Luke Schenn is turning me on...

I finally caught some hot, steamy Toronto Maple Leafs pre-season action last night and, let me tell you, did Luke Schenn ever impress. Could it be that the Leafs actually drafted a stud?

It's hard to believe that Schenn is only 18 years old - he'll be able to buy a beer on November 2nd - and still has a year of junior hockey eligibility. He's only a boy, but at 6'2" and 216 pounds, he plays a man's game.

I'm not a big fan of the pre-season, unlike my blogging colleague JaredOfLondon, so I didn't catch much of the Leafs' first four games last week. However, now that the Toronto Blue Jays' season is officially over and I've had a good cry over the fact that we missed the playoffs again and will probably lose A.J. Burnett to free agency, I can give the Leafs my undivided attention. They deserve nothing less.

Anyway, I tuned in last night, and Schenn did not look out of place. Actually, he looked like he belonged. The St. Louis Blues were in town and their best players - Keith Tkachuk, Paul Kariya, Brad Boyes, and Andy McDonald - were all in the lineup. The game went to a shootout and it was the rookie Schenn who scored the winner for the Leafs on a beauty of a deke.

The goal was sweet, but it was Schenn's defensive play that had me aroused. He looked poised and confident beyond his years back there, and played the man beautifully in the third period against a Blues forward who came in on him one-on-one. It was textbook defensive positioning from Schenn, and a single, solitary tear rolled down my face after he made the play. It was fucking beautiful.

Schenn finished the night with a +3 rating, the game winner in the shootout, and 20 minutes of ice time. Not too shabby for a kid who I thought was certainly headed back to junior.

I'm not so sure anymore. Even with all the depth the Leafs have on the blue line, I'm starting to believe that Schenn is playing himself onto this team. Think about it, Andy fucking Wozniewski made the Leafs out of training camp the past two years so, really, it's no surprise that Schenn is making his case.

In the four games he's played, Schenn has seen 19:37, 19:08, 18:32, and 20:01 minutes of ice time per game respectively. He's got one goal and is +5. He's come as advertised: a shutdown, defensive presence.

I know, it's a small sample size, and he had his best performance against the shitty St. Louis Blues, but it's hard not to be impressed by the man child's performance (I can't call a guy who's 6 foot 2 and weighs 216 pounds a "kid").

So, what do you think - back to junior, or is Schenn ready for prime time?

The regular season starts in just over a week - October 9th in Detroit (cue giddiness). While I'm not sure who's the odd man out if Schenn makes the team (Mike Van Ryn? Anton Stralman? Jonas Frogren? Ian White? Jesus, we have way too many defenceman), I think big Luke has earned himself, at the very least, a 10-game tryout with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Textbook Toronto Development

Folks, it's all over for our favourite minor league hockey team, the Toronto Marlies. They were eliminated from the Calder Cup playoffs last night by the Chicago Wolves.

Sure, it was a 19 game playoff run, but it didn't do much for the development of the future Toronto Maple Leafs.

Jiri Tlusty, he of nude photography fame, scored a whopping two goals in 19 post-season games. Yikes. Hell, even Andy Wozniewski managed to score four. Tlusty's playoff disappearing act certainly doesn't bode well for the future, although it's not like he and the Leafs will be playing in playoff games anytime soon.

Speaking of two, that's how many playoff games Justin Pogge, the franchise's anointed goaltender of the future, the goaltending prospect the brains upstairs chose over Tuukka Rask, started out of 19. Yeah, that's really going to help him develop into a top-flight NHL calibre goalie. Well done coach Greg Gilbert, well done.

Alex Foster, who I believe got into a few games with the big club a few months ago, also contributed a measly two goals.

So did Jay Harrison, but he added 10 assists and was one of the few bright spots for the Marlies. Where the fuck was this guy this past season? How is it humanly possible that Andy Wozniewski made the Toronto Maple Leafs - Andy fucking Wozniewski! - out of training camp, and Staffan Kronwall got the call when Carlo Colaiacovo went down with his annual season-ending injury, while Harrison was toiling in the minors? Ridiculous. Straight ridiculous.

If you're wondering, John Mitchell led the Marlies in goal scoring with eight and David Ling led the team with 17 points. For the full scoring breakdown, check out the layout.

A serious lack of discipline devastated the Marlies against Chicago. The Wolves averaged more than eight power plays a game in the five game series and they made Toronto pay, scoring 10 power play goals on 41 opportunities. Last night they were 3-for-9 with the man advantage. In contrast, the Marlies scored two power play markers all series. It's pretty obvious the Marlies are the farm team of the Leafs. Much like the big club the Marlies can't score on the power play or kill penalties, either. Idiots.

In my honest and ever-important opinion, Greg Gilbert should be fired for choosing to play Scott Clemmensen ahead of Pogge. It was an absurd decision and one that could only be allowed to happen under this franchise. Someone - Cliff Fletcher, I'm lookin at you Grandpa - should have bitch-slapped Greg Gilbert stepped in and made sure Pogge was between the pipes. What you have here is another, might I add shining, example of Toronto Maple Leafs player development. Textbook fucking MLSE development. You know how we do.

The optimist in me wants to believe that Pogge won 50% of the games he started, and that Tlusty, who finished fifth on the team in playoff scoring with 10 points, is going to be one fine NHLer. But the realist in me knows that Tlusty went AWOL, that a great opportunity to see what Pogge could have done has been lost, and that this franchise is being run by some serious douchebags who clearly don't know what the hell they are doing.

I need a drink.

It's The Goaltending, Stupid!

The Toronto Maple Leafs were a naughty bunch this past year. Santa Claus said so. Thanks to an injury to starting goalie Vesa Toskala, Mr. Claus came down the chimney bearing the worst gift of all - Andrew Raycroft.

Ah, the holiday season. A time of giving, reflection and, in my case, a whole lot of alcohol. And I'm not talking about eggnog. I prefer the hard stuff. Watching Raycroft tend goal makes one reach for the hard stuff. OK, the really hard stuff.

Raycroft's been dusted off the bench, where I almost forgot about his sorry ass, and thrust back into the spotlight since Boxing Day when it was announced that Vesa Toskala is suffering from a good old groin strain. You know, the "day-to-day" groin strain that turns into a month-long stint on the injured reserve. As if losing Bryan McCabe wasn't enough, the MLSE injury plague has now claimed the Leafs' best and most valuable player and, painfully, brought Raycroft off the bench.

It's been three games, and a whole lot of alcoholic beverages, since Raycrap's been back between the pipes and the Leafs have, surprise-surprise, zero wins to show since #1's triumphant return. In typical Raycroft-ian fashion, he has been god-awful. His rebound control is abysmal, he's let in a couple of soft wraparounds and, of course, the standard twine-bulger's high glove side. Nothing has changed. I thought Raycroft was bad last year, but his statistics have actually gotten worse! In 13 games this season he sports a trashy 3.85 goals against average and a raunchy .876 save percentage. That dirty save percentage is one of the worst in the league, and it doesn't show up in a list of the top 41 save percentage's in the entire National Hockey League. To put it in perspective, Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Johan Holmqvist is ranked last in the league, 41st, with a .886 save percentage - a full percentage point better than Raycrap's. Of goalies that have played at least 10 games this season only Tampa Bay's Marc Denis has a save percentage worse than Raycroft - .859 - and Denis was sent down to the minors two days ago.

Raycroft was beaten for four goals by the New York Islanders, four goals by the Philadelphia Flyers and five goals by the New York Rangers. He let in his customary weak goal in all three games and simply does not give the Leafs a chance to win.

I can go on and on for days when it comes to Raycroft and his deficiencies. He gets beat high glove side way too often, he lets pucks come into his crease without making an attempt to deflect them away, he plays too deep in his net, and his reflexes are too damn slow. You'd think that while sitting on the bench for almost a month he'd take some pointers and watch how aggressive Toskala is in the crease. It's all about the angles, and Toskala, although much smaller than Raycroft, is always at the top of his crease not giving the opposition much to shoot at.

It is clear after watching the last three games that the Leafs are a completely different team with Toskala in goal. The boys have lost all confidence in Raycroft. Saturday night instead of watching the New England Patriots complete their perfect season, I chose to watch the opposite of perfection - Raycroft and the Leafs. I knew the Leafs didn't have a prayer in the contest against the New York Rangers, especially after the bogus opening goal Raycroft allowed, but I watched the game in its entirety and saw a team that was deflated by shoddy goaltending and, eventually, a team that left their goalie out to dry. Toronto took penalty after penalty and surrendered five power play goals to the low-scoring Rangers. With Raycroft in net, everything suffers, especially the penalty kill.

Goaltending is all about confidence and the Leafs, as a team, don't have confidence in Raycroft. He doesn't exactly instill it in the squad. You can see it in the body language and in the way the team plays. It's disturbing to watch. The Leafs, to a man, aren't stupid. They know that with Raycroft in net the odds are immediately stacked against them before the game has even started. While riding a hot Vesa Toskala, on top of his game since early December, the Leafs actually looked like a decent hockey team that knew how to play defence, and a team that was turning their season around. Not anymore. With Raycroft back in net, this team is back to looking dazed and confused.

I hate Andrew Raycroft. Can you tell? What bothers me more than his pathetic goaltending is management's and the coaching staff's refusal to get rid of him. Raycroft is goaltending garbage. Accept it. The Leafs made a bad trade in acquiring this guy and signing him to a multi-year contract. They know it, I know it, the entire league knows it. It's time to accept that Raycroft hasn't worked out and that he is not an NHL-calibre goalie, and move on. I'm sick and tired of hearing John Ferguson and Paul Maurice tell the media that the Leafs have the utmost confidence in Raycroft between the pipes. It's complete bullshit. They took a chance on acquiring him for a number one draft pick, it didn't work out, and it's time for everyone to move on with their lives. Stop the god damn insanity.

Any minuscule trade value that did exist for Raycroft before Christmas has certainly been thrown out the window. The Leafs couldn't get a 6-pack of Busch Light for Raycroft and his $2 million-dollar salary right now and that's saying a lot because, well, it's Busch Light. It's time to place Raycroft on waivers, and then demote him to the Toronto Marlies once no one claims him. Please. It's over. Let's not make this any more difficult than it has to be. Scott Clemmensen should get the start in goal January 1. It's a new year, and time for a new beginning.

A part of me feels bad for Raycroft (a very small part) because I know that he knows his career in Toronto, and even the NHL, is hanging by a thread. Toskala's injury was his chance to show the rest of the league that he could still play and have a team possibly trade for him. Now that dream, it seems, is dead. Once again, Raycroft was not able to take advantage of another opportunity handed to him on a silver platter. What a useless bum. He can't even help himself.

The Leafs head into 2008 in 13th place in the Eastern Conference, with 38 points in their first 39 games. The Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, Florida Panthers and Atlanta Thrashers all sit ahead of the Leafs in the standings today. Another statistic that calls for a drink, even some eggnog if that's all you've got. After Saturday's debacle, Damien Cox was on cloud nine and ripping the Leafs yet again. In Cox's opinion, every team not named the Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings should tank the season right now because the Stanley Cup is handed out in January, and an 82 game season is decided after 40 games. What a smart guy, that Damien Cox.

There's still time to fix the mess known as the Toronto Maple Leafs. They are better than the Panthers, Islanders, Sabres and Thrashers. I truly believe that. The offence has dried up - the Poni Express is stalled at 11 goals - and the hopes of this team lye squarely on the shoulders of Vesa Toskala. I miss you, Vesa. Get well soon.

There is some good news amidst the wreckage. Carlo Colaiacovo is back! His return in Philadelphia on the 28th saw Andy Wozniewski finally make a visit to the press box. But in typical Leafs fashion, the Wizard of Woz was back on the ice Saturday night against the Rangers, and taking the bonehead penalties for which he has become all too familiar for. I wonder if he and Raycroft room together on the road? They should. They deserve to be united in their pathetic-ness.

More good news - Darcy Tucker, yesterday in practice, nailed Raycroft with a shot off the shoulder that left the goalie writhing in pain on the ice. Accident? I choose not to think so. It's about the only good thing Tucker has done all year, and makes up for the fact that he has scored only four goals in 31 games . Keep up the good work, Darcy.

Happy holidays to everyone out there, especially you. Thanks for stopping by in 2007. I appreciate it. Another year is in the books, and another one is on the way. Here's hoping 2008 is better to the great city of Toronto and its sports teams that I love so deeply.

Cheers, and Happy New Year.

The Plague Strikes Again

The Toronto Maple Leafs were all but fully healthy and, finally, playing good hockey. In retrospect, it was only a matter of time before the MLSE injury plague struck this team again, and strike did it ever last night. With a vengeance.

The Leafs lost much more than their game to the Montreal Canadiens last night. Gone is their momentum from the last two weeks and, more importantly, gone is Bryan McCabe, lost for two months with a broken hand. He's scheduled to go under the knife tomorrow.

Wonderful. Just wonderful. McCabe had been playing his best hockey of the season in the last couple of weeks. He was logging a ton of ice time and was focusing on the defensive aspects of his game. Best of all, he was playing with confidence, something he lacked throughout October and November (I guess own goals and headlines like "Bryan McKlutz" in the local papers will do that to you).

I can't say I'm surprised. Someone was bound to go down. It was only a matter of time. I figured it would be the oft-injured Nik Antropov. He's been playing phenomenal hockey all season and hasn't missed a game all year. That - thirty-three games played in a row for big number 80 - is an accomplishment in itself for Antropov. It has got to be a personal record for the big man from Kazakhstan.

The McCabe injury means JFJ is going to be dipping into the farm once again. It won't be Staffan Kronwall getting the call. He's injured too. He's got about as much luck with injuries as Carlo Colaiacovo, and that ain't a good thing.

Anton Stralman might get the call, but it should be Derrick Walser. Walser has been a force with the Toronto Marlies and is second on the club in scoring, with 21 points. The defenceman is actually tied with Kris Newbury for the team lead in goals with nine. He's also tied for the team lead with five power play points. Walser's got a respectable shot from the point and has 91 games of NHL experience under his belt. He's the logical choice, which means Stralman will probably be on the blue line for the Leafs in Carolina on Tuesday night (you know how we do!).

The McCabe injury also means more ice-time for Pavel Kubina, especially on the power play, and (gulp!) Andy Wozniewski. Kubina paired with Tomas Kaberle on the power play might be a good thing, because the Leafs' power play has continued to do, well, nothing. It's sputtering along and I'm welcome to any changes in order to get it going. As for more ice time for the Wizard of Woz, well, I'm not even going to go there. There's no point. Although the Woz does have more points on the season than Darcy Tucker. Tucker should be deeply, deeply ashamed of himself.

As for Carlo Colaiacovo, he's back on the ice skating again and reportedly will be ready to join the Leafs by the end of the month. If I was a betting man, and I am, I'd put money on that not happening. He'll suffer a setback. He always does. Before he does return he'll likely join the Marlies for a conditioning stint, so I don't think he'll be with the Leafs until at least the new year.

People in this town love to hate on Bryan McCabe and his salary, but he's an important part of the Maple Leafs. He will definitely, and sorely, be missed. The Leafs know the drill by now. Someone has got to step up. It's practically this team's mantra.

Toronto is on a season-long seven game road trip (with a 1-1 record to show so far), and now have to finish it without one of their top defenceman. With solid play in the last two weeks the Leafs have managed to salvage their season but, without number 24 and his 30 minutes a game, the going just got a whole lot tougher...

Maurice Must Be Sacrificed

The Toronto Maple Leafs are in a free-fall. They've lost seven of their last eight games, including last night's 4-3 decision to the Montreal Canadiens. It's time for a change. It's time to fire head coach Paul Maurice.

I've had enough. Something needs to give. The Maple Leafs have managed to win only eight of their first 25 games. Someone needs to be held accountable.

I like head coach Paul Maurice. I like his aggressive coaching style, his passion, his youth, and his witty demeanour with the overbearing Toronto media. But, in these eyes, what ever Maurice is preaching in the Maple Leafs dressing room just isn't registering with the players.

For some reason (I'm going to go with blind faith) I still believe this Leafs team is a playoff team. So far, 25 games in to the season, they've been anything but a playoff team. They're a nightmare on ice. Toronto has surrendered a league-high 90 goals against, in only 25 games. That is a frightening statistic. Only one other team - the Calgary Flames - have let in more than 75, and they reached the mark after getting shelled by Detroit last night. The defensive game, or lack thereof, should be reason enough for the Leafs to bring in a new coach.

It's no secret that general manager John Ferguson and Paul Maurice are on the hot seat right now. And they should be. The Leafs are a mess. They can't win on home ice, they're brutal in overtime and the shootout, they can't keep a lead a lead (another two were blown last night against Montreal), the special teams - especially the power play - are horrendous and, to put it mildly, they can't keep the puck out of their own net.

Not even during the free-wheeling, offensive days of the Pat Quinn era did the Leafs play such abysmal defensive hockey. It's shameful. The Leafs break down with shocking regularity. They play man-to-man in the defensive zone like chickens with their heads cut off - it's mayhem.

I don't even know where to begin about the power play. Not only can the Leafs not score on it, but they've also allowed the most shorthanded goals this season. It's just one thing after another. The Leafs need to be allowed to decline penalties, like in football.

"Montreal penalty to Saku Koivu, Two Minutes for tripping...The penalty is declined. Face-off!"

The power play, once again, killed the Leafs last night. The Leafs went zero-for-four while Montreal converted twice on five opportunities. That's the difference in the game right there, kids.

I'm fed up. What does it take to get some changes around here? It's nothing against Paul Maurice. I believe he's a good coach, but this team ain't buying what he's selling. At the end of the day, Maurice hasn't been able to get the job done. He's coached nine seasons in the NHL, and his teams have only made the playoffs three out of those nine seasons. Not a great track record. After last night's shootout loss to Montreal, the Leafs sit in second-last place in the Eastern Conference, and third-last in the NHL. The power play, which used to be the team's strength, is 28th best in the 30-team league.

A part of me feels like I'm totally hanging coach Maurice out to dry. I've been a strong supporter of Maurice since he came aboard, and God knows how hard his job must have been last year when he was given a "goalie" (and I use the term lightly...very lightly) like Andrew Raycroft to trot out there night after night. It's not Maurice's fault Raycroft couldn't, and still can't, stop a beach ball. It's not Maurice's fault Vesa Toskala really hasn't been much better. But some of the blame does have to fall on Maurice's shoulders, because he is, after all, the coach. He's the guy giving out instructions in practice and I don't think the Leafs should be this poor in their own end, and about as potent as an 80-year-old in bed (giggity!! giggity!!) on the power play.

I desperately need an answer to this question - why in God's name is Maurice still sending out Andy Wozniewski for a regular shift? Why hasn't he gotten on his knees and begged Ferguson to send the Woz back down to the farm? The Leafs have got Anton Stralman and Derek Walser running the defence of the Toronto Marlies and it blows my mind as to why the Woz is still up with the big club, because even my mom knows he clearly does not belong.

While a part of me does still support Maurice, the results aren't there - and it's a results-oriented business - so I feel like he needs to be sacrificed in order to salvage this season. Let us think of Maurice as a martyr.

There are 25 players, but only one general manager and only one coach. As much as I don't like some of the moves John Ferguson has made over the years, I feel like this is a good Leafs team, on paper. On paper, it's a playoff team ("on paper" being the key words). On the ice, not so much. Ferguson can't trade all 25 guys. He can't get out on the ice during practice and change things up. But he can relieve Maurice of his duties, and I think that's the change the players are, unfortunately, waiting for. It seems they are resigned to the fact that something, anything, has got to give, and that there will be casualties from their poor play.

Two seasons ago, an eight game losing streak, while Bryan McCabe was injured, cost the Leafs a playoff spot. November, which has seen the Leafs win only three games, will surely come back to bite the team in the ass. But the key point is that it's still only November. The Leafs have 57 games to go. There is time to still turn this ship around.

The Dallas Stars fired their general manager two weeks ago, and have been on a tear since then. The Atlanta Thrashers fired their coach last month after winning only two of their first 10 games. Since then, they've turned around their season and have won nine of 13 games. Even the pathetic Washington Capitals won two in a row after they fired their coach, Glen Hanlon.

If it does happen, I'm truly sorry to see Maurice go. But based on the fact the Leafs missed the playoffs last year (although I blame Raycroft for 85% of that) and have struggled immensely through the first 25 games this season, Maurice has to go for the sake of making a change. For the greater good. In order to save the season, because I still do believe in this Leafs team. And remember, as a martyr, Maurice goes straight to NHL coaching heaven where the Wayne Gretzky-led Edmonton Oilers dynasty and 80 Stanley Cup's are waiting for him.

As for his replacement, I haven't really given it much thought. There's the recently-fired Bob Hartley, who won a couple of Stanley Cup's in Colorado. The Leafs have always brought back players for second tour's of duty, so why not bring back Pat Quinn? I'd be open to it. What about Dougie Gilmour? Although he's never coached a day in his life, I love Dougie too much to not be intrigued by the idea. My fantasy? Pat Burns. I would kill to see Burnsy back behind the bench in Toronto. He'd bring some real passion. And some God damn accountability. There's no way any team coached by Pat Burns would play defense like the Leafs have this year. He'd send guys to the press box to sit and watch faster than you can spell Wozniewski (W-O-Z-N-I-E-W-S-U-C-K-S).

Alright, maybe I have given Maurice's replacement some thought.

I'm upset it has come to this. I was expecting a lot out of this year's Leafs squad. I still am. I haven't yet given up hope (yes, I am an idiot). There's still a lot of hockey to be played. Crazier things have happened. The Leafs are at the bottom of the standings but parity rules the NHL these days. Toronto, the 14th seed in the East with 22 points, trails 4th seed Montreal by only seven points.

And for all you Pavel Kubina haters out there, I hope you now realize how important he is to the Toronto Maple Leafs. As soon as he went down with a knee injury, this Leafs team hasn't been the same. It's been worse! And it was pretty bad to begin with. Kubina's a stud back there, and I hope you all realize it now. No Kubina means more Wozniewski, and we've all seen what that adds up to (losses, a lot of them; trust me, I've done the math).

Eight wins in 25 games. It simply isn't good enough. Sorry, Paul Maurice, but you've got to go.

John Ferguson, you're next...

The Same Old Story

Another game against a divisional opponent and another blown third period lead. Up 3-2 in the third period, this was a game the Leafs should have won. It's disheartening. I'm starting to think Paul Maurice isn't the right man to coach this team.

It's looking less and less likely that the Leafs will qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs. Nineteen games are in the books, as are 19 points, and Toronto seems destined to miss the dance for the third straight season. If and when they do, they can look back to games all throughout October and the early parts of November - games like last night - as to why they're on the outside looking in.

The Leafs should have beaten the Montreal Canadiens last night. Straight up. After an even first period, the Leafs were the better team the rest of the way. They controlled the play, had the majority of power plays, and out shot les Habitants 26 to 13 in periods two and three.

Of course, shot totals never matter when Andrew Raycroft is in net. Yes, Raycroft (I refuse to call him "Razor") was coming off a shutout of the Buffalo Sabres, who should be incredibly ashamed of themselves, but you just know that most nights he's going to let in three or four, or more. That's how he rolls.

Sticking to Raycroft for a second, it's amazing what one shutout will do for a guy's credibility in this town. I was out for lunch with some old friends this past Saturday afternoon who were singing the praises of the mighty Raycroft, coming off his great performance the night before in Buffalo. They were calling for Raycroft to start in goal against the New York Rangers and quick to right off Vesa Toskala as the more mediocre of the two goalies.

That's what happens when you go from Curtis Joseph and Ed Belfour to Andrew Raycroft. The goaltending bar has been lowered considerably. Leafs teams of the late 90's and early 2000's, with Cujo and Eddie manning the pipes, used to average eight to 10 shutouts a year. Now, it's a Festivus miracle when the Leafs get one.

One quick look at the stats, however, shows the reasoning behind Raycroft's blanking of the pathetic Sabres. Yes, Raycroft was great in the first period as he made 15 saves. But in the third period, the Leafs only allowed six shots against. That's six shots, folks. Not exactly a barrage. Now, we all know the Leafs hold any and all leads like a ticking time bomb and that they break down in the defensive zone like Ellen when the authorities take away her dog. But on Friday night, for the first time this season, the Leafs played great hockey with a lead. They limited Buffalo to only six shots in the third period and, most important of all, they helped out their goalie. That shutout was a team effort. Don't get it twisted - I'm giving Raycroft full marks because he saved 30 shots on the night, but the Leafs played a heck of a lot better that night than they have on any night in front of Toskala.

I can point out only one or two games where I would say that Toskala has performed poorly. The rest of his night's out there, he simply hasn't gotten any help from his team. I play recreational hockey in a beer league, and I'm a goaltender. I know, to some extent, how it is back there. As a goalie, you're either the hero or the goat, on any given night. But you've got to have your team help you out back there. Hockey's a team game. Toskala has been hung out to dry by the Leafs and, especially, his coaching staff. It hurts when, as a goalie, your team plays defense as well as a Timbits squad, and you're left to fend for yourself. Toskala hasn't had a prayer on half the goals he's allowed. I don't care if Raycroft has the better stats, as my friends tried to point out to me, Toskala is the better goalie, and the number one goalie. Hands down.

Back to last night and, speaking of goat horns, please pass them along to one Bryan McCabe...again. Just a horrendous pass in overtime right on to the stick of that douchebag Mike Komisarek, who made no mistake in deking Raycroft on a breakaway, slipping it five-hole to give Montreal a 4-3 overtime win. McCabe was -2 on the night and played over 28 minutes. His stat line proves that when Pavel Kubina is in the lineup, McCabe gets less ice time, is in turn more effective, and the Leafs are a better team.

God damn injuries. Kubina's out a month with knee issues and because of it Andy Wozniewski played over 20 minutes last night. Lord help us.

As for Komisarek, he shouldn't have even been on the ice in overtime. He should have been in the penalty box. He clearly punched Hal Gill in the face in the last minute of regulation time but because he wasn't wearing a Maple Leafs sweater, he didn't get a penalty. The refs called a tight game all night but once it was 3-3 with a minute to go, they put away the whistles and the Habs got away with two clear-cut penalties. If it were the Leafs taking liberties like that, they would have definitely been penalized. Everyone, including the referees, hate the Toronto Maple Leafs. It's a bloody conspiracy.
I, once again, called for Raycroft to poke check on the breakaway goal by Komisarek. My brother argues that I say that every time and, although he does make a good point, I still believe Raycroft should have poke-checked. I stand by my call. Want to know why? Because it was Mike freaking Komisarek coming down the ice on a breakaway. Komisarek, who has only seven career NHL goals in over 230 games to his credit. He's a rugged, stay-at-home defenceman and Raycroft, in my humble opinion, should have been more aggressive. Part of a goalie's job is to recognize the shooter he's facing. If it's Alex Kovalev bearing down on a breakaway, by all means bust out the Bible and start praying. But it was Mike Komisarek. It should have been advantage Raycroft, and he should have poke-checked.

Here's my beef with coach Paul Maurice. The Leafs have one of the deeper teams in the Eastern Conference when it comes to their forwards. Toronto, last season, re-signed a potential unrestricted free agent in Darcy Tucker to a multi-million deal and then forked over three draft picks to acquire Vesa Toskala and former 25 goal scorer Mark Bell.

Where the hell were Tucker and Bell in the third period last night? They were plastered to the bench for all but two shifts, and I just don't get it. On one of the shifts Bell did get in the third, he orchestrated a goal with some fabulous puck control down low. On the night, Tucker saw only 12 minutes of ice time, while Mark Bell played just over five minutes and thirty seconds. What in the name of Krishna is going on here, Maurice?

When the Leafs have got a fourth line of John Pohl, Wade Belak and Bates Battaglia dressed, by all means shorten the bench in the third period. But why is the bench being shortened when Maurice has got proven NHLers, who can play, at his disposal? Why did we throw all this loot and all these draft picks to bring in these guys if they're not going to play? It's absolutely infuriating. Darcy Tucker has been an integral part of the Leafs since he arrived in Toronto and now guys like Boyd Devereaux, who I have nothing against, are playing more than he is, and it simply shouldn't be the case. Tucker is the Leafs' brawn, guts and emotion. He's got to get more ice time, and the lack of it is effecting his play.

Here's another mistake by Maurice: To start overtime, with Matt Stajan and Saku Koivu in the penalty box serving coincidental minors, Maurice sent out two forwards and one defenceman to play three-on-three hockey, while the Habs countered with the standard two defenceman and one forward. Why would Maurice not put out two defenceman, when he had a forward sitting in the penalty box? Granted, it was the lone defenceman on the ice, McCabe, who made the retarded pass to Komisarek to send him off on a breakaway, but the Leafs should have had two defenceman on the ice. The only logical explanation I can think of is that Maurice was going for the win in the five minute overtime session because he knows the Leafs don't have a prayer in the shootout. But I still don't agree with the decision. Defense first, especially when you've got Raycroft in net. Maurice has got four capable lines he can throw out there and a team that can score goals. He's got to believe in them, whether it's in overtime or the shootout.

As for Montreal's rookie goalie Carey Price, the kid is good. He's a keeper, and has an extremely bright future. He's so calm and collected in his crease, you wouldn't know last night was his first game in the hockey hotbed of Toronto. And he doesn't give up a lot of rebounds, eh? Geez. The Habs got lucky with this kid, and I'm openly jealous.

At the end of the day, the Leafs had a 3-2 lead in the third period, with 10 minutes left to play. Once again, they broke down defensively and Raycroft just couldn't come up with the big save when the team needed it most. It's not that I'm saying Raycroft didn't play well. He did. He made some excellent saves. I hate to blame him, I truly do, but I would just like him to make that one save when it's 3-2, or 3-3, and save the Leafs' bacon. Just like Cujo and Eddie the Eagle before him used to do. I guess I'm spoiled. And stuck to the past. Like all other Leafs fans.

Another point squandered. One that I'm sure will come back to bite the Leafs in the behind...

The Beating of Ontario

Another installment of the Beating of Ontario went into the books last night. This time it was a 5-1 spanking of the Maple Leafs by the Ottawa Senators and, with it, the realization that the Sens are a great team while the Leafs are not.

Games like last night’s test my will as a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs. I reached for my remote on three separate occasions but couldn’t pull the trigger and actually change the channel. I’m not sure why I stay tuned and watch the Leafs get crushed by the Senators time after time after time, but I do. It’s sick. I have a problem.

I was sincerely looking forward to last night’s game. Not only was it a good test against a most-formidable opponent in the Senators, but the Leafs were finally getting some bodies back – Kyle Wellwood, healthy after two hernia surgeries, and Mark Bell, making his debut as the forgotten man in the Vesa Toskala trade.

Toronto, sitting at .500, was coming off a solid road win in Montreal and although Ottawa is clearly the best team in the league (you can’t argue much with a 13-1 win-loss record), the Leafs played them hard in games one and two of the season. I thought I was in for a competitive match up.

Competitive? Uh, not so much.This one was over five minutes in. Just another go around with the Ottawa Senators, I guess, who are now 15-2-2, including 8-1-1 at home, since the start of the 2005/2006 season against Toronto.

As everyone knows, the Leafs have missed the playoffs the last two seasons. Need a reason? Look no further than their record against their provincial rivals. Toronto’s inability to compete against the Ottawa Senators cost them dearly the last two years, and it’s happening again, as Ottawa has already beaten the Leafs three times in the span of a month.

I'm going to be the happiest man around when the NHL changes the schedule. I'm so tired of the Leafs having to play Ottawa eight times a year. It simply isn't fair - they're too good!

I feel like I’m starring in Groundhog Day, because every time the Leafs and Senators face off, it’s the same story over and over again - severe poundage. Last night was no different. The Leafs repeatedly made bonehead decisions and hung their goalies out to try yet again.

After falling behind four to nothing in the second period Paul Maurice yanked Vesa Toskala (who couldn’t be blamed, not one bit), called a timeout, and gave his team a thorough tongue-lashing. They deserved it, straight up. Once again, the Leafs looked like they weren’t prepared to play and against a team like Ottawa, the best freaking team in the league, that’s simply unacceptable.

I, nor Paul Maurice, don’t have enough fingers to point out all the guys who flat out sucked last night. Jason Blake wasn’t covering his man on the first goal. Ian White was standing at centre ice and his foolish decision led to the two-on-one that resulted in the second goal. On that second goal, Andy Wozniewski could have sprawled to block the cross ice pass, and I’m still not sure what the hell he was doing when he half laid out to try and do it. Matt Stajan and Alex Steen bumped into each other in neutral ice and their idiocy led to another two-on-one for the Sens, which led to the third Ottawa goal, a short-handed tally by Daniel Alfredsson to make it three-nothing. That goal was the back-breaker. Down two-nothing, the Leafs desperately needed the next goal, but it was Ottawa who came out flying once again in the second period and scored on a Toronto power play. It was rather pathetic.

Kaberle was also brutal last night. I’m not sure why he and Kubina were on the same side of the rink on the first Ottawa goal, and Kabby was evidently going for a stroll up ice on the fourth Senators goal, when Kyle Wellwood decided to try and stick handle through four Senator players. The puck was, obviously, turned over and the Senators were off on another two-on-one and wham, bam, thank you m’aam, it was 5-1.

Like I said, I’m not sure why I watched the entire debacle last night. One reason was because the Toronto Raptors were also busy taking it on the chin, at the hands of the pathetic Milwaukee Bucks, no less! Last night was just awful.

As for Wellwood and Bell, their presence in the lineup clearly didn’t do much, eh? Wellwood was out there dangling like a school boy and his presence did nothing for the moribund Toronto power play, which finished 1-9 on the night. Bell saw a shade over 10 minutes of ice time and threw a couple of nice hits. He also landed a couple of good shots to the ugly face of Senators super-pest Chris Neil. Bell’s going to be a useful energy guy for the Leafs, and I’m looking forward to him getting some more ice time.

Toronto actually out-shot the Senators last night. Gerber was good. He doesn't give up any rebounds, it's amazing. The guy’s been tremendous all year, and I hate him because I’ve got Ray Emery in my fantasy hockey pool. It just goes to show that shot total’s don’t mean a damn thing. Not if you’re giving up two-on-one rushes all night.

I’m not done complaining about Andy Wozniewski, Ian White, and the shortcomings of the Leafs defensive game. We’re 16 games into this thing now, and the message is clearly not getting through, as the Leafs have allowed a league worst 62 goals against. Something needs to give. Something needs to change. Enough is enough. Some bloody accountability, please, Coach Maurice.

Bench White, bench Wozniewski, and even bench Kaberle if you have to. The only guy who should be getting a pat on the back right now is Nik Antropov. He’s showed up for every game, and was once again the Leafs’ best player last night, scoring the teams lone goal.

I just find it infuriating that the same weak-ass lineup is paraded out on to the ice day in and day out, when they are simply not delivering the results. Andy bloody Wozniewski will be right back out there on Friday night, while Danny Markov, a serviceable and solid NHL-calibre defenseman, is not playing in the NHL. I don’t get it. Pick up the phone and get Markov's agent on the line already! And don’t anybody dare mention to me anything about the salary cap. The Leafs have some wiggle room against the cap and are the richest sports team in Canada. They can afford to buy out Wozniewski’s contract, which is only a shade above the league minimum anyway, and bring in Danny Markov. What the heck is the wiggle room for anyway? To stop the bleeding, for the love of God.

The blood pressure is boiling, folks. Last night, once the Senators went up 3-0, I couldn’t change the channel. All I could do was press the mute button, grab my ipod, press repeat and put on “Stronger” by Kanye West.

“N-n-now Th-th-that-that don't kill me
Can only make me stronger
I need you to hurry up now
Cause I can't wait much longer
I know I got to be right now
Cause I can't get much wronger
Man I been waitin' all night now
That's how long I've been on ya.”

I said I wasn’t going to pass judgment on this team until 20 games were in the books. Well, we’re only four games away from that mark, and I’ve got my finger right in front of the panic button…

A New Jersey Night

It was all about the Garden State last night. The Leafs were in Newark visiting the New Jersey Devils while the Raptors were in the swamp looking to avenge last year's playoff-series loss against the New Jersey Nets.

The Good News

Let's go with the good news first: the Raptors look mighty fine after their first two games of the season. Visiting the Nets for the first time since their season ended in New Jersey last year, the Raptors were looking for a big game. They wanted to show the Nets that this wasn't the same team that lost a hard fought first-round series last year. And the Raptors delivered. Big time.

T.J. Ford called it a "statement game." The Raptors wanted this one and, after getting off to a slow start in the first quarter - they were one-for-seven from the field - they beat up on the Nets. It was rather enjoyable to watch. The final score was a joke. 106-69 for our boys in red and black. The Raps shot 51% from the floor and 59% from beyond the arc. It was, as my main man Chuck Swirsky would say, raining three's out there.

Speaking of the Chuck, I love the guy. It's good to have him back on the air calling Raptors games, along with the lovable Jack Armstrong (Hello!!). I'm still not sold on Leo Rautins, but I certainly love the Chuck and Jack combo.

Swirsky is fast becoming my favourite Toronto sports play-by-play man. Jamie Campbell calls a mean Toronto Blue Jays game on the tube (he's done a good job since taking over a couple of years ago), and Joe Bowen and his "Holy Mackinaw!" will always have a special place in my heart, but Chuck Swirsky really brings passion to his broadcasts. He's enjoying himself out there, and it rubs off on the viewer. And he's always bringing out the onions and, of course, the salami and cheese, mamma. Love the Swirsk.

Some perspective on last night's game:
- Toronto went on a 20-4 run in the second quarter to pull away for the rest of the night.
- The Nets had as many assists as they did turnovers (19 a piece).
- The Raptors had six players in double figures in scoring, compared to only one for New Jersey (Jefferson had 27 points while the next most (err, least?) productive Net was Krstic, with nine).
- The Nets scored a combined 28 points (eww) in the second half of the ball game (the Raptors scored 50).
- At one point in the fourth quarter the Raps were up 98-56, a whopping 42 points.

There's no other way to put it - the Raptors bitch-slapped the New Jersey Nets last night. Back-handed!

Bosh even hit a half-court hail mary to end the second half. It, of course, brought out the "Onions, baby onions!" from Chuck Swirsky. Anything less would have been uncivilized.

The Raptors are now off to a solid 2-0 start to their season, and what makes it even more impressive is that Chris Bosh has seen limited minutes in the teams first two games. His conditioning is not where it needs to be, but it doesn't matter, because the Raptors deep bench is coming through. Last night the second unit (Calderon, Dixon, Delfino, and Nesterovic) was the catalyst in laying the smacketh downeth upon New Jersey.

Andrea Bargnani has looked tremendous in the first two games of the new campaign. He was 7-11 from the field last night, including 4-6 from three point land. The guy is just money. And I'm talking Canadian dollars here folks - none of that weak U.S. chump-change. I mean, Il Mago barely even jumps when he takes his three-point shots. His stroke is just bellissimo. I can't say enough about this kid. He impresses me more and more every time I watch him play. Bargnani's quick enough to put the ball on the floor, but he can also burn you from way outside. He's the total package. And only 22 years young. And yes, Toronto, he's all ours. I'll admit it, he makes me salivate.

"TJ Calderon" has also been off the charts in the first two games of the year. The line from game one from the point guard position, you ask? 27 points, 16 assists, and ONLY 2 turnovers. The line last night, you ask? 18 points, 15 assists and ONLY 3 turnovers. I'm telling you folks, "TJ Calderon" is a beautiful thing. Embrace it. Appreciate it. Enjoy it.

And how about Carlos Delfino? I'm loving this guy already. He's finally getting a chance to play some regular minutes, and he's showing that he can do just that - play. He's picking up rebounds, picking up some points and, most importantly of all, playing solid defense. His Majesty Bryan Colangelo can simply do no wrong.

I'm looking forward to Sunday when Kevin Garnett and the Boston Celtics are in town. Should be a doozy, and another good test for the Toronto Raptors to show that they are, no matter what anyone says, the class of the Atlantic Division.

The Bad News

Oh yeah, the bad news, ugh, those bloody Maple Leafs. It was the Buds' first visit to the Devils' new home, The Prudential Center. Seemed like nice digs. Anything was going to be better than their old arena out in East Rutherford. Oddly enough, the Nets still play out of the old building, now the IZOD Centre. Speaking of which, whatever happened to Jay-Z moving the Nets to Brooklyn? Hmm.

It was another weak effort by the Leafs, especially the usually-reliable Tomas Kaberle and Mats Sundin. Both had third period's to forget. The Devils ended up taking the game 3-2, thanks to a short-handed goal by the speedy John Madden, who rifled a bullet past Vesa Toskala and off the post to give the Devils a 2-1 lead late in the third. The goal was, as they say, a back-breaker.

I'm not sure what the hell Kaberle was thinking about on the Madden goal. He had a chance to at least get a pinky on him, but he didn't, and I'm not sure why. Once again, Kaberle and company left their goalie out to dry. A couple of minutes later, Zach Parise scored on his fourth freaking attempt on Toskala, with Kaberle standing around watching the whole play. How was the view, Tommy? Geez.

I thought Kaberle and Sundin played a pathetic game last night - the emotion and hustle simply wasn't there. I couldn't see it, and it hurt. How can the two guys who wear the "C" and the "A" on their shoulder look like they don't give a rats ass? It's distressing.

What makes it all sting even more is that the Madden goal came while the Leafs were on the power play. Jason Blake decided to shoot the puck while four guys stood in front of him. It, obviously, hit a skate and off to the races went Madden. Kaberle should have been able to catch him, but he was leisurely skating back, assuming Blake would grab him. That's the essence of the problem with the Leafs right now. There's no accountability. It's always up to the other guy. In the end, Toskala is the one who has to deal with his obese goals against average and his lame save percentage because the guys in front of him are not bringing the effort.

Before I forget, I've got to take another opportunity to bash Andy Wozniewski. He played seven minutes and 18 seconds last night, and was on the ice for two New Jersey goals. Does anyone else see a trend developing here? The one that whenever this useless dude is on the ice, the other team scores? Is it just me? Unbelievable. But I'm sure he'll be right back in the lineup tonight. That's just how the Leafs roll.

Madden's goal was the fourth short-handed goal the Leafs have already allowed this season. That's ridiculous, absurd, preposterous, outrageous! (Think Jackie Chiles from Seinfeld.)

The power play, which was so good and often the savior last year, is just killing this team. It's not getting the job done and it's simply time for a change. Put some new guys out there, Maurice. The Gamache's and Kilger's. There's no power on the Leafs power play and if that doesn't change this team is just going to continue to dig it's own grave. It's clear how much the team misses Kyle Wellwood's creativity on the power play when the little guy is out of the lineup.

Speaking of creativity, here's a thought for Alexei Ponikarovsky: raise the puck! Poni had a wide open net in the second period but was robbed by Martin Brodeur's paddle. All he had to do was raise the puck 2 inches, and the Leafs would have had the lead. Ponikarovsky's hands of stone just break my heart sometimes. He's got four goal, and it's looking like 27 is going to be a mission.

I'm not sure if Toronto's salary cap situation would allow it but John Ferguson Jr. should definitely inquire about Peter Forsberg. The Leafs, although Antropov has done an amazing job, could really use another centre. Antropov's proven he can play on the wing and I really don't think Kilger and Devereaux are the best linemates for him.

Matt Stajan has cooled off considerably since his hot start (shocking, absolutely shocking) and he still can't win a god-damn faceoff. The Leafs are one of the worst face-off teams in the league. The only guy who can win one on the regular is Sundin. Forsberg would be a much-needed addition to this team. He's as creative as they come, and he can win a draw or two. Plus, the more time the Leafs spend in the other team's zone, the less chance the puck has of going in to the Toronto net.

(Just for the record, I know Forsberg won't end up in Toronto. Why would he join the Leafs? He's not an idiot. Just let me dream.)

It doesn't get much easier for the Leafs tonight. They're in Montreal to face a hot Canadiens team and in light of the back-to-back games, it looks like my favourite goalie in the whole wide world Andrew Raycroft will get the start in net. Oh, the joy! Raycroft has had multiple chances to step in, play well, and force Maurice to start him. Monday night against Washington when Toskala was pulled was another chance, but one thing keeps getting in the way: the fact that he sucks.

I must admit that even though Toskala is getting most of the work in goal, I still loathe Raycroft.

I must also admit, however, that the Toronto Raptors make the Maple Leafs continuous struggles much easier to swallow...

Crashing Back Down To Earth

Last night's Capitals/Leafs game should have been played on Halloween because, oh my, it was scary. After playing their two best games of the young season the Leafs returned home and, as they've done with frightening regularity, stunk up the joint.

After the Leafs' impressive wins on the road in Pittsburgh and New York, I naturally pulled out the blue prints for the Toronto Stanley Cup parade route. Start out by going north on Bay St., then west on Front St...

After last night, it's safe to the blue prints have been tucked away once again. Far, far away. A 7-1 spanking at the hands of the hapless Washington Capitals was almost enough to make me light said blue prints on fire.

The Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Toronto Maple Leafs continue in their struggle to find their true identity and, in the process, continue to frustrate their oh so loyal fans. I, for one, am getting really tired of the ugly Mr. Hyde.

I don't get it. I simply don't get this team. How Toronto can play so well, on the road, against two playoff teams from a season ago, and then come home and make the Washington Capitals look like the Harlem Globetrotters of hockey, is something my little brain cannot comprehend.

It seemed like Toronto was finally getting on the right track. They put together two games of disciplined, defensive hockey, and only allowed three goals in the process. Vesa Toskala looked sharp in the net and it seemed like they were finally getting the message.

That message, it seems, goes on deaf ears on home ice. The Leafs have so far just been awful in their own building and the worrisome trend continued last night.

The game began in similar fashion. The Leafs found themselves down by a goal, as was the case in Pittsburgh and New York. They responded, however, with a goal of their own only seconds after they spotted the Capitals a lead. It was a 1-1 hockey game with 55 minutes left to go.

Then, before I could say "Andy Wozniewski sucks", the Capitals fired three goals past a helpless Toskala, it was 4-1 Washington, and Toskala was done for the night.

WTF!?!? The Leafs, once again, left their goalie out to dry. I feel for Toskala. The guy gets no help at all back there (I don't feel for Raycroft - he just sucks).

This game was eerily similar to the poundage the Leafs took when Hurricane Carolina swept into town a couple of weeks ago. There were no survivors that night, and it was much of the same yesterday. It was domination, pure and simple. Now lets be clear here, the Carolina Hurricanes are a strong team. But to lose 7-1 on home ice to the Washington Capitals - the Washington freaking Capitals - who came in to town with only one win in their previous seven games, is simply unacceptable. It's downright embarrassing.

Every team is going to get it's ass kicked every now and then - it's the nature of sports. Some nights, you're just not going to have your "A" game. Last night was, however, already the second night in October that the Leafs have been bent over and spanked like naughty little boys. It isn't fun. And it hurts. Something is wrong with this team. No NHL team should be getting schooled the way the Leafs have been, especially in their own building! It's infuriating.

The Maple Laughs have now surrendered a league-worst 52 goals in only 13 games. Fourteen of those goals have come in two games. I'm trying to be optimistic. The Leafs are still sitting at .500 right now (with a record of 5-5-3) and have five and a half months of hockey let to play, but someone has got to page Houston before this gets out of control, because we do have a problem.

As for a solution, lets please start with the banishment of Andy Wozniewski. He was a team worst -3 last night and, well, this guy just doesn't belong in the NHL. John Ferguson Jr.: Send the Woz to the minors, vote him off the island, do what you've got to; please just get rid of him. The saying goes that "you're only as good as your weakest link" and Andy Wozniewski, you are the weakest link, goodbye!

When the Leafs lost 7-1 to the Hurricanes, I told myself "it happens", and that it's better now in October than later in March or April during a playoff run. I'm telling myself the same thing now. Lets get the severe beatings out of the way. The Leafs have some kinks to sort out (ok, a ton of kinks) but there's still a lot of hockey to be played. I like to think of it like rehab - the first step is admitting you've got a problem. That's the only way this team is going to get better. They've got to face the demons that lye within.

(Hi. My name's Navin, and I'm a Toronto Maple Leafs fan.)

The Leafs will now hit the road for four games, starting Friday night in New Jersey. That's welcome news to me. Let's get this team as far away as possible from the Air Canada Centre right now. The Leafs play a more simple game on the road, and that's the key right now; keeping it simple.

As for the injured and suspended Maple Leafs - Kyle Wellwood, Bryan McCabe, Darcy Tucker and Mark Bell - please hurry up and get healthy.

If you're still looking for a Halloween costume, may I suggest you head to your nearest sporting goods store and pick up a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey, because this team is scaring the bejeezus out of me right now...

Maple Leaf Musings

Three games in and it looks like the Toronto Maple Leafs goaltending controversy is over. Wait a second, I thought it just began? I guess that's the shelf life of a goaltending controversy when Andrew Raycroft, the human sieve, is involved.

The Leafs finished week one with a 1-1-1 record, and considering they started the season with back-to-back dates with the hated Ottawa Senators, I'll take it. Three points out of six ain't bad, especially when you play the defending Eastern Conference champs twice.

Much to everyones surprise, Raycroft got the start over Vesa Toskola Tuesday night. When I heard the news, I was at first quite upset. What was the point of getting Toskola if Raycroft was going to start? I mean, doesn't anyone remember game 82 last year? The biggest game of the season, when Raycroft was sent to an early shower?

After I settled down, I realized it was the smart move. Leafs Nation was already on edge after Toskola's rough pre-season. There was no need to drop him in the pressure cooker known as opening night, especially when the opposition was the high-octane Senators. Let Raycroft deal with it. He's used to the fans hating him and showering him with boo's. Toskola would then get the start on Wednesday night in Ottawa, where he wouldn't have to worry about the crowd. It was a tough decision that Paul Maurice and the Leafs knew would be sharply criticized, but it was the right move nonetheless.

Toronto dropped the opener 4-3 in overtime. Andrew Raycroft was, well, Andrew Raycroft - four goals against, a number of decent saves, but not the "big one" the Leafs needed. Looking back, Raycroft could have really made life difficult for Maple Leaf management. He could have gone out opening night and stoned the Ottawa Senators. Had he got a shutout, it would have been tough to take him out of the lineup. But, alas, he was the Raycroft of old, the Raycroft who let in the standard soft goal and who wasn't able to hold on to a lead late in the third period.

Let's just be clear right here that I'm not blaming Raycroft for Ottawa's tying goal late in the third period that forced overtime - he had no chance on that goal. The Leafs broke down in alarming fashion in front of him, and there wasn't anything he could have done on the tying goal. I'm only blaming him for goal's one and two. They were stoppable. I know it, those who watched the game know it, and Raycroft himself knows it. His body language on the second goal (by Daniel Alfredsson) said it all. You don't look up to the heaven's in disgust the moment the puck goes past you because you've been beaten by a great shot - you do that because you know that's one you want to have another crack at.

All in all, a point against the Senators on opening night, I'll take it. Such is the life of a Toronto Maple Leafs fan.

Thursday night in Ottawa Vesa Toskola got the call and he played a great game. The Leafs fought back from a two goal deficit but in the end it wasn't enough, thanks to their own stupidity. Their love affair with taking the most bonehead penalties continued and Ottawa had three power plays in the last nine minutes of the 2-2 contest. The Leafs were able to kill off the first two, but not the third. Alfredsson buried one off the crossbar - no chance for Toskola - and the Senators bagged two straight wins over Toronto.

What can you say? The Leafs simply haven't learned that they cannot take one hand off their stick and place it on their opponent - guys, that's a freaking penalty. If I was Paul Maurice, I would have seriously contemplated benching both Chad Kilger and Nik Antropov for their utter lack of discipline. If having these guys watch a game or two from the press box is the only way they'll get it, so be it.

All in all, although the Leafs did lose both games to Ottawa, the positive was that they didn't get blown out of the water. Some of the Toronto-Ottawa games are over about five minutes into the first period. The Leafs were able to skate with Ottawa and play with them. It could be argued that Toronto was the better team, in both games. The effort was there, the results weren't.

The headline in the Toronto Sun after the Leafs' 3-2 loss on Thursday night?

"Wait 'Til Next Year."

And I wonder why nobody reads the Sun. What a joke.

Saturday night brought the Montreal Canadiens to town. They were looking for revenge for last season, when the Leafs came from behind from a 5-3 deficit to eliminate them from the playoffs in the last game of the season. The atmosphere was electric. There was a palpable tension in the air. It was only game three of the season, but the Leafs needed a win. If only to quell those idiot writer's over at the Toronto Sun.

So much for revenge for those suckers from Montreal. They blew another lead, this time a 3-1 margin, and the Leafs won 4-3 in overtime thanks to a Tomas Kaberle power play goal. The penalty that put Toronto on the power play was a complete joke, but such is life in the "new NHL." I remember back in the day, a power play in overtime was a very rare occurrence. You had to practically kill a guy in order to get a penalty. Now the referee's call the slightest hooks and holds. It's a joke. There's way too many power plays in hockey today. But I digress.

Vesa Toskola only made 25 saves against Montreal, but he was phenomenal.

"The fact of the matter is our goaltender gave us a chance to win." - Paul Maurice

That's the difference, right there, between Toskola and Raycroft. It didn't matter that Toskola had been beaten three times before the third period. What mattered was that he shut the door from there on out, and made some phenomenal saves to keep the Leafs in the game. He gave the team a chance to win and the Leafs just did that. He made the type of saves Raycroft just wasn't able to make last year.

Toskola looked confident out there, and his teammates fed off it. On at least two occasions I saw a Leafs player go up to Toskola and give him a love tap on his helmet after he made a save, to show his appreciation. I can't remember the last time I saw someone do that to Raycroft. Confidence in one's goaltender can go a long, long way, and if a team isn't confident in their goaltender well, straight up, they haven't got a prayer. I said it months ago, it's not going to take superb goaltending to instill more confidence in Vesa Toskola from his teammates. Raycroft was so average last year that even decent goaltending will give the Leafs more of a fighting chance in the tough Eastern Conference. Toskola earned the confidence of his teammates, and the fans, in games two and three of the new season. He was aggressive in net and challenged the shooters. It's clear that he's all about cutting the angles and he's also solid going post-to-post. He just seems quicker in the net than Raycroft. He's got some unorthodox tendencies to his game as well and Toronto Star columnist Damien Cox put it best - he's got some Cujo in his game.

For those of you whom I haven't told, a few years ago in Buffalo, a friend and I started the "Edd-ie, Edd-ie" chant in honour of former Maple Leaf goaltender Ed Belfour. Belfour's tenure in Toronto got off to a rough start but after he stole the aforementioned game for Toronto in Buffalo, the fans fell in love with him. The next night in Toronto, the "Edd-ie" chant was out in full force. No word of a lie, we really started the chant, and I've got witnesses to back up my claims.

Anyways, my point is that I know it won't be long before Maple Leafs fans at the Air Canada Centre will be chanting "Ve-sa! Ve-sa!" I'm thinking about attending a game just so I can get it started.

Here are some random thoughts on the first three games:

- Mats Sundin's six points: A solid start to what I hope is going to be a monster season.

- Alexei Ponikarovsky's two goals: Props out to Paul Maurice for putting Poni on Sundin's line after Montreal went up 3-1 late in the second period on Saturday night. The reunited Sky Line (Sundin, Antropov, Ponikarovsky) responded with two goals. This is how it works in Toronto. The Leafs sign a 40-goal scorer in Jason Blake and he fails to light the lamp in two and a half games with Mats Sundin. In an attempt to wake up his troops, coach Maurice inserts Poni on the wing and it results in two quick goals. That's Toronto for you. Got to love it. I can't be mad though. I need Poni to light it up. At this rate, he's on pace to score 55!

- Andy Wozniewski: I'm still not sold on the Wizard of Woz. He took some really stupid penalties against Montreal. I'm looking forward to the return of Carlo Colaiacovo.

- Pavel Kubina: Kubina, listen, when you break your stick while killing a four-on-three penalty and the puck is in your zone, don't go to the bench for a new piece of wood. I'm not sure what the hell Kubina was thinking in overtime on Saturday, but he owes Toskola a steak dinner at Mendy's. Toskola absolutely robbed Montreal's Mark Streit after Kubina left the Leafs' zone to get a new stick. Turned out to be the save of the game, as the Leafs bagged the winner a couple of minutes later.

- The absence of Darcy Tucker: Anyone seen him? I don't usually agree with Don Cherry (who I think is on some serious drugs - really, how else can you explain those suits?) but Paul Maurice can't possibly keep Tucker on the third line. Cherry was incensed that Tucker's only playing 12/13 minutes a game, and I must agree. Tucker was invisible in the first three games. This guy is supposed to be a key cog in the engine here. He simply has to play more. When Kyle Wellwood returns I wouldn't mind seeing the top two lines as such:
Tucker Sundin Blake
Poni Wellwood Antropov

- A confident Matt Stajan: Two goals in the first three games - not too shabby. That's 20% of his total from last year. In light of Wellwood's absence, the Leafs need Stajan to step up, and he has so far. He and Steen seem to be playing with a lot more confidence, and that will go a long way in the Leafs' chase for a playoff spot.

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...