Dear Paul Maurice,

What's up, Coach? Back in good old Raleigh, I see. It's always nice to see a bromance the likes of yours and Jimmy Rutherford's be rekindled.

Seriously, though, I wish you nothing but success your second time around down there. Shock the world and take that Hurricanes team to the Stanley Cup final once again. Just make sure you don't go through the Leafs to make it happen, asshole.

Wait. My apologies. I didn't mean to call you an asshole. It just happens to be a very sensitive subject for me. I mean, the Leafs lost the 2002 Eastern Conference final to Arturs Irbe.

Arturs. Mother. Fucking. Irbe. 

And Jeff O'Neill. Ugh. Let me get back on track here, before I start sobbing uncontrollably.

Look, Paul, I owe you an apology. I threw a lot of dirt on your name over the course of the last two years. I blamed you for a lot of what ailed the Toronto Maple Leafs, especially their issues in the defensive zone, and their penalty killing (I use the word "killing" lightly).

I'm sorry. It obviously wasn't your fault. Ron Wilson's Leafs have proven that you were, in fact, a penalty killing specialist. I'm sure Wilson would love for his team to be killing penalties at a 78% clip, like your Leafs did, instead of the disgraceful 73% he's got them coming in at.

Without you, Wilson's Leafs are allowing a frightening 3.44 goals a game. Good for 28th in the league, and substantially worse than your Leafs' 3.08 GAA last season, and 3.15 GAA in 06/07.

Jesus, Paul, I think I might actually miss you.

I now know that the Leafs' struggles during your two seasons at the helm weren't your fault. You just happened to be the scapegoat. And, the more I think about it, the more I'm sure that you probably hate Andrew Raycroft as much as I do. I sincerely hope you're enjoying The Raycrap Report, as much as I'm enjoying writing it.

I like you, Paul, even to this day. You're a great quote and, by all accounts, an amiable cat. I don't think you're a very good coach, but that's besides the point. You're back in Carolina now and who, other than Schultzy, really gives a shit about the Hurricanes? It's where you belong.

Good luck tonight, Coach. You and your boys probably won't need too much of it.

I hope there's no hard feelings. We, Leafs Nation, don't blame you. Not anymore. We blame John Ferguson Jr. And we always will.

Cheers,

eyebleaf

Free Agent Fantasies

I've had a week to ponder the Toronto Maple Leafs acquisition of goaltender Vesa Toskala and left winger Mark Bell. When I first heard of the trade, I felt "restrained jubilation" a la George Costanza. No more Andrew Raycroft! It was like Christmas morning, but in June.

The fact that John Ferguson Jr. pulled the trigger on the deal proves to me that he is not a complete idiot. It also proves that he's not blind either. He saw the quality of goaltending, or lack there of, that Andrew Raycroft provided his team last season. It was pathetic. The Leafs' most pressing need was in goal, and say what you want about Ferguson, he addressed the need. So I'm going to have to give him some props.

Sure, he may have committed the cardinal sin of trading away a first round draft pick, but Leafs management has not left him with many options. He's a man without a contract after the 2007/2008 season. He knows that if the Leafs fail to make the playoffs once again, it's bye-bye John Ferguson Jr. And he also knows that if Andrew Raycroft is the number one goalie for the Leafs again, it's bye-bye John Ferguson Jr.

The Leafs are a better team today than they were a week ago, when Raycroft was penciled in as the starter. For me, that's the bottom line. Only time will tell whether the Leafs really screwed up on this deal. With the 13th overall pick, the Leafs could have drafted Angelo Esposito or Alexei Cherepanov. They could turn out to be solid NHLers. The draft is a gamble, and Ferguson gambled by dealing away three picks. Bottom line, it had to be done.

In talking to other members of Leafs Nation about the trade, I got the usual responses. A couple of people told me the Leafs messed up, because Esposito and Cherepanov are going to be superstars. I've got to get my hands on one of these crystal balls my friends seem to have. They must be nice. I also got the "why didn't we get Vokoun" responses. Vokoun makes over $5 million a season and does not fit into the Leafs' budget. That's why Toskala makes sense. He's a good goalie and he comes at a bargain price of less than $1.5 million. He makes less than bloody Raycroft. This gives the Leafs the option of still being able to sign a forward during free agency. The trade works, people.

I was a little surprised to find out that Toskola is 30 years old. I always thought he was younger than that. Like Kramer said, I guess I just assumed! However, for a goalie, 30 puts him right in his prime. Toskala will provide better and more consistent goaltending than Andrew Raycroft, of that there is no doubt, my friends. All this talk about Raycroft and Toskala splitting the duties is pure BS. Toskala came at a hefty price, and he will be the number one goalie. Raycroft deserves to sit on the bench, and should be grateful that he will get the opportunity to sit on the bench. He should be traded, but we all know that isn't happening. Who in their right mind would give up anything, other than a stick or two of Juicy Fruit, for Raycroft?

The Leafs missed the playoffs by one point last season. One single, measly point. One point while employing arguably the worst starting goalie in the league. Raycroft let in a league worst 205 goals against, 16 more than the brutal Tim Thomas. His save percentage, a laughable .894, was tied for last among goalies that started more than 50 games. Raycroft's stats speak for themselves, and believe me, they're not making a lot of noise. Toskala gets the Leafs at least six to eight more wins, and voila, the Leafs are in the playoffs.

The dark horse in the trade is Mark Bell. He's a big boy, only 27 years old, and although he's coming off a terrible season, he's been a solid winger since he made the NHL in Chicago. He's a rugged winger who adds size, toughness and scoring to the Leafs lineup. He makes around $2 million, and I think he could really swing this trade in the Leafs' favour. With his passion to body check and fight, it won't take long before Bell is a fan favourite at the Air Canada Centre. I'll take Bell over Jeff O'Neill any day of the week, thank you very much.

In Toronto, everything the Leafs do is over analyzed. Case in point, this blog. Personally, I don't think it's a big deal that the Leafs want to hire a Senior Director of Hockey Operations. It doesn't change the fact that John Ferguson has a job to do.

It's hard to believe Ferguson is entering his fifth year as Maple Leafs General Manager. Where does the time go? I think he deserves some serious respect for the way he is handling himself right now. Like I said, he's got no contract after the upcoming season, so he's skating on thin ice. He knows the team has to make the playoffs or he's out of a job. That's pressure. His bosses at MLSE are looking to hire someone above him, and he pulled the trigger on a trade knowing there would be severe backlash in the city. Ferguson, after all, traded away a number one draft pick (Tukka Rask) to acquire Raycroft. His trading of Toskala proves the Raycroft trade didn't work out. But it takes a man to accept his mistakes.

On top of all of that, John Ferguson Sr. is battling cancer as I write this, and the prognosis is not good. John Ferguson Jr. has been by his father's side all week, I learned from the Toronto Star, and is preparing for the opening of the free agent market from his father's bedside. It's not easy to be John Ferguson Jr. right now. He deserves some support right now.

Speaking of the opening of the free agent market, we're just about 36 hours away! I love this time of year. July 1st is a beautiful day.

Every year around this time, I start to fantasize about who the Leafs could possibly add to their roster. This year, of course, there are a lot of big names who will be waiting by their fax machines come high noon on Sunday.

Ryan Smyth. Daniel Briere. Scott Gomez. Paul Kariya. Chris Drury. Todd Bertuzzi. Sheldon Souray. Jason Blake. Brendan Shanahan. Michael Nylander. Michael Handzus...

Sorry, I drooled all over myself. Had to grab a tissue.

The list is quite formidable. I do this every year. I dream big. My mother always told me to reach for the stars. Right now I'm picturing Scott Gomez in the blue and white. Now I'm picturing Chris Drury, Mr. Clutch himself. How about Ryan Smyth wearing Sergei Berezin's old #94? Oh my.

I actually had a dream a couple of years ago that the Leafs had signed Paul Kariya, when he was an UFA, and he was going to play on the wing with Mats Sundin. I awoke to find that it was in fact a wet dream. It doesn't get much better than that, eh? Not the wet dream, I mean Kariya! Come on. Maybe my dream will come true on Sunday, and Kariya and Sundin will make beautiful music together.

I always get my hopes up, and usually it's all for not. The Leafs don't have a lot of money to spend, and probably will only be able to sign a second-tier free agent. I don't really have a problem with that, but I just like to dream. I'm the kid who goes to sleep on Christmas Eve expecting Santa Claus to bring me an XBox 360, and who wakes up to find a Sega Genesis under the tree. That's how the Maple Leafs roll. They bring in the aging, cheap goal scorer, and try to tell me he's just as good as the young superstar.

The last big splash the Leafs made on the free agent front was Alexander Mogilny. I'd definitely take another signing like Alexander the Great. Definitely. I've got great memories of number 89 in Toronto.

In a perfect world, the Leafs land Scott Gomez as their second line centre, trade Pavel Kubina and his fat contract for a draft pick or three, and then sign Ryan Smyth to play with Mats Sundin. The odds of that happening? About the same as me writing a short blog post.

More realistic, you say? Okay, the Leafs sign Paul Kariya. He'd come cheaper than the big name guys like Smyth and Drury, and he would be a nice fit on Sundin's wing. I don't think the Leafs need to pay Ryan Smyth $6 million a year. The Leafs can score goals. They scored a lot of goals last year. The problem wasn't scoring, it was keeping them out. That problem has been addressed.

The Jeff O'Neill experiment is mercifully over in Toronto and it looks as though Mike Peca will not be returning to Toronto either. Peca and the rest of the world differ on Peca's value. He still likes to think of himself as a second line centre, while the rest of the planet simply knows that isn't the case. I'd like to see him come back, but only at the right price. Ditto for Bates Battaglia. The Leafs just have to bring back Bates.

If the Leafs fail to sign any of the big names, they should make a push for Todd Bertuzzi. Sure, he comes with a lot of baggage, but he could be given an incentive based contract, and he would look mighty good in the blue and white.

What can I say, I'm a dreamer.

What do you think? Who's on your wish list?

TSN is going to air Sunday morning at 11am with their show called "Free Agent Frenzy." They'll be broadcasting live as the free agent signings hit the board. Only in Canada.

I'll be watching though, with a bowl of popcorn and a beer. And I'm looking forward to it.

God bless this hockey crazed country which I so proudly call home.

Make me proud, John Ferguson Jr.

Huge Dubyas

Big win for the Raptors tonight at home against the Heat. They went with a small lineup and simply dominated Miami, who just aren't the same without D-Wade in the backcourt.

Anthony Parker was huge, but it was a total team effort with six guys scoring in double figures, including all five starters. Everyone contributed, just like Mitchell said they would have to.

Shoutout to the The Hump. He pulled down 10 boards in 27 minutes, and seven of them were offensive rebounds. Still can't believe we got this guy for Hoffa. It will amaze me till the day I die.

With every passing game, I grow fonder of Rasho Nesterovic. He is the centre I have always dreamed about playing for the Toronto Raptors. Nothing flashy, but he just gets the job done. He's played guys like Shaq and Dwight Howard amazingly well this year. He knows what is expected of him at the offensive end, and he's the leader on the defensive end. Rasho's a rudey.

As of tonight, the Raptors are in third place in the East. That means home-advantage in the first round, and the Raptors are dynamite at the ACC.

Huge win by the Leafs over the Hurricanes. A solid beating, one that was well-earned and due. The Canes lost to the Flyers tonight. These guys don't look like they're going to be in the race much longer.

Chad Kilger has finally found a permanent home with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Love the guy.

Kaberle is back and Kaberle is healthy. He's a genuis with the puck out on the ice. Simply adore the guy.

Jeff O'Neill, get comfortable in the press box my man. The Leafs are a much better team when O'Neill is out of the lineup. I'm tired of the guy.

Boyd Devereaux has earned a spot on the Leafs for next season. Great signing by JFJ. Everyone has got to love this guy because he's been just a pleasant surprise.

Another big game Thursday night against the Thrashers. The Leafs have six more games, they can afford to lose only one. They need to play just like they did Tuesday night - aggressive, assertive and hard. Leave it all out on the ice, boys.

On a side note, I can't believe baseball's regular season kicks off Monday afternoon. Where the hell did the off-season go? Time flies.

I'm worried about the Jays. Especially the bullpen.

But I'm excited about the Leafs making the post-season, hopefully, and the Raptors. Tonight's win over the Heat was for Garbo. Get well soon, amigo.

Goodnight Toronto...

The Second Half

The dog days of February are in full effect. It's been almost three weeks since I checked in. The Blog-Star Break is over, and it's time to get back in the swing of things.

First of all, isn't that just a beautiful picture? I shall call it "Come to Kabby". Courtesy of Yahoo! Sports, of course. The joy that a goal can bring to the faces of grown men is one of the most beautiful things about the great game of hockey.

Kabby and Co. are all smiles tonight as they continue their push towards the playoffs. The Leafs have been picking up points these past few weeks, which is exactly what they need to be doing, but are still on the outside of the playoff picture looking in - for now, at least. They're right there. I guess you could say they're siddling the playoffs. One point out of 8th spot. And guess what? The Leafs have a date with Les Canadiens, who are tied for that 8th spot, in Montreal Monday night.

It's time for this set of Leafs to exorcise the demons of last season. It all went horribly wrong in back-to-back must win games for the Leafs in Montreal last March. Those two losses cost the Leafs a trip to the dance. It's time to return the favour to the Habs. They've been choking for about a month now and the Leafs have got to kick these guys while they're down. If the Leafs want to stay in the race they've got to beat Montreal Monday night. It's as simple as that.

It's an intense time of year for the Leafs. The Eastern Conference is still extremely tight and every game is truly a huge game. The Buds have been solid since the new year, yet haven't really made up any ground in the standings. Before each and every game I find myself saying "wow, big game tonight." I love it.

Raycroft has started 23 games in a row. He must be drinking a lot of that Cheetah energy drink. "Yes, I Cheetah all the time."

Seriously, what the hell was Ben Johnson thinking when he decided to take part in those commercials? Yeah I know, he can definitely use the money but those have got to be some of the most ridiculous, low-budget commercials I have ever seen. Ben Johnson has done some messed up stuff before - he raced a horse, for God's sake - but those commercials are amazingly whack.

Raycroft is going to reach the 30 win mark anyday now. He hasn't been super in the net, but he hasn't been bad. He's winning games, and that's all he's paid to do. Screw the personal stats, all that counts is the W.

I have an idea though, for Paul Maurice. If a game goes to a shootout, put Aubin in. Let him come in off the bench cold and nervous. The shootout was another factor in the Leafs missing the playoffs last year, with the factor being that the Leafs sucks at it. This trend, of serious shootout sucking, has continued. And Raycroft isn't the best goalie one-on-one. Deking is the popular choice, but everyone knows Razor is also beatable high glove-side. But some of the dekes have made Raycroft look absolutely foolish. He practically ends up in the net as he moves back too quickly. Raycroft, I know you're the pro and all, but seriously, poke-check. Just try it.

I've got to shout out Jeff O'Neill. He scored his 20th goal of the season, eclipsing his total of last year, 19. This is the guy who I asked John Ferguson Jr. to trade for a stationary bike. I seriously thought it was a good deal for the Leafs. A brand new bike! But here I am publicly admitting it - O'Neill has proved me wrong. Immensely wrong. I'm not sure where the Leafs would be without O'Neill's 20 goals. Three of them have been game winners. O'Neill has got 41 points in 60 games and is a plus 4. He was a minus 20 last year. He's improved his offensive game, and his defensive game. He's bounced back from a really tough year both on and off the ice, and credit has got to be given where it's due.

Poni's new website is fantastic! Not really, but I've got to show love. I took a look, and left a message in the guestbook, confessing by undying devotion to the great Poni. He's got 16 goals. Only 5 more to go...

The injury bug has continued to bite the Leafs, and once again Pavel Kubina is the victim. This guy's just been cursed this season. As soon as he was starting to play well and really fit in, he fractures his finger, and will be out of the lineup for a few weeks. Tough break, literally. Kubey and Kabby were getting along so well. It's a shame.

Kubina's injury has opened the door for the Wizard of Woz - Andy Wozniewski. He played his first game since October, and picked up an assist in just less than 14 minutes of ice time. Not bad. The jury's still out on the Wizard of Woz. He doesn't seem like anything special, but if he can hold the fort while Kubina recovers, all the power to him. I'm off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of WOZ...

Bryan McCabe and Tomas Kaberle have a combined 92 points this season. At about $9.5 million for the both of them per season, that's a bargain, I don't care what anyone says.

The Leafs have 20 games left to close out their schedule. They've got 69 points. To assure themselves of a playoff series, they've got to win 15 games. That's 30 points and would give them 99 on the season. If 99 points doesn't get them into the playoffs, I'll make like Ross Gellar from Friends and drink the fat.

The hard part is winning 15 out of 20 games. The chances of it happening are about as good as me making the Dean's List at good ol' Rye High. It ain't going to happen. Actually, the Leafs have a better shot than me and the Deaner List. Anyways, who will step up and carry this team into the post-season? Sundin has been phenomenal so far down the stretch. Raycroft has got to stand on his head. Tucker will come back within the next two weeks - will his return be too late? It's just a beautiful time of year - every game is important.

Tuesday, February 27th is TRADE DEADLINE DAY. The most exciting day of the hockey calendar year! A few deals have already been made, but DEADLINE DAY is always full of action. I'm going to be parked in front of my tv Tuesday afternoon, giddy with excitement. Will Ferguson and the Leafs make a move, maybe acquire a scoring winger, or a grinder like Jamal Mayers?

By the way, John Ferguson, Anson Carter for a 5th round pick? Like Happy Gilmore said, "Where the hell were you on that one, dipshit?"

On a side note, I was listening to Leafs Talk on Saturday night and a caller phoned in saying that the Leafs should let Sundin walk after the season as a free agent, and trade Ponikarovsky and Antropov. I wish I had this guy's phone number, because I want whatever he's smoking. I guess the Leafs should make Matt Stajan captain as well.

The Sundin bashing is just ridiculous. He is the greatest Maple Leaf of ALL TIME. What more do the people want? Sundin will retire a Leaf, deservedly so. He wants no favours. He doesn't want a trade to a contender so he can win a Cup. He wants to win a Cup here, with the Leafs. I'm not sure how likely that is, but I'll always respect Sundin for his years of tremendous service in the blue and white. If the Leafs fail to make the playoffs, this Captain is going down with the sinking ship.

Leafs and Habs Monday night. Deadline Day on Tuesday. The playoff race. It's nail biting time...

------------------------

Our Toronto Raptors now have a five game lead over the New Jersey Nets in the Atlantic Division. The Raptors are going to make the playoffs. The Raptors are going to make the playoffs. The Raptors are going to make the playoffs. Sorry, I've got to say it three times just to make sure this is real. And it certainly is, baby!

Bring out the salami and cheese!

Chuck Swirsky has been bringing out the salami and cheese on a regular basis this season. The Raps, with 31 wins, have already passed last season's total of 28. It's all about progress, baby. I don't think anyone thought the Raps would be this good, this fast, and contending for home court advantage in the playoffs. I really want to give Brian Colangelo a hug.

The Fred Jones experiment is over in Toronto. He was dealt to the Portland Trail Blazers for Juan Dixon. Jones, who was starting games at the beginning of the year, just flat out stunk. He couldn't hit his shots and soon was plastered to the bench a la Yogi Stewart. I think the Jones deal was the only one that didn't pan out for BC (Bryan Colangelo). He's allowed one bad deal.

I heard this deal was mainly made as a favour to Jones, because it was clear he wasn't part of the mix here in Toronto. Jones is from the Portland area. This deal just shows the class of BC. Jones still has two years left on his contract. He's got to appreciate the fact that BC traded him instead of letting him rot on the bench. BC's a rudey. I know it, you know it, and Fred Jones knows it.

As for the newest Raptor, Juan Dixon, I don't know much about the guy, other than the fact it's going to be tough for him to get in the lineup. The Raptors' rotation is set and solid. Dixon's going to have to fight Joey Graham for minutes, and that could be a good thing. Graham can use some healthy competition in order to better his game. We all know the talent is there - he had a SICK, WICKED AND NASTY dunk against Detroit - but Joey just needs to be a little bit more consistent.

The NBA, like me, also took some time off for their annual All-Star break. The NBA's festivities are the most entertaining when it comes to All-Star games. This year, they decided to have the game in Las Vegas. It was an entertaining weekend and a laugher of a game, with the Western Conference running away with it.

Chris Bosh, our favourite all-star, barely saw the ball in the first half. I guess because he plays in Toronto, Canada, no one really knows who the hell he is, so he didn't get any touches. He did, however, have a sick windmill jam in the second half.

All-Star games don't matter, and it was a well-deserved break for the Raptors, who now have to mentally prepare for their playoff push. The Raptors are no longer the hunters, they are the hunted. They are a first place team and a legitimate playoff contender. Wow, it's been a long time since even I've taken the Raptors this seriously.

I've always been a Raptors fan, and have always watched them with great pride and joy. I really got into basketball when hockey was locked out. The Raptors have come a long way since the end of the Vince Carter era.

Carter, who was in town along with his Nets on Valentine's Day, is no longer worth discussing. In that game, he once again showed his lack of class as a person and as a basketball player. It's not even worth getting into what he did. Just when I think I can't possibly think any less of him, he proves me wrong. Vince Carter is a loser (and an ungrateful whore). I'm done ripping on Carter. He's not even worth it anymore.

On a side note, why the hell was Vince judging the All-Star Slam Dunk Competition? Some cat from the Celtics won it, and it was full of mediocre dunks. I think the dunk-off needs to be abolished. Everything has already been done. And when guys like Kobe and Vince are judging, when they should be participating, what really is the point?

Vince Carter is a part of the past. There's no point in dwelling on him anymore. If the Raptors were in last place and the Nets in first, I'd still be bitter and still be booing Carter everytime he came into the ACC. But let's not even give him that much respect anymore. The Raptors are the contenders. The Raptors are going to the playoffs, and Carter will be watching it on television. As improbable as it seemed at the time the Carter deal was made, the Raptors have got the last laugh. The Raptors won the trade - wow, I NEVER, EVER thought I'd be saying that - simply by getting rid of the disease known as Vince Carter.

Sleep easy, Rob Babcock, you did the right thing. Like Tupac said, "I ain't mad at ya."

The Ungrateful Whore is no longer worth mentioning. The Raptors near future involves playoff basketball. The future is all about Chris Bosh, TJ Ford, Anthony Parker, Andrea Bargnani, Jose Calderon and Sam Mitchell. The future is now. Playoff basketball awaits, and this city is going to embrace the Raptors like never before. It's the Raptors turn.

Let's prove this isn't just a hockey town...

And, in what seems to surprise me every February, Spring Training has begun. The Blue Jays, the boys of summer, are back in business!

What the hell would I do without sports?

Goodnight, Toronto...

It's Been A While...

It's been almost a week since I checked in. A busy week. The world of sports just keeps on turning, as I continue to try and make sense of it all.

These days I find myself walking the streets aimlessly with my head down, wondering where it all went wrong for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The cold winter weather has arrived in the great city of Toronto, and with it, a draft of some god-awful Leafs hockey. The frigid temperatures pack a punch, and I'd love to get a few of the Leafs in a room and do some punching of my own. Ian White, Matt Stajan, or Alex Steen. Preferably Steen, but I'm not picky.

Enough with the melodrama. It's official ladies and gentlemen, the Leafs suck again. The wheels have fallen off. Press the Staples Easy Button - repeatedly. SOS. Hockey team in distress (sort of like PIMP IN DISTRESS!)! Pick your cliche, whichever one works for you. The bottom line is this team can't win a game right now, and oh mylanta it has not been pretty.

The Leafs have lost five in a row, and have one point in their last 10 games. They're well into the losing streak I said they simply couldn't afford to have. They've lost to Boston and Atlanta twice in the past 10 days, along with an overtime loss to the Habs. That's three huge divisional losses, and two conference losses. The Leafs are now clinging to the 8th and final playoff spot, and like the monkey at the start of Ace Ventura 2, they can't be saved. All the teams behind them in the standings have at least two games in hand. It's only a matter of time before the Leafs are on the outside looking in.

The road ahead isn't going to get any easier. Tomorrow night it's another meeting with - who else? - the Boston Bloody Bruins in Beantown, and Saturday the Leafs are in Detroit to face the Red Wings. Seven game losing streak anyone?

Being a Leafs fan, I come standard with a lot of hope. I go into each and every season thinking "this could be the year." But I'm also a realist. And it's time for a reality check, sobering as it is.

And here it is: the Leafs are not a playoff-calibre team.

It's as simple as that my friends.

The statistics don't lie. The way this team blows multiple goal leads on numerous occassions, doesn't lie.

If you think about it, and you look at the facts, not much has changed from last season. The Leafs can score goals, they just can't keep them out of their own net. Think of Jerry Seinfeld at the car rental place - anyone can take reservations, it's the holding part that is most important. Anyone can score goals, it's the saving them part that is so important! The Leafs have given up 97 goals against so far this season in only 29 games. That's third-worst in the Eastern Conference. They're a terrible team 5-on-5, just like they were last year. They've struggled mightily at the ACC and consequently have a losing record on home ice. Only six players on the team are even or plus in the plus/minus department. Darcy Tucker, the teams leading goal scorer, is a team-worst -9. Without the power play, this Leafs team would be where Philadelphia is today.

Do those statistics look like those of a playoff team? Uh-uh.

I thought the Leafs patched up the defense this off-season, but it doesn't look it's working. It's slightly off, wouldn't you say? If you think about it, the Leafs have used a 5-man rotation on defense all year. Belak has dressed as the sixth man on the blue line most nights, and he plays about 6 minutes. It's unheard of, and I can't seem to remember ever seeing a team employ a 5-man defensive rotation. Six is the norm, and some teams even dress seven d-men. But 5?

Speaking of not working, what the hell happened to Ian White? He's taken 3 delay of game penalties in the last 2 games for chucking the puck over the glass. First of all, my SUPER BEEF of the season so far is this penalty. It's got to be one of the dumbest penalties ever thought up. Nineteen times out of twenty when a man shoots it out and over and the glass, it's a mistake. Yet it results in a two minute penalty. Against Montreal, up 3-2 in the third period, White took such penalty, Koivu tied the game on the power play, and the Habs end up winning in a shootout. Against Atlanta, up 2-0 in the third period, weathering a sea of terrible penalties, White chucks the puck over the glass (for the second time in the game), Atlanta finally gets on the board, the floodgates open and it's 5-2 Atlanta while I'm left slapping my forehead numerous times.

I was at the game against the Atlanta Thrashers Tuesday night. Took the woman to her first hockey game. Gold seats. Not too shabby, but a freakin' waste of money thanks to the Leafs' pathetic effort. It was all going so well until the 3rd period, and I wouldn't blame the woman for never wanting to go back to watch the Leafs. They played uninspiring hockey to say the least.

Anywho, it's amazing the way the Leafs somehow manage to squander multiple goal leads in the third period of hockey games. They've done it with astonishing regularity this season, and it's absolutely unacceptable. They dominated Montreal Saturday night, and should have got 2 points plain and simple. To go into the third period against Atlanta up by 2 goals and come out losing 5-2 is, as Mike Peca rightfully called it, "a disgrace."

My neck hurts from all the head-shaking I've been doing recently. I just don't get this team. The team played well while Sundin was out, and since he came back, they've got zero wins and five losses. Sundin clearly doesn't have the step he had before he got injured, and it doesn't even seem like he's at 100%.

It's time to play J.S. Aubin. In the 16 games he's played over the end of last season and this season, he's only lost one game in regulation. I think John Ferguson Jr. has told the coaching staff to stick with Andrew Raycroft, so Raycroft can prove he's a number one goalie and lead this team. That's not how you run a bloody hockey team. I said it at the start of the year, Raycroft doesn't deserve to just be handed the number one job, he should have to fight Aubin for it. Raycroft has been only OK this year. At times he's looked great, but he's also been very beatable, and that's a combination of a team that just doesn't know how to play team defense in front of him. At the end of the day, when the Leafs desperately need a save, Raycroft hasn't been getting it. Right now, the team is not winning with Razor, so Aubin simply needs to play. Come on Maurice, put him in there tomorrow night. Aubs played well against Boston last time, and deserves another shot.

This edition of the Leafs just isn't that good. It's a grim reality. One I'm struggling to come to terms with, but one I'm accepting more and more each day. It hurts because with each passing day, and each passing loss, it's becoming more and more clear that Mats Sundin will never win a Stanley Cup with the Maple Leafs. It's simply not going to happen. Not this year, not next year, not for a while. Maybe never, the way things have been going the last, oh, 40 years. It hurts to type that. It's been my dream for a long, long time, to see it happen. As my dream fades away, it only leaves a hole, one that will never be filled. Mats deserves it. He's been a phenomenal Maple Leaf. The best ever. It's a damn shame...

The holes on this team are visible for everyone to see. Like I said, a 5-man defensive rotation, but there's more.

Matt Stajan is the second line centre for the Maple Leafs, and I don't care what anyone tells me, he has no business being a second line centre on the Toronto Maple Leafs. He's far too easy to knock off the puck, he doesn't win a lot of faceoffs, and he's not gifted in any particular part of the game. He's a third line centre or winger at best, and it just disappoints me to see him play the amount of minutes he does, with nothing to show. Even his slapshot is weak. I'm off Stajan huge, and will continue to hate on him until further notice.

Jeff O'Neill and Mike Peca are shadows of their former selves. I thought Poni had trouble finishing, but O'Neill definitely takes the award for least-capable finisher. It's hard to believe O'Neill was one of the more feared snipers in the NHL in the early part of this decade. These days, he can't buy a goal. The last goal O'Neill scored didn't even come off his own stick - it was an own goal by Buffalo Sabres centre Michael Ryan.

Now don't get me wrong, I like what Mike Peca brings to the Leafs. He's a fabulous penalty killer and third line centre, but he's just not the player he used to be. Peca used to be one of, if not the, best two-way players in the NHL. He was tremendous at both ends of the rink, and was a solid 20 goal scorer in this league. He used to throw devastating open-ice bodychecks and cause other teams to be aware of his presence at all times. While he has almost perfected the defensive aspects of the beautiful game of hockey, he's forgotten how to play in the offensive zone. And we're 30 games into this season, and I haven't seen one solid Peca bodycheck, the ones he was known for, and the ones which made me secretly long for him to wear the blue and white. He's the perfect third line centre for this team, and brings so much to the penalty kill and the dressing room, but I long for the Mike Peca of old.

I don't even want to get started on Alex Steen. One goal in 29 games. Oh how the mighty have fallen. Look up Sophomore Jinx in the sports dictionary, and you'll find a picture of Mr. Alexander Steen. I read something absolutely hilarious, yet sad, in the newspaper the other day - Steen has had as many children as goals this season - one. At least he's scoring in the bedroom. On a serious note, it hurts to see him struggle this bad. He was benched for the third period against Montreal. I think the Leafs should seriously send him to the minors and let him try to get his confidence back, because he's running on empty right now. Send him to the freakin' minors JFJ!! Enough is enough. I don't care who he is, he's got to be held accountable for his play.

I talked about Ian White - he's struggling like crazy. Along with Hal Gill. Gill has made a couple of seriously bonehead pinches, and ridiculous crosses in the defensive zone lately. It's like his head is completely out of the game, because they are major mistakes a veteran like him shouldn't be making. Gill, you're slow as hell, don't pinch when Marian Hossa - you know, the NHL's leading scorer - is on the ice. Jesus. And White needs to watch a game from the press box. He's played ok, just really terribly recently, but we have to remember he was thrown into the fire and elevated up the depth chart because of all the injuries to the back end. Carlo Colaiacovo, the most unlucky athlete ever it seems, is almost healthy (is that even possible for him!?!?). Hopefully the injuries are behind him and he can step into the lineup and help out the defense, because it could really use a hand right now.

And guess what? Nik Antropov has injured himself, yet again. He's actually played well this season, and it's shame, although we all knew it was bound to happen. It happened in practice today.

"He rolled his ankle," said head coach Paul Maurice. "There wasn’t anybody around him and down he went."

Classic Antropov.

I think I'm done venting. Reality bites.

Oh wait, one more thing. How BAD has Pavel Kubina looked these last few games? Oh dear. I don't think he's the saviour I thought he was. $5 million a year for this guy? That could be the worst free agent signing in the NHL. That money should have gone to a proven wingman for Mats. It sucks to see him continue to fly solo. I'd like Maurice to put Tucker and Sundin together. He might as well. What more do we have to lose?

As bitter as I am right now, I'm a Leafs fan til I die. The blue and white still runs in my body, and will continue to do so until I leave this world, whether this team ever wins or not. I believe tomorrow could always be the day it all turns around, the stars align, and the hockey gods shine down on Toronto. As bad as the Leafs are, as little hope they show me, I still believe it could happen, and I'll always hope for it to happen. The Toronto Maple Leafs are my team. My bitterness is simply my passion, because there's nothing I want more than for the Maple Leafs to win Lord Stanley's Cup.

I leave you with a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, which has absolutely nothing to do with sports, and deals with issues much greater and much more important than sports. I'm absolutely taking it out of context here, but it's a fantastic quote, one I truly believe describes my life as a die-hard fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

"We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope."
-- Martin Luther King

Goodnight, Toronto...

Should I Be Worried?

It was around 12:30 pm this afternoon when I looked around my cubicle, to see if anyone was blatantly looking at me and could see my computer screen. The coast was clear, so I went ahead and made my daily online trek to TSN.ca. As the website loaded onto my slow Apple (lame excuse of a) computer, the photograph for the top storycame up. It was of Mats Sundin. There was no headline, but immediately I knew something was wrong - because the Leafs weren't playing today. Finally, what seemed like minutes later and was probably about three seconds, the headline came up - "Sundin Out 3-4 Weeks".

I froze up. He'd been injured in practice, or worse, off the ice. Everything seemed to get quiet around me. I didn't know what to do, but I finally read the lead to the story. Sundin has a torn ligament in his elbow, and is expected to miss about a month of action. I felt a sweat break out on my brow. I looked around, to see if anyone noticed the clear discomfort I was now in. I grabbed my water bottle and nourished myself. I had to stay calm.

I thought about the injury, and saw in my mind the exact moment it happened in Monday's game. Sundin was going around the Philadelphia net with his head down and as he rounded the net somebody on the Flyers - I'm not sure who - clocked him pretty hard, and the brunt of the blow was on Sundin's right arm and elbow. I remember Mats almost flinching, and I knew he was in some pain. But he finished the game. There didn't seem to be anything wrong.

But clearly he is the latest Maple Leaf to join the club's walking wounded. The only problem is, he's the best player on the team. The best player on the ice and off it. The emotional leader. The physical leader. The man with the "C". The driver of the bus. As Sundin goes, so do the Leafs.

We've been here before. Sundin was knocked out of the first game of the regular season last year. But we had a little more depth at centre ice last year. It was Eric Lindros who really picked up the slack in Sundin's absence.

Mats has had a remarkably healthy hockey career. Only in the last few years has he spent some significant time on the injured last. At the same time, he's getting older, and so is his body. At 36 years of age, he's getting up there. But he has been great so far this year. Actually, more than great. He's been dominant.

Alright hockey Gods, that's two big injuries you've thrown our way already this year. And I'm not counting the injuries to Bell, Colaiacovo, and Kronwall. Those are minor. Kubina and Sundin, those are the big ones. So now, please, chill out hockey Gods. The way I see it, it's better now than during the stretch or during the playoffs. Lets get the major injuries out of the way.

I'm worried, but at the same time excited. Mainly worried, because the Leafs are not too strong up front. Ironically, the team has scored the third-most goals in the Eastern Conference. So my argument that the team is lacking the firepower it needs is not really true. But losing Mats will certainly hurt this team. He is just too important for it not too.

I'm excited because I want to see who will step up. Wellwood's tailed off nicely since his hot start to the season. He might get a chance to move to centre ice in the wake of Sundin's injury. Maybe Peca will step up. Steen really needs to wake up and start scoring some goals, especially now that Mats is gone. O'Neill needs to continue his decent play. Matty Stajan has been good so far, but now is his chance to make that leap in his career. If Stajan doesn't finish the season with 20 goals, he's not developing properly. He's on his way, I just need him to keep it up. Antropov and Ponikarovsky need to find the net on a regular basis. The goal scoring machine known as Tomas Kaberle can hopefully continue to score the way he is right now.

I don't who will step up. Maybe nobody will, and Ferguson will be forced to address the depth up front, but I like Paul Maurice and the effort he's getting from his players. Luckily, Mats' injury isn't too serious. We just have to stay afloat while he is gone. Pavel Kubina's return will help us defensively, and hopefully Razor can stay hot. Sundin's injury will test the character of this team, and hopefully the boys can come together as a group, show some resolve and leadership, and hold the fort while Captain Mats heals.

For a team looking to find their identity and continue to play consistently, maybe this is a good thing. Mats is injured. There's nothing anyone can do about it. But maybe there is a silver lining. We all know what Sundin is all about. Now I'm hoping to find out what the rest of the team is all about. You know what, maybe I am more excited than worried. I'm lookin forward to it.

Goodnight, Toronto...

Thrashing Victory

Don't let the title of the post fool you - tonight's game between the Leafs and Thrashers was pretty much a snooze fest. The game was decided in the first period. The Leafs scored three power play goals after they fell behind 1-0 on a pretty sweet goal by Ilya Kovalchuk, which was a power play marker too. He came in the zone with some crazy speed and took a wrist shot that went right through Ian White's legs and into the back of the net. Raycroft's still looking for it.

I was totally expecting a loss from the Leafs tonight. Once they fell behind 1-0 I figured it was going to be a long night, but they bounced back quickly, and I think that was the key in the game. Atlanta's been crazy hot to start the season - they were the first team to finally beat the Sabres and keep them from a record 11-0 start. The Leafs still hold the mark for best start to open a season - 10-0 with no shootout wins in the 93/94 season. The Buffalo Sabres, their ugly fans, their ugly city and their ugly jerseys can go screw themselves. But yeah, the Thrashers have been hot, and the Leafs haven't been all that splendid on home ice. So I was Mr. Negativity tonight. I even took the Thrashers in pro line. By two! I deserved to lose that ticket, don't know what I was thinkin.

I don't know what it is about the Thrashers but they certainly bring out the best in our power play, and god bless them for that. Three power play goals tonight, two courtesy of the goal scoring machine known as Darcy Tucker. He's already got 9 on the season and I think 6 have come from the exact same spot. And the real Tomas Kaberle is certainly back, he scored another goal tonight. Glad to have you back Kabby. And Mats picked up three assists on the power play goals. Jeff O'Neill bagged the only even strength goal of the night. He's doing alright in a reduced role with the team. I guess when he's not out there that often he can't piss me off.

I was lobbying for Aubin to start tonight but Maurice made the right call by going back to Raycroft. I'm a goalie, I know how fragile a goalie's confidence can be. It's delicate. It must be nurtured. Going to Aubin tonight would put Raycroft in a position where he would start to question himself. We can't have that. Raycroft is the man right now, and Maurice made the right decision. Razor played well. That last goal was pure CHEESE thanks to the referee getting in the way, but thats how it goes. It was 4-1, so it didn't matter much.

Antropov has now played two games this season. And the Leafs are 2-0. Coincidence? Maybe not...

Who am i kidding? Of course it is! I give Antropov about 7 more games til he either:
a) injures himself skating
b) gets injured when someone lays a pinky on him

It's just a matter of time.

That's the first two game win streak of the season my friends. I shall sleep easy tonight.

Goodnight, Toronto...