Tough night at the ACC, Leafs lose 6-0

Cam Atkinson opens the scoring in Toronto with a first-period goal (Griag Abel)

A tough loss tonight for the Toronto Maple Leafs, as they were blown out at home 6-0 by the Columbus Blue Jackets of all teams…

Columbus, who are currently 2nd to last in the Metro division (now 9-12-3), would be the last team you’d think could rout Toronto so bad. With Marian Gaborik (the team’s only former 30-goal scorer) out with a knee injury for the next month or so, the Jackets don’t exactly have the strongest tools in the lineup every night.

Sloppy, lethargic, and passive were only some of the adjectives Sportsnet-590 used to describe Toronto’s play tonight in the ACC. The Leafs had a mere 18 shots in the loss, with only one coming from Kessel and none at all from Nazem Kadri. Coach Carlyle went on to say it looked like his team was playing on boots.

Meanwhile, Reimer had an awful night in net, stopping only 15 of 21 shots for a .714 save percentage. It’s his worst game since March 19, 2012 against Boston, where he allowed four goals on nine shots. Reimer will have to fight a lot harder than tonight if he wants to take the #1 starting job back from Bernier…The near future looks bleak for Toronto, as they are up against Pittsburgh on Wednesday. Hopefully Phaneuf isn’t suspended for his “illegal check to the head” on Anisimov.

Time for a trade?

Leafs celebrating Wednesday night's win over the Oilers in OT

After looking at a Toronto Star poll showing that 81% of fans think the Leafs need to make a trade before the deadline; I remembered how big of a question this is. Usually, I’m not someone who likes trades in February, taking a player who’s been around all season, and exchanging him for someone new and unfamiliar to the team’s chemistry.

But of course, Toronto has only one victory in their last five, and is only one point ahead of Washington for 8^th place, and only two points ahead of 10^th place Winnipeg. This is pressure time, and not trading could mean a continued slide for the Maple Leafs, and ultimately not making the playoffs for the seventh season in a row. With that, after hearing the Mikhail Grabovski trade rumors, I think it’s absolutely a bad idea to get rid of Grabovski. He’s #3 this season in goal-scoring for Toronto, and even though he would be a free agent this summer, it’s hard to replace him now with that playoff spot looming in the distance. Who says you can't re-sign him anyway?

Kulemin, the Leaf's active leader in games played for Toronto. He has 5 goals and 18 assists on the season.

As hard as it is for me to say, I think if any Leaf HAS TO get traded, it should be Nikolai Kulemin. There are only 3 players left on the Leafs roster from fall 2008, Grabovski, Schenn, and Kulemin; all of whom have spent their entire tenure under head coach Ron Wilson. (Fun fact, Kulemin leads active Leafs in games played, with 291) From what I’ve seen recently, Kulemin hasn’t been making the biggest impact, especially compared to last season. Whereas Kulemin had 30 goals last season, he currently sits at 5 for this season. And with the Leafs’ season 70% done, Kulemin would have 7 goals if he continues his pace until April. A drop of 23 goals? Now that’s something to be concerned about.

Don’t get me wrong, I think Kulemin has been essential to Toronto in the post-Sundin era, and one of the few who has actually stuck around. He is a very clean player, and still manages to score some good goals, and set up some too. (He also one of my favorite Leafs)But with what could be considered underperforming, if anyone’s getting the boot, Kulemin should be the one to go. That being said, I would rather just see everyone step up their game and surge towards a playoff spot, therefore there wouldn’t be inevitable trade talk…Let’s see how the Leafs fair against the Canucks…

Proving they're legit

Well three months ago I said it was time for the Leafs to prove if they’re legitimately a threat to making the playoffs for the first time since 2004. Amazingly enough, their chances haven’t evaporated at this point; they’re in 7^th place right now! YEAH! Go Leafs!

James Reimer picking up his 10th win on the season against Edmonton, being congratulated by Phil Kessel.

Toronto did great on Monday night against Edmonton, leaving the Oilers even farther out of the western conference playoff race they’ve been out of for weeks. (Certainly a matchup I always like, Leafs & Oilers, basically my two favorite teams) A great 6-3 win for the Leafs against the Oilers, but sadly they had to play another game just the night after…1,500 kilometers away.

The fatigue really showed. Shots against Winnipeg were 29-18 in favor of the Jets as they won the game 2-1. A high note though was Phil Kessel’s 30^th goal, coming in the first period, the Leafs’ lone goal in the game. There was also a fight in the 3^rd, where Joey Crabb basically made a fool of himself by getting thrown down to the ice by Johnny Oduya. This picture pretty much describes the game for the Leafs…

Either way, Toronto really could’ve capitalized on the Jets game last night. They would’ve jumped to 64 points, and put a bigger gap in front of the 9^th and 10^th place SE division teams. (Currently Florida with 59 points, and now Winnipeg with 56) With Ottawa still at 61, handing a loss to the Jets last night would’ve really been catastrophic to their drive to a playoff appearance. Now Winnipeg is still hanging on, still 5 points out of the 8^th spot. Now the Leafs have two pivotal games ahead of them, the Flyers tomorrow night, then the Canadiens on HNIC, Saturday at 7pm, heavily anticipated for Mats Sundin’s number 13 getting “honoured”… I really wish they’d just retire it, I don’t want anyone else to don a #13 for the Leafs, ever. Nobody beats Mats. I have enough trouble getting over the fact that Lombardi wears #15, only months after the well-remembered Tomas Kaberle was traded away.

Regardless, the Leafs have proved after 3 months that they are legit. I mean, they even got around to beating Detroit last month, now that was an excellent game. If Reimer and Gustavsson continue to play well, and Kessel & Lupul continue their scoring ways, the Maple Leafs will be in the playoffs. Get excited.

Time to prove if they're legit

7-0. Seven to Nothing. Ouch.
I didn't see the Leafs game on Saturday night, I was actually playing in 2 different ensembles at CMU's Band-O-Rama, one of which was the marching band...of course, what did I miss? All I needed to see was the score when I got home, and it tells the whole story. The Leafs once again couldn't beat Boston, even though their record is far superior to Boston's right now. Kessel got no points against his old team, and Seguin got a hat trick...same old story as the last two seasons, Toronto just can't figure out how to beat Boston, whether it's a curse or not, it sure is damn annoying...
Toronto currently sits with a record of 9-4-1, and 2nd in the Eastern conference. Kessel still leads the league in goals and points, so you could say that the loss is merely a small ding in the armor. I would love to say so, I mean there's good reason to, you started Scrivens and watched a horror show in net because of it. (Though I am proud of his performance last Thursday against the Blue Jackets, where he picked up his first NHL win)
But James Reimer is out, and who knows when he'll be back...plus, now Connolly is out, so Toronto's taking a hit here. Is this the end of their great start? Can the Leafs purge through this tight spot right now and keep up the good work? We're all at the edge of our seats waiting to find out. This game against the Panthers will likely give us some answers.

Goodbye October

So finally the Halloween festivities are coming to an end and fall can continue the way it should be, a focus on cooler weather, and colours abundant. Enough with all this “spooky” crap and decorations going up in every residence hall, especially the ones on my floor. (They always end up staying until mid-November too) I haven’t had a legitimate Halloween costume since I was 11, and haven’t trick-or-treated since 2008…I’ve been fairly far-removed from the holiday since. Being in college, I now just think of it as a weekend that has a ton of good parties.

Alas, October is over, along with all the good things that went along with it. So long to the marching band practices that were a nice, moderate temperature, and all the bike rides, cause those won’t be so bearable once the rain/snow picks up and the temperature drops. Hard to believe, but it’s already week 11 of 16 in this fall semester, time sure flies….I guess that means goodbye to the good part of the semester…

One thing that I sure hope doesn’t die in November though, is the Maple Leafs. 7-3-1. I am honestly blown away. Kessel has 18 points in 11 games, still leading the league. I wish I had been able to catch the Leafs-Pens game Saturday night, and watch Sundin return to the ACC and receive a standing ovation.

And well, all of us Leafs fans knew the announcement would come one of these days. Sundin’s number 13 will be honored by the Toronto Maple Leafs, and raised to the rafters on Feb. 11, 2012. I sure hope I’m at least tuned in to that game, can’t imagine anything else I would want to do that Saturday night. Sundin was my favorite player, and one of the greatest to play in Toronto. I owe it to myself to watch the ceremony live, it’ll be about the best thing that’s happened in the ACC since Mats was actually PLAYING THERE!

With my confidence for the Leafs at a peak right now, I’m also astounded when I look over to the West and see Edmonton on top of the entire conference!!! I think the Oilers have surpassed the Red Wings and have become my new 2^nd favorite team. With guys like Nugent-Hopkins, Hall, Eberle, all such young guys, I can’t get enough of this underdog-type team pull through and start out 7-2-2! THANK GOD the Oilers stayed in their right mind and kept RNH up in the major league, imagine, sending your top scoring player down to the minors? Imagine the outrage the entire city would have!

Let’s hope November has some good things in store. My birthday is coming up, that’s at least one. I don’t think I’m doing no-shave-November though, Nov. ’09 and ’10 were probably enough…

Certainly won't be anymore mornings like this...Friday, Oct. 14

Phil Kessel

I have almost no time to talk right now, but all I have to say is this.

This makes me feel quite accomplished. Phil Kessel currently leads the league in goals and points. 5 goals and 8 points in THREE GAMES! For this very brief time, let's celebrate the fine performance done by Phil Kessel. WOOHOO. The Leafs are 3-0-0 because of him!

Also, congrats to Nugent-Hopkins on the hat trick on saturday night. Glad you're putting on a show right off the bat.

As for the jets, I see your 0-3-0 start and hope you get the ball rolling sooner or later. The fans might only put up with so much losing. (But of course, they put up with a lot of it back in the 80s and 90s)

Season Preview part II

Now that the first game is over and I’ve had time to think things over, let’s go a little more in depth, and be a little more critical.

First order of business, hats off to the Leafs on the 2-0 win last night, I had to miss the second period due to a meeting, but I saw the Phaneuf goal, with an assist by Kessel. THAT WAS EXCITING!

Though Toronto did pull through quite well, they had some AWFUL play in the 1^st period, and gave the puck away in their own zone maybe, what, 5 or 6 times? How they got away with playing like that I haven’t the slightest idea. I wish guys like MacArthur, Connolly, Kadri, and of course Orr, were playing last night, the Leafs line-up seemed incomplete. Here’s hoping they’re stronger when they play the Senators tomorrow night…

Second of all, since I forgot to mention it yesterday, one thing I’m not looking forward to watching is this “new NHL.” I’m completely against what Shanahan is doing right now; he’s over-policing the league’s players and ruining a key component of the game. I support everything Don Cherry said last night in Coach’s Corner, especially the part about Scott Stevens. Hey Shanahan, how many games would Stevens get for the hit on Lindros in 2000? Or all his other big hits?

Hey Shanahan! How about this hit from the 2010 NHL Playoffs?

Turns out Sutton got suspended NO GAMES AT ALL! NOT EVEN ONE! You’re telling me Sutton could be gone for a month for THAT? Ridiculous, if players didn’t skate with their heads down, these “headshots” wouldn’t happen. The fact that there was NINE suspensions by Shanahan in the PRESEASON makes me really disappointed. MacArthur being one of them had me really worried the Leafs would be dead on offence.

Overall my focus this year is ultimately going to turn to how the game is played, and how physical it is. Just like Cherry said, if everybody’s gonna play like they did in the first period of Leafs & Habs last night, who’s gonna pay $175 for those tickets? Just wait for a nasty headshot/touch-icing to be the turning point, then hitting will be GONE. That’ll be a sad day...Believe me, I LOVE HITTING AND FIGHTS. Here's hoping Shanahan somehow loses his support for his job and has to give it back to Colin Campbell.

2011-12 NHL Season Preview

So it's once again that time of the year where the NHL season is starting and I get excited. Unlike previous years, my life as a college sophomore has pretty much taken control of my mind, so the preseason & regular season have snuck up on me. I have a little whiteboard in my room, where last year I wrote down team records, and until October 7th, counted down the days until the Leafs' home opener on there as well, starting at 30 days or so. This year there's been none of that. It's already week 7 of classes and I can't believe it's already October. Time sure flies when you're busy/maybe having fun.

So now I feel obligated to make a 2011-12 NHL prediction, even without knowing how to weigh teams as well as I have in the past. ESPN sure put in their fair share of predictions, with their "experts" putting their hopes in teams like Vancouver, Washington, Chicago, San Jose, and Pittsburgh. (Surprised to not see much for the Bruins) If I had to pick a team to win the cup, well........I don't know. It's probably toughest for an "expert" to predict a Stanley Cup caliber team, scanning the entire 30-team league for ONE champion is obviously difficult. I honestly don't want to pick one this year, in fact, I won't!!! I like teams like Philadelphia, the Rangers with Brad Richards, and Los Angeles with Drew Doughty & Mike Richards. If Crosby gets back, then I think Pittsburgh could head to the Finals, and if San Jose gets their act together in the playoffs, they've got a great fight to put up in the Finals. But for the fun of it, I'll just say the Winnipeg Jets will win the 2012 Stanley Cup! That'd be nice.....

Living in Michigan I obviously know my Red Wings as well. It'll certainly be a different year, and very likely the last for the captain Nicklas Lidstrom. Holmstrom & Bertuzzi are also on their way out sooner or later, at the ripe ages of 36 and 38. I'm excited to see Conklin back in goal for the Wings, as well as seeing Commodore & Ian White (former Maple Leaf) sign on. It's just a question of will this Wings team still be able to play as a team, like they have for the past 5 seasons? Lots of new/young faces either from other teams, or from the AHL. Detroit regardless shouldn't have any problems making their 21st postseason, but when they meet a team like the Sharks in the 2nd round again, if it happens, they once again won't get any farther.

And ahhhh yes…the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ever since I’ve been a decent fan, (right after the lockout) the Leafs have never made the playoffs. That to me is the goal above all things for Toronto right now, get some playoff hockey back in the ACC! Just like the start of last season, Toronto has a good line-up and some things going for it. I’m excited to see Reimer as the primary starter, hopefully he’ll be just as strong as he was in his 20 wins from last season, a team record for a rookie goaltender. I’m looking forward to the addition of Connolly, Lombardi, Franson, Liles, and just in the last few days, David Steckel (even with him being the guy who hit Crosby on New Year’s Day, but whatever, I guess we can look forward to some good headshots…RIGHT?). The Leafs seemed a bit more beefed-up then previous years. Some new faces, but ones I already know will be great, Kessel, Grabovski, Kulemin, Phaneuf, Schenn, and MacArthur are all here. It should be a great season, and if things go well, I can see Toronto slipping into the playoffs with 7^th or 8^th place. You’ve gotta hope, but hey, last year I predicted the Leafs would finish 10^th. They finished 10^th. MAGIC I TELL YOU! Even with this “hope” of mine, I’m just excited to get the season underway again, I just love following Toronto regardless of their record, it’s another source of entertainment in my college life, which by January or February gets a little sparse. Hockey’s there to fill the void.

And to watch Orr & Rosehill pound guys into the ice, like so!!! Hopefully Orr will be back on the roster soon enough...

Either way, I’ll be tuned into the home opener against Montreal tonight at 7pm EST, cheering for the blue & white as usual. I’ll have my Sundin jersey on, and maybe my Kessel sweater over top of that. Depends on how cold it is outside when I walk to a meeting afterwards, and how the game’s going.

My Leafs Vintage Hockey sweater, which I got customized with a big "81" last fall. Definately worth the $14 per number, I had always wanted to do that to it!

Even in Mount Pleasant, MI, there's still Canadians floating around somewhere....I FOUND THEM!