out the candles, you can take to the ice and blow out the Buffalo Sabres. And let me take this opportunity to pass along my sympathies to you for having to spend your birthday in Buffalo. That is just awful.It's tough not to wax nostalgic on a day like today, especially when your future in Toronto remains so cloudy. Will you stay? Will you go? If you go, will you come back? Tough questions. In a couple of weeks we'll have the answers, but I just want you to know that no matter what decision you make, I, and most other appreciative Maple Leafs fans out there, will support you. We owe you that much.You came to Toronto a boy and I have watched you age gracefully into a man. It has been a pleasure. You've been my favourite player since I was 13 years old. Thirteen - the day of your ...
More About: Birthday , Happy Birthday

Mats On The Move?
2008-02-12 06:01:00
The NHL's trade deadline is exactly two weeks away. In 14 days, Mats Sundin may no longer be a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Kevin Dupont of the Boston Globe is reporting that Sundin has given his blessing to be traded--but only to the "right" team. Dupont writes that two general managers, who won't go on the record, have said that Sundin has given a trade the green light, but only to the team of his choice.Dupont, logically, thinks it's Detroit. Everyone knows Sundin would fit in well with his Swedish comrades down in Motown. The Wings are the class of the NHL and, as always, have a great chance at winning the cup (provided they sort out their goaltending). Detroit is only a stones throw from Toronto and Sundin could stroll back to Toronto in the off-season, possibly a Stanley Cup champion.The other team Dupont mentions is the Anaheim Ducks, who would become instant favourites to repeat if they land Sundin. Dupont writes: "the image of him feeding Teemu Selanne borders on t...
More About: Move

Don't Trade Antropov
2008-02-10 09:34:00
His three game suspension over, Nik Antropov returned to the Maple Leafs lineup with a bang yesterday afternoon. The lanky Kazakh tipped in Anton Stralman's shot from the point to give the Buds a 3-2 overtime win against the NHL's best Detroit Red Wings.So, looking back to last Saturday, the Leafs have defeated the Ottawa Senators (#1 in the Eastern Conference), the Montreal Canadiens (#2 in the East), and the Detroit Red Wings (#1 in the NHL). Between the victories over rivals Ottawa and Montreal was an 8-0 shelling, on home ice no less, at the hands of Florida Panthers, the twelfth-best team in the Eastern Conference (or the third-worst, depending on how you look at things in life). Go figure. The Leafs are one strange hockey team.What made the past week even more perplexing is that the Leafs were able to beat the Senators and Canadiens without their second-leading scorer, Nik Antropov. Yes, you read that right. Antropov is second to only Mats Sundin this season, with 42 points ...
More About: Trade

Deep Thoughts Vol. 4
2008-02-08 07:06:00
Damon Stoudamire didn't become a Toronto Raptor for the second time in his career this week. Instead, the Raptors got even better news on Monday. T.J. Ford came back. Welcome back, Little Engine. You've been missed. Watching Ford check into the game Monday night in Miami was something I won't soon forget. He had a huge smile on his face and Jose Calderon gave him a hug, a tap on the head, and some words of encouragement. Calderon seemed genuinely happy and excited about Ford's return, and that is exactly why I dig Jose. He's the ultimate teammate. He's not thinking that the Raptors number one point guard is back in the lineup; he's thinking that his friend T.J. Ford is back in the lineup. The Raptors were buoyed by Ford's return. They made sure T.J. would get some minutes by absolutely thrashing the Miami Heat 33-12 in the first quarter. The game was over after 12 minutes. It was the perfect scenario for Ford to return to. Ford looked good in almost 17 minutes on the floor. ...
More About: Thoughts , Deep Thoughts , Deep

Disgraceful
2008-02-06 06:24:00
It's one thing to lose 8-0. It's another for it to happen on home ice and to the Florida Panthers. I'm not sure why it took so long, but I'm waving the white flag. Like George Costanza, I'm offering up the white cashmere sweater, with the red dot, in defeat. It's over. What an absolutely pathetic performance by the Maple Leafs last night. They played with no energy, no emotion and no heart. It was a disgrace. To be humiliated like that in your own building is disgusting. The fact that it has happened on numerous occasions already this season makes it even tougher to swallow. The Maple Leafs talk a good game. They have been for a while. Guys like Sundin and Stajan keep looking into the cameras telling people the Leafs are a playoff team. Yeah, and I'm the Queen of England. I'd like to ask that Sundin and Stajan please not insult me, and just keep it real. The Leafs are what they are, and that's one pathetic excuse for a hockey team.Prior to last night's shallacking, the Lea...

A Super "Super Bowl"
2008-02-04 06:03:00
The New York Giants are on top of the football world after a stunning 17-14 upset of the, up until early yesterday evening, undefeated New England Patriots. For the first time in a long time the Super Bowl lived up to its lofty name. What a phenomenal performance by the Giants. Some serious proppage has to be given to Eli Manning and the New York defense. What a comeback. What a game. What an upset. And to think, It wasn't supposed to be this way. The Giants were supposed to be but the final footnote in the perfect season of the New England Patriots. Books had already been written about the Patriots and their perfect season. Well, the G-Men had other plans. I had a feeling it was going to be close game. The Giants gave the Patriots a run for their money in week 17 of the regular season, and New York was feeling good about themselves after a marvellous run to simply make it to the biggest stage the NFL has to offer.I didn't, however, think that the game was going to be this good. A...

"Keep Sundin" - Cox Bloc
2008-01-30 06:59:00
Ever since joining the blogosphere about 15 months ago, I've become a reader of many different blogs. There's a ton of good ones out there. And even some great ones. When it comes to the Toronto Maple Leafs, two blogs I regularly visit are Pension Plan Puppets and Cox Bloc . Both are beauties, and both I suggest you visit. I just finished reading the latest entry by Godd Till on Cox Bloc entitled "Keep Sundin" and, well, you've got to read it. Required reading it is (Yoda!) for any and every Toronto Maple Leafs fan out there. Trust me. I love to write. I actually think I can put a pretty mean sentence together. But sometimes, someone writes something, and it's just sheer beauty. A masterpiece. That's what Till has just done, and there's nothing I could possibly add to "Keep Sundin." There's no way I could change it, because it has sent a flood of emotions and memories through my body. Mats Sundin came to Toronto a young, taut, Swedish boy. With full and lustrous blond hair. I ...

The Going Gets Even Tougher
2008-01-29 14:22:00
The NHL All-Star game is, mercifully, behind us. The unofficial second half of the season and the mission to sneak into the playoffs begins in earnest for the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight. The injuries, however, continue to mount.It is with great sadness that I tell you that The Poni Express will not be reaching its destination - 27 goals - this season. Alex Ponikarovsky, my boy, is out six weeks with a seperated shoulder thanks to a douche bag named Steve Eminger, who popped him from behind into the boards last week. Eminger got a two minute minor on the play (justice!)The injury is another tough loss for the Leafs. Poni, with 13 goals on the season, was going to need a miracle to reach 27, but he will most certainly be missed. His 13 goals were third-best on the team, after all. I've still got crazy man-love for Poni - The Poni Express reached its destination two years in a row prior to this season - and wish him a speedy recovery. The shoulder separation is the injury du jour for...

Calderon Being Shown Some Love
2008-01-27 09:05:00
Thrust into the starting role after point guard T.J. Ford went down to injury, Jose Calderon has been everything and more for the Toronto Raptors since. Calderon has been phenomenal this season, and the NBA is starting to take notice of numero ocho. Not only has the Spaniard put up great numbers on the floor, he's also been a big hit in the world of fantasy basketball - another reason why he's being shown some love. I'm more of a fantasy hockey guy myself, but I know how serious people take their fantasy games. For owners of teams who picked up Calderon off the waiver wire, he's been nothing short of a God-send. Rotowire's got a blurb on Calderon over at Yahoo! Sports and they're mentioning our good old Jose in the same breath as Chris Paul, Deron Williams, and, yes, Steve Nash.Since taking over the starting point guard job for the injured Ford, Calderon has been averaging 13.4 points and 9.7 assists per game. Much has also been made about Calderon's incredible assist-to-turn...
More About: Love

Fantastic Finishes
2008-01-24 06:45:00
The Toronto Raptors wanted to beat the Boston Celtics last night. They needed to beat the Celtics last night. Thanks to a huge come-from-behind fourth quarter, and some "Onions baby, onions!" courtesy of Jose Calderon, beat the Celtics the Raptors finally did.As much as Sam Mitchell tried to downplay the importance of last night's tilt, he knew it was a big game. Look at that picture, it's all the proof you need. That's a picture of a coach who wanted it bad and who is as intense as they come. That's why I love Sam.Why'd the Raps need this win, you ask? Because it was their fourth and final meeting with the dominant Celtics. After losing a heart breaker in overtime the first time out against Boston, the Celts turned it up a notch and spanked the Raptors in their next two meetings. Boston, whom I predicted, like Doug Smith, to struggle to make the playoffs, are good. Alright, they are very good. Alright, they are freakin' fantastic and have the division title all but locked up....

John Ferguson Jr.: You're Fired!
2008-01-22 20:49:00
It’s official. John Ferguson Jr. is general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs no more. He got the axe this morning. I’ve got to argue that it was the slowest, yet most obvious, dismissal in the history of professional sports. The writing, as the kids say, was on the wall. JFJ was a lame-duck manager, without a contract following this season and, with the well documented struggles of our heroes in the blue and white, it was only a matter of time before JFJ was shown the door. Not to mention the organization’s most-public search for a replacement while JFJ was still holding on to his job. Even my mother saw this one coming.JFJ’s treatment by the Maple Leafs was distasteful, to say the least. They didn’t show JFJ much respect and just this morning MLSE president, and douchebag extraordinaire, Richard Peddie was quoted by the Canadian Press: “I have not fired John (Ferguson).” Not yet, at least, would have been more fair. Jeez. The Toronto Maple Leafs: the epitome of dysf...
More About: Fired

It's Time To Re-Sign John Ferguson Jr.
2008-01-17 08:37:00
For the past three seasons I have believed that the Toronto Maple Leafs were a playoff team. Clearly, my instincts have been wrong. Ok, horribly wrong. It's time for some George Costanza inspired thinking. It's time to re-sign general manager John Ferguson Jr. to a multi-year contract.Like Jerry Seinfeld told George, "If every instinct you have is wrong, then the opposite would have to be right." My instincts are telling me that John Ferguson Jr. needs to be fired and jettisoned out of this town, and fast. So, with that in mind, lets get his signature on a long-term contract. JFJ got us into this mess, lets give him a chance to get us out of it.While everyone is enjoying shitting on JFJ (I've done it too, I admit it is rather enjoyable), I think the man is deserving of some serious props. He's trying to do his job in one tremendously fucked up working environment right now, yet he's still been accessible to the media. There he was Tuesday night doing an interview on Sportsnet d...
More About: Time , Sign

Paul Maurice Needs A Hug
2008-01-13 11:12:00
In the wake of another blown two-goal lead and another heartbreaking defeat, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Paul Maurice got emotional. His job is not an easy one. He is a man in desperate need of a hug.When asked about the effort of his team in a 3-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks, Maurice immediately choked up. The Leafs were, after all, a team that the media were reporting had quit on their head coach, but Maurice stood tall in praise of the men he commands. "See, a big chunk of our problem is not lack of effort. It's wanting it so bad you're paralyzed by it," Maurice said.Being paralyzed, especially in the defensive zone, and if your name is Andrew Raycroft, is certainly part of the Leafs' modus operandi, but I will agree that the Leafs played with much more determination, grit and heart in losing to the Sharks. As Damien Cox writes, the result was the same but there was actually some pride out there on the ice last night. Now, I've watched many a post-game media scrum in my ti...

The Lunacy Continues
2008-01-12 10:27:00
Thursday night's embarresment in Los Angeles made for one helluva interesting Friday in Leafs Nation. Roster moves and rampant speculation were the order of the day. I have to admit that it sure is entertaining following the train wreck known as the Toronto Maple Leafs. Good times, indeed.Friday began with The Toronto Star's Damien Cox reporting that John Ferguson was frantically pressing the Staples Easy Button. In a move that only signals sheer panic and desperation, blue-chip goaltending prospect Justin Pogge has been recalled by the parent club and will be in the lineup Saturday night. The future, it seems, is now. At around 1:00 pm yesterday afternoon I learned that the Leafs dipped into the waiver pool and acquired Dominic Moore from the Minnesota Wild. Moore has one goal and two assists in 30 games with Minnesota this year.Well, whoop. Dee. Doo. Problems solved! Throwing a rookie goalie, who is to be the future of the franchise, into the fire, and picking up a discarded for...
More About: Lunacy

Rock Bottom
2008-01-11 07:39:00
When Andrew Raycroft is in goal, anything is possible. Even a 5-2 spanking of the Toronto Maple Leafs by the worst team in the National Hockey League, the Los Angeles Kings. If this isn't rock bottom, I'm not sure what is.The Leafs, coming off a pathetic performance against the Anaheim Ducks, were just as bad, if not worse, last night. Their lack of resolve, fire, and competitiveness was humiliating. It was tough to be a Maple Leafs fan in that first period, when the Kings jumped out to a four-nothing lead. Let's take a second to contemplate just how bad the LA Kings are. Going into last night's game the Kings were last in the NHL with 32 points, on 15 wins and two overtime losses. Their 15 losses on home ice is tops in the league. In other words, visiting teams love playing at the Staples Center. It's usually a cakewalk. It certainly was last night. But for the Kings. By the time the first period was over the Leafs had been out-shot 11 to six and they were down 4-0. Jam done. ...
More About: Rock , Bottom

How Much Longer?
2008-01-10 09:51:00
Vesa Toskala returned to the Toronto Maple Leafs last night, and it didn't change a damn thing. The Leafs were blown out of the water 5-0 by the Anaheim Ducks, and have now lost nine of their last 11 games. How much longer will the humiliation continue?My initial reaction is, once again, to fire Paul Maurice. But I've been down that road before, and when things were just as bleak a month ago the Leafs were able to turn the ship around. But a general manager without a contract after this season can only stay the course for so long, and the Leafs were frighteningly brutal last night. Again. Coupled with a Washington Capitals win, Toronto is now 14th in the 15-team Eastern Conference, and Tampa Bay is only three points back. Like Ace Ventura said, "assholes in mirror are closer than they appear."For the life of me I can't comprehend the abysmal effort by the boys last night. It's not like they didn't have time to prepare for the defending Coupe Stanley champions - they Leafs arriv...

Golden
2008-01-05 23:31:00
Canada is golden at the world junior hockey championship once again. This one came with some drama, as Canada blew a 2-0 lead but won it 3-2 in overtime. Make it four in a row, baby, for the greatest hockey nation in the world.First of all, full marks to the Swedish junior team. They played a gutsy game in the final and pushed Canada to the brink. They were the top team in the round robin and were the first team to beat Canada in four years at this tournament. But the serious props go out to each and every young man on team Canada. This wasn't the most talented Canadian squad sent over to the junior tournament - far from it. No big names like in years past like Sidney Crosby, Patrice Bergeron, Carey Price or Jonathan Toews. Canada's squad this year was all about hard work and, once again, they got the job done. Canada also had the benefit of some serious crowd support. There were a ton of Canadian fans in the crowd for each and every game and Gord Miller put it best when he said y...
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Penguins Layeth The Smacketh Downeth
2008-01-04 07:32:00
I'm always bitching and moaning about the lack of accountability on the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey club. Well, Paul Maurice and company ushered in 2008 with some changes, so I've got to show the team some respect. There's only one problem - the Leafs still stink.Another spanking went into the books last night at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins. A 6-2 final, including three goals by the Pens in 48 seconds early in the third period. Three goals in 48 seconds. I can't even make myself a drink in 48 seconds. OK, well, maybe if I try really hard. As for those changes I mentioned. Andrew Raycroft has been sent to the bench, hopefully with some super glue so he can never play for the Leafs again, and Kyle Wellwood has been banished to the press box as a healthy scratch. Raycrap can rot in goaltending hell but it's tough times for Welly. He was supposed to be the Leafs' second-line centre this season and was expected to put up 65 points. But it's clear to anyone who's been watc...

It's The Goaltending, Stupid!
2007-12-31 12:54:00
The Toronto Maple Leafs were a naughty bunch this past year. Santa Claus said so. Thanks to an injury to starting goalie Vesa Toskala, Mr. Claus came down the chimney bearing the worst gift of all - Andrew Raycroft.Ah, the holiday season. A time of giving, reflection and, in my case, a whole lot of alcohol. And I'm not talking about eggnog. I prefer the hard stuff. Watching Raycroft tend goal makes one reach for the hard stuff. OK, the really hard stuff.Raycroft's been dusted off the bench, where I almost forgot about his sorry ass, and thrust back into the spotlight since Boxing Day when it was announced that Vesa Toskala is suffering from a good old groin strain. You know, the "day-to-day" groin strain that turns into a month-long stint on the injured reserve. As if losing Bryan McCabe wasn't enough, the MLSE injury plague has now claimed the Leafs' best and most valuable player and, painfully, brought Raycroft off the bench.It's been three games, and a whole lot of alcoholic...
More About: Stupid

A Disheartening List
2007-12-21 18:21:00
Another last-minute loss for the Buds last night, 2-1 to Tampa Bay. Another sublime effort in net by Vesa Toskala all for naught. Most disturbing of all, another loss to a no-name goaltender. Who the hell is Karri Ramo!? It was the third straight game where Leafs captain Mats Sundin failed to record a point and, subsequently, the Leafs' third straight loss. The secondary offence just isn't there
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