Any sign of a trade coming from Burke or an indication he's gonna lop-off Wilson's head? There's a bunch of good coaches out there and I hope Leafs don't pull a Brian Murray or Bob Gainey and hire a green rookie like Kirk Muller! MacT should be considered, as well as Hartley.
The Official LEAFS NATION Hockey thread
- Thread starter Doc Holliday
- Start date
How does Kaberle to the Ducks sound? Think Burke could swing that deal with his old team? Maybe Francois + Kaberle for a fwd + some farm depth?
4 players have to go to get us to the next phase of Burkes plan, so far he gutted the team last year, put talent in the farm system, got some key free agents that will help to get us to the next step, but still short a few players, but thats coming soon,.... the following players need to be shipped out and 2 for sure will since their contracts are over at seasons end... Kabby, Jiggy, and Francois B are all leaving either at the trade deadline or in the offseason... I hate to say it cause i loved this signing, but Komiserak just has not lived up to his contract, likely he wont find any takers so it is possible if they need the $ in the offseason to sign a couple big offensive threats, he could be buried in the minors i suppose... damn shame, i really like Komi, maybe he will get things turned around.
There is a possibility that both Zack Parise and Brad Richards will be available this summer... it would be nice to get one or even both of them (hey, i can dream right), but who knows?
Kabby to the Ducks or even Kabby to the Stars or Bruins is the rumor i have heard, but Burke would most likely want back a offensive player now and these teams are gearing up for a playoff run so not sure they are willing to give away a big name offensive producer for Kabby... gonna be interesting to see what Burke does tho, thats for sure.
There is a possibility that both Zack Parise and Brad Richards will be available this summer... it would be nice to get one or even both of them (hey, i can dream right), but who knows?
Kabby to the Ducks or even Kabby to the Stars or Bruins is the rumor i have heard, but Burke would most likely want back a offensive player now and these teams are gearing up for a playoff run so not sure they are willing to give away a big name offensive producer for Kabby... gonna be interesting to see what Burke does tho, thats for sure.
http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=351227#YourCallTop
Hmmmm, could Francois B or Kaberle be on the way to Vancouver? ..
Hmmmm, could Francois B or Kaberle be on the way to Vancouver? ..
The Undeniable Genius of Brian Burke
by Jimmy Tanner
Fire Burke!
Fire Wilson!
Burke is an idiot!
Wilson is a fool!
I read a lot of hockey articles on the Internet – probably too many – and that is all I ever seem to hear. I don't like to admit it publicly but I often comment on these articles under the moniker "Ostrich Lover" and I too am often – make that always – called an idiot for my optimistic outlook on the job Brian Burke is doing to rebuild the Leafs.
Like Burke, the Ostrich Lover is just misunderstood; but that does not make him any less right.
True, the Leafs appear well on their way to making it a minimum of eight calendar years before the next playoff game will be played in Toronto. In the seven years so far, the Leafs have not managed to get a single Top 3 draft selection and have spent most of this time hovering above the lottery and below the playoffs. This is causing a lot fan angst and understandably so.
I think, however, Burke is taking the heat, not for what he has failed to do, but for Toronto's 43 years and counting without a Stanley Cup.
Burke does not deserve to be fired, or in my opinion, even criticized. It is my contention that he should be praised. The Leafs boast a core group of young players that should excite fans in this city. We now have an opportunity to watch this core group grow as individuals and blossom into a team that will be competitive for years.
So to properly assess this team, you must forget the past, leave four decades of baggage at the door and simply look forward. Instead of the Leafs, let's pretend we are gathered here to discuss the Thrashers or Blue Jackets. Let's imagine this same team, same trades and same management group – just without 43 years of abject failure.
Such an objective examination of this Leafs team reveals a lot of young talent and at least a half dozen players with superstar potential.
Let's look at Burke with an open mind and maybe I can convince you he is actually doing a stellar job. This is going to require you to put aside your groupthink mentality, your preconceived notions and your disappointment in the past.
Let's see if we can get away from the Achilles' heel of hockey coverage, which is an impulse to live in the eternal present. This impulse is exactly what prevents us from seeing the Leafs as a future contender.
Living in the eternal present is also why fans and writers seem to forget the most important thing about players such as Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf: These are kids with a lot of upside potential, not veterans in the twilight of their careers.
Keep an open mind and let's see if Burke is in fact the saviour we thought he was going to be – as four other people and I still believe.
Let's get started.
First, at no time in recent memory, have the Leafs ever possessed such a core group of young players with such high ceilings: Phil Kessel, Luke Schenn, Dion Phaneuf, Keith Aulie, Jussi Rynnas, Jonas Gustavsson, James Reimer, Nazem Kadri, Carl Gunnarsson, Nikolai Kulemin, Mikhail Grabovski, Kris Versteeg and Tyler Bozak.
We, the fans, have a chance to watch some of these guys mature before our eyes as they hopefully become stars. I think a lot of fans either don't know or they forget that the prime of a professional athlete begins around the age of 27. Bozak, for example, is following a similar career trajectory as Martin St Louis – fast, defensively responsible, smallish, creative and undrafted.
The presence of Kessel, Kadri, Phaneuf, Schenn – and some of the best goaltending prospects in hockey – should be enough reason for optimism and if we were really talking about the Blue Jackets and not the Leafs, it certainly would be.
The major criticism of Burke begins and ends with the Phil Kessel trade, which has been debated to the point of insanity. I wish I could avoid talking about it. I really do. But if the popularity of the movie Transformers taught us anything, it is this: Just because a majority believes something does not make it true.
Did Burke overpay for Kessel? No. Was this a bad trade? No.
Consider:
1. Kessel is 23 years old and has better stats than Alexander Semin, Daniel Sedin, Pavel Datsyuk or Henrik Zetterberg had at the same age.
2. There is not a legitimate scout or commentator who does not think Kessel could potentially score 50 goals with a true playmaking center. Kessel may also be the most exciting skill player I have seen on the Leafs since I started watching in the 80s – this includes both Jamie Macoun and his formidable mustache.
3. Playing with Bozak and Matt Stajan, and while coming off a major injury, Kessel scored at nearly a 40-goal pace last season.
4. Kessel was the 5th overall selection in 2006 – a very deep draft (look it up). The two first round picks traded for him were in relatively weak draft years. Draft picks might not work out – but Kessel already has. People say he is not a franchise player – but he might be. Remember: Daniel Sedin wasn't a franchise player at 23, either.
Finally, without even touching on the complete heisting that was the Phaneuf trade, the main reason Burke should be cheered and not jeered is for sticking to his guns.
The system he and Ron Wilson implemented is designed to let the players learn and perfect it so that when the finished team – Burke himself says we are yet to see it – takes to the ice, it will play a high-octane, hard-forechecking game. Burke has sacrificed some wins in the eternal present for winning in the future. But he is also not boring us with defensive hockey while we wait, something else worthy of praise.
Faced with giving Boston another high pick this season – and under non-stop pressure from all corners of Leafs Nation – Burke could have blinked and traded the blank cheque that is Luke Schenn to just about any team in hockey for just about anything he wanted (within reason). That he has refused to make this deal, or other similarly hasty moves, shows incredible courage and commitment to his vision.
In conclusion, Burke is an extremely intelligent man. He has repeatedly resisted the urge to panic. He obviously sees something in his roster the fans and media – with their wagging fingers and groupthink mentality – have missed.
His actions thus far are not consistent with a man who only wants to squeak into the playoffs, an oft repeated and incorrect accusation. His actions do not reflect those of a man who has "sacrificed the future."
Burke entered this season with a young and inexperienced team. He has a plan and a strategy. He has faith in the young core of players he has already assembled. And he has faith he can add the finishing pieces to finally bring an end to the 43 years and counting.
In short: Brian Burke believes in what he is doing. Given his track record, you should too.
The Undeniable Genius of Brian Burke
by Jimmy Tanner
Fire Burke!
Fire Wilson!
Burke is an idiot!
Wilson is a fool!
I read a lot of hockey articles on the Internet – probably too many – and that is all I ever seem to hear. I don't like to admit it publicly but I often comment on these articles under the moniker "Ostrich Lover" and I too am often – make that always – called an idiot for my optimistic outlook on the job Brian Burke is doing to rebuild the Leafs.
Like Burke, the Ostrich Lover is just misunderstood; but that does not make him any less right.
True, the Leafs appear well on their way to making it a minimum of eight calendar years before the next playoff game will be played in Toronto. In the seven years so far, the Leafs have not managed to get a single Top 3 draft selection and have spent most of this time hovering above the lottery and below the playoffs. This is causing a lot fan angst and understandably so.
I think, however, Burke is taking the heat, not for what he has failed to do, but for Toronto's 43 years and counting without a Stanley Cup.
Burke does not deserve to be fired, or in my opinion, even criticized. It is my contention that he should be praised. The Leafs boast a core group of young players that should excite fans in this city. We now have an opportunity to watch this core group grow as individuals and blossom into a team that will be competitive for years.
So to properly assess this team, you must forget the past, leave four decades of baggage at the door and simply look forward. Instead of the Leafs, let's pretend we are gathered here to discuss the Thrashers or Blue Jackets. Let's imagine this same team, same trades and same management group – just without 43 years of abject failure.
Such an objective examination of this Leafs team reveals a lot of young talent and at least a half dozen players with superstar potential.
Let's look at Burke with an open mind and maybe I can convince you he is actually doing a stellar job. This is going to require you to put aside your groupthink mentality, your preconceived notions and your disappointment in the past.
Let's see if we can get away from the Achilles' heel of hockey coverage, which is an impulse to live in the eternal present. This impulse is exactly what prevents us from seeing the Leafs as a future contender.
Living in the eternal present is also why fans and writers seem to forget the most important thing about players such as Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf: These are kids with a lot of upside potential, not veterans in the twilight of their careers.
Keep an open mind and let's see if Burke is in fact the saviour we thought he was going to be – as four other people and I still believe.
Let's get started.
First, at no time in recent memory, have the Leafs ever possessed such a core group of young players with such high ceilings: Phil Kessel, Luke Schenn, Dion Phaneuf, Keith Aulie, Jussi Rynnas, Jonas Gustavsson, James Reimer, Nazem Kadri, Carl Gunnarsson, Nikolai Kulemin, Mikhail Grabovski, Kris Versteeg and Tyler Bozak.
We, the fans, have a chance to watch some of these guys mature before our eyes as they hopefully become stars. I think a lot of fans either don't know or they forget that the prime of a professional athlete begins around the age of 27. Bozak, for example, is following a similar career trajectory as Martin St Louis – fast, defensively responsible, smallish, creative and undrafted.
The presence of Kessel, Kadri, Phaneuf, Schenn – and some of the best goaltending prospects in hockey – should be enough reason for optimism and if we were really talking about the Blue Jackets and not the Leafs, it certainly would be.
The major criticism of Burke begins and ends with the Phil Kessel trade, which has been debated to the point of insanity. I wish I could avoid talking about it. I really do. But if the popularity of the movie Transformers taught us anything, it is this: Just because a majority believes something does not make it true.
Did Burke overpay for Kessel? No. Was this a bad trade? No.
Consider:
1. Kessel is 23 years old and has better stats than Alexander Semin, Daniel Sedin, Pavel Datsyuk or Henrik Zetterberg had at the same age.
2. There is not a legitimate scout or commentator who does not think Kessel could potentially score 50 goals with a true playmaking center. Kessel may also be the most exciting skill player I have seen on the Leafs since I started watching in the 80s – this includes both Jamie Macoun and his formidable mustache.
3. Playing with Bozak and Matt Stajan, and while coming off a major injury, Kessel scored at nearly a 40-goal pace last season.
4. Kessel was the 5th overall selection in 2006 – a very deep draft (look it up). The two first round picks traded for him were in relatively weak draft years. Draft picks might not work out – but Kessel already has. People say he is not a franchise player – but he might be. Remember: Daniel Sedin wasn't a franchise player at 23, either.
Finally, without even touching on the complete heisting that was the Phaneuf trade, the main reason Burke should be cheered and not jeered is for sticking to his guns.
The system he and Ron Wilson implemented is designed to let the players learn and perfect it so that when the finished team – Burke himself says we are yet to see it – takes to the ice, it will play a high-octane, hard-forechecking game. Burke has sacrificed some wins in the eternal present for winning in the future. But he is also not boring us with defensive hockey while we wait, something else worthy of praise.
Faced with giving Boston another high pick this season – and under non-stop pressure from all corners of Leafs Nation – Burke could have blinked and traded the blank cheque that is Luke Schenn to just about any team in hockey for just about anything he wanted (within reason). That he has refused to make this deal, or other similarly hasty moves, shows incredible courage and commitment to his vision.
In conclusion, Burke is an extremely intelligent man. He has repeatedly resisted the urge to panic. He obviously sees something in his roster the fans and media – with their wagging fingers and groupthink mentality – have missed.
His actions thus far are not consistent with a man who only wants to squeak into the playoffs, an oft repeated and incorrect accusation. His actions do not reflect those of a man who has "sacrificed the future."
Burke entered this season with a young and inexperienced team. He has a plan and a strategy. He has faith in the young core of players he has already assembled. And he has faith he can add the finishing pieces to finally bring an end to the 43 years and counting.
In short: Brian Burke believes in what he is doing. Given his track record, you should too.
The Undeniable Genius of Brian Burke
Thanks for posting this Doc, it tells the whole truth behind what Burke is doing, and what both you and myself have been saying, Fantastically written.... BRAVO!
I take this to mean that you don't buy a word of it, Doc, n'est pas?You couldn't have written that article any better, Iggy.
Au contraire. Actually, i believe every word the guy wrote. I made my comment to Iggy since he's been preaching the exact same thing Jimmy Tanner wrote in his article. Whenever i'd get down on the Leafs, Iggy would tell me exactly the same things the guy wrote. I could have almost sworn that Iggy wrote that article!
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Yea, yea, haha.
As i was reading it (from memory) i was always 3 seconds ahead of the article
As i was reading it (from memory) i was always 3 seconds ahead of the article
You couldn't have written that article any better, Iggy.
Don Cherry... A Smart Man
Don Cherry has spent plenty of time criticizing Ron Wilson, but the outspoken hockey commentator wasn't happy to see the Toronto Maple Leafs coach labelled as the man NHL players least want to play for in a recent poll that appeared on CBCSports.ca
In a recent players' poll conducted by the CBC and the NHL Players' Association, 24 per cent of 318 respondents named Wilson as the coach they'd least like to have.
"I was very disappointed in the thing," Cherry said Wednesday on a conference call. "Coaching is hard enough without getting polls like that, that's the way I [think]."
In recent years, Cherry has often taken shots at Wilson during his "Coach's Corner" segment on Hockey Night in Canada. He's called Wilson everything from "Napoleon" to "pompous and arrogant" to "bully."
The players' poll also listed the Maple Leafs as the fifth least desirable team to play for. Cherry knows how to change that.
"As far as playing in Toronto, when you're not winning, if they were here and they were in first spot [it would be different]," he said. "Believe me, Toronto would be one of the first [places] that people would want to go to."
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/story/2011/02/02/sp-don-cherry-ron-wilson.html#ixzz1CqIH5TKV
Don Cherry has spent plenty of time criticizing Ron Wilson, but the outspoken hockey commentator wasn't happy to see the Toronto Maple Leafs coach labelled as the man NHL players least want to play for in a recent poll that appeared on CBCSports.ca
In a recent players' poll conducted by the CBC and the NHL Players' Association, 24 per cent of 318 respondents named Wilson as the coach they'd least like to have.
"I was very disappointed in the thing," Cherry said Wednesday on a conference call. "Coaching is hard enough without getting polls like that, that's the way I [think]."
In recent years, Cherry has often taken shots at Wilson during his "Coach's Corner" segment on Hockey Night in Canada. He's called Wilson everything from "Napoleon" to "pompous and arrogant" to "bully."
The players' poll also listed the Maple Leafs as the fifth least desirable team to play for. Cherry knows how to change that.
"As far as playing in Toronto, when you're not winning, if they were here and they were in first spot [it would be different]," he said. "Believe me, Toronto would be one of the first [places] that people would want to go to."
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/story/2011/02/02/sp-don-cherry-ron-wilson.html#ixzz1CqIH5TKV
This poll is actually quite misleading. It doesn't say that they hate Wilson. It says that he's the one they'd least likely want. Why? Because he pushes his players & he doesn't run a country club, like Bruce Boudreau does. Boudreau finished first, which is no surprise. He's known to rarely push his guys & his dressing room is pretty much a country club atmosphere.
Boudreau's coaching style might have worked in the past. But this year, they're one of the biggest disappointments in the NHL! They now lose more games than they win. Gone are the days where they were expected to contend for the Cup.
If i'm a player, of course i'd rather play for someone like Boudreau. Who wouldn't? Why would i want to play for a coach who cares & will let you know if you're not putting in the effort? I played for a coach like Wilson when i grew up...hated that coach...but in later years i realized he was the best coach i ever had & made me a much better hockey player & person because of his style.
One thing that is the common denominator with Wilson-coached teams: they're among the hardest working team in the NHL, year after year. The Leafs have outworked their opposition on most nights & their problems have more to do with so-so penalty killing & the inability to put the puck in the net. They often outshoot their opponents, but lack the skill to put pucks behind the goalies. Is this the coach's fault? Of course not!
Same thing with players supposedly not encouraged to play in hockey-mad cities like Toronto & Montreal, which tied in that category. No!! These millionaire primadonas would rather play in Arizona desert where they can spend most of their spare time on the golf courses & unrecognized wherever they go!
Very, very misleading polls....and once again, i agree with Grapes.
Reimer: First Shutout.... more on the way? I'm sure
TORONTO — To hear him describe it, James Reimer is from a little town with a little school and a little church on a little-known patch of rural Manitoba. And when he returned home for a visit last week, that little town seemed to move in a different orbit, around a big star.
“A lot of eyes were watching me and looking at me,” the 22-year-old said, sheepishly. “It was a different feeling. It was fun.”
Having three goalies hurts the Leafs
And the good people of Morweena, Man., might have started a trend that could extend all the way to Toronto, where Reimer seems intent on becoming a star in a big city. The one-time unknown earned his first National Hockey League shutout Thursday night, stopping 27 shots in a 3-0 win for the Maple Leafs over the Carolina Hurricanes at the Air Canada Centre.
It was his fifth win in nine games with the team this season.
Veteran Jean-Sébastien Giguère served as Reimer’s backup, perched on Toronto’s bench while sophomore Jonas Gustavsson watched from somewhere else inside the arena. It has become a crowded crease, but that could change.
It has been suggested that Gustavsson, who is carrying a team-low .890 save-percentage, could be sent to the team’s American Hockey League affiliate for a conditioning stint. A decision was still pending heading into play Thursday, with general manager Brian Burke weighing his options.
“There’s a lot of speculation,” Reimer said before the game. “I’m sure there’s lots of rumours and stuff going around, but for myself, I try not to think about it too much. If you do, you can get excited and maybe you can get ahead of yourself sometimes. And you never want to do that.”
He was miles ahead of the Hurricanes through the first 40 minutes on Thursday. Reimer held Carolina at bay for an extended two-man advantage in the second period — aided in no small part by the heroic shot-blocking of forward Tim Brent — and put an exclamation on the proceedings seconds before intermission.
Hurricanes forward Chad LaRose broke through the Leafs defence, shifting forehand but shooting backhand. Reimer moved calmly to his right, turning the shot aside and holding the Leafs to their 2-0 lead.
Clarke MacArthur and Darryl Boyce had staked the Leafs to their lead. MacArthur scored his 16th of the season on a long wrist shot that mystified Carolina goaltender Cam Ward, who probably never saw it coming.
Boyce added another when he blocked Joni Pitkanen’s clearing attempt along the wall, breaking toward the middle of the ice before firing a shot past Ward. It was Boyce’s third goal of the season, in his 16th game with the NHL team.
The Hurricanes arrived in Toronto with a hold on ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings, only one point behind the Atlanta Thrashers for the final playoff seed. Atlanta lost 4-2 to the visiting Calgary Flames on Thursday night.
Even with the opportunity, Carolina struggled to crack Toronto’s defence, especially over the first 40 minutes. The Hurricanes were held to six shots in the first period and nine in the second period.
“He’s cool and calm in there — there’s not a lot of rebounds,” Leafs coach Ron Wilson had said before the game. “Any coach likes goalies who stop the puck. He’s been very consistent, too. He’s earned every opportunity we’ve given him.”
And it seems clear, especially now, that Reimer will receive plenty more opportunities before the season ends.
“I think people are watching to see what’s going to happen and see how I perform,” Reimer said. “As far as that goes, I try not to think about it too much. I just try and focus on small little increments.”
Read more: http://sports.nationalpost.com/2011/02/03/reimer-stellar-as-leafs-shut-out-hurricanes/#ixzz1CxTIFSgq
Game stars:
It is hard not to include the whole team, but to name a few, Reimer, Tim Brent (3 huge blocked shots on a 5-3 powerplay by carolina) Kessel (played a complete game and will be rewarded soon with goals and points) MacArthur (sign him Burke!) Colby Armstrong. Dion and even Komiserak, Schenn and Beauchemin as well..... Rosehill for taking care of the cheapshot artist gleason. Doc, i hope i didnt forget anyone, and if i did, feel free to respond Brother!.... Great and i mean a GREAT TEAM EFFORT by Canadas Favorite team, GO LEAFS GO!
TORONTO — To hear him describe it, James Reimer is from a little town with a little school and a little church on a little-known patch of rural Manitoba. And when he returned home for a visit last week, that little town seemed to move in a different orbit, around a big star.
“A lot of eyes were watching me and looking at me,” the 22-year-old said, sheepishly. “It was a different feeling. It was fun.”
Having three goalies hurts the Leafs
And the good people of Morweena, Man., might have started a trend that could extend all the way to Toronto, where Reimer seems intent on becoming a star in a big city. The one-time unknown earned his first National Hockey League shutout Thursday night, stopping 27 shots in a 3-0 win for the Maple Leafs over the Carolina Hurricanes at the Air Canada Centre.
It was his fifth win in nine games with the team this season.
Veteran Jean-Sébastien Giguère served as Reimer’s backup, perched on Toronto’s bench while sophomore Jonas Gustavsson watched from somewhere else inside the arena. It has become a crowded crease, but that could change.
It has been suggested that Gustavsson, who is carrying a team-low .890 save-percentage, could be sent to the team’s American Hockey League affiliate for a conditioning stint. A decision was still pending heading into play Thursday, with general manager Brian Burke weighing his options.
“There’s a lot of speculation,” Reimer said before the game. “I’m sure there’s lots of rumours and stuff going around, but for myself, I try not to think about it too much. If you do, you can get excited and maybe you can get ahead of yourself sometimes. And you never want to do that.”
He was miles ahead of the Hurricanes through the first 40 minutes on Thursday. Reimer held Carolina at bay for an extended two-man advantage in the second period — aided in no small part by the heroic shot-blocking of forward Tim Brent — and put an exclamation on the proceedings seconds before intermission.
Hurricanes forward Chad LaRose broke through the Leafs defence, shifting forehand but shooting backhand. Reimer moved calmly to his right, turning the shot aside and holding the Leafs to their 2-0 lead.
Clarke MacArthur and Darryl Boyce had staked the Leafs to their lead. MacArthur scored his 16th of the season on a long wrist shot that mystified Carolina goaltender Cam Ward, who probably never saw it coming.
Boyce added another when he blocked Joni Pitkanen’s clearing attempt along the wall, breaking toward the middle of the ice before firing a shot past Ward. It was Boyce’s third goal of the season, in his 16th game with the NHL team.
The Hurricanes arrived in Toronto with a hold on ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings, only one point behind the Atlanta Thrashers for the final playoff seed. Atlanta lost 4-2 to the visiting Calgary Flames on Thursday night.
Even with the opportunity, Carolina struggled to crack Toronto’s defence, especially over the first 40 minutes. The Hurricanes were held to six shots in the first period and nine in the second period.
“He’s cool and calm in there — there’s not a lot of rebounds,” Leafs coach Ron Wilson had said before the game. “Any coach likes goalies who stop the puck. He’s been very consistent, too. He’s earned every opportunity we’ve given him.”
And it seems clear, especially now, that Reimer will receive plenty more opportunities before the season ends.
“I think people are watching to see what’s going to happen and see how I perform,” Reimer said. “As far as that goes, I try not to think about it too much. I just try and focus on small little increments.”
Read more: http://sports.nationalpost.com/2011/02/03/reimer-stellar-as-leafs-shut-out-hurricanes/#ixzz1CxTIFSgq
Game stars:
It is hard not to include the whole team, but to name a few, Reimer, Tim Brent (3 huge blocked shots on a 5-3 powerplay by carolina) Kessel (played a complete game and will be rewarded soon with goals and points) MacArthur (sign him Burke!) Colby Armstrong. Dion and even Komiserak, Schenn and Beauchemin as well..... Rosehill for taking care of the cheapshot artist gleason. Doc, i hope i didnt forget anyone, and if i did, feel free to respond Brother!.... Great and i mean a GREAT TEAM EFFORT by Canadas Favorite team, GO LEAFS GO!
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Thursday evening, Darryl Boyce scored a beautiful goal against the Hurricanes. A period later, everyone watching the game noticed he was missing. The announcers found it odd considering he was playing a strong game & even had scored a goal. Now we find out why:
Boyce's battered beak
Darryl Boyce already had one of the most prominent beaks in the NHL.
Then his face went nose-first into the photographer’s hole in the glass at the Air Canada Centre while missing a check during the Maple Leafs 3-0 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night.
Now it’s worse. Much worse. In fact, it’s so bad, we decided not to run a photo of his nasal carnage.
But be prepared. It is gruesome.
It was Boyce who actually made fun of the injury on Friday. On his Twitter account, he wrote: “Reason for the third period absence ... that blue gauze is on my chest and u can see it through my nose.”
The link to the photo accompanied the text.
Coach Ron Wilson does not think Boyce, who scored his third career NHL goal in the game, will be able to suit up against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday.
“He’s got some severe facial cuts,” Wilson said. “But we’re expecting him to possibly play on Monday (against Atlanta).”
But Boyce, once again on his twitter account, indicated he had not ruled himself out of the Sabres game.
In the end, expect John Mitchell to9 replace Boyce in the lineup. Mitchell appears to have recovered from the knee injury that has kept him out of the lineup for a significant amount of time.
Boyce's battered beak
Darryl Boyce already had one of the most prominent beaks in the NHL.
Then his face went nose-first into the photographer’s hole in the glass at the Air Canada Centre while missing a check during the Maple Leafs 3-0 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night.
Now it’s worse. Much worse. In fact, it’s so bad, we decided not to run a photo of his nasal carnage.
But be prepared. It is gruesome.
It was Boyce who actually made fun of the injury on Friday. On his Twitter account, he wrote: “Reason for the third period absence ... that blue gauze is on my chest and u can see it through my nose.”
The link to the photo accompanied the text.
Coach Ron Wilson does not think Boyce, who scored his third career NHL goal in the game, will be able to suit up against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday.
“He’s got some severe facial cuts,” Wilson said. “But we’re expecting him to possibly play on Monday (against Atlanta).”
But Boyce, once again on his twitter account, indicated he had not ruled himself out of the Sabres game.
In the end, expect John Mitchell to9 replace Boyce in the lineup. Mitchell appears to have recovered from the knee injury that has kept him out of the lineup for a significant amount of time.
I was gonna post a LINK to that a few hours ago but forgot, ,,, but man that looks nasty!.... what a trooper tho, wanting to playing Sat in Buffalo...
Maple Leafs thrash Atlanta
With the goal of getting Phil Kessel to trip a red light, Ron Wilson crossed blue and white wires with all his forward lines Monday night.
It did the trick for just about everyone except the embattled No. 81, as the Leafs overcame a 2-0 deficit and delivered a strong third period to thump the Atlanta Thrashers 5-4. Kessel was able to shave two goals off of his team-worst minus 22 as the Leafs improved to 3-1 since the NHL all-star break. They also moved within nine points of a playoff spot, with idle Carolina tied in points with the falling ninth-place Thrashers, though they still have to pass three teams.
In the name of getting Kessel his mojo back — and restoring some harmony after he went into a Sunday snit about being split from favourite centre Tyler Bozak — coach Wilson did what he swore he wouldn’t, split up the top line of Mikhail Grabovski, Nikolai Kulemin and Clarke MacArthur.
Kessel saw time on three different units at the Air Canada Centre. He started with new centre Darryl Boyce, but was doing little until he happened to be out with Nikolai Kulemin and Mikhail Grabovski during a Dion Phaneuf goal, the Leafs’ first. Kessel was almost offside on the initial rush and didn’t figure in the goal, but from then on, he was a fixture with the two Russian speakers. Grabovksi and Kulemin had goals without Kessel’s help, Kulemin’s off a Dustin Byfuglien giveaway, while Tim Brent had the winner in the nail-biting finish.
MacArthur didn’t mind the change of scenery, scoring the tying goal in the second with help from Boyce and Kris Versteeg.
With the goal of getting Phil Kessel to trip a red light, Ron Wilson crossed blue and white wires with all his forward lines Monday night.
It did the trick for just about everyone except the embattled No. 81, as the Leafs overcame a 2-0 deficit and delivered a strong third period to thump the Atlanta Thrashers 5-4. Kessel was able to shave two goals off of his team-worst minus 22 as the Leafs improved to 3-1 since the NHL all-star break. They also moved within nine points of a playoff spot, with idle Carolina tied in points with the falling ninth-place Thrashers, though they still have to pass three teams.
In the name of getting Kessel his mojo back — and restoring some harmony after he went into a Sunday snit about being split from favourite centre Tyler Bozak — coach Wilson did what he swore he wouldn’t, split up the top line of Mikhail Grabovski, Nikolai Kulemin and Clarke MacArthur.
Kessel saw time on three different units at the Air Canada Centre. He started with new centre Darryl Boyce, but was doing little until he happened to be out with Nikolai Kulemin and Mikhail Grabovski during a Dion Phaneuf goal, the Leafs’ first. Kessel was almost offside on the initial rush and didn’t figure in the goal, but from then on, he was a fixture with the two Russian speakers. Grabovksi and Kulemin had goals without Kessel’s help, Kulemin’s off a Dustin Byfuglien giveaway, while Tim Brent had the winner in the nail-biting finish.
MacArthur didn’t mind the change of scenery, scoring the tying goal in the second with help from Boyce and Kris Versteeg.
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