The Leafs slow start......Killed them

The Leafs lost their first road game of the season 6-4 to Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.

Although the Leafs managed to keep the power play opportunities to a minimum for the Capitals, they still managed to allow another power play goal against.

Vesa Toskala was replaced in net by Jonas Gustavsson after the first period as Toskala allowed 3 goals on just the eight shots that he faced in the first period.

Gustavsson didn't fair much better allowing 3 goals on just 12 shots in the second.He did make some very good saves and kept the Caps off the board for the rest of the game.

In both of their defense however, the new and improved defence corps, that had everyone talking for the better part of the off season, looks more like a defensive corpse!

Alexei Ponikarovski scored for the Leafs to give 3 points on the season, Stepniak, Grabavski and Hagman rounded out the scoring for Toronto.

The Leafs almost to a man, spent more time looking down at the ice searching for the puck, than worrying about the red sweater who had it. Ron Wilson is an NHL hockey coach, I on the other hand am not. But I can tell you this, when your defense is consistently being beaten back to your end, it's time to tell your defense men to stay the hell home! It is way easier to keep the opposing forwards out of your zone than it is to keep them in theirs!



`You felt like you were in a piranha fish tank,'' Toronto coach Ron Wilson said. ``We were getting quality scoring chances, without a doubt, but you can't trade chance for chance with a team like that.''

The Washington net minder Varlamov, was for the most part sensational, making 27 stops over all. It certainly wasn't for lack of good chances that the Leafs failed to get their first win of the season.

Wilson said he will decide Monday which goalie will start Tuesday's game against Ottawa. ... Washington has won eight consecutive home openers.

Our first attempt at live blogging went off pretty much without a hitch tonight so, we will do it again next Saturday when the Leafs entertain the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Until next time, you kids play safe!

Just a reminder!

I just wanted to remind everyone to join me live tonight at 6:30pm est for the launch of live blogging at Bench Brawl! I will gladly answer any questions pertaining to the Leafs and you can listen to the game live by clicking the 'Listen Live' link on the right hand side! See you tonight!!

Exciting News!!!!

While I am always looking for things to make this blog a little better, I sometime take a while. Here is one of those exciting new things that I eluded to at the beginning of the season. Live Blogging!!! That's right, beginning this Saturday October third during the Toronto v Washington game, I will be hosting my very first Live Blog!

So now, not only can you listen to the game live from Bench Brawl, but you can interact with me and lots of other fans too!!

See you Saturday!

Relax Kids, it's just One Game!

Holy cow, the boo birds are out, ' Tank Nation ' is rearing it's ugly head and the rest of the Leaf's fans are calling for Toskala's head and for the rest of the team to be sent down to the Marlies! And don't even get me started about the media!

Ok, so the Leafs lost the first game of the season 4-3 in overtime to a Montreal Canadian team who, for all intents and purposes, could really go either way this year, greatly depending on the play of their obviously bi-polar goaltender, Carey Price.


First, let's deal with Toskala. If you've been reading me for awhile, you know by know that I neither like, nor dis-like the man. I refuse to throw him under a bus because he let in one bad goal. Un-timely though it may have been, it was one bad goal. For the most part, what I've seen of him since the beginning of this camp to now, the first game of the year. He has looked better than he did last year. His lateral movement is better and faster, he challenges shooters more rather than standing on his goal line and hoping the puck hits him somewhere. As un timely as the bad goal was, it wasn't the end of the world.



I am not however a big fan of Rickard Wallin as of yet. He did nothing in the pre-season of note, and he was little more than a ghost tonight. I know I'm sort of beating a dead horse here, and I understand, and agree with the wisdom in sending Kadri back down, but if it was a choice between the two? Wallin is still, at 29 years of age, a relatively un-proven player in the NHL. Looking at his numbers though, he does have some up-side. But, alas, after ten years as a pro, he has yet to reach the 20 games played in the NHL plateau. Curious.

Anyway, enough of all that, there were some positives to take away from tonight's game. They out shot the Habs by a 46-27 margin, and were six for eight on the penalty kill. The flip side of those two positive though, is Price stood on his head, and the Leafs have got to be better on the PK, if they are going to continue to exert themselves on their opponents. It's ok to take eight penalties a night if you can kill at least seven of them.

``I think we were the better team tonight, and fell short,'' said Komisarek. ``We didn't get two points. Next time, we find a way to win and get the two points.

``Good start, could have been better, but we'll take the point and take the positive out of it.''

The Leafs are looking good, and I can't wait to see them in action Saturday night in Washington, as always, you can hear all of the action, live, right here on Bench Brawl!

Until next time, you kids play safe!

Sundin Retires, and other Leafs notes

This entry is courtesy of Mike Ulmer of Toronto Maple Leafs.com, and the Toronto Sun

Mats Sundin lent me his hockey equipment

It’s a funny thing to remember when you write a man’s professional obituary. But it’s what sticks.

It was 1990. The all-star game was in Tampa. I was working for the National Post.

The media had an annual game at all-star. I wanted to play but didn’t have the equipment. I was moaning about it at Sundin’s locker.

“Just take mine,” he said.

I have often thought whether Barry Bonds would have lent me his bat or whether I could have even gotten close enough to Michael Jordan to hit him up for a lightly-used pair of shoes. I don’t think so.

There were always two Mats Sundins and this is the story among many accomplished people.
The bland, unreachable, altogether pleasant countenance is for the public. What beats below, of course, is the subject of endless conjecture.

Over his 981 regular season games with the Maple Leafs and 77 more in the post-season, there was in Sundin a seamless excellence. Everything, the shot, the skating, the passing, every gift was grandly obvious.

Teammate upon teammate glowed about his charisma and understanding. New players invariably remarked about the many facets of the man that lay undiscovered until they breached the doors of the Leafs’ dressing room.

And yet, there was in Sundin a unwillingness, even an inability to appeal to our lower nature.

Just once you wanted to hear him call out a teammate for an endless succession of stupid mistakes. Just once you wanted him to question his ice time, limited (to great effect by the way) by Pat Quinn.

You wanted to see he was human, that he was capable of the same petulance and pettiness as the rest of us. And when he would not go along, many assumed he didn’t care, about his play, about his team.

Sundin, they pointed out, had never gotten his team into the finals. Never mind two final four appearances, 32 goals and 70 points in 77 playoff games.

No heart, said the critics.

It was never true, of course but even in his final games for the Leafs, all he offered to refute the charge was excellence.

Until February 21, 2009.

Sundin was making his return but as a Vancouver Canuck. A few minutes into the game, the game ops crew ran a tribute to Sundin which prompted the longest, fiercest, ovation most anyone could remember.

And Mats Sundin cried. He fought to hold his composure as Matt Stajan, a longtime teammate and a player Sundin mentored, moved out of the face-off circle.

There was nowhere to hide and all the seasons and all the disappointments and all the faces and all the moments in between were wrapped in the cheers that cascaded upon Mats Sundin.

Click here to find out more!
His lip quivered. He raised his stick.

There is nothing quite so emotionally revealing, for both the watcher and the watched, as a human being fighting back tears. Parents will tell you that children spark the most overwhelming reactions not when they cry, but when they try not to.

And there, in front of the 20,000 people in the ACC that night and countless more on television, lay the naked truth.

Mats Sundin had feelings, overwhelming feelings. He had just kept them hidden. Saying goodbye set them free.

“You were an emotional guy tonight,” someone said after he had scored the overtime winner and taken one final bow.

“I always was an emotional guy,” he said.

Sundin was born to captain the Leafs. He was never among the handful of the league’s best players, but he had an unmistakable dignity and reserve.

He was a captain, an athlete for another time, when you said little and did lots instead of the other way around.

But there was a reason he was held in such high esteem by his teammates and coaches. All of us could see his obvious excellence. Few were privy to the sight of the man behind the mask.

And one day in Tampa, I was subject to the kindness so many have spoken of.

The secret is out. And now he is gone.


In an un-related story, recently acquired goaltender, Joey MacDonald was placed on the waiver wire yesterday. When he clears, it is expected that he will join the Marlies.

Keeping you in the loop

Just in case you didn't notice, there were several players over the last week that you aren't seeing anymore, and ma have been wondering why. Here is a quick list of those players and transactions that have taken place over the last few days.

Although the team is currently engaged in a " Bonding " exercise in Huntsville Ont., there will likely be one of two more players sent down by the end of the week. Those would include the likely third man out in Joey MacDanoald and Youngster, Tyler Bozak.

September 27, 2009 The Leafs returned Nazem Kadri to the London Knights (OHL). Andy Rogers was released and Jonas Frogren and Christian Hanson have been assigned to the Toronto Marlies (AHL).

September 22, 2009 The Leafs assigned four players to the Toronto Marlies (AHL): Andre Deveaux, Alex Foster, Ryan Hamilton and Ben Ondrus

September 19, 2009 The Leafs returned the following players to their junior teams: Jesse Blacker (Windsor – OHL), Joel Champagne (P.E.I. – QMJHL), and Brandon Manning (Chilliwack – WHL).

September 19, 2009 The Leafs assigned the following players to the Toronto Marlies (AHL): Alex Berry, Darryl Boyce, Josh Engel, Andrew Engelage, Tom Galvin, Stefano Giliati, Richard Greenop, Juraj Mikus, Dale Mitchell, Phil Oreskovic, Todd Perry, James Reimer, Kyle Rogers, Joe Ryan, Greg Scott, Robert Slaney, and Mikhail Stefanovich.

Until next time, you kids play safe!

High Scoring end to the Pre Season!

The Leafs and Sabres combined for 13 goal on route to the Leafs finishing the pre season with a record of 6 and 3

With a final score of 7-6, Coach Wilson chose to take the high road when asked about the loss.


``I think both teams were disinterested most of the night,'' said Wilson. ``It's your last exhibition game. Lord knows, we've played enough of them.''

Viktor Stalberg, the only remaining rookie on the team, scored his team, and league leading sixth goal of the pre-season. If he manages to continue that pace for most of the year, we could be looking at our first 50 goal scorer since......... hell I don't even remember. But, in case you're curious, it was Dave Andreychuk in the 93-94 season with 53 goals.

Stepniak, Blake, Kulemin and Grabovski also score for Toronoto. While Toskala, who until he allowed the first gaol to get by him at 7:03 of the second was playing pretty well, did nothing to help his cause to remain number one in the big smoke.

While one bad pre-season outing does not spell the end of the world, Leafs brass well know that the biggest failing of the team last year was not its goal production, the Leafs were a more than respectable 5th in the NHL in terms of goal scoring. But, they were last in save percentage and overall defence, and last in goals against. A trend that we're all hoping will not continue!




On Sunday, the Maple Leafs returned Nazem Kadri to the OHL's London Knights and sent young winger Christian Hanson to the AHL's Toronto Marlies. Even though Tyler Bozak was among the players headed to Huntsville, he's likely to be sent down before the team has to submit its 23-man roster on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Stalberg is about to start his rookie season in the NHL.

``He'll probably be the only one,'' said Wilson.

The Leafs open the regular season this Thursday against a Montreal Canadian team that looks as though it could be facing alot of trouble of its own this season. As always, you can hear all of the action live, right here on BenchBrawl!

Until next time, you kids play safe!

The "Monster" Shines Again!

Oh, I can just hear all the hockey experts this morning....." Toskala finished as #1 Goalie in Toronto", "Gustavsson gets standing Ovation", "Plan the parade route...."

Blah Blah Blah.


While Gustavsson did look goo in his second appearance, and did make a great save on a 2 on 0, he has only played sixty minutes of pre-season hockey, and faced a total of 22 shots.

I was watching some sports shows this morning just to try to gauge peoples reactions and the media is just nuts. People were pulling numbers out of thin air. My personal favorite though had to be from Rogers Sportsnet where they show a pic of Gustavsson and beside his pic, they had his stats. Now, it wasn't presented like it was his all time stats, it was literally presented as though he was the greatest goal tender of ALL TIME. Aaaaaand had a goals against average of ZERO, and .1000 save percentage!

Geeez people!

Don't get me wrong, I'm as excited as the next guy to have potentially the greatest goalie in NHL history playing for the Leafs, but please, let's not canonize him quite yet, ok?

Ok, there was a game somewhere right? That's right, The Leafs did in fact play their eighth game of the pre-season last night, and the ' Monster ' did in fact help them on there way to a 2-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings to improve their record to 6-2 in the pre season!


``It was awesome,'' said Gustavsson, the game's first star. ``It was so fun to play today.''




Viktor Stalberg hit the scoresheet again and potted his team leading 5th goal of the pre-season.

``I think I've shown over the last couple weeks here that I'm ready to play,'' said Stalberg. ``Hopefully, I get a chance here coming Thursday.''

There was a scary moment in the second period for Ponikarovsy. As he was skating up ice, he took a high stick from Detroit's Jason Williams. The gash left a pool of blood on the ice and required several stitches, but did not keep him from returning to play in the third period.

The Leafs final pre season game go's tonight against the Buffalo Sabre's, and as always, you can hear all the action live, right here on BenchBrawl!

Until next time, you kids play safe!