Leafs End Losing Streak, First Win In 23 Days

All was well last night for the Toronto Maple Leafs in their 4-2 victory in Sunrise over the Florida Panthers. Ed Belfour kept his anger in check on his way to his best outing since January 6th when the Leafs lost 1-0 to Calgary Flames. Belfour stopped 33 shots and was the First Star last night. Mats Sundin also played well, chipping in 3 assists and was the Second Star. It was a game Leafs fans had been waiting a long time for, it was the first victory in 9 games for this team.

Once again Jason Allison played pretty good contributing two assists. To many Leafs fans it looks like Allison isn't doing that much. It's kind of like the Larry Murphy syndrome when Murphy came to the Leafs as a top offensive defenseman and was eventually booed out of town. Not that Allison is getting booed that much, but, he is not getting the respect he deserves. Leaf fans like players who are either fast or tough, if you're slow you've got to be tough and if you're not tough you have to be very fast. Allison is neither fast or tough, he is just a very smart player. He isn't blessed with speed, but, he finds the open man and is an exceptional playmaker. Although his lack of speed is a detriment in this new speedy NHL, his intelligence compensates. Sure Mats Sundin got three assists last night, but two of them were passes to Jason Allison who made the key pass for the goal. All trade talks involving Allison should be stopped as he is unofficially their number one center and officially their number one playmaking forward.

Alexander Khavanov was injured last night and may have a broken foot. Lately, almost every game a defenceman goes down and last night the Leafs played most of the game with five defencemen (Kaberle, Klee, Kronwall, Wozniewski, Harrison) and they played better than could be expected. Bryan McCabe is expected back for tonights game and should provide a much needed lift to this defence corps.

Last night, the Leafs continued to take foolish penalties, but, the Panthers were even worse earning 10 minor penalties over the Leafs 8 minors. The Leafs need to play with more composure if they plan on making the playoffs. The Panthers played flat foolish hockey last night and as glad as I was to see the Leafs win a game, I'm not sure if they won so much as Florida didn't try to win.

Tonight, the Leafs play in Tampa Bay against the Lightning and their 28th ranked power play. If the Leafs get their usual array of penalties tonight, the Lightning may not punish them at all with their weak power play. Hopefully, the Leafs can put together some good hockey tonight and win their second in a row.

I wonder if Pat Quinn will tap Ed Belfour to play tonight. I would give Mikael Tellqvist the start, he played alright on Saturday and at Belfour's age it is a risk to give him the start in back to back games. Besides, I think one of the reasons Belfour played well last night was because he was fuming on the bench on Saturday. I'd hate to see Belfour snap, but, his workload needs to be reduced and Tellqvist's increased.

Leafs
Toronto+Maple+Leafs
Maple+Leafs
Panthers
Florida+Panthers

Leafs Losing Streak Hits 8, Leafs Lose In Overtime

Another game, another loss, this time 4-3 in overtime against the rival Montreal Canadiens. For the first 50 minutes of the contest, the Leafs looked pretty good, especially our defense with 3 rookies manning the blueline. It was a night that was not to be as the Leafs could not hold their 2-1 lead and were down 3-2 late in the 3rd period before Ken Klee teed up a hard low slapshot to force overtime. As per usual, defensive miscues cost the Leafs the game in overtime while they were short handed due to a foolish Alexander Khavanov penalty on the follow through of a good play to stop Alex Kovalev on his drive to the net.

Darcy Tucker made his return to action after missing the six previous losses and played very well, scoring the Leafs first goal and was the best Leaf on the ice. Oshawa native Jay Harrison made his debut tonight and played well. On the post game shows, Don Cherry remarked that Harrison is a big, tough defenceman who played a great game and should have been called up by the Leafs a long time ago. Gary Green and Andy Frost echoed Grape's comments on After The Horn on Leafs TV. On a similar play to the one where Khavanov drew his foolish penalty, Harrison did his best to stop speedy Michael Ryder. Not only did Tellqvist make a nice save, but, Harrison didn't pull a Khavanov and hold his opponent after the play was made.

Jason Allison played a fair game and chipped in a couple of assists. Allison may as well be the number one centre on the Leafs as Lindros is still hurting and Mats Sundin is evolving more and more into a bit player. You rarely see Sundin leading a rush anymore.

Tie Domi and Wade Belak made some foolish comments in the past week. Domi said that Leafs fans were pointing the finger at everyone and anyone and the players didn't really care. Belak said that if the Leafs win a game or two the fans will forgive them and love them again. Well Tie, you played poor last night and I don't even know if Belak dressed last night, I certainly can't recall him being on the ice. Domi has a terrible set of hands and is rarely capable of completing a leading pass so that the receiver can get the pass at full steam. Sorry to say it, but, Tie is done. He's not the fighter he used to be, he skates well, but, there are lots of young guys who could be getting his ice time who skate as well or better and who could be improving into something more than what Domi will give them.

Andy Wozniewski went from playing alright early on to playing poorly late in the game. Wozniewski almost gave the game away with 30 seconds left in the 3rd period when he made a poor pass and the puck was laying in the Leafs slot unattended. I guess Pat Quinn didn't notice the giveaway though as he showed confidence in Wozniewski putting him on the ice to kill a penalty less than a minute into OT.

When I noticed Wozniewski coming onto the ice, I wondered what the heck Quinn was thinking. Of course at 1:04 of overtime Wozniewski was unable to check Saku Koivu from his spot to the left of the crease where he banged away at Tellqvist until the puck went into the net. I'm not sure if I should be upset with Wozniewski, upset with Quinn for having him on the ice at that time or upset with John Ferguson Jr. for masterminding this edition of the Leafs with the most porous defence in recent memory. Steve Simmon wrote a very good article on the failings of JFJ.

Next game is Monday night in Florida against the Panthers. There is a chance Bryan McCabe could be back for this one. If so, I hope JFJ understands that Wozniewski needs to go back to the Marlies for further seasoning. Even if McCabe doesn't come back, shuffling Wozniewski with Brendan Bell would be a good move. Tellqvist deserves the start Monday, let's see if Pat Quinn has the guts to do that.

Leafs
Toronto+Maple+Leafs
Maple+Leafs
Canadiens
Montreal+Canadiens

Leafs Suffer 7th Straight Defeat

Diehard Leaf fans live and die with the success or failure of the Leafs. I've tried to be positive, but I just don't have it in me tonight. The Leafs were outplayed tonight by the Buffalo Sabres and deserved to lose 8-4. If it wasn't the poor defensive zone coverage then it was the foolish penalties that caused this loss.

Jason Allison woke up with the flu this morning and missed the morning skate, but, soldiered on tonight to earn his -3. The Sabres first goal oddly bounced in off Allison's skate. Although there were no Sabres in the slot or nearby, Allison figured he would skate through the crease for some strange reason. When the puck was centered to the front of the net by Sabre Jochen Hecht, Allison seemed to kick the puck in past Ed Belfour and that was enough to set Belfour off. Belfour even took a two minute minor for roughing and was pulled after the score was 4-1.

Buffalo's second goal was caused by poor defensive coverage by Andy Wozniewski. Wozniewski by the way was not on my list of potential callups. Wozniewski decided he would screen Belfour so that Derek Roy would have a tougher time, of course it deflected off Wozniewski's skate. Note to Wozniewski...in defensive zone coverage seal off the pass, keep the shooter to the outside and let the goaltender see the shooter and puck at all times. Sorry Andy, after your -4 you need more time with the Marlies, and John Ferguson Jr. you need to read my blog.

Even the positives were negative tonight, Alexander Steen scored two goals yet was -3 and Mats Sundin played a decent game chipping in 2 assists with some physical play and was -1.

Belfour was pulled when it got to 4-1. After the game Pat Quinn would not comment on who would start in net Saturday night against Montreal. Come on Pat, give Telly a chance, Steady Eddie hasn't been so steady lately physically or mentally it would seem.

Aki Berg hurt a rib and left after the second period and only played 4:25 tonight, but, of course was -1. We can't blame Berg for the loss tonight which is a positive for him as he is usually a prime suspect.

Well Fergy, your counterpart Rob Babcock got the axe today for the questionable moves he has made during his time running the Raptors into the ground. When I see all the foolish penalties the Leafs make, especially the crappy hooking penalties, I wonder if you actually understood the rule changes for this year. Or perhaps you just didn't have the ability to clean out the dressing room of all the pals of ownership. Either way you look at it, there were some errors in assessing their on-ice talent prior to this year. Whatever you do, don't compound it by trading away our youth.

Like all bitter Leaf fans, I'm waiting for something to happen, some sort of shakeup. Sure, they sell out the ACC every night and we watch the games like we're in some sort of Leaf cult, but, something's got to give. Do you think the fans were sending a message when they cheered when Ed Belfour got pulled? I sure do, if you do nothing else tomorrow Fergy, send Woz back to the Marlies, call up Jay Harrison and give Telly the start Saturday night and see if he can put some strong games together. If you need a second body to fill in for Colaicovo or Berg, trade a low draft pick for some defensive depth, we clearly have very little.

Leafs
Toronto+Maple+Leafs
Maple+Leafs
Sabres
Buffalo+Sabres

Breaking News....Jays Sign Reliever James Baldwin

Toronto Blue Jays today signed relief pitcher James Baldwin to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. Baldwin was 0-2 last season with a 3.81 ERA in 28 relief appearances for the Texas Rangers and Baltimore Orioles. Baldwin started the year in Texas and was later claimed off waivers by Baltimore. Baldwin also spent time with AAA club Ottawa Lynx.

Jays
Blue+Jays
Toronto+Blue+Jays

Rumour....Leafs Acquire Jamie Rivers

On Leafs Lunch today it was revealed that the Leafs have acquired Red Wings defenceman Jamie Rivers for future considerations.

Rivers is a 30 year old veteran of 404 games (Red Wings, Panthers, Bruins, Senators and Blues) in the NHL and should help the blue line. He is 6' 190 lbs.

This trade has not been confirmed. It's a shame that John Ferguson Junior wouldn't give Jay Harrison a shot. The only difference between Harrison and Rivers, the Red Wings 8th Defenceman is that Rivers has experience. Otherwise Harrison has the potential to be much better than Rivers. JFJ, tell Pat Quinn to go back to his hole, show some guts and call up the kids.

Leafs
Toronto+Maple+Leafs
Maple+Leafs

Leafs Lose Sixth Straight, Show Some Hope

Last night the Toronto Maple Leafs lost their sixth straight game 4-3. This was also their sixth loss of the season to the Senators. As this is the longest losing streak for the Buds since 1997 and they have lost six to their Ontario arch-rival Ottawa Senators, these are very dark days for Leaf Fans.

Having almost 40 years under my belt as a Leaf fan I have been down this path many, many times in the past. My last column listed possible minor league replacements, prior to that I questioned whether the coach should be fired and which players should be moved. Today I'm going to try to be positive about our most current failing effort as it was their best effort during this dark streak.

List of positives the Leafs need to build on from their 4-3 loss last night.

1. The Leafs outshot Ottawa 26-22. Twenty six shots isn't a ton, but, it is respectable. Holding first place offensive juggernaut Ottawa to 22 shots shows good effort by the team.

2. The Leafs outplayed the Senators in the second period. The Senators were outshot 12-5 and outscored 1-0.

3. Down 4-1 the Leafs scored two in a comeback attempt. In the third period, the Leafs quickly gave up 2 goals but came back late in the game with 2 of their own. Given the opportunity to throw in the towel, the Leafs did not and tried to claw back for victory. The Leafs showed heart in this game.

4. Tie Domi showed up ready to play. For the first time in 37 games Domi actually recorded a goal. Furthermore, he dropped his gloves and had a good showing scrapping with Chris Neal.

5. Wade Belak stood up to Brian McGrattan. Earlier in the season McGrattan destroyed Tie Domi in a bout, last night Belak fared well against McGrattan, a match which I would describe as a draw. Finally, the Leafs showed they were not going to be intimidated by Ottawa.

6. Other than Staffan Kronvall the defence played well after losing Carlo Colaiacovo to a mild concussion. Kaberle played 30 minutes (-1), Klee 28 minutes (Even), Berg 21 minutes (+1), Khavanov 21 minutes (Even). Losing Colaiacovo early in the first period and having only 5 defenceman in an often porous defence corps could have meant a much worse result. Again the Leafs showed pride and discipline in their defensive play for the most part.

The Leafs have something to build off of and if they are determined they can end their losing streak Thursday night when the Buffalo Sabres play the Leafs at the Air Canada Centre. This game will be televised by TSN. Next up, the Montreal Canadiens are in town Saturday night and will be shown on Hockey Night in Canada. Two victories here will see Leafs fans go from depression to glee.

Leafs
Toronto+Maple+Leafs
Maple+Leafs
Senators
Ottawa+Senators

List of Toronto Marlies who can help the Leafs

With the 5 game losing streak making life very uncomfortable for John Ferguson Jr. and Pat Quinn, a promotion or two from the Toronto Marlies is very probable. I've read that JFJ has been extremely active in the last while shopping Jason Allison. It could be a tough sell though as it is always tougher to deal when the other teams know you are desperate. Regardless of what JFJ does, here is a list of Marlie prospects that may or may not be able to help our Leafs. I didn't want to look any deeper than the Marlies as I was looking for players that could step in and help right away.

1. John Pohl, C, has 44 points in 37 games leading the Marlies. He was recently named to the AHL All-Star team and was called up earlier this year to the Leafs. When he was sent back down Quinn noted that he had played well.

2. Bates Battaglia, LW, the former Carolina Hurricane has 36 points in 44 games and could provide veteran presence. He can play a physical game and chip in offensively.

3. Jeremy Williams, C, has 32 points in 31 games. He is known for his offense, speed and is known not to back down.

4. Ian White, D, 24 points, +6 in 35 games. Smallish defenceman (5'10", 180 lbs) whose best chance to make the Leafs will be to quarterback the powerplay.

5. Jay Harrison, D, 23 points, +11, 67 PIM in 42 games. A big (6'3", 202 lbs), strong defenceman who is good in his own zone, has a hard, heavy shot and is a pretty good scrapper.

6. Ben Ondrus, LW, 19 points, 67 PIM in 36 games. A gritty two way player known for character and attitude. A good forechecker, quick skater, with limited puck skills. Ondrus gets points by crashing the net. Earlier this year Quinn likened him to Darcy Tucker.

7. Brendan Bell, D, 19 points, 69 PIM in 43 games. A strong, two way defenceman who skates well, has good puck control and is a decent passer with a hard low shot. He has good size (6'1" 217 lbs) and can play a physical game.

I would bet one or two of the above will be called up to the Leafs in the next few days. Hopefully the Leafs puts together a good game tonight against Ottawa or things will get very interesting with the teams management and personnel.

Leafs
Toronto+Maple+Leafs
Maple+Leafs
Marlies

Leafs Surrender to Senators

The game was over last night 39 seconds into the game when Ed Belfour surrendered the first goal in a humiliating 7-0 defeat. It seemed to me that Belfour and Aki Berg both looked down in shame at that point. The team showed a total lack of confidence last night and rightly so as they have lost three contests to Ottawa with a combined score of 23-1. After the game Mats Sundin said he was worried about how the team was playing and if they kept playing like this they would not make the play-offs. That sounds a little understated to me. I think Sundin should be personally worried that this could be his last year playing in Toronto as well as many of his wealthy team mates.

The current five game losing streak represents the longest losing streak this team has had since 1997. When watching After The Horn on Leafs TV, the only positive that anyone could come up with was that this was the first time in five games that the Leafs hadn't blown the lead. Who do you point your finger at for the loss? Who knows, the entire team lacked passion, they looked like a Beer League team playing in front of twenty fans that was content to lose as they knew that at least the beer was on ice in the dressing room and it wasn't worthwhile getting all bent out of shape, not when you need your energy to flirt with the girls at Hooters over a pitcher of draft and a basket of wings.

What happens now? Well, I think we should be looking at a trade to occur before the rematch Monday night. If that doesn't happen, then that means that John Ferguson Jr is busy moving the finger of blame from himself for acquiring our current roster to Pat Quinn for failing to have them produce. That also means that a similar debacle Monday night will see Ottawa dethrone not only Paul Martin and the Liberals but also Pat Quinn. You will then see Paul Maurice promoted from the Toronto Marlies to be bench boss of the Leafs.

The game Monday night will be the most important for Pat Quinn since he signed on to run the Leafs some six seasons ago. What would I do? I would certainly make sure I had Darcy Tucker and Brian McCabe under contract for next year as they are the heart and soul of the Leafs. I would start shopping Mats Sundin before his value plummets even further. I would run Jeff O'Neill out of town and I would make this Tie Domi's final season with the Leafs. I would let Tie finish out the string in recognition of his his 16-17 seasons of loyal service. I would give Mikael Tellqvist more ice time and shop Ed Belfour. The best the Leafs can do with this crew is a first round playoff loss. I would start preparing for next season and above all else I would not trade any of their promising youth. There are no quick fixes for this team, so why screw around with the future.

As far as getting the team back on track, it may be best to say good bye to Quinn and hello to Maurice. It also would benefit the team if Ken Dryden were to lose his re-election bid and to resume his post as president of the team. Ken Dryden is a deep thinker with tremendous hockey knowledge and tremendous integrity. With Quinn out of the picture, Dryden just may be willing to lead the organization again. I for one appreciate how Dryden turned the ship around from an also ran to a contender. If Dryden had been on board he would have foreseen this breakdown coming and would have limited Quinn's influence on personnel and stopped the many short sighted trades that have occurred during Quinn's time with the Leafs.

Leafs
Toronto+Maple+Leafs
Maple+Leafs
Ottawa+Senators
Senators

Are You Really Shocked Bryan Berard Got Caught With Steroids?

So Bryan Berard becomes the first NHL player to fail a drug test for steroids. Are you really that surprised? I don't mean that I expected Berard to be caught or that I even thought he was using steroids. What I mean is, would a pronouncement of any pro athlete using steroids really shock you? I would be very disappointed if an icon like Wayne Gretzky was linked with steroids, but, other than that there are very few athletes that are above the temptation of steroids.

It was easier in previous generations of athletes, there were less types of temptations and they had less money to spend on those temptations. One thing is certain though and that is that for the most part those who make it to be professional athletes dedicate their lives to getting there. If they can use a supposed wonder drug that will tip the scales in their favour, they at least have to consider it. I'm hoping that superstars such as Gretzky and Mario Lemieux would not resort to steroids, but, who knows. With the threat of using steroids and the lack of testing in the NHL, even Mario is a suspect with his heart ailments and other health issues.

The only way to ensure sport is rid of steroids is rigorous testing. It only involves testing of the urine and/or blood. With the amount of money invested in athletics, you would think Gary Bettman and the NHL owners would be lining up to protect their investment. You would think those that insure the players would require it. If players feel that everyone else is doing it then perhaps they feel they have to do steroids to stay competitive, to continue to earn million dollar contracts for themselves and their families.

I really don't want to see another Mark McGuire incident where a supposed good guy has a great career, but, it is tarnished at the end by suspected steroid use. With the money we pay as consumers for sport, we have a right to expect that the athletes we watch and even admire are clean of performance enhancing drugs and illegal drugs of any kind.

Bryan+Berard
Steroids

Wild Tames Leafs, Leafs Defensive Woes Continue

Another game, another 5-3 loss, another prayer for the return of Brian McCabe. Yesterday I pointed the finger at Eddie Belfour for the loss and mentioned that if Mikael Tellqvist played against the Wild it could be an indication of a heavier workload for him the rest of the way. Pat Quinn may have read my blog yesterday as he echoed my comments later in the day.

Today the papers are taking out their frustration on Thomas Kaberle and Carlos Colaiacovo and there are even rumours today about a trade involving Jason Allison to Boston Bruins for Brian Leetch. It's easy to defend Kaberle and Colaiacovo for last nights debacle, it will take a little bit more work to explain my thoughts on a Leetch trade.

The first few games I watched Colaiacovo play this year I was wondering what in the world John Ferguson Jr. was thinking when he called up Carlo and forgot about steady rookie Stefan Kronwall. Once I saw the fantastic open ice body checks Colaiacovo was capable of I realized what it was that JFJ saw. Carlos Colaiacovo is the best open ice bodychecker to wear the Blue and White since Brian Glennie delivered his devastating array of bodychecks and hipchecks in the early 70's. The problem with most young defenceman is that they take a long time to develop and need to be brought along slowly.

Last night Colaiacovo was on the ice for an astounding 27 minutes, as was Kaberle. The best players in the league rarely get that much ice time, let alone a raw rookie. Of course Colaiacovo is going to make some bad plays with that much ice time, it is the price the Leafs are going to have to pay if they insist on featuring him. As for Kaberle, he is entitled to the odd bad game, he is a very good defenceman that most teams in the league would like to have on their blue line. Kaberle is averaging 28 minutes per game this year. When the critics get around to criticizing him they should keep this in mind and shift their criticism to JFJ and his inability to shore up their thin defense. Or perhaps the critics should realize that the pain we are feeling today with our young defense may pay dividends tomorrow, playing every year as if they are going to win the Cup just doesn't make sense, the Leafs need to reload and this year is one of those years.

Now lets take a look at our defence corps, Brian Leetch, Jason Allison and our worst defensive forward...Jeff O'Neill. Below is the player/avg ice-time/plus-minus stats for the season so far.

Belak.......8:16....-10
Berg.......15:47......1
Colaiacovo.15:51......1
Kaberle....28:00......7....37 pts
Khavanov...17:40.....-2
Klee.......20:06......1
Kronwall...13:08.....-2
McCabe.....28:11......5....49 pts

Leetch.....24:55.....-5....20 pts

Allison....17:54.....-3....39 pts
O'Neill....13:57....-12....28 pts...10 pp goals

If you take a look at the numbers, our defence corps other than Belak isn't that bad. That is due to a large part to Pat Quinn's astute handling of the defencemen. Is it just me or do you agree Wade Belak should be paying his way into the arena? Leetch is logging a lot of ice time, but producing, not like he used to but he is still alright. Allison has been playing pretty well and O'Neill at even strength has absolutely sucked this year.

Do you trade Allison for Leetch? I think you may have to in the present circumstances. Who wins the trade? Likely Boston. The real question is would the Bruins take Jeff O'Neill for Brian Leetch? No...I didn't think so.

Leafs
Toronto+Maple+Leafs
Maple+Leafs
Brian+Leetch
Carlo+Colaiacovo

Avalanche Buries Leafs

The 5-3 loss Tuesday night makes it three loses in a row. It's not so much the loss last night that bothers me as it is how they lost. Eddie "The Eagle" Belfour was showing his age last night. Eddie saved 26 of 31 for a .838 save percentage, if they had that kind of netminding every night they would be in last place. Sure Belfour got run over in his crease and sure the Leafs took some foolish penalties, but come on Eddie, you're not the second winningest goaltender of all time because you can't keep your composure.

The call for tonight's game is up to Pat Quinn, either he plays Mikael Tellqvist (and his sterling .923 save percentage) or he plays Eddie ( .893 save percentage) and we see if the Eagle can redeem himself. The decision should be looked at as a sign of things to come. If Tellqvist plays, look for Belfour's workload to decrease a bit more, If Eddie starts and plays like we all know he can then look for Quinn to continue to ride him hard. If it were my call I would give Tellqvist the start, Eddie's old and is not going to be around the next time the Leafs make a serious Cup run.

Hopefully I'm wrong, but, it looks to me like Wayne Gretzky may have laid out a blueprint on how to beat the Leafs. That would be to get physical with them and upset them. Pat Quinn's thin layer of instilled discipline quickly dissipated in both these contests when the Buds started to lose their tempers. Captain Mats Sundin finally produced some offense last night with a goal and an assist, but, he also led the way with two foolish hooking penalties.

Do you think maybe they miss Darcy Tucker? When things get nasty, they must know that Tucker is going to level somebody or do something to get physically even. Perhaps without Tucker on board they have nobody else who can collectively let off the team's steam. I mean, it's not like a couple years back when Tie Domi terrified the opposition. I like Domi, he is a nice skater, finishes off checks and is a high energy fourth line player. But, beyond that forget it, he's not the same enforcer he used to be and when he is around the net his hands are made of stone. I think this may be the last season that Tie wears the Blue and White, he makes an awful lot of money to warrant his diminishing enforcer role.

Let's hope they can regroup tonight in time for their match with the Wild. Also say a couple prayers that Tucker, McCabe and Lindros get well soon, the team has been pretty ill of late and needs them badly.

Bits and Bites...I watched an interview with former Sabres tough guy Rob Ray last night, he said the toughest guy he ever fought was Joey Kocur, he said Kocur hit so hard that every time he hit you it stunned you a bit, he also said the hardest to hit was our own Tie Domi, and concluded that there isn't one tough guy playing right now who intimidated him at all....Go Shane Doan Go, make former Minister of Sport Denis Coderre pay for shooting off his mouth, all of our politicians should be forced to pay with their butts on the cheques their mouths write...Rapters got hammered 111-98 by the Utah Jazz, they've been going better lately so I'll cut them some slack, I'll have more to say about them in the days to come.

Leafs
Toronto+Maple+Leafs
Maple+Leafs
NHL
Toronto

Best Toronto Maple Leaf I've Ever Seen?

When asked the question "Who is the best Toronto Maple Leaf you've ever seen play?" how do you reply? I've been watching since around 1967, maybe a year or so earlier, but, who can remember when they are knee high to a grasshopper? This would mean I can't consider Leaf greats such as King Clancy, Turk Broda, Johnny Bower, Syl Apps, Charlie Conacher, Frank Mahovolich or even 1947 Rookie of The Year Howie Meeker. To say that I haven't seen them play isn't exactly true, you see I subscribe to Leafs TV so I've had the opportunity to watch them play, but, watching poorly preserved black and white telecasts isn't the same as watching the game today. Heck, sometimes the old time telecasts were laughable, as soon as the attackers got into the offensive zone the camera would focus on the net and you would only have Foster Hewitt describing to you what was going on.

My favourite Leaf growing up was Dave Keon. I have met many Leaf fans over the years who reminisce about Davey and how he made playing center for the Leafs look easy. Keon could do everything, he was a wonderful skater, an excellent passer, a great sniper and a fantastic checker. About the only thing I never saw Keon do was get into a fight, at least I can't remember that he ever did. Keon was certainly something special, but, this was the time when Harold Ballard ran the show down at Maple Leaf Gardens and he just wouldn't spend the money to surround Keon with great players. There were good ones though, Norm Ullman, Ron Ellis, Jacques Plante and on a good day Canadian Hero Paul Henderson might even live up to some of the tremendous hype stirred up by the key goal he scored in the 1972 Canada-Russia Summit Series. Brian Glennie is someone we may have forgotten, but, he is the best bodychecker I have seen wearing the Blue and White, in fact I haven't seen anyone come close to him until this year with rookie Carlo Coliacovo.

Later in the 70's along came Darryl Sittler to take the reins as captain from Keon. Sittler also was very special, he had all of the qualities of Keon except during the 70's goon era everybody fought including even Sittler from time to time. Not often though as he had tough guy Dave "Tiger" Williams riding shotgun for him and boy could the Tiger fight. Tiger also had a cool routine that all young boys in minor hockey liked to follow...after he scored a goal he rode his stick like a witch on a broom. Back to Sittler, he really was the best Leaf of the 70's, let's not forget Borje Salming or Lanny McDonald who Punch Imlach foolishly ran out of town so that he could become perhaps the greatest Calgary Flame to lace on a pair.

Into the 80's, there were some truly forgettable teams, but, still there were some pretty good Leafs. Captain Rick Vaive was the first 50 goal scorer for the franchise and he did it 3 times. The best Leaf of the 80's was Wendall Clarke, first pick in the 1985 entry draft, he personified everything a Leaf fan wanted out of a player. He could score with the best of them and the guy from Kelvington, Saskatchewan was totally fearless, he would stick up for his teammates, check hard, fight like a prize fighter and score goals. Unfortunately giving such tremendous effort took it's toll on Wendall with injuries and later on in his career he had to pick his spots to stand out as he could no longer do it every night. Let's also not forget about 50 goal scorer Gary Leeman or the "Human Highlight Reel" Al Iafrate....the greatest rushing defenceman I've ever seen playing for the Leafs.

The 90's brought us Mats Sundin, Dave Andreychuk, Curtis Joseph and Doug Gilmour. When describing Doug Gilmour I always say he reminded me of Dave Keon but a Dave Keon with a bad temper. Gilmour could do it all, was a fantastic leader and just plain loved to win, win at any cost. Mats Sundin has been a great player, is a fantastic playmaker, but, he just doesn't have the same leadership qualities of a Gilmour or a Sittler.

Into the new millenium to join Sundin came such Leafs as Gary Roberts, Ed Belfour, Alexander Mogilny and Joe Nieuwendyk. Ed Belfour is a future Hall of Fame goaltender and if picking the Best Leaf Goaltender ever it would be a tie between Belfour and Curtis Joseph. Mogilny had so much offensive skill and he was such a character that he will always be memorable. The best Leaf of the new millenium has been Gary Roberts, he is a Doug Gilmour clone with a little less offensive polish but the same leadership skills and the same love of winning.

The Best Leaf I have ever seen? Doug Gilmour would be the guy, but, there really have been so many excellent choices and I know lots of folks would pick Keon or Sittler as well. Ask me again in ten years and maybe if we're all lucky I'll be able to say Brian McCabe or Alex Steen or Kyle Wellwood. Of course this would likely mean one of these guys would lead us to the Holy Grail, of which us Leaf Fans can still dream about.

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A New Blog

I've been a Toronto sports fan ever since I can remember, which would be since about 1967. First and foremost I am a diehard Toronto Maple Leafs Fan, but, I also cheer for the Toronto Blue Jays and to a lesser extent the Toronto Argonauts and even the Toronto Raptors.

I follow the teams closely and often have strong opinions on their current situation. For example, on Saturday night I just had to turn Hockey Night In Canada off when the Leafs lost their 3 goal lead and it was quickly 3-2 over the Coyotes. When the Coyotes were down 3-0 after the first period, Wayne Gretzky was particularly incensed and must have let the boys have it during the first intermission. When the second period started, the Coyotes were playing rough and the Leafs followed suit but forgot that they were in a hockey game. I thought right then that Gretzky had outcoached Pat Quinn and that the Leafs were in trouble. As it turned out the Coyotes took the Leafs 4-3. I tuned in and caught the end of the game on Sunday on Leafs TV, but, I was certainly dissappointed.

The Leafs start a four game roadtrip tomorrow and I have a feeling things could go poorly with Brian McCabe and Darcy Tucker both out. McCabe has been playing terrific hockey this season and Tucker is the heart and soul of the team. This is about all the time I have for now,but, I will be back and posting regularly.