Trade Deadline

Gold medal for the Canadian team?

Oh yeah, we rocked that shit. Crosby's overtime goal will probably be remembered as one of the best Canadian goals scored on the international stage. When I saw it on TV, I didn't even realize what had happened until the crowd went insane. It was a great moment for hockey and for hockey fans here in Canada and the United States. The US team was scary good. No one expected them to be as good as they were, but the goaltending of Ryan Miller and the quick and young forwards they had made them a real force. They caught Canada in the round robin, and almost got them again in the gold medal game.

Now that the Olympics are out of the way, we return to your regularly scheduled crazy NHL program. Now, with the trade deadline approaching, we are left to wonder if Burkie will be moving anyone else.

Really, the major move for the Leafs was made before the Olympics with the acquisitions of Dion Phaneuf and JS Giguere. The Maple Leafs still have several expiring contracts and some assets that other teams would desire. One is Tomas Kaberle.

For almost a whole year now, the rumours of Kaberle leaving town have been swirling. Although Tomas continues to deny that he would like to leave and says he will not waive his NTC, the Leafs would probably get back a sizable amount of picks and/or assets if they were to trade Kaberle. The two main issues are A) would Kaberle be willing to waive his no trade clause and B) would the Leafs want to move him anyway.

Another player who could move is Alexei Ponikarovsky. He has improved greatly over the last few seasons and is a legit 20 goal scorer in this league with the potential to score more. If Dominic Moore or Jordan Leopold are worth second round picks, then Alexei Ponikarovsky is worth AT LEAST a second round pick. He is a better player then Moore right now and could be a good addition to any team looking for a boost.

It will be interesting to see if Brian Burke makes any more moves at the deadline.

My first game, and what's next...

So, I've officially seen a live Maple Leafs game in person. I sat at the very back of the Air Canada Centre and had only standing room behind me. Despite being so far from the action, I enjoyed every moment of the game. Listening to, and interacting with the people around me was definitley fun. I tried to start a few "Go Leafs Go" chants.

I always thought that when people said the ACC was quiet, they had to be exagerating. After experiencing the game first hand, it is true. I think the crowd is louder at the Barrie Molson Centre then the ACC. Even after the celebration of a goal, the crowd quickly died down to near silence. Maybe, sitting at the very back, I did not get to hear the entire crowd. I don't know. It seemed very quiet (except when the crowd was prompted by the screens to "Make Noise").

I would say my experience was great. Everyone around me had fun and I loved seeing Poni collect two quick goals. Some of the stops from Toskala were very impressive and had the kids next to me really cheering.

Now, the Leafs welcome the New York Islanders to town. Do you remember last time? Do you remember how the Leafs took over 60 shots and still found a way to lose?

I think, as Ron Wilson said, the team is doing a better job of going to the net and looking for rebounds. They have a "shoot first" mentality and everyone is now clueing in to what to do around the net. The Islanders are coming to Toronto after playing a tough game and losing to the Flyers tonight, while the Leafs played a relatively easy game against the Thrashers on Monday and are rested.

Why do I get a strange feeling of dread? The Leafs terrible record on home ice is a start, and their performance against the Islanders last month is another reason to feel a bit quesy. Still, the Leafs have been playing well for a few weeks now. Tomorrow's game should be a good one.

Just when I think I'm out...

...they keep pulling me back in!

These Toronto Maple Leafs might have dug themselves into a deep hole in October, but they are determined to remain relevant and interesting. Sure, they spotted the Florida Panthers an early two goal lead in the first period. Unlike earlier in the season, however, the blue and white managed to battle back and eventually grab the win. It was very refreshing to see Toronto hold the lead late and defend it without the opposition creating one amazing scoring chance after another.

The Maple Leafs are 5-4-3 in the month of November. 13 points in 12 games is in no way a great month, but for a team that won once in October, it is a vast improvement. The players have not given up yet, and that gives me at least a small amount of hope that this team can battle back and compete for a playoff spot.

As Greg Millen said tonight, the puck just seems to find the good goal scorers sometimes. The second Kessel goal definitly follows that adage. The first goal by Kessel was just a supreme effort by a talented player. I could watch that goal for days and not get bored of it. Hagman continued his excellent play with two goals. Both came from his willingness to go to the net and fight for space. His backhander through a crowd had eyes and I was very suprised to see the puck even reach Vokoun.

The star of the game, in my eyes, was Ponikarovsky. People always bash him, but he has been a key contributor for this team for years now. To see him involved in four goals tonight was not a suprise. When he decides to compete, he has both the size and strength to bully the defence and he has enough of a scoring touch to be a threat around the crease. With Mats Sundin, he was a force, and last season he scored a career high 23 goals without Mats. I believe Alexei is a free agent at the end of this season, and I wonder if he will go the way of Antropov and be moved.

This was a good game for the Leafs. To come back on the road is always a strong statement. Hopefully, the Leafs can keep this little streak going and inch their way back into the race.