Jiggy - band aid or maybe more?

When I heard the trade sending Toskala and Blake away to Anaheim for JS Giguere, I was a happy man. Sure, we were picking up some salary but we managed to shed the terrible Blake contract and get rid of one of the worst Leafs goaltenders in recent times.

(In a side note, if Blake was making $2 million or less, I would have loved to see him stay with the Leafs. He is a tireless worker and although he makes some bad decisions and too many poor shots, he was a great person.)

Anyways, when the trade occured, it was thought that Jiggy was going to be a temporary fix until his contract expired. He would be the stop-gap, giving our team decent goaltending until our saviour named Gustavsson was ready. After seeing his first two games back and thinking back just a year or two, maybe people were too quick to call this man done. I think Giguere may be more then a short term fix.

How old was Belfour when he became a Leaf and helped the team make some playoff runs? Giguere is only 32 years old. He is not some ancient dinosaur like CuJo was in his last stint here. I may be jumping the gun on this, but Giguere has been very impressive in two shutouts against two game opponents in New Jersey and Ottawa - both tough teams to play due to varying circumstances.

If Giguere can prove himself to still be capable carrying the load, then maybe at the end of his contract he gets an extension, not his walking papers. I think that, like Belfour and Curtis Joseph, Jean Sebastien Giguere could be a long term solution. If that turns out to be correct, then Gustavsson will have plenty of time to work out the kinks and become the goaltender we all think he can be.

PHANEUF!

Brian Burke, you son of a bitch. Just as I was getting sad and depressed about this team, you make a huge move and get me interested again. What a way to wake up on Sunday, eh?

So, now Dion Phaneuf is a Toronto Maple Leaf. This is a player who can change a game, much like Phil Kessel. Phaneuf brings the hammer; he can change the momentum with a single hit. Oh, and he can do it on a regular basis. Unlike Exelby though, Dion also has the offensive tools to score goals and assists. The Toronto Sun calls him a "stud". I am going to call him a two-way player. He can play up to 30 minutes a night, shut down the best the other team has to offer, and produce offence.

Dion has had a rough year though. Once, he was a lock for the Canadian Olympic team and was a Norris Trophy candidate. He has struggled and found himself to be expendable. Why is that?

I think it is easy to see why Dion has struggled. Phaneuf is a bit of a rover - he likes to pinch and play offence, and he also likes to take risks and throw the body. Under Brent Sutter, he has been reigned in and it has affected his ability to produce. Also, the signing of Jay Bouwmeester has taken minutes from Dion. A team only needs one "elite" defenceman, and when Calgary brought in Bouwmeester, it became a case of too many hens in the hen house. Bouwmeester has not played too well in Calgary, either.

I don't think we will see the full effect of having Dion until next year.

I will miss Hagman. He was a creative player and he was locked into a sensible contract. White and his moustache will be missed as well. I had thought of Stajan as a Leaf for life for some reason. Mayers...well, I got nothing for him. Still, it was the cost of doing business. Outside of Mayers, all three players can add something to a team - but they are replaceable. A player like Phaneuf is harder to find.

I want to see Phaneuf and Komisarek as a pair. I think they both play solid defence, and Komisarek's steady play can set Phaneuf free to jump into a play or throw a big hit.

Does this move make Kaberle expendable? Will Phaneuf regain his All-Star form with the Leafs? These questions can only be answered by time.

What's the point?

I was not a serious fan before the lockout. Sure, I watched some games and I always watched Sports Centre, but I did not watch all the games. I would cheer when the Leafs made the playoffs, but I was never close to the team.

After the lockout, I somehow became a HUGE fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs. From the 05/06 season on, I became a follower of the Toronto Maple Leafs. I don't really know why I did, but I did. I watched almost every game from 2005 to now. I think I have missed less then ten games. I remember being pissed off at how slow Jason Allison was. I remember seeing Ian White as a rookie and being angry at all of his turnovers, then becoming a fan of his as he became a solid player for us.

Brian Burke and the current version of the Toronto Maple Leafs have somehow ruined the joy I had in watching the Leafs play hockey. This team never made the playoffs from 2005 to now, but before this season I actually liked watching the team. I looked forward to each game. I cheered them on and I enjoyed watching my team play, even if they lost. This season has been different. From the New Year on, I have been reluctant to watch my favourite team play. Why is that?

This team has been horrible. Despite one run in December, this version of the Toronto Maple Leafs has been terrible. They cannot kill penalties, they cannot play on the powerplay, and they are as bad in net as they were last year.

Why should I watch this team? Can someone give me a good reason other then "OMG THE LEFS ROK!"?

the 09/10 season so far

I'm back!

I went home for the holidays and neglected my blog for a little while. I got Rock 'Em Sock 'Em 21 on DVD. That should be fun to watch; I haven't watched on of these since the 90's. I also got to watch the Leafs struggle against Buffalo, Phoenix and Montreal but pull out wins over Pittsburgh and Boston. Despite some shakey play, the Leafs remain in the hunt.

The game tomorrow in Edmonton will be fun to watch, if only because we rarely get to see the Edmonton Oilers. They are a young team that is still struggling to find consistency. They lack potent weapons on the offensive end, but have the people in place to have an effective powerplay (although they are below the Leafs in that category).

I'd like to see Phil Kessel be an impact player tomorrow night. I think his play has been sub-par recently, and a good game on the road could help him to find his goal scoring rythym again. And if Kessel can get going, that will help his linemates to produce. If I were Ron Wilson, I would stop putting Kessel on the half boards and instead have him set just off to the side of the goal. Kessel could then look for rebounds and tip ins, or the Leafs could try to implement that cross-crease play that was so successful with Darcy Tucker and Kyle Wellwood / Mats Sundin.

The World Junior Hockey Championships has been fun to watch, with the Leafs finally having a good prospect in the tournament. Kadri has been solid, although a bit undisciplined. The tournament has been a bit of a bore though. Canada has destroyed Latvia, Switzerland, and Slovakia. The games have been too one-sided to be entertaining. We do have the US coming up and that game should be a fun one to watch.

Home Cooking

The Leafs are playing well at home.

Read that again. Now remember, we are talking about the Toronto Maple Leafs here. For the last few years, they have struggled on home ice for whatever reason. My hypothesis? The Leafs just like the food on the road better.

One player who I have really liked is Jason Blake. Yes, his contract is still obstructive and obviously too large, but if Blake was getting $2 million per year, he would be a very good deal for any team. He has consistently brought a high level of energy to each game, and I like the way he has been driving towards the net more instead of going around it.

I think Luke Schenn is going to be sitting for a little while. Exelby and Finger have actually been a very steady pairing for the Leafs over the last two games, and if they continue to play well, Schenn might be better served by playing for a few weeks with the Marlies. I actually want to see him back in the line-up, but maybe a stint with the AHL affiliate will allow him to get more ice time and improve.

Anyways, with this latest "surge" underway, the Leafs play the suprising Phoenix Coyotes. The Coyotes have 7 more wins and 9 more points then Toronto, and would be in 5th place above the Bruins if they were in the Eastern Conference. Also, the Coyotes have a 5-4 record against the Eastern Conference this year.

I like seeing the Coyotes doing well. After all of the talk of moving and the team being sold, it is good to see them pushing towards the playoffs.

I like the Leafs chances against this team, however. The Coyotes do have one of the hottest goaltenders in the league right now in Ilya Bryzgalov, but I don't think anyone outside of Shane Doan scares our defence. With the way they are playing right now, I think Francois Beauchemin and Ian White will be able to perform and shut down the top line of the Coyotes. The real question is if the Leafs can score on Ilya Bryzgalov enough to win. With Phil Kessel and Niklas Hagman still rolling, the Leafs have two strong lines to throw at Phoenix and hopefully, get some quality scoring chances.

As long as the Leafs can continue their current trend of playing disciplined hockey, I think they have a great chance of continuing to streak forward and up the standings.

In this instance, hate is not too strong of a word.

I absolutely, positively despise the Ottawa Senators.

I am a big supporter of the Toronto Maple Leafs and a hockey fan in general. If I could see one team implode and wither away, it would be the Ottawa Senators. Ever since I have watched hockey, I've watched Ottawa and their stupid faces.

The rivalry between Toronto and Montreal is historic and goes back to the start of the 20th century. For me, Montreal is a rival, but there is a level of respect for them and all they have done. Without the Canadiens, the Leafs would be weaker. I do not hate the Canadiens. I don't wish harm on the Canadiens. I do wish for terrible things to happen to Daniel Alfreddson. The rivalry between the Sens and Leafs has not existed as long, but it means more to me. I've watched those playoff series (even though they came before I was a serious hockey fan). I remember having my heart smashed by Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza over and over again since the lock-out.

When I watch the Leafs and the Senators, I get angry. I throw things around the living room. I yell spiteful, hateful things at the TV. It is fun to get into a game that much - but only when my team wins. Whenever Ottawa beats the Leafs, it ruins my day. No, it ruins my week. Heck, it can even linger for a whole month. I still get pissed off thinking about the 2007/08 home opener. At least Dany Heatley plays in the other conference now...

Tonight, the Leafs can make it four straight at home and continue to inch closer to a playoff spot. More importantly to me, they can beat a rival and team that is ahead of them. I hope Colton Orr can grab Spezza and put a fist right into his nose.

Go Leafs Go!