Monster Performance

After a horrible start to the season, who thought the Maple Leafs would be able to play so well against the Detroit Red Wings?

Sure, the Wings are missing some key people, but they have been playing well despite their losses and are still a dangerous team in the Western Conference. Tonight, the Leafs were able to take the lead and hold it with good defence and some great goaltending from "The Monster".

Seeing the Leafs score 5 is great. In all of their overtime loses, they have struggled to put the puck into the net. With Phil Kessel in the line-up, the Leafs just seem to be better at finishing their chances. The powerplay continues to be a positive for the Leafs and the penalty kill is slowly improving.

I expect Jonas Gustavsson to start on Tuesday against Minnesota and on Friday in Chicago. Depending on how the Chicago game plays out, he could also play on Saturday against Calgary. Really, this team needs to ride "The Monster". He is playing very well and is the reason why the Leafs have seemingly found their groove.

Out Of The Basement!

The Toronto Maple Leafs are no longer sitting in last place! Wooo!

Of course, it really wasn't something they did. The poor play of the Carolina Hurricanes has seen them only earn 7 points (like the Leafs) with one extra game played. Their best players (Cam Ward, Eric Staal) have not been their best players so far, and they have suffered in the standings for it.

So, tonight, the battle for last place takes place. Somebody has to win. Can the Maple Leafs finally win a second game this year?

The Leafs need to start quickly. Carolina, like the Leafs, have been outplayed in the first period this season. If Toronto can score an early goal, the Hurricanes may struggle greatly to get back into the game. As long as Toronto stays out of the penalty box, they should be able to pick up two points tonight and start a charge towards getting back into the playoff race.

Phil Kessel was exciting to watch on Tuesday. Can he continue to play well and add some firepower to the Leafs lineup?

A New Beginning

So, October was a fun month, eh?

Everything pointed towards the Leafs being a better team then this before the season began. The defence was supposed to be tougher. The goaltending was supposed to improve. The penalty kill was supposed to be somewhat effective.

With one month done and only one win, the Toronto Maple Leafs have looked worse then the team from last year. Losses to Washington and New York stick out in particular as moments this Leafs team would like to forget. Vesa Toskala was absolutely terrible and has lost his starting job. Mike Komisarek and Francois Beauchemin have had a difficult time fitting in. Finding goals has been difficult.

Looking forward, there is some hope still for this Maple Leafs team to turn things around. The last four games have seen a huge improvement in all aspects of the game. Jonas Gustavsson has been fantastic. The defence has done a better job in front of the net. The powerplay has started to perform at a high level, mostly because of Tomas Kaberle.

The Leafs have recieved points in all of their last four games, but only won the game in Anaheim. They deserved better against Dallas, Buffalo and Montreal.

Despite the terrible start, Toronto is only 7 points back of a playoff spot. With "The Monster" in goal and the addition of Phil Kessel to the line-up, the Leafs will begin the long climb back into contention tomorrow night when the Tampa Bay Lightning come to the Air Canada Centre.

I personally believe Kessel will make a difference for the Leafs. Although some say Marc Savard is the reason Kessel scored 36 goals, the majority of Kessel's goals actual come from his powerful wrist shot. His ability to put a hard, accurate shot on goal from all angles will be a big help to a Leafs team that sometimes fails to even hit the net.

This is a new beginning for the Leafs. Hopefully it is a good one.

Leafs Send Down Stalberg

Yesterday, in preparation for tonight's game in Buffalo, the Maple Leafs called up Jiri Tlusty and sent down Viktor Stalberg and Joey Mac to the Toronto Marlies of the AHL.

I understand sending down Joey MacDonald. He didn't win when he started and with Vesa healthy, there was just no space left for him with the team. I also understand calling up Tlusty. A first round pick in 2006 (13th overall), Tlusty has shown flashes of talent at the NHL level but has failed to produce consistently. Last year in the AHL, Tlusty was fantastic and produced at a point per game level. He has continued to produce in the AHL this year and he could be taking a step in the right direction.

I do not understand sending down Stalberg, however. He looked fantastic in the preseason and, despite his lack of production, he has been receiving plenty of minutes and has been a good player for the Maple Leafs. If he was playing on the last line and not getting any playing time, I would understand. Since he has been playing, I think he should be allowed to work on his game at the NHL level instead of sending him to play against a weaker level of competition.

Tonight is Toronto vs. Buffalo. Here are a few key points I think will lead to success for the Blue & White.

1. Defence, defence, defence! The Leafs have seen Jonas Gustavsson make big saves over and over. Now, it's time for the defence to step up and lighten his workload. Against a quick, skilled team like Buffalo, it is important to make them work to the outside and keep them from using their quickness to cut into the slot. Toronto needs to use their size and strength on the backend to grind the Buffalo forwards against the boards and make them tired. This will slow their forecheck and create more opportunities on the breakout for the Leafs forwards.

2. Discipline. The penalty kill has slightly improved, but is still a huge liability for the team. What is a good way to neutralize this weakness? Stay out of the box! It is almost impossible to stay out of the penalty box for the entire game, but a good team can limit the time they spend a man down. Don't take dumb roughing penalties after the play and DO NOT take penalties while in the attacking zone!

3. Momentum. Toronto has played well in two straight now and needs to come out strong. They need to set the tone and carry the momentum they have built up forward into the HSBC Arena. Toronto has been taking a lot of shots on goal and creating chances. They need to continue that and force Ryan Miller to play a perfect game.

If the Leafs can focus on these key points, then tonights game should be a fun one.

Leafs lose, but...

The Leafs lost to the Dallas Stars in overtime, but they were the better team for the entire game. Dallas managed to take advantage of a powerplay and some lucky bounces to keep pace with the Leafs until the extra frame.

Despite losing the game, Leafs fans have to be happy with the effort and determination that was seen on the ice. If Toronto had come out and looked flat like they have against New York and Washington, then any momentum acquired by winning on Monday night would have been long gone by this morning. By putting in a spirited 60 minute (and more) performance against a good Dallas team, the Maple Leafs have built more momentum.

Jonas Gustavsson made some huge saves in the second and third period and looks to be the real deal. As soon as pucks stop going in off of teammates and taking wierd hops, his stats will begin to reflect his level of play.

Several other Leafs played well. The defence as a whole has improved. Beauchemin continues to make some poor decisions, but he has limited his mistakes and started to play a more simple and effective game. Lee Stempniak scored on the powerplay and seemed to generate a few other chances. Nik Kulemin had two goals and he was fighting hard for the puck. Even the much maligned Jason Blake had a strong 3 point game.

Next up in Buffalo on Friday at the HSBC Arena. Toronto and Buffalo always put on a show, so I can't wait to see it!

Tonight is the Night!

The Maple Leafs lost on Saturday but they played one of their best games of the year. Roberto Luongo and the Canucks did just enough to beat the Leafs, but the Leafs were the better team for the majority of the night.

Now, against a struggling Anaheim team and with "The Monster" between the pipes, tonight is the night that Toronto picks up their first win. If the Leafs want to get anything out of this season, the turn around has to happen NOW.

Here are three reasons why I think tonight Toronto picks up the first win of the season:

1. "The Monster". Gustavsson looked good in his only full game of the season against Ottawa and could be the solution in goal for the blue and white. Toronto has desperately needed a consistent, steady hand in goal. Outside of Saturday, Joey MacDonald was not that and Vesa Toskala has has a nightmare start. Gustavsson will be the goaltender that helps this team climb out of this early hole.

2. Momentum. The Leafs lost last night, but they did a lot of good things. If they hadn't taken all of those penalties to start the game in Vancouver, they would have likely won.

3. Anaheim is struggling. The Ducks have lost three straight, including a very poor performance on the weekend against the improved Blue Jackets. Just like the Maple Leafs, the Ducks have struggled with somewhat poor netminding and I think tonight their struggles will continue.

If Toronto can just stay out of the penalty box, the chances are good that they will win the game tonight.

mess with CBC and the Leafs? You're Fired!

Steve says:

Al Strachan is outta there! After releasing his book about the Leafs sucking, Strachan gets canned from the CBC Hotstove...

coincidence? Me thinks not.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/on-hotstove-head-shots-and-gemini-honours/article1332002/

ps. Oh and btw...games 2 through 7 sucked...well, 7 wasn't terrible...but...well...*sigh*