Mikhail Grabovski, Nikolai Kulemin and Clarke MacArthur each scored a pair of goals in the Leafs 9-3 routing of the Atlanta Thrashers at the Phillips Arena Friday night. Kris Versteeg and Colby Armstrong also added tallies, while Tomas Kaberle notched four assists from the backend.
Tobias Enstrom opened the scoring on a wrist shot past Leafs goaltender James Reimer for his eighth of the season. Toronto tied the game at 9:43 of the first period when Versteeg snapped his 12th from the top of the circle and went far side on Ondrej Pavelec.
Mikhail Grabovski extended his goal scoring streak – 12 goals in his past 14 games – late in the second period by tucking in his 16th at the side of the Thrashers net on the power play to give the Leafs a 2-1 advantage heading into the second period.
After a slow start to the season and injury troubles, Colby Armstrong has finally regained his form at the mid-point of the season. He buried his fifth of the season, with assists from Versteeg and Kaberle.
Armstrong’s goal was the beginning of the Leafs offensive supremacy over the Thrashers in the second period. Toronto scored five goals within a six-minute span, including three on the man advantage. Nikolai Kulemin finished off his 14th and 15th goals, respectively, with one coming on the power play. MacArthur also had two goals with the extra man and added an assist on Grabovski’s second goal.
Ben Eager received a match penalty for deliberate injury by sucker punching Armstrong in the Leafs defensive end when the Leafs were leading 5-1. On a negative note, Armstrong left the game and did not return. It gave the Leafs a five-minute power play and jumpstarted their dominance over the suddenly not-so ‘Hot’lanta. Eager took an astounding 17 minutes in penalties throughout the game.
Phil Kessel fired a wrist shot between the legs of Chris Mason – who was inserted into the game in relief of Pavelec – to put the Leafs up 9-1 early in the third period.
Atlanta pushed back in the third period with goals by Patrice Cormier and Andrew Ladd. However, it was far too late for any sort of comeback. Cormier sniped his first career NHL goal past Reimer at 14:09 on a turnover by Dion Phaneuf in the defensive zone. Ladd’s goal was his 14th, with assists from Bryan Little and Niclas Bergfors.
Francois Beauchemin recorded his second straight multi-point game with two assists. Carl Gunnarsson, Mike Komisarek and Tyler Bozak also tallied helpers.
The Thrashers outshot Toronto 44-34 overall, including a 20-6 advantage in the third period. Reimer turned aside 41 saves in another impressive appearance by the rookie. He is making a strong case to replace Jean-Sebastien Giguere as the Leafs backup goaltender to Jonas Gustavsson.
Toronto will have a well-deserved two-day break before taking on the Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Center on Monday night. The Leafs conclude their current four-game road trip next Saturday against the Calgary Flames.
Showing posts with label Clarke MacArthur. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Clarke MacArthur. Show all posts
Friday, January 7, 2011
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Leafs Victorious In the Nation's Capital
The Leafs began the new year on a positive note with a convincing 5-1 victory over their division rival Ottawa Senators Saturday night. Looking to erase memories from a disappointing year in 2010, Toronto received balanced scoring from its top two lines and excellent goaltending from an inexperienced freshman in James Reimer.
Clarke MacArthur opened the scoring at 1:57 of the first period, by launching a slap shot from the right circle over Senators goalie Brian Elliott. MacArthur capitalized on a rebound generated from a Tomas Kaberle point shot.
Tyler Bozak gave the Leafs a 2-0 lead midway through the first period on his sixth goal of the season. Phil Kessel started the play at the blueline in the Leafs zone after Ottawa defenseman Erik Karlsson coughed up the puck while entering the zone. Kessel forced a 3-on-2 break and initiated a skilful setup with line mate Joey Crabb.
Three minutes later, Bozak built on the lead with his seventh of the season and second of the game. It was the first multi-goal game of his young career. Joey Crabb and Phil Kessel were credited with the assists. The newly recalled Crabb has four points – all assists – in five games with Toronto this season. Kessel’s assist gives him 11 on the season, along with 14 goals. It was his sixth multi-point effort of the campaign and second time in the past three games.
Elliott was pulled from the Senators net after three Toronto goals within a span of 13 minutes in the first period. Mike Brodeur replaced him in his first appearance with the Sens this season. That did not stop the powerful Toronto attack, which posted two more goals in a two-and-a-half minute span in the second period.
Darryl Boyce banged his first career NHL goal past Brodeur on a rebound from Kris Versteeg. The 26-year old Boyce has only played in three games over his career, notching two points. Despite his injury troubles this season, Boyce earned a call up after Mikhail Grabovski was absent due to his expecting girlfriend.
“It’s just such a weight off my shoulders”, said Boyce. “I didn’t come in here expecting to score goals, but it’s just simple things like shot on net, drive the net, pick up a rebound, it was great.” When asked about playing with linemates Kris Versteeg and Colby Armstrong, Boyce said, “They are great guys to play with... Made it real easy out there.”
Luke Schenn scored his second goal on a point shot that beat Brodeur along the ice. There was traffic in front of the net, which fazed Brodeur on the play. Tomas Kaberle and Nikolai Kulemin earned helpers on the goal.
An ongoing feud between Colton Orr and Chris Neil throughout the game set the scene for a scrap between two hard-nosed players. Orr and Neil squared off at 12:26 of the third period, with the decision going to Orr after unloading a series of right fists on Neil. Both players received a 10-minute misconduct and were ejected from the game.
Senators powerplay quarterback Sergei Gonchar notched his fifth of the season with a solid one-timer from the point on the man advantage, with Erik Karlsson and Daniel Alfredsson getting the assists.
The Senators outshot the Leafs 33-31, including 22-11 through the final 40 minutes. Reimer stopped 32 shots in his first appearance. Of those shots, 26 were even strength, while six were on the powerplay. He came within one save of recording his first shutout in his first career start in front of friends and family in attendance. Brodeur turned aside 12 of 14 shots after relieving Brian Elliott, who only had four saves in the first frame.
“It’s one of the best games I’ve been us play since I’ve been here”, Reimer said after the game.
The Leafs will tangle with the Boston Bruins on Monday night at the Air Canada Centre, in the third meeting of the season between the two teams. Jonas Gustavsson is likely to get the start in net, while Phil Kessel will look to get on the scoresheet against his former team.
Clarke MacArthur opened the scoring at 1:57 of the first period, by launching a slap shot from the right circle over Senators goalie Brian Elliott. MacArthur capitalized on a rebound generated from a Tomas Kaberle point shot.
Tyler Bozak gave the Leafs a 2-0 lead midway through the first period on his sixth goal of the season. Phil Kessel started the play at the blueline in the Leafs zone after Ottawa defenseman Erik Karlsson coughed up the puck while entering the zone. Kessel forced a 3-on-2 break and initiated a skilful setup with line mate Joey Crabb.
Three minutes later, Bozak built on the lead with his seventh of the season and second of the game. It was the first multi-goal game of his young career. Joey Crabb and Phil Kessel were credited with the assists. The newly recalled Crabb has four points – all assists – in five games with Toronto this season. Kessel’s assist gives him 11 on the season, along with 14 goals. It was his sixth multi-point effort of the campaign and second time in the past three games.
Elliott was pulled from the Senators net after three Toronto goals within a span of 13 minutes in the first period. Mike Brodeur replaced him in his first appearance with the Sens this season. That did not stop the powerful Toronto attack, which posted two more goals in a two-and-a-half minute span in the second period.
Darryl Boyce banged his first career NHL goal past Brodeur on a rebound from Kris Versteeg. The 26-year old Boyce has only played in three games over his career, notching two points. Despite his injury troubles this season, Boyce earned a call up after Mikhail Grabovski was absent due to his expecting girlfriend.
“It’s just such a weight off my shoulders”, said Boyce. “I didn’t come in here expecting to score goals, but it’s just simple things like shot on net, drive the net, pick up a rebound, it was great.” When asked about playing with linemates Kris Versteeg and Colby Armstrong, Boyce said, “They are great guys to play with... Made it real easy out there.”
Luke Schenn scored his second goal on a point shot that beat Brodeur along the ice. There was traffic in front of the net, which fazed Brodeur on the play. Tomas Kaberle and Nikolai Kulemin earned helpers on the goal.
An ongoing feud between Colton Orr and Chris Neil throughout the game set the scene for a scrap between two hard-nosed players. Orr and Neil squared off at 12:26 of the third period, with the decision going to Orr after unloading a series of right fists on Neil. Both players received a 10-minute misconduct and were ejected from the game.
Senators powerplay quarterback Sergei Gonchar notched his fifth of the season with a solid one-timer from the point on the man advantage, with Erik Karlsson and Daniel Alfredsson getting the assists.
The Senators outshot the Leafs 33-31, including 22-11 through the final 40 minutes. Reimer stopped 32 shots in his first appearance. Of those shots, 26 were even strength, while six were on the powerplay. He came within one save of recording his first shutout in his first career start in front of friends and family in attendance. Brodeur turned aside 12 of 14 shots after relieving Brian Elliott, who only had four saves in the first frame.
“It’s one of the best games I’ve been us play since I’ve been here”, Reimer said after the game.
The Leafs will tangle with the Boston Bruins on Monday night at the Air Canada Centre, in the third meeting of the season between the two teams. Jonas Gustavsson is likely to get the start in net, while Phil Kessel will look to get on the scoresheet against his former team.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Leafs End Calendar Year on a Losing Note
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.
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.
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.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
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, October 13, 2010
Leafs Defeat Pens for Best Start Since 1999
The Maple Leafs continued their winning ways tonight with a 4-3 decision over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tonight's win gives the Leafs a 3-0 record, which is their best start to the season since 1999 when they finished first in the Northeast Division with 45 wins and 100 points.
Clarke MacArthur led the way with 2 goals to bring his current total to 4 goals, which ties him for first in the entire NHL. Colton Orr and Francois Beauchemin both contributed by each scoring their first goal of the season.
Orr opened the scoring at 5:18 of the first period by tipping in a shot by Luke Schenn. Pittsburgh forward Chris Kunitz responded six minutes later with his first of the season from Evgeni Malkin and Alex Goligoski. Maxime Talbot gave the Penguins a 2-1 lead in the final minutes of the first period, on a wrist shot from Matt Cooke and Tyler Kennedy.
Clarke MacArthur evened the game at 2-2 after scoring his third of the season, with assists from Tomas Kaberle and Dion Phaneuf. Francois Beauchemin gave the Leafs their first lead of the game on a slapshot from the blueline through traffic. MacArthur tipped in his second of the game on a no-look pass from Mikhail Grabovski to give the blue and white a comfortable lead. Mike Brown’s aggressive forecheck created the scoring opportunity for MacArthur.
At 19:16 of the second period, Penguins forward Sidney Crosby beat Jonas Gustavsson on a backhander to bring the score to 4-3 after 40 minutes.
The Leafs controlled the game with overall team speed and pursuit of the puck. Toronto’s first line didn’t have an impact on the score sheet, but their second and third lines played hard all game.
Colton Orr left the game midway through the second period after being shaken up in a fight with Deryk Engelland of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The rookie Engelland connected with a punch to Orr’s jaw, which knocked him down to the ice.
Jonas Gustavsson earned his first win of the season, stopping 22 shots for a %0.880 save percentage. Marc-Andre Fleury had only 10 saves in a losing effort. Jean-Sebastien Giguere is expected to start Friday’s game against the New York Rangers.
Clarke MacArthur led the way with 2 goals to bring his current total to 4 goals, which ties him for first in the entire NHL. Colton Orr and Francois Beauchemin both contributed by each scoring their first goal of the season.
Orr opened the scoring at 5:18 of the first period by tipping in a shot by Luke Schenn. Pittsburgh forward Chris Kunitz responded six minutes later with his first of the season from Evgeni Malkin and Alex Goligoski. Maxime Talbot gave the Penguins a 2-1 lead in the final minutes of the first period, on a wrist shot from Matt Cooke and Tyler Kennedy.
Clarke MacArthur evened the game at 2-2 after scoring his third of the season, with assists from Tomas Kaberle and Dion Phaneuf. Francois Beauchemin gave the Leafs their first lead of the game on a slapshot from the blueline through traffic. MacArthur tipped in his second of the game on a no-look pass from Mikhail Grabovski to give the blue and white a comfortable lead. Mike Brown’s aggressive forecheck created the scoring opportunity for MacArthur.
At 19:16 of the second period, Penguins forward Sidney Crosby beat Jonas Gustavsson on a backhander to bring the score to 4-3 after 40 minutes.
The Leafs controlled the game with overall team speed and pursuit of the puck. Toronto’s first line didn’t have an impact on the score sheet, but their second and third lines played hard all game.
Colton Orr left the game midway through the second period after being shaken up in a fight with Deryk Engelland of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The rookie Engelland connected with a punch to Orr’s jaw, which knocked him down to the ice.
Jonas Gustavsson earned his first win of the season, stopping 22 shots for a %0.880 save percentage. Marc-Andre Fleury had only 10 saves in a losing effort. Jean-Sebastien Giguere is expected to start Friday’s game against the New York Rangers.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Clarke MacArthur 2010-11 Preview
The Maple Leafs were expected to acquire at least one first line winger during the off season, either through trade or free agency, however they opted for a more inexpensive, unproven player in Clarke MacArthur. He was signed to a one-year, $1.1 million deal on August 28th, following the Atlanta Thrashers decision to walk away from his $2.4 million arbitration award.The 5-foot-11, 190-pound forward scored 35 points in 81 games last season, so a $1.1 million salary is relatively cheap for a player of his ilk. Considering his average ice time last season (14:39) and his age (25 years old), MacArthur should be on to produce upwards of 40 points in a top six role for the Leafs. One area that MacArthur must improve was his dismal -16 plus/minus rating last season.
MacArthur is a responsible two-way player with solid offensive instincts, but struggles with consistency. For him to find consistent success, Ron Wilson should pair MacArthur with a playmaking centre, such as Mikhail Grabovski, who can feed the puck to Clarke and create more scoring chances.
The native of Lloydminster, Alberta was perhaps the best dollar-for-dollar signing in the off season. The majority of 40-45 point players are making well over $2 million per season, so the Leafs have a potential steal who can add another element to the team’s already formidable group of forwards. Tyler Bozak will likely centre the top line alongside Phil Kessel and Kris Versteeg, while Mikhail Grabovski will play on the second line with Clarke MacArthur and Nikolai Kulemin.
If MacArthur manages to stay consistent throughout the season, Leaf fans with be crediting Brian Burke with waiting until the latter part of August to sign MacArthur, as opposed to overspending for a veteran player on July 1st. There is no indication that MacArthur will be part of Toronto’s long term plans, but his offensive presence in the interim will help contribute to the Leafs pursuit of regaining respectability.
2009-10 Statistics
81 games, 16 goals, 19 assists, 35 points, 49 penalty minutes
2010-11 Prediction
79 games, 18 goals, 22 assists, 40 points, 32 penalty mintutes
3 Burning Questions
1 – Do you think the Leafs got fair value for MacArthur at $1.1 million this season?
2 – Can MacArthur top the 40-point plateau in a top six role or is he better suited as a third line winger?
3 – Would you rather MacArthur get top six minutes or a younger player including the likes of Luca Caputi or Marcel Mueller?
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Saturday Morning Coffee
Good morning everyone! Welcome to the first edition of Saturday Morning Coffee; where we bring you links to the most interesting blogs, videos and interviews from around the web. This will be a weekly column aimed at giving fans a summary of the previous week and something to read on a Saturday morning while drinking your favourite beverage (for those wondering, the Leafs mug above is currently listed on eBay). For casual fans who are interested in following the team, but would rather have a summary of what has happened, this column will provide you with that. Without further ago, here are your links in a headache-resistant neon blue:- Maple Leafs Hotstove's Joe Cino takes a look at the Marlies Forward Prospects in 2010.
- SkinnyFish over at Pension Plan Puppets is tired about the constant hate for Mikhail Grabovski.
- Maple Stir-up approves of the Clarke MacArthur signing and answers some questions surrounding the Leafs.
- Leafs HQ summarizes the Leafs recent transactions, takes a look at some of the happenings around the league and is giving away Leafs jerseys.
- The NHL and NHLPA have agreed on new contract rules and approved Ilya Kovalchuk's 15 year, $100 million contract with the New Jersey Devils.
- The Toronto Star showcases the top prospects - including Nazem Kadri - who posed for their 2010-11 rookie hockey cards. The Star also takes a look at Tyler Bozak's off season and expectations for the upcoming season.
- Newly opened Real Sports Bar and Grill, located next to the Air Canada Centre, was named America's Best Sports Bar by ESPN (yes, I voted two to three times a day).
- The Leafs unveiled a new centre ice design with Canadian flags along the centre red line.
- Leafs President and GM Brian Burke had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of flying in a Snowbird with the Royal Canadian Air Force.
THE FAN 590's Howard Berger interviewed the likes of new-Leaf Clarke MacArthur, blue and white hopeful Nazem Kadri, Phil Kessel and interview with Tyler Bozak and Mike Komisarek. Some interesting tidbits from those interviews about each player's training in the off season and expectations for the upcoming season.
That's it for the first edition of the Saturday Morning Coffee. Feel free to send a link to your blog or video if you think it should be featured in this column. Send your link to info@leafsnationonline.com, message it to us on Twitter or post it in the comments section below. Enjoy your Labour Day Weekend!
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