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The Official LEAFS NATION Hockey thread
- Thread starter Doc Holliday
- Start date
It seems i added to your post, like putting words in your mouth. Funny
p.s. Really........Subban wins hands down. Sorry to burst your bubble.
What a fantastic game tonight in TO between 2 Original 6 teams. Great great pace and great goaltending as well. Man I love what Leo Komarov brings to the Leafs night in night out.A huge hit that directly led to a goal, thats twice this season (at least) that he has nailed the opponent only to set up a scoring chance directly based on his hit. Glad they got him back in the Centre of the Hockey Universe for several years.
Reimer was oustanding as well and I guess he wanted a chance to show that Jonathan "Big Game" Bernier is not the only one that can indeed have a BIG GAME! Good stuff!!
Reimer was oustanding as well and I guess he wanted a chance to show that Jonathan "Big Game" Bernier is not the only one that can indeed have a BIG GAME! Good stuff!!
I totally agree! What a big win for Canada's team!! :thumb:
I love all the additions to the team: Winnik, Santorelli, Polak, Robidas, Percy, Panik & the return of Komarov.
I can't wait for David Booth to make his Leafs debut in a week or so.
Lupul should be back in a couple of weeks. Hopefully the replacements can do a decent job until he returns.
Last night i was wondering how the hell the Leafs managed to steal JVR from the Flyers for Luke Schenn. Unreal!
And once again, Phil "The Flash" Kessel was dangerous all night long. When the Leafs stole him from the Bruins, i never realized how good he'd be one day. What a player! :eyebrows:
Bernier has been very good for most of the season, and Reimer has performed admirably everytime he's played.
Who did the Leafs trade away in order to obtain Jonathan "Big Game" Bernier?? What a great addition he's been to the Leafs! :thumb:
I love all the additions to the team: Winnik, Santorelli, Polak, Robidas, Percy, Panik & the return of Komarov.
I can't wait for David Booth to make his Leafs debut in a week or so.
Lupul should be back in a couple of weeks. Hopefully the replacements can do a decent job until he returns.
Last night i was wondering how the hell the Leafs managed to steal JVR from the Flyers for Luke Schenn. Unreal!
And once again, Phil "The Flash" Kessel was dangerous all night long. When the Leafs stole him from the Bruins, i never realized how good he'd be one day. What a player! :eyebrows:
Bernier has been very good for most of the season, and Reimer has performed admirably everytime he's played.
Who did the Leafs trade away in order to obtain Jonathan "Big Game" Bernier?? What a great addition he's been to the Leafs! :thumb:
Right you are on so many points my good man. I totally forgot we have Booth in waiting and yes Lupul is only to miss 3 weeks. I think if Reimer plays like he did last night each time he is called to go into battle, that he will be traded for an upgrade at another position and dont forget we have that kid Antoine Bibeau tearing it up down on the farm, that kid is gonna be a very good goalie in the NHL one day barring injuries and is a local kid from Victoriaville..you cant go wrong with to Quebec boys in Bernier and Bibeau.
GLG! HUGE WIN LAST NIGHT and they need to keep the momentum going out west this coming week.
PS...Nonis robbed the Kings for "Big Game" :thumb:
GLG! HUGE WIN LAST NIGHT and they need to keep the momentum going out west this coming week.
PS...Nonis robbed the Kings for "Big Game" :thumb:
Correct me if i'm wrong, but did he only give away Matt Frattin in that trade? The same Matt Frattin who's now back with the Leafs?
The Phaneuf trade was also a great one for the Leafs, but Calgary did get back Matt Stajan in that trade & they seem to like him a lot, having signed him to an extension since he's popular with the fans and good around the community. The Leafs got a few good parts in that trade also, who have since departed the team. One of them, Keith Aulie was traded for Carter Ashton, who is still with the organization.
But the best one of the bunch may be the Phil Kessel trade. They got one of the top players in the game who keeps on improving. I wouldn't be surprised if he's one day part of the hockey hall of fame. Boston in return got rid of Tyler Seguin less than 2 years after the trade. Sure, they still have Dougie Hamilton left, and he isn't a bad player. He's a very reliable #3 or 4 defenceman on many teams. But he never belonged to Toronto to begin with since it's doubtful they would have even drafted him. To be fair, Toronto likely would have drafted Seguin, but likely would never have drafted Hamilton.
The Bruins got a couple of useful players out of that Seguin trade (in Erickson and Smith) to Dallas, but in my opinion and the opinion of many Dallas robbed Boston in that trade. Tyler Seguin is a very special player and the Bruins will regret not being more patient with this young player, just like they still regret trading away a young Joe Thornton.
One thing people seem to overlook is that had the Leafs kept the pick and drafted Seguin, could you imagine him playing in a hockey crazed city with all the temptation of outside life pulling at him day in day out? If he could not handle the lifestyle in beantown there is no way he could have handled Toronto. It would have been a disaster. Kessel by far is a great player and has the tempermant for TO. HOF for Kessel one day? I can see that, sure but lots to do before that happens.
GLG!
GLG!
All good points. Seguin's personal life would have been a disaster had he started his career in a major market such as Mtl, Toronto or New York. On top of that, he's from Toronto and it's rarely a good thing for a team (such as Toronto or Montreal) to have star players who were born n' raised in the same city the team is based in.
As for Phil Kessel, i agree that talks of HoF are still early, but he's only 27 and is just about to enter his peak years. Once against, WHAT A PLAYER!!! :thumb:
p.s. You were wiser than i was when you first purchased your Leafs jersey. My player didn't even last a season in Toronto! lol
Leafs’ Ashton to pay steep price for failed test
by Chris Johnston
The use of Clenbuterol cost Alberto Contador a Tour de France title and Guillermo Mota the chance to win a second World Series with the San Francisco Giants.
Now it might keep Carter Ashton from continuing his NHL career.
Officially, the Toronto Maple Leafs winger was hit with a 20-game suspension for a positive test of the banned substance, but the ultimate penalty will likely end up being quite a bit steeper than that.
Fairly or not, Ashton is now going to be labelled as a user of performance-enhancing drugs. That the 23-year-old claims he accidentally ingested the fat-burning stimulant through a friend’s asthma inhaler won’t change much in the court of public opinion.
The Leafs certainly didn’t rush to his defence in a 39-word statement issued from president Brendan Shanahan on Thursday afternoon which stated that the organization supports the NHL’s decision.
The earliest Ashton can return to action is a game against Philadelphia on Dec. 20. By that point there might not be a roster spot waiting for him.
His standing with the team was already quite tenuous. If anything, it was Ashton’s strong physical attributes — he is six-foot-three and in fantastic shape — that kept the Leafs from subjecting him to waivers for the purpose of sending him to the American Hockey League last month.
He was a healthy scratch for three straight weeks in October and has just three assists to show for 50 career NHL games — virtually all of them in a fourth-line role.
History doesn’t offer many cases to try and gauge exactly where things go from here. Sean Hill was nearing the end of a long career when he tested positive for boldenone in 2007 and appeared in just 40 more games after serving his suspension.
Zenon Konopka, the only other NHLer to turn up a positive test, has remained a free agent since that occurred in May.
The one thing that separates Ashton from those men is his young age — which translates to promise — so it would seem premature to suggest that the Saskatoon native’s career will be completely submarined by the suspension. However, it’s also difficult to imagine the Leafs or anyone else continuing to give him much benefit of the doubt.
Right now Ashton is a former first-round draft pick that hasn’t quite lived up to his promise. He dominated the AHL with 16 goals in 24 games last year, but hasn’t made any impact at the NHL level until now, when he broke the rules.
We live in a cynical time when it comes to the use of PEDs. There have been too many athletes, with too many excuses, that have eroded the public’s ability to believe that the games are being played completely clean.
On Thursday, Ashton presented a plausible-enough story for how Clenbuterol ended up in his system and expressed remorse about it happening.
“As a professional hockey player, I recognize that I am responsible for what I put into my body, and I will not appeal my suspension,” he said in a statement released by the NHLPA. “While I am extremely disappointed that I have let my teammates, our fans and the Maple Leafs organization down, I will work very hard during my suspension to stay in game shape so that I can help out the team when I am able to return.”
Clenbuterol is a drug designed to help treat chronic respiratory issues, but has been completely banned in North America. It is known to speed up the metabolism and has produced positive drug tests from cyclists, boxers, weightlifters, soccer players and baseball players.
And Ashton.
The Leafs forward claims that he suffered an asthma attack during a training session in late August and was given an inhaler from another athlete.
“I kept this inhaler and used it a second time early in training camp upon experiencing another asthma episode,” he said. “Unfortunately, I incorrectly assumed that there were no problems associated with the use of this inhaler and I used it without checking to see whether its contents were permissible.”
Assuming he’s telling the truth, this is an extremely costly mistake for a young man to make.
The 20-game suspension will see Ashton forfeit nearly $170,000 in salary and that’s not even the worst thing of all: It might also leave a stain on his career that he can’t get out.
Watch the discussion on Primetime Sports:
Ashton to pay steep price for failed test
by Chris Johnston
The use of Clenbuterol cost Alberto Contador a Tour de France title and Guillermo Mota the chance to win a second World Series with the San Francisco Giants.
Now it might keep Carter Ashton from continuing his NHL career.
Officially, the Toronto Maple Leafs winger was hit with a 20-game suspension for a positive test of the banned substance, but the ultimate penalty will likely end up being quite a bit steeper than that.
Fairly or not, Ashton is now going to be labelled as a user of performance-enhancing drugs. That the 23-year-old claims he accidentally ingested the fat-burning stimulant through a friend’s asthma inhaler won’t change much in the court of public opinion.
The Leafs certainly didn’t rush to his defence in a 39-word statement issued from president Brendan Shanahan on Thursday afternoon which stated that the organization supports the NHL’s decision.
The earliest Ashton can return to action is a game against Philadelphia on Dec. 20. By that point there might not be a roster spot waiting for him.
His standing with the team was already quite tenuous. If anything, it was Ashton’s strong physical attributes — he is six-foot-three and in fantastic shape — that kept the Leafs from subjecting him to waivers for the purpose of sending him to the American Hockey League last month.
He was a healthy scratch for three straight weeks in October and has just three assists to show for 50 career NHL games — virtually all of them in a fourth-line role.
History doesn’t offer many cases to try and gauge exactly where things go from here. Sean Hill was nearing the end of a long career when he tested positive for boldenone in 2007 and appeared in just 40 more games after serving his suspension.
Zenon Konopka, the only other NHLer to turn up a positive test, has remained a free agent since that occurred in May.
The one thing that separates Ashton from those men is his young age — which translates to promise — so it would seem premature to suggest that the Saskatoon native’s career will be completely submarined by the suspension. However, it’s also difficult to imagine the Leafs or anyone else continuing to give him much benefit of the doubt.
Right now Ashton is a former first-round draft pick that hasn’t quite lived up to his promise. He dominated the AHL with 16 goals in 24 games last year, but hasn’t made any impact at the NHL level until now, when he broke the rules.
We live in a cynical time when it comes to the use of PEDs. There have been too many athletes, with too many excuses, that have eroded the public’s ability to believe that the games are being played completely clean.
On Thursday, Ashton presented a plausible-enough story for how Clenbuterol ended up in his system and expressed remorse about it happening.
“As a professional hockey player, I recognize that I am responsible for what I put into my body, and I will not appeal my suspension,” he said in a statement released by the NHLPA. “While I am extremely disappointed that I have let my teammates, our fans and the Maple Leafs organization down, I will work very hard during my suspension to stay in game shape so that I can help out the team when I am able to return.”
Clenbuterol is a drug designed to help treat chronic respiratory issues, but has been completely banned in North America. It is known to speed up the metabolism and has produced positive drug tests from cyclists, boxers, weightlifters, soccer players and baseball players.
And Ashton.
The Leafs forward claims that he suffered an asthma attack during a training session in late August and was given an inhaler from another athlete.
“I kept this inhaler and used it a second time early in training camp upon experiencing another asthma episode,” he said. “Unfortunately, I incorrectly assumed that there were no problems associated with the use of this inhaler and I used it without checking to see whether its contents were permissible.”
Assuming he’s telling the truth, this is an extremely costly mistake for a young man to make.
The 20-game suspension will see Ashton forfeit nearly $170,000 in salary and that’s not even the worst thing of all: It might also leave a stain on his career that he can’t get out.
Watch the discussion on Primetime Sports:
Ashton to pay steep price for failed test
That Jersey was a great purchase i freely admit but "The Thrill" has made it that way. Indeed a great great player and neck and neck with the best in the NHL in points as we speak.
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november
The Leafs can not catch a break. The 20 game suspension to Carter Ashton. What's next? It's to bad for the player if his story is true.
Ashton can easily be replaced by someone from the Marlies, I am just glad it was not a player like Kessel who is not replacable very easily if at all. Ashton was a healthy scratch for most of the season so far anyways. That is what is great about having good depth down on the farm as far as being able to replace a guy like Carter in a heartbeat.
GLG!
GLG!
To be honest i didn't even know that Ashton was still part of the organization until a couple of days ago.....
p.s. I'm not buying that story one bit!
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november
That is one way to look at it. You turn a negative and turn it into a positive. I agree with iggy that he is easily replaceable.
Leafs beat Bruins 6-1 tonight - great game Leafs.
3 PPG
Doc, you made some great points on thread below, but we need Cody Franson on the PP, not Phaneuf.
3 PPG
Doc, you made some great points on thread below, but we need Cody Franson on the PP, not Phaneuf.
Dion was the catalyst on that one PP goal tonight versus boston as Pierre McGuire pointed out and the fans were getting on Dion for taking the puck back behind his net as time was running down on the PP only to start the play that led to the goal. And with his booming shot he will not be taken off the first unit pp anytime soon and rightfully so.
Dion takes a lot of crap from the uninformed Leafs fans around the world but truth be told (and Doc H is right) he is our best Dman and leader and is much better than the haters think. Being married to a celebrity and having a big contract as well as being Captain Canada puts a huge target on his back but Dion is a great hockey player and we are MUCH better with him than w/o him as things currently stand.
Be thankful he is not making 9 mil per season like the human turnover machine in Montreal that should be taken off the D and made into a winger.
Dion takes a lot of crap from the uninformed Leafs fans around the world but truth be told (and Doc H is right) he is our best Dman and leader and is much better than the haters think. Being married to a celebrity and having a big contract as well as being Captain Canada puts a huge target on his back but Dion is a great hockey player and we are MUCH better with him than w/o him as things currently stand.
Be thankful he is not making 9 mil per season like the human turnover machine in Montreal that should be taken off the D and made into a winger.
I'd rather have Dion Phaneuf than PK Subban.
Heck, these days, i'd even take Morgan Rielly over Subban!
Heck, these days, i'd even take Morgan Rielly over Subban!
I was about to say the same thing about Dion lol.... Rielly had a huge game tonight and is making big strides in his game. I watched the US Feed of the game and Pierre McGuire was ecstatic about Morgan's game tonight and even called him a rising star.
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