The Sundin Haters Keep Hating

The cause celebre of the media and bloggers these days is to question the leadership of former Toronto Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin. Funny, I thought we had buried this topic years ago.

I guess not. New Leafs head coach Ron Wilson didn't mention Sundin by name, but it was clear he had Mats in mind, among others, when he said the Leafs have lacked leadership the last three years.

Bloggers like Down Goes Brown (quel surprise!) and TorontoSportsMedia's Weblog have picked up on the issue of Sundin's apparent lack of leadership. 

Of course, Sundin's tenure in Toronto is now only defined by the last three shitty years, and everything else has been thrown out the window. That's how it works here in Toronto. When things were going well and the team was making the playoffs, Sundin's leadership was never in question. He proved his worth and he always had the unequivocal support of his teammates.

But, post-lockout, the Leafs have been a mess. And it's Mats' fault. Because he ain't no leader.

Oh, so that's why the Leafs have missed the playoffs the last three years. It was Mats. He was just enjoying himself and letting the dressing room become a "country club." It had nothing to do with the fact that the Leafs, post-lockout, have been one of the worst defensive teams in the league, at or near the bottom in goals against average, save percentage, and penalty killing. Gotcha.

Let's take a look at some sobering statistics from the last three years, starting with last season and moving backwards, with the teams NHL ranking in parenthesis. All stats are courtesy of ESPN, the worldwide leader in mother fuckin' sports.

2007/2008

GAA: 3.12 (27th)

Save %age:  89.3 (29th)

PK %age: 78.2 (29th)

2006/2007

GAA: 3.20 (25th)

Save %age: 88.8 (27th)

PK %age: 78.5 (27th)

2005/2006

GAA: 3.21 (20th)

Save %age: 89.5 (18th)

PK %age: 80% (23rd)

Those numbers should keep you up at night. I'm a huge Vesa Toskala fan, but it's pretty fucked up to see a higher save percentage in 05/06 when Ed Belfour, Mikael Tellqvist and J.S. Aubin split the goaltending duties. In retrospect, Raycrap's 87.6 save percentage is largely to blame. Seriously, Colorado, good luck with that shit.

I'll be the first to admit that Toskala's 90.4 save percentage last season was good, but by no means great. He's got to be better. But so does the team in front of him. On way too many nights, he had no help, and was left out to dry. But that was Sundin's fault, of course. 

Looking at those numbers from the last three years, it's clear that the Leafs' struggles began and ended in the dressing room, and because Sundin wore the "C" on his shoulder, the onus falls on him. The team's struggles had nothing to do with the fact that the Leafs, under Paul Maurice, couldn't keep the puck out of their net, had no idea how to kill a God damn penalty, and received AHL-calibre goaltending from their starting goalies in 05/06 and 06/07, and beer league calibre goaltending from their backup in 07/08.

It wasn't enough that Mats was producing at better than a point-per-game rate post lockout - 78 points in 70 games in 05/06, 76 points in 75 games in 06/07, and 78 points in 74 games last season. I guess he should have been out there killing every penalty, and should have been on the ice for the entire third period, when the Leafs loved to blow their leads. You know that +17 rating he sported last year? Yeah, that one. Fuck it. Just toss it out the window. Or ignore it. You pick.

I guess, in retrospect, at some point over the last three years the coaching staff should have just handed Mats the pads and put him between the pipes. Maybe that would have been enough for people in this city to finally put the bloody leadership questions to rest.

The statistics above tell you all you need to know about your Toronto Maple Leafs. Fuck leadership. Fuck questioning Mats Sundin. Enough already. Until this team learns how to play some defence, learns how to kill penalties, or stops taking them altogether, and begins to support their goaltender, they will not make the playoffs. When the team is able to play with confidence in its own end, and is not afraid to take a penalty in a hockey game, leadership, regardless of who is wearing the "C," - even if it is, aghast, a Swedish fellow - will take care of its God damn self.

Musings

The Leafs were a busy team this weekend. A road victory in the Swamp over the Devils via the dreaded shootout, and another whipping at the hands of the Buffalo Sabres on home ice.

Here are my deep thoughts:

- Cam Janssen is, for lack of a better phrase, a piece of shit. Tomas Kaberle, my heart and soul, was drilled by this pathetic excuse of a hockey player, and it was ugly. Kabby was knocked out cold and was taken off on a stretcher. It was a late hit, and an elbow, and there was no penalty on the play. That was the first thing that pissed me off. On top of that, nobody on the Leafs team said a word to Janssen about it. It was partly a good thing, because the Leafs could ill-afford to take stupid retaliation penalties in a big game, which last night was. But when your best defenseman gets knocked out cold on a dirty hit from a goon, someone's got to step up. It's Kabby after all. He's not exactly a physical presence out there.

It was revealed, however, that Darcy Tucker came out of the Leafs dressing room while Kabby was being attended to, and started jawing at Janssen from the tunnel. That, my friends, is exactly why Darcy Tucker is one of the most popular Maple Leafs. He steps up for his teammates. Stay classy, Darcy.

Janssen didn't play a shift after ravaging Kaberle. He played a total of 2.59 on the game. This guy is in the NHL? And he thinks he's a tough guy? What tough guy goes after Tomas Kaberle and devastates him with a late elbow? There should be none of this in hockey. It's a disgrace. I'm all for fighting in hockey - because when Iginla and Jason Smith go at it in the heat of battle, it's a beautiful thing - but the one-dimensional enforcer has got to go.

- Talk about an extremely improbable win, eh? Down Tomas Kaberle and down 2-0 going into the third period, the Leafs rally for three goals, on Martin Brodeur no less, to take the lead. They then blow the lead when New Jersey pulls Brodeur for the extra man, in typical Maple Leafs fashion. They then squander a 4 on 3 powerplay in overtime, and then score three goals in the shootout to win the game 4-3.

- If you saw the shootout, now you know why he's called "No Panic Yanic" Perreault. A phenomenal shootout goal that left my jaw on the floor. He faked the slapshot which got Brodeur on his knees and going to his right. Perreault dragged the puck across to his forehand, and just when it looked like there wasn't enough space left for him to shoot it past a sprawling Marty Brodeur, he put it top shelf where mommy hides the cookies! Not only was it a fantastic deke, it was clutch. Had he missed it, the game was over. No Panic, indeed. Perreault won the majority of his faceoffs on the night as well. Instant dividends for our dearest John Ferguson Jr.

- Huge two points in the standings against the Devils. But a costly win. A very costly win. Janssen's been suspended three games by the league, but that doesn't do any justice to Toronto, as Kabby's going to miss probably two weeks. He's got a concussion, and that's not surprising considering the way his head slammed into the boards. Damn you Cam Janssen, damn you.

- Another emotionless and uninspiring performance on home ice against the injured Buffalo Sabres. In two games on home ice this week against Buffalo, the Leafs were outscored 9-2 and just thoroughly outworked in every facet of the game. I just can't seem to wrap my head around the reason as to why the Leafs came out so flat tonight. It's unacceptable.

- Two guys who haven't been in the starting lineup for a long time were back in there tonight. Darcy Tucker was surprisingly in the lineup and J.S. Aubin, the forgotten man himself, actually got a start for the first time in two months. I wasn't expecting Tucker back for another couple of weeks, and figured it would give the Leafs a boost since Kabby was gone. But of course not, that would just be too logical. The Leafs are clearly like George Costanza - every instinct this team has which would seem to be correct, is always wrong.

Tucker saw limited duty on the 4th line and on the power play in the first two periods, but in the third, with the Leafs again down 2-0 and looking for a spark, he saw some more ice. He played just under 16 minutes on the night. It's great to have him back, and hopefully Tuesday he'll be on a line with someone other than the offensively challenged Travis Green.

Tucker's a warrior. I'm sure he's playing through some pain, but I'm sure he's been dying to get back onto the ice and help the team make the playoffs. I'm quite pleased that JFJ got his name on a contract for only $3 million per season. Tucker's worth a lot more than that, and I think even he knows it. A true blue Maple Leaf, that's what he is.

- Aubin played a decent game. He wasn't bad, but he wasn't very good either. He was pretty much just like Raycroft. Three goals a game. It's the standard, I guess. And once again, it just wasn't good enough. Raycroft will be back in there Tuesday night against Ovechkin and the Capitals. Another must win game on home ice. Grab some pine, again, J.S.

- In the absence of my main man Kabby, Ian White logged more than 26 minutes of ice time, and was on the number one power play. All I could think of when I saw the box score was HOLY ICE TIME BATMAN! That's way too much for Ian White. The Leafs once again employed the five defenseman strategy, as Waddy Belak was dressed as the sixth d-man, but only saw about five minutes of action. White's been great on the back end, for the most part, this year, but he's not capable of playing those minutes. He was a -2 on the evening, and that speaks volumes.

- I have to shout out Wade Belak, believe it or not. It's tough to do his job, but he does it, night in and night out. He's versatile and the fact that he can play both the wing and defense on any given night is a testament to that. Not many guys can do what he does. He comes in and only plays a few minutes every night, whether its on offence or defence, and he's physical. Yeah, he takes way too many penalties, but it takes a certain mental toughness and a professional attitude to do the job he does. He's supposedly really popular in the dressing room, and even I'm starting to appreciate what he does. He's our resident heavyweight, but he can play, and he's become a useful member of this team. And I like callin him Waddy.

- If the coaching staff doesn't have enough confidence in playing Belak 10-12 minutes a night as the sixth defenceman, which I understand because of his penchant to take the most bonehead penalties - Waddy, they took out the hooking and holding from the game. Yes, really! Like two years ago! - why doesn't management call up someone from the minors? Depth on defence is, as John Ferguson Jr. told the world, the strongest asset of the organization, so why the hell is Ian White playing 26 minutes a night? Call up Staffan Kronwall, or Jay Harrison.

What really pokes my brain is why the Leafs have never called up the captain of the Marlies, Marc Moro. He's been with the organization for a number of years now, and was team captain when they were still in St. Johns. What's the deal? The guy's a veteran and surely is capable of playing 10-12 minutes a night. He's a big fella too and would provide some more sandpaper to the back end, which is never a bad thing.

Don't tell me, Johnny boy, that Brendan Bell is expendable because the organization has got so many other young and able defenseman who are NHL-ready. If that's the case, call one of them up when two out of your top three defencemen - Kabby and Kubby - are injured! The Leafs are absolutely infuriating.

- I am utterly fed up of the booing of Bryan McCabe. I don't give a rats ass if anybody in this city thinks he is overpaid. Who cares? He got what was market value last summer, and without him, the Leafs would be in serious trouble. Yes, he's prone to turnovers and takes some questionable penalties, but he works hard. He's got almost 50 points and is a plus hockey player. When he's on the ice, the Leafs score more than they are scored upon. What else do you want for the guy? If the opinion is that he is overpaid, how about you take into consideration that guys like Tomas Kaberle and Darcy Tucker are underpaid? Let that balance it out. I'm just sick of the treatment this guy is getting, because it's not justified. He is not the god damn problem. In the third period tonight McCabe got clipped with a high stick and was bleeding profusely above his eye. He went to the bench for some quick repairs and was right back on the ice. He was rushing the puck from the Leafs zone with blood pouring down his face. Is that not heart, grit and determination right there? This guy wants to win, and in the process he does make some mistakes, but lets be reasonable here people. He's a great hockey player and I think the Leafs are lucky to have him. Stop booing Bryan McCabe.

- Even after losing three out of four games against Eastern Conference opponents this week, the Leafs still sit only two points behind the Carolina Tropical Storms for 8th place in the standings. Unbelievable. It was an immensely important week of games, and the Leafs did not fare well, yet still the playoffs are within reach. The back end of the Eastern Conference is rather mediocre, and that bodes well for Toronto, who are mediocre on their best nights.

Even Mats Sundin looked sluggish and tired in the games this week. I just don't know if he's got it in him to go on another crazy run like he did last year, and take the team to the playoffs. Astonishingly, the Leafs head into next week only two points out of the final playoff spot, just like they did last weekend. Someone can still step up and grab this team by throat. Mats is the most logical option, but I already got into the relationship between logic and the Leafs.

The road isn't getting easier. Washington is in town on Tuesday, and then a home-and-home with the Ottawa Senators. If Toronto drops the Washington contest, the Senators could potentially put the "nail in the coffin" on the Leafs' season, NBA Jam on Nintendo style.

And I'm sure there's nothing they'd love more.

Goodnight, Toronto...

Toronto Maple Marlies

These aren't your daddy's Maple Leafs, oh no. After a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Leafs are back at .500, and the season is just about 50% in the books. As of tonight, the Leafs are in 11th spot in the Eastern Conference, two points out of a tie for 6th place. It's tight. The Leafs are in a dogfight, and are probably exactly where they should be.

These really aren't the Toronto Maple Leafs. They are the Toronto Maple Marlies. I think ten players in the lineup tonight were coached by Paul Maurice in the AHL last year. Ben Ondrus, Aleksander Suglobov, Kris Newbury, John Pohl, Ian White, Carlo Colaiacovo, Boyd Devereaux, and right now I can't even remember who else. The point is, there's way too many minor leaguers in this lineup. I guess this is the reality of the salary cap era when injuries strike.

No Wellwood, Ponikarovsky, Antropov, or Peca. Darcy Tucker joined the walking wounded tonight with a bone bruise on his right foot. He's unlikely to play tomorrow against the Senators. Devereaux got the call from the Marlies to replace Tucker and assisted on the lone Toronto goal by Mats Sundin.

Poor Mats eh? Here I am always complaining that he's got the worst linemates and look who he was playing with tonight - Bates Battaglia and Boyd Devereaux, both players who didn't play a game in the NHL last season. Brutal.

The injuries provide opportunities for others to step up. Hopefully Devereaux can have a positive impact on the team and earn a long look from management. I still think the Leafs could use the playmaking abilities of Erik Westrum, who's the number one guy with the Marlies. I'm not sure why all these other guys are getting the nod in front of Westrum. It's classic Leafs management right there. Westrum won the scoring title in the AHL last season. You'd think with all the injury problems the Leafs have he'd be the first one to get a sniff. But that would be the most logical thing to do, so clearly, the Leafs won't do it. The Leafs manage their team like George Costanza - they always go with the opposite of their first, and usually most rational, instinct.

I guess all the Leafs can hope to do right now is tread water until some of the troops are ready to return to the lineup. Just stay afloat. The injury bug has seriously been an issue this year. This team isn't that good to begin with. It's so hard for the Leafs to succeed when they're dealing with injury after injury.

The game tonight was pretty weak. Aubin, who's obviously taking notes from Raycroft, let in the customary weak goal of the game. Other than that, it was all about the Pens power play. With Crosby and Malkin, it's way too much to handle. The Leafs need to figure out that they can't play undisciplined hockey against such a skilled opponent. How many times can you beat the same message over the team's head? It seems they just don't get it.

Paul Maurice's interview from practice today was rather refreshing. He said both Aubin and Raycroft had played ok this year, but neither of them are bringing their "A" game every night. So right now, he's going to play both of them, and ride the hot streak when one of them wins. The Leafs' goaltending ranks 25th in the league right now. That's just sad.

The statistic that most frightens me? Ed Belfour's GAA is only 2.71 and he's got a save percentage of .900. Raycroft's GAA is now 3.09 and his save percentage is now at a pathetic .892.

Number one goalie my ass.

As for the Raptors, they got smoked tonight by the Chicago Bulls - the 15th straight time the Bulls have beaten them.

That is whack.

TJ Ford was hurt in the game as he sprained his ankle.

Pray for him.

The injury bug that is attacking pro sports in this city cannot spread to TJ Ford. That just wouldn't be fair, it wouldn't be right.

Enough, please.

It's been a terrible night for both the Raptors and Leafs.

So 2006 comes to a close for Sports And The City on a sour note, as I'm heading up to Lagoon City to celebrate the New Year.

If you're out there and reading, I thank you, and I wish you all the best in 2007.

I also wish a prosperous 2007 for the Leafs, Raptors, and Jays. And Andrew Raycroft. He really needs some help - some divine intervention type of stuff.

Belfour's stats are better! That makes me sick...

Goodnight, Toronto, and Happy New Year...

Another Collapse

The Toronto Maple Leafs are officially out of the top 8 in the Eastern Conference, following another third period collapse and another loss to the Boston Bruins. 3-1 final, and the losing streak is now at 6 games, with no end in sight. Nursing a lead has become pretty much all mental right now, as the Leafs just don't have the confidence to pull through and get a win. They played a pretty solid road game and were up 1-0 going into the third. Ripe for the picking, I guess.

I'm frustrated as a fan, so it must be really frustrating for the players themselves. I'm not sure what it is about Boston, but the Leafs just can't generate offense against them. The Leafs have only managed four goals in the last four games against the Bruins, who have now pulled to within one point of the Leafs, with four games in hand.

Aubin did get the call for the Leafs, but it didn't really matter. The Leafs didn't play well in front of him in the third period, and although the second goal - the backbreaker - was Aubin's fault, as he let up a HUGE rebound that Primeau drilled into the back of the net, I can't blame him for his one and only mistake, because the guys in front of him made even more. Props to Aubin for coming in and giving the Leafs a chance to win tonight.

What can I say? The Leafs are in a serious funk and are going the wrong way in the Eastern Conference. The offense has totally come to a standstill - the well has runneth dry. The defense has just been atrocious, especially in the third period. When a team continuously blows leads the way the Leafs are, you know it's all in their heads. There's no confidence left in this team right now, and I'm not sure how they're going to turn it around. They've got just got to come out Saturday night and try to keep things simple, and hope for some bounces to go their way. What else can they do right now? Aubin, had he won, I think would have gotten the start on Saturday, but now I think Maurice will go back to Raycroft in the motor city.

Brutal night for my boys Poni and Sundin. They were on the ice for all three Boston goals in the third period, and both ended up -3 on the night. Unacceptable. Sundin can't be beaten in a battle by a guy like Brad Boyes, and he needs to take this team by the throat right now and get them a win by any means necessary. And you know Poni is struggling when he fans on a shot on a 2 on 1. Brutality is there.

The sun will rise tomorrow. Hopefully the Leafs can figure this out before it seriously gets too late.

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

Baseball's winter meetings have come to an end, and the Jays left Disneyworld with Matt Stairs. That's it. Just Matt Stairs. No Ted Lilly, no Gil Meche. No pitching at all. I was expecting some major fireworks. I knew it was a stretch for JP to think that we could get both Lilly and Meche, but I truly believed he would come home with at least one of them. Once again, it shows how much I know.

In stark contrast to last year's winter meetings, the Jays went to the meetings this time around as major players. Last year, JP flew under the radar and it was huge news for the Jays to land both BJ Ryan and AJ Burnett. No one was expecting it. This time around, the Jays were just like all the other big boys at the party, ready and willing to overpay for mediocrity.

Baseball truly is an amazing sport, where mediocrity is rewarded and the salaries just keep getting crazier and crazier. After all, baseball is a game in which a batter is considered successful if he fails 7 out of 10 times.

Ted Lilly, with a career record of 59 wins and 58 losses, will now make $10 million a year to pitch for the Chicago Cubs. Poor Lilly? Hardly. Gil Meche, 28 years old with a similar unspectacular career win-loss record, is now a 5 year, $55 million dollar man, after signing a deal with the pathetic Kansas City Royals.

Both Lilly and Meche said there were interested in going to teams that were ready to compete and challenge for the playoffs. Granted, the Cubs have spent about a billion dollars this off-season in attempts to improve, but Meche picking the Royals over the Jays is a joke, and Meche's credibility just hit the floor. Even JP said it might have been a blessing in disguise to lose the Meche sweepstakes, because if this guy wants to pitch in Kansas City, you have to question his attitude and motivation.

Richard Griffin, the great Toronto Star columnist, said earlier in the week that the Jays should forget about both Lilly and Meche, and put the money towards a contract extension for Vernon Wells.

With the winter meetings over, the discussion will undoubtedly shift to Wells. The $100 million dollar question - will Vernon Wells resign a multi-year deal with the Jays? With the way salaries are being handed out this off-season, I don't think it's going to happen. Why would Wells not test the market? That's what free agency is all about. He knows he's about to hit the jackpot, and can have at least 10 teams bidding for his services, so why would he sign long term with Toronto? It just doesn't make sense. The Jays will try to get his name on a contract, it's the right and only thing they can do, but I just don't see it happening.

This means JP has to explore trading Vernon Wells. Now that he missed out on Lilly and Meche, he's got to trade Vernon Wells for some quality pitching. Now I want Wells to stay just as much as anyone else, as I'm sure JP does, but the reality is that he will test the market as a free agent. I would if I were him. You would too. Remember, Carlos Delgado walked away at the end of his contract and the Jays got nothing in return. Delgado had a no-trade clause, so trading him was impossible. Wells has no such clause, so the Jays have to move him if he won't sign long term. JP said he'll know where Wells stands in a week or two. Getting nothing in return for a sensational, 5-tool player like Wells, who is only 28, is simply not an option. Wells will get Soriano-type money on the free agent market, money I don't think Ted Rogers will be willing to pay.

JP said the Jays will now look at Plans B and C for pitching, both via free agency and trades. Guys like Jeff Suppan, Mark Redman and Jeff Weaver are still out there on the market, but JP said he's going to explore the trading front first.

As for in-house possibilities, the Jays still have the disease known as Josh Towers under contract, and it looks like he will get a chance to be the 5th starter in the rotation. Shaun Marcum is another possibility. Dustin McGowan might be a prospect JP thinks about trading, while Casey Janssen, who showed some potential last season, is still on the map as well.

Like I said, it's all about Vernon Wells now, and it should be an interesting couple of weeks ahead, as the Jays look to finalize their 2007 roster. If Wells does get traded, I hope the Jays get some quality pitching, and maybe an outfielder, in return. JP's got to do what he's got to do. If Wells won't sign an extension, it's clear he's pretty much as good as gone, and it has to be done. In a perfect world, the Jays can sign Wells long term and add another starter to fill the third spot in the rotation. But as the winter meetings proved, things hardly ever go as planned.

Remember folks, in JP we trust.

And a big Sports And The City welcome to Matt Stairs, the newest Blue Jay. He's a solid bat off the bench, and you can't go wrong with some home-grown Canadian content.

I'd like to thank Bengie Molina for his one year of service in Toronto, after he signed a 3 year deal with the San Francisco Giants. Molina had a great season with the Jays, and it was fun watching his pudgy ass round the bases.

One of the most exciting moments of the 2006 season for me was watching Molina hit a triple in Tampa Bay. He was chugging like no tomorrow and was going so slow. I stood up and was like Kramer at the racetrack, using the newspaper as a whip and cheering on his horse - "COME ON! COME ON! COME ON!" Bengie slid in safely with a triple, the entire Jays bench went bananas and Bengie had the biggest smile on his face. The Jays bench even asked the umpire for the ball, and it was rolled into the dugout by the umpire! That ball is definitely going onto the mantle, because I don't think Molina will ever hit another triple.

That's it for now. Here's hoping Vernon Wells can somehow stay a Blue Jay.

Blue Jays baseball - You Gotta Believe.

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...

Les Habitants

Leafs took out the Habs 5-4 in la Belle Provence tonight. Leafs/Habs games are pretty good these days. Pretty intense. I think the two teams are pretty equal, man for man. The games are competitive, and entertaining, especially compared to the rapings Ottawa hands us on the regular. And the crowd up in Montreal is boisterous to say the least. I wish the ACC was as loud as that, minus the weak "ole ole" chants and the counting down of penalties, out loud. That is whack.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are consistently inconsistent. And I'm not talking game to game, I'm talking period to period. One thing they are consistent at however, is blowing leads. Happened again tonight. Twice. And in the third period. Again. Not habits the Leafs want to be employing this early in the season. Every time the Leafs have a lead in the third I start looking around for the Staples Easy Button, because I know things are about to get crazy.

It was a weird game, and the Leafs dominated most of it. I mean we outshoot the Habs freakin 51-22 and we're going to overtime. Aubin didn't play all that great but he was ridiculous in the shootout, so props to him for getting us 2 points. I don't care how it gets done, it just needs to happen right now.

THANK GOD the real Tomas Kaberle came back tonight. Three goals and one assist. That's my boy! He was all over the place tonight, even forechecking and making a decent body check on his second goal. The hat-trick goal was awful, but I'm hella happy for Kabs. I don't know who that other Kaberle was, the first 10 games of the season. And how about the shootout goal? It was a beauty. I've been pleading Kabby's shootout case for the past little while. The guys we send out there just aren't getting it done, and tonight Kabby and Wellwood were the ones who won it for us. I think more people in Toronto need to be representing Kaberle jerseys. Mine is in the mail.

And Mats, even my mom knows you're gonna shoot high glove side in the shootout. Change it up once in a while!

We got two points. But we gave Montreal one point, which they totally didn't deserve. The Leafs have handed away a lot of points already this season. Idiots. I think Aubin should play again on Monday night, especially after he redeemed himself in the shootout. He'll be confident after tonight.

I don't understand why Maurice basically only runs five defenceman. Harrison played only 6 minutes tonight. I think he's able to play at least 12-14 minutes a night. He's got to be. White played almost 25 minutes tonight! It's kinda crazy because I don't think White is that good. He's definitely at the top of the depth chart when it comes to all these young d-men we've got, but easy cowboy. I think the Leafs are seriously stunting the growth of Harrison. Bell has looked good, and I think Harrison has some potential. Although I can't wait till Kubina and Colaiacovo can come back, those guys are the real deal. We just have to play.500 hockey until we get some bodies back.

Antropov played tonight. We won. Coincidence.? Yes. Not just a coincidence, a BIG coincidence (memories of Elaine Benes telling Raaaaava about the degrees of coincidence).

It was a tough week. I'm not even going to get into the Ottawa games. I was going to write after we lost the second one, but it would have been full of hatred and anger, so I aborted. I'm getting used to them kicking the living crap out of us. That's disturbing. I even sit through the entire games! I'll be honest, I like the fact that Leafs are pretty much, by definition, sore losers. We go out like pure bitches, especially against Ottawa. But I dig it. If we're getting our asses kicked, we might as well go out like a bunch of idiots. How much dignity is left when you're down 7-2?

We'll get those bastards from Ottawa...we'll get them one day...

Goodnight, Toronto...