After experiencing a loss on Tuesday at the hands of Eric Staal and the Carolina Hurricanes, the Maple Leafs welcomed another young team in the Columbus Blue Jackets, who are led by another Ontario-born player in Rick Nash.
Nash wasn’t as dominate in tonight’s performance as Staal on Tuesday, but he still managed to tally two assists, including one on the Jackets’ game winner scored by R.J. Umberger.
Nikolai Kulemin opened the scoring for Toronto with his 13th of the season on a beautifully set-up play by Clarke MacArthur, who picked up his 19th assist and team-leading 28th point of the season. Newly recalled forward Darryl Boyce capitalized on a pinching Blue Jackets defenseman and dished the puck to Kulemin, who play give and go with MacArthur and eventually tapped in the goal. The assist was Boyce’s first career NHL point.
“It was a great opportunity for me. I got lots of ice time tonight”, remarked Boyce after the game. “All around, I thought it was a good effort for the guys. [We] limited a couple chances on the PK and [had] a bad bounce in the corner, so just bad luck.”
Kristian Huselius evened the game at 16:46 of the second period with his seventh goal of the season by firing a wrist shot through the five hole of Jonas Gustavsson. Defenseman Jan Hedja and Antoine Vermette were credited with the assists on the play.
With 18 seconds remaining in the opening frame, Tyler Bozak snuck his fifth of the season over Steve Mason’s shoulder on the power play to give the Leafs a promising 2-1 lead going into the second period. Phil Kessel had the only assist, which was his fourth point in his last four games.
An unlikely break behind the net for Francois Beauchemin led to a quality scoring chance for Huselius, who capitalized on the play and scored his second of the contest. The puck deflected off of Beauchemin’s skate and slide to Huselius in front of the net, who backhanded a shot past Gustavsson. Rick Nash earned his first of two assists on the play, while Vermette was credited with the second assist to give him two points on the night.
The Blue Jackets outshot the Leafs 21-15 through two periods. Toronto had only three shots in the second. However, they managed to kill off two minor penalties to Joey Crabb and Dion Phaneuf. The Leafs scored on their only power play opportunity.
R.J. Umberger tipped in a Rick Nash shot from the hash marks for his 11th of the season and eventual game winner. The play was reminiscent of Patrick Dwyer’s game winning goal Tuesday versus the Carolina Hurricanes.
Leafs goaltender Jonas Gustavsson played a relatively solid game, stopping 29 of 32 shots, good for a 0.906 save percentage. He would have liked to have the first goal back, while the second one was the result of a fluky bounce behind the net. At the other end, Blue Jackets goalie Steve Mason turned out 20 of 22 shots in a winning effort.
The Leafs displayed another good effort, but could not overcome the Jackets balanced offense. Tonight’s game summed up the entire season to date, which has been filled with more downs than ups.
A dismal 3-7-0 record in their past 10 games has many observers questioning whether another losing streak could spell the end to Ron Wilson’s tenure in Toronto. Regardless of a possible coaching chance, some type of transaction is on the horizon, according to GM Brian Burke, who has stated that he needs to give Wilson more skill to work with.
Toronto faces off against the provincial rival Ottawa Senators in a Saturday night showdown on the first day of 2011. The Senators are currently six points out of the playoffs with a 16-18-4 record, so it will represent the best opportunity for the Leafs to gain some ground in the Eastern Conference.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Leafs Storm Past Devils to a 4-1 Win
The Leafs snapped their three game winless streak tonight with a 4-1 decision over the New Jersey Devils in front of a small crowd, due to the heavy snow storm that hit New Jersey earlier today. The Devils announced that only 5,329 people were in attendance at the Prudential Centre. The PA Announcer in the building informed the fans in attendance that they were permitted to move down to seats closer to ice level.
Colby Armstrong opened the scoring for Toronto at 13:50 when he snapped his second of the season over the shoulder of Devils' goaltender Martin Brodeur. John Mitchell was accessed with two consecutive infractions for high sticking and interference in the first period, but made up for it with his second of the season on a rebound created by Kris Versteeg. Carl Gunnarsson was credited with the second assist of the play.
A big hit by Dion Phaneuf in the defensive zone sparked Ilya Kovalchuk to initiate a rare fight with the aggressor. Phaneuf and Kovalchuk had been agitating one another throughout the game.
Leafs forward Nikolai Kulemin gave his team a demanding 3-0 lead by firing a shot past Martin Brodeur for his 12th goal of the season. He is on pace for a career-best 29 goals and 54 points, far exceeding his previous best of 16 goals and 36 points one year ago. Devils backup goaltender Johan Hedberg entered the game in relief of Martin Brodeur, who surrendered 3 goals on 14 shots.
After killing off a penalty committed by Mikhail Grabovski, the Leafs had a 32-second 5-on-3 advantage with two Devils' forwards in the box. They managed to kill off both infractions to remain within three goals of Toronto.
Rod Pelley scored his first of the season on a powerplay, but Colby Armstrong's second of the game at 16:47 of the third period silenced the Devils. His shot squeeked through the legs of Johan Hedberg, who was in position to stop the shot, but left his five-hole open.
Jonas Gustavsson proved up to the task as the Leafs starting goaltender, stopping 29 of 30 shots he faced. The defense in front of him made several defensive zone errors, including reoccuring turnovers in the slot. However, the Leafs secondary scoring continued their consistent play. Kris Versteeg added two assists, while Clarke MacArthur earned one assist to give him 27 points in 34 games this season.
Toronto's next game is against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday in Toronto. They are expected to stay over in New Jersey until tomorrow and return to Toronto once the Newark Airport re-opens following the torrid snowstorm that hit the entire area.
Colby Armstrong opened the scoring for Toronto at 13:50 when he snapped his second of the season over the shoulder of Devils' goaltender Martin Brodeur. John Mitchell was accessed with two consecutive infractions for high sticking and interference in the first period, but made up for it with his second of the season on a rebound created by Kris Versteeg. Carl Gunnarsson was credited with the second assist of the play.
A big hit by Dion Phaneuf in the defensive zone sparked Ilya Kovalchuk to initiate a rare fight with the aggressor. Phaneuf and Kovalchuk had been agitating one another throughout the game.
Leafs forward Nikolai Kulemin gave his team a demanding 3-0 lead by firing a shot past Martin Brodeur for his 12th goal of the season. He is on pace for a career-best 29 goals and 54 points, far exceeding his previous best of 16 goals and 36 points one year ago. Devils backup goaltender Johan Hedberg entered the game in relief of Martin Brodeur, who surrendered 3 goals on 14 shots.
After killing off a penalty committed by Mikhail Grabovski, the Leafs had a 32-second 5-on-3 advantage with two Devils' forwards in the box. They managed to kill off both infractions to remain within three goals of Toronto.
Rod Pelley scored his first of the season on a powerplay, but Colby Armstrong's second of the game at 16:47 of the third period silenced the Devils. His shot squeeked through the legs of Johan Hedberg, who was in position to stop the shot, but left his five-hole open.
Jonas Gustavsson proved up to the task as the Leafs starting goaltender, stopping 29 of 30 shots he faced. The defense in front of him made several defensive zone errors, including reoccuring turnovers in the slot. However, the Leafs secondary scoring continued their consistent play. Kris Versteeg added two assists, while Clarke MacArthur earned one assist to give him 27 points in 34 games this season.
Toronto's next game is against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday in Toronto. They are expected to stay over in New Jersey until tomorrow and return to Toronto once the Newark Airport re-opens following the torrid snowstorm that hit the entire area.
Game Day: Leafs vs. Devils
After enduring a disappointing 5-3 loss to the Atlanta Thrashers on Monday, the Maple Leafs (12-17-4) will look to snap their three-game losing streak when they face the struggling New Jersey Devils (9-23-2) tonight.
The last time these two teams met, on November 18th, Phil Kessel and Jonas Gustavsson led the Leafs to a 3-1 win over the Devils during their early-season slide, where they went winless in 11 of 13 games. Toronto is expecting those two players to step up tonight, with their playoff hopes quickly fading.
Speaking of the playoffs, the New Jersey Devils are on pace to miss the post-season for the first time in 13 seasons. They fired head coach John MacLean last Thursday and replaced him with former coach Jacques Lemaire, who will bring stability to the franchise and help patch the holes until a new coach is found.
Nazem Kadri returns to the Leafs lineup tonight, after being a healthy scratch for two straight games, and will play on the second line alongside Tyler Bozak and Phil Kessel. Jonas Gustavsson takes over the starting reins, while Jean-Sebastien Giguere watching from the sidelines with a tweaked groin. James Reimer got a taste on action last Monday, when he came in relief of Gustavsson. He is expected to start his first NHL game at some point this week.
Devils forward Ilya Kovalchuk has heated up recently, 7 points (3 goals, 4 assists) in his past 7 games. Despite his improved play as of late, Kovalchuk has only 18 points in 33 games, along with a league-worst -25 rating this season.
Dion Phaneuf and the rest of the Leafs defenseman will also focus on containing the Devils first line of Patrik Elias, Travis Zajac and Jamie Langenbrunner. The trio has combined for 55 points this year.
Here are tonight’s lineups, courtesy of AM640 reporter Jonas Siegel:
Toronto Maple Leafs
Forwards
Clarke MacArthur – Mikhail Grabovski – Nikolai Kulemin
Nazem Kadri – Tyler Bozak – Phil Kessel
Nikolai Kulemin – Tim Brent – Kris Versteeg
Fredrik Sjostrom – John Mitchell – Colton Orr
Defense
Francois Beauchemin – Dion Phaneuf
Tomas Kaberle – Luke Schenn
Carl Gunnarsson – Mike Komisarek
Ex. Brett Lebda
Goalies
Jonas Gustavsson
James Reimer
New Jersey Devils
Forwards
Patrik Elias – Travis Zajac – Jamie Langenbrunner
Ilya Kovalchuk – Jason Arnott – Dainius Zubrus
Mattias Tedenby – Brian Rolston – David Clarkson
Rod Pelley – Tom Sestito – Adam Mair
Defense
Colin White – Henrik Tallinder
Andy Greene – Mark Fayne
Anton Volchenkov – Anssi Salmela
Goalies
Martin Brodeur
Johan Hedberg
Puck drop is set for 7:00pm and can be seen on Leafs TV.
The last time these two teams met, on November 18th, Phil Kessel and Jonas Gustavsson led the Leafs to a 3-1 win over the Devils during their early-season slide, where they went winless in 11 of 13 games. Toronto is expecting those two players to step up tonight, with their playoff hopes quickly fading.
Speaking of the playoffs, the New Jersey Devils are on pace to miss the post-season for the first time in 13 seasons. They fired head coach John MacLean last Thursday and replaced him with former coach Jacques Lemaire, who will bring stability to the franchise and help patch the holes until a new coach is found.
Nazem Kadri returns to the Leafs lineup tonight, after being a healthy scratch for two straight games, and will play on the second line alongside Tyler Bozak and Phil Kessel. Jonas Gustavsson takes over the starting reins, while Jean-Sebastien Giguere watching from the sidelines with a tweaked groin. James Reimer got a taste on action last Monday, when he came in relief of Gustavsson. He is expected to start his first NHL game at some point this week.
Devils forward Ilya Kovalchuk has heated up recently, 7 points (3 goals, 4 assists) in his past 7 games. Despite his improved play as of late, Kovalchuk has only 18 points in 33 games, along with a league-worst -25 rating this season.
Dion Phaneuf and the rest of the Leafs defenseman will also focus on containing the Devils first line of Patrik Elias, Travis Zajac and Jamie Langenbrunner. The trio has combined for 55 points this year.
Here are tonight’s lineups, courtesy of AM640 reporter Jonas Siegel:
Toronto Maple Leafs
Forwards
Clarke MacArthur – Mikhail Grabovski – Nikolai Kulemin
Nazem Kadri – Tyler Bozak – Phil Kessel
Nikolai Kulemin – Tim Brent – Kris Versteeg
Fredrik Sjostrom – John Mitchell – Colton Orr
Defense
Francois Beauchemin – Dion Phaneuf
Tomas Kaberle – Luke Schenn
Carl Gunnarsson – Mike Komisarek
Ex. Brett Lebda
Goalies
Jonas Gustavsson
James Reimer
New Jersey Devils
Forwards
Patrik Elias – Travis Zajac – Jamie Langenbrunner
Ilya Kovalchuk – Jason Arnott – Dainius Zubrus
Mattias Tedenby – Brian Rolston – David Clarkson
Rod Pelley – Tom Sestito – Adam Mair
Defense
Colin White – Henrik Tallinder
Andy Greene – Mark Fayne
Anton Volchenkov – Anssi Salmela
Goalies
Martin Brodeur
Johan Hedberg
Puck drop is set for 7:00pm and can be seen on Leafs TV.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Leafs Drop Final Game of Western Road Trip to Canucks
After defeating the Edmonton Oilers 4-1 on Tuesday and falling 5-2 to the Calgary Flames on Thursday, the Maple Leafs were looking to go 2-and-1 on their western Canadian road trip tonight against the Vancouver Canucks.
Entering the game, the Canucks were undefeated in their previous seven games against Toronto, dating back to 2003. The consistent play of Jonas Gustavsson, and secondary scoring from Clarke MacArthur and Mikhail Grabovski, gave Leaf fans some hope that their team could pull out a surprising win versus one of the league’s most dominant teams.
Both teams had a number of quality scoring chances in the first period, with the Leafs edging the Canucks 11-9 in shots through the first 20 minutes. It was a penalty filled affair – six minor penalties combined – that was capped off with a tap-in goal by Alexandre Burrows, for his sixth of the season. Kevin Bieksa earned his 4th of the season on the play, while Henrik Sedin was credited his 22nd assist of the campaign.
Toronto forward Kris Versteeg took an undisciplined slashing penalty at 11:33 of the second period. On his way to the penalty box, he expressed his frustration by mouthing off the ref. Versteeg was issued an unsportsmanlike penalty to give the Canucks a four minute powerplay and a prime opportunity to take a commanding lead. The 29th rank Toronto penalty kill managed to kill off the penalty and stay within one goal midway through the second period.
However, a giveaway by Phil Kessel at the Vancouver blueline caused an odd-man rush led by Jeff Tambellini, which eventually led to a beautifully set-up goal by Jannik Hansen. His third of the season was assisted by Ryan Kesler and Jeff Tambellini.
As the Canucks appeared to be pulling away, Mikhail Grabovski snapped home his 11th of the season and sixth goal in seven games to bring the Leafs within one. Clarke MacArthur dropped a pass to Grabovski in the high slot to set up a stoppable goal on Roberto Luongo. MacArthur’s assist evens his offensive totals to 16 assists and 25 total points in 32 games this season. Not bad for making only $1.1 million this season.
Christan Ehrhoff buried his 5th of the season on a shot from the point that squeaked through the five hole of Jonas Gustavsson. Jannik Hansen picked up an assist on the play for his second point of the game and ninth point of the season. Alexander Edler was also credited with an assist.
The Canucks ended any hope that the Leafs still had on an empty net marker by Henrik Sedin, who fought off two Leaf players to find the net. Despite scoring 27 points, only six of which are goals.
Roberto Luongo received first star honours in a 27-save performance. Ryan Kesler was tonight’s second star with an assist and an outstanding 66.7% success rate at the faceoff circle. A two-assist performance by Kevin Bieksa made him deserving of third star honours.
Toronto struggled mightily on faceoffs tonight, with Tyler Bozak recording the best success rate at only 37%. On a positive note, Clarke MacArthur continued his point streak with another assist, while Phil Kessel appears to be getting back on track. He led all Leaf shooters with six shots on net.
The Leafs will fly back to Toronto tonight and prepare for a Monday night matchup against the Atlanta Thrashers, who are 6-2-2 in their last ten games and currently sit in 2nd in the Eastern Conference. With Jean-Sebastien Giguere currently day-to-day with a pulled groin, Jonas Gustavsson will once against start between the pipes.
Entering the game, the Canucks were undefeated in their previous seven games against Toronto, dating back to 2003. The consistent play of Jonas Gustavsson, and secondary scoring from Clarke MacArthur and Mikhail Grabovski, gave Leaf fans some hope that their team could pull out a surprising win versus one of the league’s most dominant teams.
Both teams had a number of quality scoring chances in the first period, with the Leafs edging the Canucks 11-9 in shots through the first 20 minutes. It was a penalty filled affair – six minor penalties combined – that was capped off with a tap-in goal by Alexandre Burrows, for his sixth of the season. Kevin Bieksa earned his 4th of the season on the play, while Henrik Sedin was credited his 22nd assist of the campaign.
Toronto forward Kris Versteeg took an undisciplined slashing penalty at 11:33 of the second period. On his way to the penalty box, he expressed his frustration by mouthing off the ref. Versteeg was issued an unsportsmanlike penalty to give the Canucks a four minute powerplay and a prime opportunity to take a commanding lead. The 29th rank Toronto penalty kill managed to kill off the penalty and stay within one goal midway through the second period.
However, a giveaway by Phil Kessel at the Vancouver blueline caused an odd-man rush led by Jeff Tambellini, which eventually led to a beautifully set-up goal by Jannik Hansen. His third of the season was assisted by Ryan Kesler and Jeff Tambellini.
As the Canucks appeared to be pulling away, Mikhail Grabovski snapped home his 11th of the season and sixth goal in seven games to bring the Leafs within one. Clarke MacArthur dropped a pass to Grabovski in the high slot to set up a stoppable goal on Roberto Luongo. MacArthur’s assist evens his offensive totals to 16 assists and 25 total points in 32 games this season. Not bad for making only $1.1 million this season.
Christan Ehrhoff buried his 5th of the season on a shot from the point that squeaked through the five hole of Jonas Gustavsson. Jannik Hansen picked up an assist on the play for his second point of the game and ninth point of the season. Alexander Edler was also credited with an assist.
The Canucks ended any hope that the Leafs still had on an empty net marker by Henrik Sedin, who fought off two Leaf players to find the net. Despite scoring 27 points, only six of which are goals.
Roberto Luongo received first star honours in a 27-save performance. Ryan Kesler was tonight’s second star with an assist and an outstanding 66.7% success rate at the faceoff circle. A two-assist performance by Kevin Bieksa made him deserving of third star honours.
Toronto struggled mightily on faceoffs tonight, with Tyler Bozak recording the best success rate at only 37%. On a positive note, Clarke MacArthur continued his point streak with another assist, while Phil Kessel appears to be getting back on track. He led all Leaf shooters with six shots on net.
The Leafs will fly back to Toronto tonight and prepare for a Monday night matchup against the Atlanta Thrashers, who are 6-2-2 in their last ten games and currently sit in 2nd in the Eastern Conference. With Jean-Sebastien Giguere currently day-to-day with a pulled groin, Jonas Gustavsson will once against start between the pipes.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Game Day: Leafs vs. Penguins
The Toronto Maple Leafs (10-12-4) are looking for their third straight win tonight as they visit the Pittsburgh Penguins (19-8-2), who have recorded ten straight wins. Despite having both Jordan Staal and Evgeni Malkin on the injured reserve, Pittsburgh has managed to extend its winning streak in large part to the play of Sidney Crosby. The 23-year old centre has recorded 33 points in his past 21 games for a 1.57 points-per-game average. Crosby sits atop the NHL scoring race with 24 goals and 48 points, ahead of both Steven Stamkos and Alex Ovechkin.
Without Dion Phaneuf in the lineup until at least tomorrow, Toronto will have to contain Crosby by committee by ensuring that one of either Francois Beauchemin or Luke Schenn is on the ice against him every shift. Behind him, the Penguins don't have any other dangerous forwards that deserve a special assignment.
The Leafs are hoping that Phil Kessel can snap out of his scoring funk and bring another offensive element to the lineup. Toronto hasn't had concerns with their secondary scoring - Clarke MacArthur, Mikhail Grabovski, Nikolai Kulemin - but desperately needs other players to start contributing.
Jonas Gustavsson with start in net for the Leafs, while Marc-Andre Fleury gets the nod for Pittsburgh. Despite posting a solid 2.75 goals against average, along with a 0.910 save percentage, Gustavsson has only managed 4 wins in 14 games this season due to the lack of support from his teammates. Jean-Sebastien Giguere will serve as the backup tonight while he remains on the sidelines with a groin injury.
Here are tonight's lineups, courtesy of Hockeybuzz.com's Ken Beckett:
Forwards
Colby Armstrong - Phil Kessel - Kris Versteeg
Clarke MacArthur - Mikhail Grabovski - Nikolai Kulemin
Nazem Kadri - Tyler Bozak - Fredrik Sjostrom
Colton Orr - Tim Brent - Jay Rosehill
Ex. John Mitchell
Defense
Tomas Kaberle - Luke Schenn
Francois Beauchemin - Keith Aulie
Carl Gunnarsson - Mike Komisarek
Ex. Brett Lebda
Goalies
Jonas Gustavsson
Jean-Sebastien Giguere
Pittsburgh Penguins
Forwards
Chris Kunitz - Sidney Crosby - Pascal Dupuis
Matt Cooke - Maxime Talbot - Arron Asham
Chris Conner - Mark Letestu - Tyler Kennedy
Michael Rupp - Craig Adams - Eric Godard
Defense
Brooks Orpik - Deryk Engelland
Alex Goligoski - Kris Letang
Paul Martin - Milan Michalek
Goalies
Marc-Andre Fleury
Brent Johnson
Without Dion Phaneuf in the lineup until at least tomorrow, Toronto will have to contain Crosby by committee by ensuring that one of either Francois Beauchemin or Luke Schenn is on the ice against him every shift. Behind him, the Penguins don't have any other dangerous forwards that deserve a special assignment.
The Leafs are hoping that Phil Kessel can snap out of his scoring funk and bring another offensive element to the lineup. Toronto hasn't had concerns with their secondary scoring - Clarke MacArthur, Mikhail Grabovski, Nikolai Kulemin - but desperately needs other players to start contributing.
Jonas Gustavsson with start in net for the Leafs, while Marc-Andre Fleury gets the nod for Pittsburgh. Despite posting a solid 2.75 goals against average, along with a 0.910 save percentage, Gustavsson has only managed 4 wins in 14 games this season due to the lack of support from his teammates. Jean-Sebastien Giguere will serve as the backup tonight while he remains on the sidelines with a groin injury.
Here are tonight's lineups, courtesy of Hockeybuzz.com's Ken Beckett:
Forwards
Colby Armstrong - Phil Kessel - Kris Versteeg
Clarke MacArthur - Mikhail Grabovski - Nikolai Kulemin
Nazem Kadri - Tyler Bozak - Fredrik Sjostrom
Colton Orr - Tim Brent - Jay Rosehill
Ex. John Mitchell
Defense
Tomas Kaberle - Luke Schenn
Francois Beauchemin - Keith Aulie
Carl Gunnarsson - Mike Komisarek
Ex. Brett Lebda
Goalies
Jonas Gustavsson
Jean-Sebastien Giguere
Pittsburgh Penguins
Forwards
Chris Kunitz - Sidney Crosby - Pascal Dupuis
Matt Cooke - Maxime Talbot - Arron Asham
Chris Conner - Mark Letestu - Tyler Kennedy
Michael Rupp - Craig Adams - Eric Godard
Defense
Brooks Orpik - Deryk Engelland
Alex Goligoski - Kris Letang
Paul Martin - Milan Michalek
Goalies
Marc-Andre Fleury
Brent Johnson
Steve Kouleas Joins TSN
Former Score television and radio personality has joined TSN according to numerous reports. Kouleas brings over 20 years of broadcasting experience and will add another asset to an already unparalleled team of broadcasters on TSN. He is expected to make his debut in January 2011, according to Bob McKenzie.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Team USA Announces World Junior Selection Roster
USA Hockey unveiled their 29-man selection camp roster this morning, which includes Leaf prospect Jerry D'Amigo, along with quite a few returning players from last year's gold medal winning squad.
Hockey Canada also announced that Leafs prospect Jesse Blacker has been added to the World Junior Selection Roster to replace the injured Brandon Gormley, who suffered a knee injury last month while playing for the Moncton Wildcats of the QMJHL.
2011 U.S. National Junior Team Preliminary Roster
Pos. Name Ht Wt Birthdate 2010-11 Team (League)
G 1 Jack Campbell^ 6-2 182 1/9/92 Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
G 29 Andy Iles 5-9 180 1/30/92 Cornell Univ. (ECACH)
D 2 Adam Clendening 5-11 190 10/26/92 Boston Univ. (HEA)
D 4 Brian Dumoulin 6-4 210 9/6/91 Boston College (HEA)
D 25 Justin Faulk 5-11 200 3/20/92 Minn. Univ. of Minnesota Duluth(WCHA)
D 7 Derek Forbort 6-5 200 3/4/92 Univ. of North Dakota (WCHA)
D 6 Nick Leddy 5-11 190 3/20/91 Minn. Rockford IceHogs (AHL)
D 12 Jon Merrill 6-3 209 2/3/92 Univ. of Michigan (CCHA)
D 28 Jamie Oleksiak 6-7 240 12/21/92 Northeastern Univ. (HEA)
D 21 John Ramage^ 6-0 201 2/7/91 Univ. of Wisconsin (WCHA)
D 5 Philip Samuelsson 6-2 198 7/26/91 Boston College (HEA)
D 18 Patrick Wey 6-2 205 3/21/91 Pa. Boston College (HEA)
F 27 Nick Bjugstad 6-4 204 7/17/92 Univ. of Minnesota (WCHA)
F 17 Ryan Bourque^ 5-9 164 1/3/91 Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)
F 13 Connor Brickley 6-1 195 2/25/92 Univ. of Vermont (HEA)
F 10 Chris Brown 6-2 194 2/3/91 Texas Univ. of Michigan (CCHA)
F 24 Mitch Callahan 5-11 175 8/17/91 Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
F 3 Charlie Coyle 6-2 207 3/2/92 Boston Univ. (HEA)
F 9 Jerry D'Amigo^ 5-11 213 2/19/91 Toronto Marlies (AHL)
F 26 Emerson Etem 6-1 197 6/16/92 Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
F 14 Rocco Grimaldi 5-6 161 2/8/93 U.S. NTDP U-18 (USHL)
F 19 Chris Kreider^ 6-2 214 4/30/91 Boston College (HEA)
F 11 Jeremy Morin^ 6-1 189 4/16/91 Rockford IceHogs (AHL)
F 8 Brock Nelson 6-3 185 10/15/91 Univ. of North Dakota (WCHA)
F 20 Matt Nieto 6-0 180 11/5/92 Calif. Boston Univ. (HEA)
F 23 Kyle Palmieri^ 5-10 194 2/1/91 N.J. Syracuse Crunch (AHL)
F 22 Brandon Saad 6-2 211 10/27/92 Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
F 15 Drew Shore 6-2 200 1/29/91 Univ. of Denver (WCHA)
F 16 Jason Zucker^ 5-11 180 1/16/92 Nev. Univ. of Denver (WCHA)
Hockey Canada also announced that Leafs prospect Jesse Blacker has been added to the World Junior Selection Roster to replace the injured Brandon Gormley, who suffered a knee injury last month while playing for the Moncton Wildcats of the QMJHL.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Leafs Win Second Straight in 5-4 Shootout Win Over Caps
The Maple Leafs had a dreadful month of November – going 3-7-3 – and loss their captain Dion Phaneuf in the process. Entering November, the Leafs sat 18th overall in the NHL standings with a 5-5-2 record. Since dropping 13 of 16 games, the Leafs currently sit 26th in the standings with 24 points in 26 games.
After a 5-0 blowout loss to the Edmonton Oilers on December 2nd, the Leafs have posted back-to-back shootout wins over the Boston Bruins and eastern conference leading Washington Capitals. After being down 4-1 heading into the third period, Toronto rallied back with three unanswered goals to even the game at one.
Mathieu Perreault opened the scoring at 2:55 of the first period by tipping in a shot from Capitals defenseman Tom Poti for his first goal of the season. Clarke MacArthur answered nine minutes later on the powerplay for the Leafs with a quick wrist shot over the shoulder of Michal Neuvirth. Nikolai Kulemin earned the only assist on the play and his seventh assist of the season.
With the game even at 1-1 towards the end of the first period, Mike Knuble put the Capitals ahead with his fifth of the season, from Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Poti. Mike Komisarek fumbled the puck and gave away the puck, which led to the goal. Midway through the second period, Mathieu Perreault scored his second of the game and season, on a Jay Rosehill giveaway, to give the Caps a comfortable lead.
Capitals enforcer D.J. King stood up for teammate Alex Ovechkin by dropping the gloves with Colton Orr, who took a run at Ovie earlier in the period. King and Orr each connected on a few punches, with Orr getting the decision. The following play, Ovechkin snapped a wrister over Jonas Gustavsson for his twelve goal of the season.
It was a familiar sight for the Leafs to be down heading into the third period, but they proved on Saturday against Boston that they are capable of overcoming a deficit.
Mikhail Grabovski one-timed his sixth of the year on a pass from Tomas Kaberle, who has 13 points this season (all assists). Nikolai Kulemin was credited with the secondary assist – his eighth of the season and second of the contest. Grabovski was rewarded for his solid play throughout the game. His 18 points in 26 games pro-rates to 57 points over an 82-game schedule and would result in a career season for him. Toronto’s flurry of goals continued with two markers 59 seconds apart from Tim Brent and Clarke MacArthur, who scored his second of the game and ninth of the season to force overtime. The game remained 4-4 through an exciting overtime to send the game to a shootout.
The Capitals opted to shoot second, hoping that the odds are on their side. Teams have shoot first this season have only a 35.7 winning percentage. Nazem Kadri, Mikhail Grabovski and Phil Kessel were selected as the Leafs shooters, while Alex Ovechkin, Mathieu Perreault and Alexander Semin shot for Washington.
Kadri walked in and fired a wrist shot into the glove of Michael Neuvirth. Ovechkin was also denied by the glove of Jonas Gustavsson. Mikhail Grabovski beat Neuvirth on a sublimely skilled spinorama move that completely faked out the Capitals goaltender. Gustavsson went on to stop Perreault and Semin, giving him a perfect 3-0 record against the Washington shooters. Phil Kessel deked to the backhand, only to be stopped point blank.
The Leafs never gave up after being down by three goals, despite their dominant play through the first two periods. Games like tonight are excellent confidence builders and are uplifting for a team with no identity. If Toronto can play a tight game against Pittsburgh on Wednesday, they will have a good chance to pull out another victory, especially if they play like tonight and have Dion Phaneuf back in the lineup. The Penguins have won 10 straight games, so a loss has got to come at some point. Why not Wednesday?
Toronto notched their tenth win of the season and second straight to bolster their record to 10-12-4. Following Wednesday’s game versus the Penguins, Toronto will faceoff against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday and Montreal Canadiens on Hockey Night in Canada.
After a 5-0 blowout loss to the Edmonton Oilers on December 2nd, the Leafs have posted back-to-back shootout wins over the Boston Bruins and eastern conference leading Washington Capitals. After being down 4-1 heading into the third period, Toronto rallied back with three unanswered goals to even the game at one.
Mathieu Perreault opened the scoring at 2:55 of the first period by tipping in a shot from Capitals defenseman Tom Poti for his first goal of the season. Clarke MacArthur answered nine minutes later on the powerplay for the Leafs with a quick wrist shot over the shoulder of Michal Neuvirth. Nikolai Kulemin earned the only assist on the play and his seventh assist of the season.
With the game even at 1-1 towards the end of the first period, Mike Knuble put the Capitals ahead with his fifth of the season, from Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Poti. Mike Komisarek fumbled the puck and gave away the puck, which led to the goal. Midway through the second period, Mathieu Perreault scored his second of the game and season, on a Jay Rosehill giveaway, to give the Caps a comfortable lead.
Capitals enforcer D.J. King stood up for teammate Alex Ovechkin by dropping the gloves with Colton Orr, who took a run at Ovie earlier in the period. King and Orr each connected on a few punches, with Orr getting the decision. The following play, Ovechkin snapped a wrister over Jonas Gustavsson for his twelve goal of the season.
It was a familiar sight for the Leafs to be down heading into the third period, but they proved on Saturday against Boston that they are capable of overcoming a deficit.
Mikhail Grabovski one-timed his sixth of the year on a pass from Tomas Kaberle, who has 13 points this season (all assists). Nikolai Kulemin was credited with the secondary assist – his eighth of the season and second of the contest. Grabovski was rewarded for his solid play throughout the game. His 18 points in 26 games pro-rates to 57 points over an 82-game schedule and would result in a career season for him. Toronto’s flurry of goals continued with two markers 59 seconds apart from Tim Brent and Clarke MacArthur, who scored his second of the game and ninth of the season to force overtime. The game remained 4-4 through an exciting overtime to send the game to a shootout.
The Capitals opted to shoot second, hoping that the odds are on their side. Teams have shoot first this season have only a 35.7 winning percentage. Nazem Kadri, Mikhail Grabovski and Phil Kessel were selected as the Leafs shooters, while Alex Ovechkin, Mathieu Perreault and Alexander Semin shot for Washington.
Kadri walked in and fired a wrist shot into the glove of Michael Neuvirth. Ovechkin was also denied by the glove of Jonas Gustavsson. Mikhail Grabovski beat Neuvirth on a sublimely skilled spinorama move that completely faked out the Capitals goaltender. Gustavsson went on to stop Perreault and Semin, giving him a perfect 3-0 record against the Washington shooters. Phil Kessel deked to the backhand, only to be stopped point blank.
The Leafs never gave up after being down by three goals, despite their dominant play through the first two periods. Games like tonight are excellent confidence builders and are uplifting for a team with no identity. If Toronto can play a tight game against Pittsburgh on Wednesday, they will have a good chance to pull out another victory, especially if they play like tonight and have Dion Phaneuf back in the lineup. The Penguins have won 10 straight games, so a loss has got to come at some point. Why not Wednesday?
Toronto notched their tenth win of the season and second straight to bolster their record to 10-12-4. Following Wednesday’s game versus the Penguins, Toronto will faceoff against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday and Montreal Canadiens on Hockey Night in Canada.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Oilers Young Guns Dominate Leafs En Route to 5-0 Win
The Edmonton Oilers continued their east coast dominance tonight, winning their third consecutive game after defeating the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 on Wednesday night and the Ottawa Senators 4-1 on Monday. The Leafs expected to face a tired Oilers team, who were playing their third game in four nights, but were down early on a soft goal by Jordan Eberle. Through the first 40 minutes, the Oilers build a 2-0 lead with only 7 shots on goal.
Taylor Hall skated pass Leaf defenseman Francois Beauchemin and beat Jonas Gustavsson on a backhand shot at 6:24 of the second period. Gustavsson got the pull from head coach Ron Wilson and was replaced by Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who came in cold after sitting on the sidelines for two weeks with an injured groin.
Giguere make a series of solid saves throughout the latter part of the second period and into the third, but could not close out the Oilers offense. Sam Gagner tucked a weak one past Giguere with 3 seconds remaining in the second period to give the Oilers an insurance goal heading into the final frame. The boos reigned down from the visibly disappointed fans at the Air Canada Centre, ranging from ‘Go Oilers Go’ chants to ‘Fire Wilson’.
The Leafs had a few quality scores chances in the third period, but were denied by Nikolai Khabibulan, who played surprisingly well for his lack of action between the pipes for Edmonton. Nikolai Kulemin fired a quick shot towards the Oilers net, but was stopped once again by the Bulin Wall. Taylor Hall sealed the deal with his second goal of the contest and eighth of the season on a beautiful play. Hall fired the puck over Giguere’s shoulder to give the Oil a daunting 4-0 lead. Ryan Jones buried his fifth of the year on a breakaway to cap off the scoring at 17:29 of the third period.
Young Oilers forward Jordan Eberle, Taylor Hall and Sam Gagner combined for 6 points on the night. Hall led the way with 2 goals to bring home first star honours, while Eberle notched 3 points in his first career visit to Toronto. Nikolai Khabibulan was named first star after stopping 33 shots in an outstanding effort.
Toronto’s special teams woes continued in tonight’s losing effort. They went 0-for-5 on the powerplay and currently sit 29th in the league. The blue and white are back at it on Saturday night against the Boston Bruins. Jean-Sebastien Giguere will start between the pipes.
Having gone winless in four games and losing 13 of their past 16, the Leafs desperately need a change of culture and Brian Burke is on the clock to make some sort of move prior to Saturday’s game. Speculation has run rampant that Ron Wilson could be given the pink slip, but it appears that a trade is the more likely route.
Taylor Hall skated pass Leaf defenseman Francois Beauchemin and beat Jonas Gustavsson on a backhand shot at 6:24 of the second period. Gustavsson got the pull from head coach Ron Wilson and was replaced by Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who came in cold after sitting on the sidelines for two weeks with an injured groin.
Giguere make a series of solid saves throughout the latter part of the second period and into the third, but could not close out the Oilers offense. Sam Gagner tucked a weak one past Giguere with 3 seconds remaining in the second period to give the Oilers an insurance goal heading into the final frame. The boos reigned down from the visibly disappointed fans at the Air Canada Centre, ranging from ‘Go Oilers Go’ chants to ‘Fire Wilson’.
The Leafs had a few quality scores chances in the third period, but were denied by Nikolai Khabibulan, who played surprisingly well for his lack of action between the pipes for Edmonton. Nikolai Kulemin fired a quick shot towards the Oilers net, but was stopped once again by the Bulin Wall. Taylor Hall sealed the deal with his second goal of the contest and eighth of the season on a beautiful play. Hall fired the puck over Giguere’s shoulder to give the Oil a daunting 4-0 lead. Ryan Jones buried his fifth of the year on a breakaway to cap off the scoring at 17:29 of the third period.
Young Oilers forward Jordan Eberle, Taylor Hall and Sam Gagner combined for 6 points on the night. Hall led the way with 2 goals to bring home first star honours, while Eberle notched 3 points in his first career visit to Toronto. Nikolai Khabibulan was named first star after stopping 33 shots in an outstanding effort.
Toronto’s special teams woes continued in tonight’s losing effort. They went 0-for-5 on the powerplay and currently sit 29th in the league. The blue and white are back at it on Saturday night against the Boston Bruins. Jean-Sebastien Giguere will start between the pipes.
Having gone winless in four games and losing 13 of their past 16, the Leafs desperately need a change of culture and Brian Burke is on the clock to make some sort of move prior to Saturday’s game. Speculation has run rampant that Ron Wilson could be given the pink slip, but it appears that a trade is the more likely route.
Game Day: Leafs vs. Oilers
The Maple Leafs (8-11-4) are back in action tonight against the Edmonton Oilers (8-12-4) for the first time since March 13th, when the Leafs defeated the Oil 6-4 in a high scoring affair. Phil Kessel led the way for the blue and white with 2 goals and 1 assist.
Toronto is coming off a 4-3 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, in which they continued to receive solid goaltending from Jonas Gustavsson, but a giveaway from Luke Schenn led to a breakaway and deciding goal for Lightning forward Simon Gagne. After losing eight straight games earlier in the season, the Leafs have collected points in 4 of the last 7 games. On the other end of the ice, the Edmonton Oilers, who are currently 15th in the Western Conference, are seeking their third consecutive win tonight.
Ales Hemsky and Ryan Whitney have led the Oilers with 18 points apiece, while rookies Jordan Eberle (15 points) and former Windsor Spitfire Taylor Hall (12 points) sit 5th and 7th respectively in team scoring. Clarke MacArthur holds top honours on the Leafs with 18 points.
Jonas Gustavsson will start his seventh straight game tonight and look to build on his surprisingly low win total of only 3 wins. The team in front of him will need to build an early lead and hold down the fort to reward Gustavsson for his stellar play this season. He is receiving recognition for his efforts, but not results as of late. Nikolai Khabibulan will make his first start for Edmonton since injuring his groin on November 17th against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Here are tonight’s lineups for both teams, courtesy of AM640 reporter Jonas Siegel:
Forwards
Joey Crabb – Mikhail Grabovski – Nikolai Kulemin
Clarke MacArthur – Nazem Kadri – Phil Kessel
Fredrik Sjostrom – Tyler Bozak – Kris Versteeg
Colton Orr – Tim Brent – John Mitchell
Defense
Tomas Kaberle – Luke Schenn
Francois Beauchemin – Mike Komisarek
Brett Lebda – Carl Gunnarsson
Goalies
Jonas Gustavsson
Jean-Sebastien Giguere
Toronto is coming off a 4-3 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, in which they continued to receive solid goaltending from Jonas Gustavsson, but a giveaway from Luke Schenn led to a breakaway and deciding goal for Lightning forward Simon Gagne. After losing eight straight games earlier in the season, the Leafs have collected points in 4 of the last 7 games. On the other end of the ice, the Edmonton Oilers, who are currently 15th in the Western Conference, are seeking their third consecutive win tonight.
Ales Hemsky and Ryan Whitney have led the Oilers with 18 points apiece, while rookies Jordan Eberle (15 points) and former Windsor Spitfire Taylor Hall (12 points) sit 5th and 7th respectively in team scoring. Clarke MacArthur holds top honours on the Leafs with 18 points.
Jonas Gustavsson will start his seventh straight game tonight and look to build on his surprisingly low win total of only 3 wins. The team in front of him will need to build an early lead and hold down the fort to reward Gustavsson for his stellar play this season. He is receiving recognition for his efforts, but not results as of late. Nikolai Khabibulan will make his first start for Edmonton since injuring his groin on November 17th against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Here are tonight’s lineups for both teams, courtesy of AM640 reporter Jonas Siegel:
Forwards
Joey Crabb – Mikhail Grabovski – Nikolai Kulemin
Clarke MacArthur – Nazem Kadri – Phil Kessel
Fredrik Sjostrom – Tyler Bozak – Kris Versteeg
Colton Orr – Tim Brent – John Mitchell
Defense
Tomas Kaberle – Luke Schenn
Francois Beauchemin – Mike Komisarek
Brett Lebda – Carl Gunnarsson
Goalies
Jonas Gustavsson
Jean-Sebastien Giguere
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Giguere and Armstrong Return From Injury; Ross Named to World Junior Selection Camp
Leafs News & Notes
After losing 4-3 in overtime to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, the Leafs received some positive news on the injury front today. They announced that James Reimer was being assigned to the Toronto Marlies – following a two-week stint with the Leafs – to make way for the return of Jean-Sebastien Giguere. Giguere has been cleared to play, but will not make his official return to action until Saturday against the Boston Bruins. Jonas Gustavsson is expected to start his eighth consecutive game tomorrow night when the blue and white tangle with the Edmonton Oilers.
Colby Armstrong will also be back in the lineup Saturday after rehabilitating a finger injury that has kept him out since October 26th. There was some speculation that Nazem Kadri would be scratched or sent back down to the Toronto Marlies to make room for Armstrong, but it appears that there will be no significant roster changes, as Mike Brown was placed on the injured reserve today for up to six weeks with a broken index finger.
Just as things were beginning to swing in the Leafs favour, down goes Brown, who has been the team’s most underrated forward this season. His combination of speed, physicality and penalty killing prowess has been a welcome addition. To put things into perspective, the combined salaries’ of Mike Brown and Colton Orr is $1.575 million. Considering that New York Rangers enforcer Derek Boogaard makes $1.65 million, the Leafs management team has done a fine job of acquiring role players at a low cost. Not that the Orrs and Boogaards of the world are known for their offense, but it is worth noting that Orr has 10 goals since the lockout compared to Boogaard’s lone tally. Yeah, he isn’t 6-foot-7, but Colton Orr tops his counterpart Boogaard in nearly every other aspect of the game.
Ross Named to World Junior Selection Camp
Team Canada announced his 39-man selection camp roster for the upcoming World Junior Championships that are being held between December 26th and January 3rd in Buffalo, New York, over the Christmas holidays. To the surprise of many, only one Maple Leafs prospect – Brad Ross – was chosen to participate in the selection camp. The Portland Winterhawks left winger has 23 points in 20 games this season. The 19-year old was the 18-year old is not a sure fire bet to make the squad, but has something in his favour heading into the camp.
There will be no high-profile names on Canada’s roster, along the lines of Taylor Hall, John Tavares or Sidney Crosby. Many of the players still eligible to play in the tournament are playing leading roles on their respective NHL teams. The only returning players from last year’s silver medal winning team are defenseman Ryan Ellis, Calvin DeHaan and Jared Cowen. The Boston Bruins may release Tyler Seguin, who didn’t make the team last year, but assuming he is not released, the team will be compromised of role players. This bodes well for Ross, who plays a complimentary third line role in the mould of two-time World Junior gold medal winner Stefan Della Rovere. It should be an intriguing story to follow leading up the Boxing Day, when Canada hits the ice in search of their sixth gold medal in seven years.
Other Leaf prospects Greg McKegg and Jesse Blacker, who are having fine seasons in the Ontario Hockey League, were surprise no-shows on the roster. McKegg has 40 points in only 28 games for the Erie Otters, along with two OHL player of the week honours. By contrast, Owen Sound Attack defenseman Blacker is not a defensive standout, but was a darkhorse to make the selection camp roster.
After losing 4-3 in overtime to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, the Leafs received some positive news on the injury front today. They announced that James Reimer was being assigned to the Toronto Marlies – following a two-week stint with the Leafs – to make way for the return of Jean-Sebastien Giguere. Giguere has been cleared to play, but will not make his official return to action until Saturday against the Boston Bruins. Jonas Gustavsson is expected to start his eighth consecutive game tomorrow night when the blue and white tangle with the Edmonton Oilers.
Colby Armstrong will also be back in the lineup Saturday after rehabilitating a finger injury that has kept him out since October 26th. There was some speculation that Nazem Kadri would be scratched or sent back down to the Toronto Marlies to make room for Armstrong, but it appears that there will be no significant roster changes, as Mike Brown was placed on the injured reserve today for up to six weeks with a broken index finger.
Just as things were beginning to swing in the Leafs favour, down goes Brown, who has been the team’s most underrated forward this season. His combination of speed, physicality and penalty killing prowess has been a welcome addition. To put things into perspective, the combined salaries’ of Mike Brown and Colton Orr is $1.575 million. Considering that New York Rangers enforcer Derek Boogaard makes $1.65 million, the Leafs management team has done a fine job of acquiring role players at a low cost. Not that the Orrs and Boogaards of the world are known for their offense, but it is worth noting that Orr has 10 goals since the lockout compared to Boogaard’s lone tally. Yeah, he isn’t 6-foot-7, but Colton Orr tops his counterpart Boogaard in nearly every other aspect of the game.
Ross Named to World Junior Selection Camp
Team Canada announced his 39-man selection camp roster for the upcoming World Junior Championships that are being held between December 26th and January 3rd in Buffalo, New York, over the Christmas holidays. To the surprise of many, only one Maple Leafs prospect – Brad Ross – was chosen to participate in the selection camp. The Portland Winterhawks left winger has 23 points in 20 games this season. The 19-year old was the 18-year old is not a sure fire bet to make the squad, but has something in his favour heading into the camp.
There will be no high-profile names on Canada’s roster, along the lines of Taylor Hall, John Tavares or Sidney Crosby. Many of the players still eligible to play in the tournament are playing leading roles on their respective NHL teams. The only returning players from last year’s silver medal winning team are defenseman Ryan Ellis, Calvin DeHaan and Jared Cowen. The Boston Bruins may release Tyler Seguin, who didn’t make the team last year, but assuming he is not released, the team will be compromised of role players. This bodes well for Ross, who plays a complimentary third line role in the mould of two-time World Junior gold medal winner Stefan Della Rovere. It should be an intriguing story to follow leading up the Boxing Day, when Canada hits the ice in search of their sixth gold medal in seven years.
Other Leaf prospects Greg McKegg and Jesse Blacker, who are having fine seasons in the Ontario Hockey League, were surprise no-shows on the roster. McKegg has 40 points in only 28 games for the Erie Otters, along with two OHL player of the week honours. By contrast, Owen Sound Attack defenseman Blacker is not a defensive standout, but was a darkhorse to make the selection camp roster.
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