Date: March 16, 2010

Rink: Scotia Bank Place (Ottawa)

Puck Drop: 7:30PM ET

Radio: AM 640

TV: Rogers Sportsnet

Let’s hope that the flight into Ottawa was better than the one into Long Island on Sunday….The Buds had a rough outing after winning 3-straight.

Aside from another opportunity for the kids to get some playing time, tonight is about winning the Battle of Ontario and Orr v. Carkner…..Orr has had the best of Carkner so far this season but I have a feeling his classless “three-fingered” salute after the last battle will motivate Carkner to get into the win column.

No line-ups were posted today so I’d have to imagine that nothing has changed.  Poor Exelby…Lesson #1…if you want ice time, don’t tell your GM to move you – and definitely let it out into the public.  Queue in Jeff Finger again – he’s probably exhausted with all of the ice time he’s had since the deadline.  The Sens have struggled of late and it appears as though they will be without Mike Fisher.  Let’s see if Jonas Gustavsson can win his 4th straight….

Forwards
Kulemin Bozak Kessel
Stalberg Grabovski Caputi
Mitchell Hanson Lundmark
Wallin Primeau Orr

Defence
Phaneuf Beauchemin
Kaberle Gunnarsson
Finger Schenn

Goalie
Giguere
Gustavsson (Start)

Scratch: Exelby

Injured: Komisarek (ofs), Sjostrom, Van Ryn (ofs)

UPDATE: EXELBY IN, FINGER OUT. 

LT

Date: March 9, 2010

Rink: ACC (Toronto)

Puck Drop: 7:00PM ET

Radio: AM 640

TV: Rogers Sportsnet

The kids return from an entertaining and reasonably productive 3-game road trip.  They looked much better than they did against the Caines on March 2nd.  Let’s see what they can do against the Savardless Bruins…..Kessel is certainly due against his old mates.

Tonight’s Notables:

Luca “Truman” Caputi makes his ACC debut….should be a fun night for the Toronto born winger that was recently acquired from the Pens for Pony.  Jeff Finger is on a streak….this will be his 3rd straight game!!  Exelby sits.  Mikhail “Put Up Your Dukes” Grabovski is back from injury….Let’s see if he steps in for Orr if Lucic gets out of hand tonight.  Rosehill is back out of the line-up for Grabbo.  With the alternating games strategy, look for Gustavsson to get the start.

Forwards
Caputi Bozak Kessel
Stalberg Grabovski Kulemin
Wallin Hanson Lundmark
Mitchell Primeau Orr

Defence
Phaneuf Beauchemin
Kaberle Schenn
Finger Gunnarsson

Goalie
Gustavsson (start)
Giguere

Scratch: Exelby

Injured: Komisarek, Sjostrom, Van Ryn

LT

Date: March 2, 2010

Rink: ACC (Toronto)

Puck Drop: 7:00PM ET

Radio: AM 640

TV: Sportsnet

I don’t know about you but, as excited as I am to get the NHL going again, nothing is going to compare to the hockey we got to see out of Vancouver over the past 2 weeks.  I’m not just talking about the Canada vs. USA or Canada vs. Russia games…aside from a few blowouts, the hockey overall was fantastic.

Hanson, Stalberg and newly acquired Jamie Lundmark will be in the line-up….presumably that means Mikahail “Put Up Your Dukes” Grabovski is not ready to play.  The same is true for Mike Komisarek as it looks like Garnet Exelby will be in the line-up as well.  I’ll give you one guess as to who is scheduled to be riding the pine from the defence corp…..you got it, Jeff Finger.  I wonder if Ron Wilson and Brian Burke make Cliff Fletcher communicate his game status for them?

Anyway, it will be a very emotional night at the ACC….not because they will honour the Olympians, but because it will likely be Ponikarovsky, Primeau, Exelby and perhaps Stempniak’s final games in their storied careers as Toronto Maple Leafs. 

Here is the expected line-up….

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

Defence
Phaneuf Beauchemin
Kaberle Schenn
Exelby Gunnarsson

Goal
Giguere (start)
Gustavsson

Scratch: Finger

TSM and I will be at the game….looking forward to getting back to the ACC.

LT

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

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

Date: February 2, 2010

Rink: ACC (Toronto)

Puck Drop: 7:00PM ET

Radio: AM 640

TV: Rogers Sportsnet

Let’s see if what we got back will fare better than what we sent packing…..While the Ducks won their game, neither Blake nor Toskala showed up on the boxscore.  The new look Flames fizzled and couldn’t muster a goal, let alone more than 15 shots last night.  Yes, it’s too early to tell whether or not any of the aforementioned will have an impact on their respective new teams.

Now for the debut of our new additions….While Phaneuf may not be paired with Kaberle 5 on 5, I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do together on the power play.  Our PK has been surprisingly brutal most of the season; will Sjostrom make a difference?  I think Burke and company will be holding their breath until Giguere makes his first couple of stops.  Remember Eddie Belfour’s first shot on goal (pre-season that is)?

As expected, 1 call up from the Baby Leafs (how come nobody calls them that anymore? Probably not a bad thing – but I do miss references to “the rock”)…Christian Hanson gets another chance.  This time he will play center on the 2^nd line – though his line mates look more like 3^rd or 4^th liners.  I actually like the idea of Mitchell on the wing versus center. 

The odd man out again is Jeff Finger…..what a tough season for him.

The Leafs may have gotten a bit of a break – Yann Danis will start for the Devils…though history has shown that back-ups shine against the Leafs when given a chance….and even more likely with less fire power coming his way.

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

Defence
Phaneuf Beauchemin
Kaberle Gunnarsson
Exelby Schenn

Goalie
Giguere (start)
Gustavsson

Scratch: Finger

LT

The Leafs look to bounce back after a disastrous couple of games .  They’ll need a solid effort with significant improvement on the back-end – especially with the surging Flyers in town.

Line-up changes of note …. Rosehill is in for Stalberg and Toskala is back in replacing Gustavsson.

Projected Lines vs. Flyers

Forwards:
Kulemin Bozak Kessel
Ponikarovsky Stajan Hagman
Blake Mitchell Stempniak
Rosehill Mayers Orr

Defencemen:

Gunnarson Beauchemin
Kaberle White
Exelby Schenn

Goaltenders:
Toskala
Gustavsson

LT

You know, I spent a long time trying to find something to write about this evening. The sky is falling only works so often you know. The good news is that the good folks over at the Globe and Mail were able to speak to some Maple Leaf players today and well, that’s all it took.

“As players, we’ve got to believe in ourselves and prove all the doubters wrong.” Matt “Stayon” Stajan

WOW

WOW

WOW

Matt Stajan can’t really be this stupid can he?

Oh, I get it, he’s joking right- he’s a regular John Candy

Doubters?????????

Doubters?????????

Matt- your team stinks.

Look in the standings, look in the papers, look in your dressing room. It doesn’t take a Harvard education to figure out what you got…

“I’m frustrated that I can’t do more,” said Leafs coach Ron Wilson, adding that losing his job is “the last thing” he’s concerned about. “I’m just going to do the best job I can – if I’m not good enough, someone will come down and tell me that.”

Now, on the other side of the island, reality has set in for Mr. Wilson. He can’t do more because his lineup is so devoid of talent there isn’t any coach alive or dead could do with this squad of losers.

“What’s hard to believe about this Leafs team, however, is just how unchanged its lineup has been all year. All of the 21 skaters who played or were scratched in Toronto’s season-opening loss to the Montreal Canadiens are still part of the team, with the only newcomers consisting of minor-league call-ups Tyler Bozak and Carl Gunnarsson.”

Damn straight. I was thinking the other day how our GM- and maybe the others around the league should only work from say March to October. They don’t appear to do ANYTHING the rest of the year. ( I know the f’n cap the owners wanted- killed everything)

“And despite the fact the Leafs sit dead last in team save percentage for the second season in a row, their situation in goal also remains the same – aside from the fact rookie Jonas Gustavsson has wrested the No. 1 role away from Vesa Toskala.”

Hey, even, the oldest, fattest, slowest cat still wants to eat a mouse from time to time. Stealing the number one spot from Toskala is no feat.

“Burke, in other words, cast his lot in the summer, spending up to the cap to add sniper Phil Kessel, a pair of defencemen and Gustavsson in goal, additions that have led Toronto to a worse record (15-23-9) than they had at this point last season (17-22-8) when they finished 24th overall.”

Now that gives us something to really look forward to on draft day- I mean UFA day.

“The Leaf GM’s only cards left to play will involve tearing down this roster after the Olympic break, selling off whichever of his eight unrestricted free agents who prove to have some marginal value and perhaps dealing defenceman Tomas Kaberle to bring in a late first-round pick from a contending team.”

Ah yes the dog days of spring.. I am really waiting for the first interviewer to ask Burke is he ever dreamed/imagined that his team – the one he built this year could finish below his team from last year. Hell, he was PISSED they made the playoffs then….What’s he going to be like this year when they are worse off????????

Awesome piece Mirtle….

TSM

@yyzsportsmedia

College of Sports Media Game of the Night:

On Saturday night the Leafs battled the team out of the nation’s capital south of the border, Washington, tonight they take on the team out of their nation’s capital, Ottawa. This is game three of the Battle of Ontario. Both game one and two were won by the the Senators, but in each case it was only a one goal margin. On Saturday night the Leafs got off to a typical slow start against the Capitals. Toronto trailed 2-0 going into the second period. That lead was quickly erased and by the time the horn blew to end the game, the Leafs won 6-3. The line of Phil Kessel, Matt Stajan and Alexei Ponikarovsky combined for eight points in the win. Goaltender Vesa Toskala was pretty good as well. He stopped 34 of 37 shots to earn his fourth win of the season. The Senators are coming off a big Saturday night win as well. They doubled up the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 in front of their home crowd. Off season acquistion Alex Kovalev was the big star in this one. He had a hat trick to lead his team. The first goal for Kovalev was his 400th career goal. Now both teams are dealing with goaltender injuries. For the Leafs Jonas Gustavsson is still recovering from a procedure to correct an accelerated hate rate. While in Ottawa starting goalie Pascal Leclaire is still out with a broken jaw. Brian Elliott has taken over the starting role. This season, Elliott is 8-6-3 with a 2.77 goals against average. So the Leafs are looking for a couple of first tonight: a W against the Sens and a four game winning streak

College of Sports Media Game of the Night:

Coming off a huge win in Montreal on Tuesday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs continue their road trip as their in Columbus tonight to take on the Blue Jackets. It will be the only meeting between the two teams this season. Last year this one-time-a-year affair was played in Toronto and Columbus earned a 4-3 shootout win. Goaltender Jonas Gustavsson will not be available for tonight’s tilt. He left Tuesday game with an accelerated heart beat. Joey MacDonald will get the call. MacDonald came in against the Habs in the second period and preserved the shut out. Matt Stajan had another strong game. He notched his eighth goal of the season. In the last ten games he’s scored five and added five assists. Phil Kessel continues to impress. Against the Canadiens he had a couple of helpers and has 13 points in the last 14 games. Columbus got off to a got start at home, but have struggled as of late. They only one once in their last seven. The answer to their recent woes lies between the pipes. Steve Mason has struggled this season and over his last eight games has only won twice. Rick Nash continues to lead the Blue Jackets offensively. He has 15 goals and 14 assists already this season.