Date: February 8, 2010

Rink: ACC (Toronto)

Puck Drop: 7:00PM ET

Radio: AM 640

TV: Rogers Sportsnet

Cliff Fletcher just announced that Nazem Kadri will play tonight!!!  Emergency recall.

There were indications earlier in the day that some Leafs have fallen ill and Deveau was recalled from the Marlies.  But Kadri?  Wow.  I don’t know who’s out yet…I will update if I find out before departing for the game.

UPDATE: Christian Hanson and Freddy Sjostrom sit out with the flu.

LT

Here’s your bikini of the day from GetABikini.com

On Fan 590 Tonight

Bob takes calls…

- Francois Allaire (Leafs goalie coach)
- Doug Smith (The Star)
- Don Banks (SI.com)
- Pat Hickey (Montreal Gazette)
- John Shannon joins in studio

On 640 with Brady and Watters thanks to Mike S.:

-  Cliff Fletcher of the Maple Leafs
-  Bob “The Bear” Cowan on the Super Bowl
-  Jolly Jonas Siegel from the ACC to preview tonight’s Leafs-Sharks game
-  Hockey insiders Darren Dreger and Ray Ferraro at 6:10
-  Show ends at 6:30 to make way for the Leafs pre-game show

Is a realty tv show! No, seriously, does thig guy live on another planet? Has he not seen how he performed over the last couple of years while in Toronto?

““I don’t think I’m a back-up,” Toskala said. “I’m not going to complain or anything. If it’s my call, I would play every game because I love to play. When I play a lot, I play my best.”

Huh? Vesa couldn’t be a starter in most minor leagues let alone the NHL. Only in his mind is he not a backup goalie. Calling him a backup goalie is an insult to other backup goalies

“Next, Toskala added a little parting shot. Though he has yet to receive a work visa for the U.S., and so can only practice, he does so wearing a Ducks jersey and a Leafs mask.

Asked when the visor will get a new green-and-gold paint job, Toskala said, “Hopefully soon … So I can wash that blue and white out of my gear.”

I feel pretty comfortable saying that the feeling is entirely mutual. I think Toskala would be very hard pressed to find a leaf fan with any good memories of his stay here (without being totally sarcastic). Vesa, don’t let the door hit you on the way out buddy!

More on Vesa Toskala can be found here

College of Sports Media Game of the Night:

For General Manager Brian Burke, his hockey team and the Olympics are the farthest thing on his mind. Any parent losing a child is extremely difficult and so our thoughts and prayers go out to Mr. Burke and his entire family.

For the only time this season the Toronto Maple Leafs welcome the Western Conference leading San Jose Sharks to the ACC. Actually this will be the only time these two meet during the regular season. As usual San Jose is having a great regular season and should be in the mix for the President’s trophy at the end of the season. They’re already at 85 points, four in front of Chicago, and over their last ten games are 8-1-1. The Sharks have arguably the best line in all of the NHL. Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Dany Heatley have combined for 85 goals and 117 assists in 58 games. On Saturday night, Heatley had a couple of goals as the Sharks proved they were the alpha-animal edging the Nashville Predators 4-3. Toronto comes into this one riding an emotional roller coaster. Obviously they’re heavy-hearted with the death of their GM’s son, but they also are coming off a big win over their provincial rival the Ottawa Senators. The Sens came into the ACC on Saturday night winners of their last eleven games. The streak came to an end thanks to Phil Kessel, Luke Schenn and J.S. Giguere. Both Kessel and Schenn sniped a couple of goals and Giguere did something no goalie in the history of the Leafs has been able to do – back-to-back shut outs in his first two game in the blue and white. Giguere had a 30 save night against Ottawa and there should be no argument who should be in net tonight. Giguere came over to the Leafs from Anaheim and has the experience of playing San Jose many times over his career.

I hope everyone had a great weekend…Just a few comments before signing off for the night.

Let’s start with the Leafs

What a performance against the Senators. While Giguere certainly played a great game (getting his second straight shutout), the team limited the Sens to very few quality chances. I didn’t recognize #2…he was actually skating with the puck – not treating it like a hot potato. And then he started shooting it! Unreal…2 goals. Is it possible that Phaneuf has already had an influence on him? It’s probably too early to suggest this but, is it possible that Dion is team captain material?  Wilson keeps talking about how vocal he is and how different the dressing room is now.  I really like “b side” to the Leafs – Flames deal….Sjostrom is fast and smart. Paired with Kulemin and the team has a legit / quality shutdown unit.  BTW, I know Bozak may not appear to be lighting it up but, 10 points in 14 games is pretty damn good for the rookie. Kessel is really showing his stuff again. Do you think the Bruins would like him back about now?

BTW, the Leafs should be 3-0 after the Flames and Ducks deals…I’m with TSM, Wilson missed calling a time out to settle his team down in Jersey.

Brendan Burke Tributes

A lot of writers and bloggers had some great articles/posts over the weekend re: Brendan Burke – most did a great job (McGran not included). If you are only going to read 1 post, read Kevin Allen…He sheds some insight into how important family is to Brian and tells a great story about Brian reaching out to him during a tough time. You can read Allen here.

I also liked Ron Wilson’s post game comments. You really get a sense for how close he and Brian are. According to Wilson, Brian exchanged texts with Dave Nonis during the game. The boys gave him one less thing to think/worry about...Maybe even a smile. The next couple of days are going to be real tough for Brian – the funeral is on Tuesday. Thank goodness the schedule worked out and the entire team can join their leader. Wilson’s presser below.

wilson

If you want to read the official obituary and get details re: donations, you can find it here.

Super Bowl

Queen Latifah: thumbs down.

Carrie Underwood: I’m not a fan but she outperformed Latifah.

Halftime: I may have been in the minority but, I thought The Who was good. The drummer (Ringo Star’s son) looked just like Keith Moon!

So what did you think of the game? The score and the stats all point to a great game… but….for some reason; it seemed to go by quick and for me and not very exciting. It’s a good thing the Saints won because their coach almost blew it for them. Sean Payton will probably be written up in the papers as a genius but in my opinion both “gutsy” calls were dumb. Drew Brees deserves to be talked about amongst the greats….what a season, what a game. TSN starts their headline article with “Peyton Manning made his first major mistake of Super Bowl XLIV in the final minutes of the fourth quarter “… I need to watch the replay again but; my first reaction was that the received screwed up…his job was to come back to the ball on that play.

Congrats to the Saints and the people of New Orleans…you needed something to smile about.

Ov v. Crosby

Last comment….Ovechkin may have won today’s game – and he may win the cup.  I’m okay with all of that as long as Sidney brings home gold!

Happy Sunday night everyone.

LT

Hoakey or not, you know at some point today, someone or someones in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization suggested that the Maple Leafs put it all together for their President and GM who, well, one can’t really imagine what he is going through right now. His troops did exactly what he would want, pummel the crap out of hated Ottawa Senators, a team who came in riding a 12 game winning streak. To smoke them 5-0 was certainly a nice cherry on the sunday! It was, by far the best game the Toronto Maple Leafs played all year.

The highlight of the night, and perhaps the Maple Leafs season was Colton Orr dropping Matt Carkner like a sack of potatoes in the rubber match of their most recent fights.

As for how the players heard about Brendan Burke:

“We were on the bus and normally the guys just jump off and head right onto the plane, but we all kind of sat there for a few extra minutes, just thinking about what we were told,” Rosehill said. “It was a sad feeling for everybody.” You can read more about the Maple Leafs today and last night here

The game tonight was great to watch and something Leafs fans deserved. It was like a re-coming out party for Luke Schenn who appears to have been reborn since the arrival of Dion Phaneuf. Phill Kessel looked like the player Brian Burke traded for and well, JSG had us wishing they had given up on Toskala late last year!

If you take out Ron Wilson’s brain cramp from last night it’s been a pretty good 3 game start post trade for the Maple Leafs. They played well for 57 minutes last night and dominated games one and then tonight. Tonight was our playoff game. The buds take on the San Jose Sharks for a rare tilt with Ron Wilson’s old team Monday night and then are off until Friday night and a tilt with the St. Louis Blues on Friday night, to close out February. It’s almost too bad given how well, or how different they have been playing since the deals.

Well, it all started last Sunday. What a crazy week it’s been. Let’s see what tomorrow will bring. I am not a betting man, but with the Olympic freeze kicking in Friday here’s betting Dave Nonis get’s little sleep this week.

TSM

@yyzsportsmedia

Generally speaking, I am a Kevin McGran fan. I think he does a good job and is up there among his peers. Last night he crossed the line.

“Brendan Burke – the gay son of Toronto Maple Leafs…..”

That’s how McGran’s story on the sudden death of Brendan Burke, the son of Maple Leaf President & GM Brian Burke began. That my friends, while totally accurate, is incredible insensitive and totally inappropriate, in my mind anyway. The story has since been changed.

“Brendan Burke – the youngest son of Leaf general manager Brian Burke – has been killed in a car accident in Indiana.”

Clearly, a better way to introduce the incredibly sad story. In fact, the 2nd story doesn’t mention the sexual orientation of the late Brendan Burke until the 7th paragraph, which is about where it should be in the relevance of the story.

Sources are telling Toronto Sports Media this morning that members of the Leafs organization, both players and management got wind of the headline last night and are incensed at the insensitivity. Earlier in the evening, the Toronto Star ran a headline that was equally in poor taste, something to the effect of Devils late goals kills Maple Leafs. This ran AFTER the tragic story of Brendan Burke broke.

The tragic and incredibly sad death of the son of the General Manager of the Maple Leafs is the story. In fact it’s really the only story here. I am not so naive to think that the other part of the story shouldn’t be mentioned. In fact, if memory serves me correctly, not much has ever been written about Burke’s kids specifically until that time. Burke, was only looking to leave Anaheim to be closer to “his kids”. The press, much to their credit left his private life private. It wasn’t until Brendan came forward that we knew anything about him. So, I get why it’s in the story. It is relevant. To lead with it though???????? In my mind is incredibly insensitive at best.

TSM

@yyzsportsmedia

Superbowl XLIV is so close, yet so far away. I’m actually surprised the media hype hasn’t been worse, and Dwight Freeney injury aside, over-analysis of the two teams has been kept to a minimum. I actually enjoy that a good chunk of the spotlight has been put on Jim Caldwell and Sean Payton, the two coaches. Instead of waiting until the end of the article like normal to make my pick, I’m going to jump right into it.

The Indianapolis Colts will defeat the New Orleans Saints, 34-21, to capture Superbowl XLIV.

Two words why this is going to happen: Peyton Manning. I’ve been saying for years now (even prior to his Superbowl victory) that Peyton Manning is the best quarterback the NFL has ever seen. I fully believe that by the time he retires, he’s going to hold most of the significant passing records. We saw against the New York Jets two weeks ago what Manning can do to a defence. He played the first half just testing out the Jets’ stop unit, and in the second half, he completely dissected it.

On Sunday, Manning will be up against a New Orleans defence that specializes in turnovers. They’ll continue to utilize an array of blitz packages on Indy, and their ball-hawking secondary will be ready to pounce on mistakes. The Saints D may be able to keep the team in the game, and of course, their offence features Drew Brees. I have no doubt that the Saints will put up some points, but I see the Colts’ defence providing a surprisingly tough challenge. In their two previous playoff games, New Orleans has faced defences that believe in constant pressure. Indianapolis will look to use its front four to get to Brees (for the record, I believe Freeney will play), but Caldwell & Co. will be happy to sit back in their Cover 2 package and wait for their opportunities.

KEY PLAYERS

Indianapolis: Joseph Addai & Donald Brown. I know it’s two, but one of them needs to step up and deliver for the Colts. I’m not just talking about running the ball, I’m more looking towards catching passes in the flat. With the Saints dealing up all kinds of pressure, the Colts’ rushers are going to need to be aware and get themselves open for check downs.

New Orleans: Darren Sharper. If the Saints want to have a shot of winning the game, Sharper is going to need to play big. He’s the veteran anchor of their secondary, and is quite good at forcing turnovers. I believe Jabari Greer will be able to hold his own against Reggie Wayne, but Sharper will have to help out Tracy Porter and the rest of the Saints’ cornerbacks with Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon. And of course, there’s also Dallas Clark.

Either way the game goes Sunday, let’s all hope for an exciting matchup. Enjoy the game!

TWO POINT CONVERSION

- I’ve just finished reading the scariest item I’ve ever seen: NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith said in regards to how likely a lockout is in 2011, “On a scale of 1 to 10, it’s a 14.”

- the Buffalo Bills are switching to a 3-4 base defence. This one won’t be pretty, give it some time

The Toronto maple leafs issued the followig only moments ago:

“We are saddened to report that Brendan Burke, the youngest son of Leafs President and General Manager Brian Burke, succumbed to injuries he suffered in an auto accident earlier today in Indiana.

The family asks for privacy at this difficult time.”

Words can’t express our deepest sympathy for Brian’s entire family at this most horrible moment in their lives. It certainly puts things into perspective.

I am sure there will be more details shortly.

May Brendan rest in peace and the entire Burke family remeber only the good times and get through this horrible time with as little pain as possible.

TSM

@yyzsportsmedia

Here’s a newstory on the accident

http://www.whiotv.com/news/22481269/detail.html

Date: February 5, 2010

Rink: Prudential Center 

Puck Drop: 7:00PM EST

Radio: AM 640

TV: Rogers Sportsnet

What a difference a 3-days makes….The Leafs will face the Devils #1 goalie this time around and the introduction of Ilya Kovalchuk as a Devil.  Tonight’s game will likely be a completely different experience for the Blue and White.  Let’s hope they do as much of what they did on Tuesday tonight again tonight.  Also, the Leafs will start Jonas Gustavsson – JS Giguere will play tomorrow night.  Jeff Finger – well, you know where he’ll be….

Forwards
Ponikarovsky Bozak Kessel
Mitchell Hanson Stempniak
Kulemin Wallin Sjostrom
Rosehill Primeau Orr

Defence
Phaneuf Beauchemin
Kaberle Gunnarsson
Exelby Schenn

Goalie
Giguere
Gustavsson (start)

Scratch: Finger

LT