Evening from Berlin. Sad to say, despite my best efforts, I failed to find Berezin. In fact, it was impossible to find the existence of hockey in these parts at all. I can assure it wasn’t for lack of looking.

I just read a really good article by Jim Kelley. Yes you read that correctly. His take on the Berger affair is good. It is fair and balanced. Kelley sees Berger’s point in asking the question he asked and also accepts that Berger didn’t mean to question Wilson’s integrity in so asking the question. I don’t buy that at all, but so be it. I think Berger knew exactly what he was doing. He was trying to elicit a response from the coach and I have to believe he is happier then a pig in shit to be getting this type of attention. Kelley also sees Wilson’s point. He concludes that both guys were just doing their jobs. I think that is true too. Both have reputations and both have egos. Both also have jobs to do. Good work on the part of Kelley.

I need a microscope to read his blog, but Brady has a good take on the Berger episode too. I like this part the best, check it out for yourself though :

“Anyway, Berger likes to poke and prod and if injected with the truth serum, has wanted a public blow-up such as what happened last night for some time. It’s a wonder it took nearly 70 games.”

Leafs vs the bolts tonight…A game for the ages. Not staying up to watch that tonight. Too tired and I have to get up too early. Is my man LT playing the point for the Buds yet? One more injury and he may get the call.

Does anyone else find it funny how reporters from one outlet refuse to name a reporter from another? I am sure someone is going to tell me why they do it, or the reasons why they do it, however, it sounds funny as hell. Case in point:

“Leafs coach Ron Wilson got into it with a radio reporter following the game, suggesting that the radio guy had questioned his integrity. The radio guy didn’t see it that way. ”

That from Steve Buffery’s article in today’s Sun. Now, everyone reading that knows he is talking about Berger. There is no mystery here. Why, not just say the name? By the way, Berger gets a lot more attention on Hanky’s site then he does from the radio gig, shouldn’t he be referred to as a blogger as opposed to the radio guy? The National Post handled it differently, referring to Berger by name but also stating that he contributes (if you can call his work a contribution) to the paper. The Post does a nice job of transcribing the whole episode and even placing a link to a video from youtube. You can read it here

Interesting that both Mike Toth and Jeff Blair absolutely roasted Ernie Whitt for his managing of team Canada in the WBC, saying that he actually did a worse job of managing then Buck Martinez. Fan post game guy Mike Wilner however didn’t see it that way…”Ernie Whitt is going to take a lot of heat for this, and may not even be back as the manager of Team Canada in the future, but don’t put this on him.” Whose opinion you going to go with??? I thought so. Is it true that the game only drew 12,000 fans Monday night to the TED??? If so, paint me stunned. I wonder if game 2 of the regular season of the TBJ will see a similar drop in attendance. One last thing on Wilner, I may not be a big fan, but I give him credit, he responds to most comments on his blog. That shows class and professionalism. People take time to comment and does the same by responding. Good on you Mike.

Ummmm, not that anyone appears to care, but the Raptors are currently the 4th worst team in the league. You read that right. 4th from the bottom! They have lost 6 in a row and are a very respectable 2-8 in their last 10. Raptor fan, whomever and wherever you are, I feel for you. A bad team, with what looks like no reason for hope… Someone smarter then me tell me if the current coach gets extended. With the team this bad, are they going to sell any season tickets next year? The Detroit Pistons announced a 10 % reduction on tickets for next year…hint hint….. No back to your regularly scheduled programming.

More tomorrow when I land back in Toronto.

So Brian Burke has been offered a lottery pick for Luke Schenn. His response was why trade a 19 year old player who is earning 22 minutes a night of ice time for an unproven prospect. Question is do you agree? From my perspective, I wouldn’t make this deal before the lottery happens. Unless I knew it would be for #1, I wouldn’t make the deal. I can’t imagine that at this time the other team, and I am willing to bet it was Tampa, would trade their number one straight up for Schenn. They would want more. They don’t want players either, they want prospects or picks. Burke would get crucified if he traded Schenn plus anything for a lottery pick. That doesn’t mean Schenn is untradeable. As Burke has said publicly already, offer me 10 first rounders and he is gone. We all know that he says that tongue in cheek. The offer could be less then 10 first rounders and Schenn would be gone. One for one, would you trade Luke Schenn for John Tavares? I haven’t seen JT play first hand. I have seen a bit on TV and I have read the reviews. One NHL scout told me this am that he would make that trade every day of the week and 2x on Saturday. I would be stunned if Schenn got moved prior to the end of the season. Would I be shocked if he got dealt before or at the draft? Not one bit.

I really liked the segment Stellick and Landry had after talking to Ron Wilson. Wilson was good, he didn’t say too much. He was asked the usual questions, he dumped a little bit on Carey Price, but recovered quite well. The only thing that stuck with me was when Wilson said there are 7 or 8 guys from which to build upon. We could go through the list of who they are, granted it gets harder after Schenn and Stajan. it got me thinking though. If Burke is able to clean the slate, I mean really gut this team, from Wilson’s perspective was this season a waste of time? All the principals, practices, lessons etc. that he has tried to instill, if they are left on only 5-7 guys and you have a new 10-15 (and lots not even consider the Marlies roster), are they any further ahead. Unless all the guys Burke acquires are Wilson type guys or are so raw that the bad habits haven’t been established, next season could be equally as frustrating for Wilson. I guess the only difference will be that the guys he will be coaching should be long term guys as opposed to this years bunch. As a coach, or coaching staff, that has to be frustrating as hell.

Stellick made a great point after the interview. He said that Wilson is the cover boy of the Leafs team this year (along with Schenn he said) but if Wilson is next year then Wilson and Burke have a big problem. I think that is exactly right. I think the one thing this team really lacks is an identity. Who is the one Maple Leaf player the fans rally around and support. It’s hard to say Luke Schenn. He is only 19. It is not like he is leading end to end rushes (that isn’t his game). He doesn’t have an overly dynamic personality (he is 19!). While the physical part of the game is certainly good, he doesn’t throw Wendel Clark like hits (he’s only 19 and he plays defence). Grabovsky is a lot like Sergei Berezin, fun to watch especially when he scores but…. Jason Blake has really come a long way. He has a few thousand more miles to become a fan favorite. The team doesn’t even have the prototypical mucker or plumber for the fans to cheer especially when he scores. May could be that guy, if LOST were more then a TV show and time travel were possible. The next 13 days are going to be interesting as hell. I think they will exciting in that moves will be made. I don’t see anything tangible coming back that is going to get people excited. It’s hard to get over excited about a draft pick, except that it offers the greatest thing ever, and no, not a mutton lettuce and tomato sandwich, HOPE… Hope for maple leaf nation is the greatest thing. With JFJ we had none, well none that related to winning. The hope was that the powers that be wake and realize the mistake they had in hiring him in the first place.

13 days to go, a TON of work to be done. This should be a very,very interesting time for leaf fans.