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 Phil Kessel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Phil Kessel. Show all posts
Friday, January 7, 2011
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Leafs Singing the Blues in Shootout Win Over St. Louis
The Toronto Maple Leafs looked to snap a four-game losing streak at home tonight as they welcomed the St. Louis Blues to town. It was the first meeting between the two teams since February 12, 2009 and the Blues first visit to Toronto since October 13, 2008. St. Louis has won the last two games by a combined score of 9-4.
Neither team is known for its offense, especially considering the Blues only have two players who have scoring in the double digits in goals. Both teams exploded for 10 goals in total, including the shootout winner by Tyler Bozak.
Phil Kessel regained his early season form with two goals on the night, while fellow forwards Kris Versteeg and Colby Armstrong had a goal and an assist each, and defenceman Francois Beauchemin had a pair of assists.
Armstrong opened the scoring 15 seconds into the game after Versteeg’s wrist shot deflected off his back. The goal won’t be appearing on the highlight reels anytime in the near future, but it gave the Leafs the early start that they have been struggling to accomplish this season. Darryl Boyce was also credited with an assist, to give him two helpers on the season and three points in total.
The Blues responded just three-and-a-half minutes later when ex-Maple Leaf Alex Steen fired a low, quick shot past Jonas Gustavsson for his team-leading 14th goal of the season.
Later in the first, David Backes built on the Blues lead by capitalizing on a rebound for his 11th goal of the season and second point of the game at 9:46. Matt D’Agostini created the play that led to a glaring rebound by Gustavsson.
Mikhail Grabovski continued his excellent play by sniping his team-leading 15th goal and his 10th goal in his past 13 games. Fellow forward Clarke MacArthur dished the puck to Grabovski in the slot to earn his 20th assist
The offense came in droves as Versteeg and Kessel scored within two minutes of one another midway through the second period to continue the Leafs hard fought comeback over St. Louis.
Armstrong won a battle behind the Blues net and set up a well-positioned Versteeg, who was untouched in the slot. Following Kessel’s goal, Jaroslav Halak was pulled after surrendering four goals on 20 shots. Backup goalie Ty Conklin — who stopped 11 of 12 Leafs shots in the contest — came in to relieve Halak.
The goaltending chance didn’t stop the Leafs’ offensive outburst. Kessel scored his second of the game and 16th of the season on a breakaway by snapping the puck under Conklin’s arm. Kessel has seven points in his past five games and his two-goal effort gives him the sole possession of the team lead.
Leafs coach Ron Wilson emphasized that the Leafs needed to built a multiple goal lead heading into the second intermission, so they could avoid suffering another comeback at the hands of sloppy third period play.
In a comeback reminiscent of the Team Canada breakdown last night at the World Junior Championships, the Leafs surrendered three goals — from Brad Winchester, Eric Brewer and Matt D’Agostini — in a seven minute span to force overtime.
After regulation, the Blues outshot the Leafs, 44-31. After a scoreless overtime, St. Louis took a 2-1 lead in the shootout on goals by Steen and Brad Boyes. Grabovski tied it with a spinorama move that will surely be talked about and replayed for days to come. Timely saves in the shootout by Gustavsson on D’Agostini and Boyes, along with goals from Versteeg and Bozak lifted the Leafs to their 15th win of the season.
Despite the meltdown in the third period, the Leafs had a strong start to tonight’s game and received balance scoring from all of its forwards. Luke Schenn and Mike Komisarek were solid on defence, with consistent physical play and shot blocking throughout the game. The Leafs managed to be physical without taking any undisciplined penalties as Dion Phaneuf took the Leafs only penalty of the game when he was called for hooking at 4:48 of the second period. Gustavsson looked shaky at times and appeared to fight the puck, but he stepped up when it mattered in the shootout.
Toronto flies out tonight following the game to Atlanta for a meeting with the Thrashers Friday night. The Thrashers won the last meeting between the two teams, 6-3, on December 20th in Toronto. Wilson has yet to announce his starting goaltender for the game.
Neither team is known for its offense, especially considering the Blues only have two players who have scoring in the double digits in goals. Both teams exploded for 10 goals in total, including the shootout winner by Tyler Bozak.
Phil Kessel regained his early season form with two goals on the night, while fellow forwards Kris Versteeg and Colby Armstrong had a goal and an assist each, and defenceman Francois Beauchemin had a pair of assists.
Armstrong opened the scoring 15 seconds into the game after Versteeg’s wrist shot deflected off his back. The goal won’t be appearing on the highlight reels anytime in the near future, but it gave the Leafs the early start that they have been struggling to accomplish this season. Darryl Boyce was also credited with an assist, to give him two helpers on the season and three points in total.
The Blues responded just three-and-a-half minutes later when ex-Maple Leaf Alex Steen fired a low, quick shot past Jonas Gustavsson for his team-leading 14th goal of the season.
Later in the first, David Backes built on the Blues lead by capitalizing on a rebound for his 11th goal of the season and second point of the game at 9:46. Matt D’Agostini created the play that led to a glaring rebound by Gustavsson.
Mikhail Grabovski continued his excellent play by sniping his team-leading 15th goal and his 10th goal in his past 13 games. Fellow forward Clarke MacArthur dished the puck to Grabovski in the slot to earn his 20th assist
The offense came in droves as Versteeg and Kessel scored within two minutes of one another midway through the second period to continue the Leafs hard fought comeback over St. Louis.
Armstrong won a battle behind the Blues net and set up a well-positioned Versteeg, who was untouched in the slot. Following Kessel’s goal, Jaroslav Halak was pulled after surrendering four goals on 20 shots. Backup goalie Ty Conklin — who stopped 11 of 12 Leafs shots in the contest — came in to relieve Halak.
The goaltending chance didn’t stop the Leafs’ offensive outburst. Kessel scored his second of the game and 16th of the season on a breakaway by snapping the puck under Conklin’s arm. Kessel has seven points in his past five games and his two-goal effort gives him the sole possession of the team lead.
Leafs coach Ron Wilson emphasized that the Leafs needed to built a multiple goal lead heading into the second intermission, so they could avoid suffering another comeback at the hands of sloppy third period play.
In a comeback reminiscent of the Team Canada breakdown last night at the World Junior Championships, the Leafs surrendered three goals — from Brad Winchester, Eric Brewer and Matt D’Agostini — in a seven minute span to force overtime.
After regulation, the Blues outshot the Leafs, 44-31. After a scoreless overtime, St. Louis took a 2-1 lead in the shootout on goals by Steen and Brad Boyes. Grabovski tied it with a spinorama move that will surely be talked about and replayed for days to come. Timely saves in the shootout by Gustavsson on D’Agostini and Boyes, along with goals from Versteeg and Bozak lifted the Leafs to their 15th win of the season.
Despite the meltdown in the third period, the Leafs had a strong start to tonight’s game and received balance scoring from all of its forwards. Luke Schenn and Mike Komisarek were solid on defence, with consistent physical play and shot blocking throughout the game. The Leafs managed to be physical without taking any undisciplined penalties as Dion Phaneuf took the Leafs only penalty of the game when he was called for hooking at 4:48 of the second period. Gustavsson looked shaky at times and appeared to fight the puck, but he stepped up when it mattered in the shootout.
Toronto flies out tonight following the game to Atlanta for a meeting with the Thrashers Friday night. The Thrashers won the last meeting between the two teams, 6-3, on December 20th in Toronto. Wilson has yet to announce his starting goaltender for the game.
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.
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
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
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Game Day: Leafs vs. Senators
The Maple Leafs (5-4-1) take on the Ottawa Senators tonight (4-6-1) in this season’s second chapter of the Battle of Ontario. Phil Kessel and the Leafs dominated the Senators en route to winning 5-1 in the first meeting of the season between these two teams on October 9th. Toronto has lost two straight games after starting the season with a 4-0-0 record. Ottawa has been inconsistent thus far, but won back-to-back games over the Phoenix Coyotes and Florida Panthers last week.
The Leafs have gone 1-4-1 in their past six games and have only 7 goals in the process. In an attempt to spread out the offense, head coach Ron Wilson has promoted Luca Caputi to the first line alongside Tyler Bozak and Phil Kessel. Caputi has played an average of 12:46 minutes per game in 2 appearances with the Leafs this season, while recording 5 shots on net. He will be expected to create space for Phil Kessel and provide a big-body presence in front of the net.
Wilson is expected to ice the same second line consisting of Mikhail Grabovski between Nikolai Kulemin and Clarke MacArthur. The line has combined for 18 points in 10 games, but has struggled to find balanced scoring. MacArthur is second on the Leafs with 6 goals, Nikolai Kulemin has one and Grabovski remains scoreless.
Come tomorrow night, the Leafs third line will be the most intriguing. Tim Brent will centre Mike Brown and Kris Versteeg. Brent and Brown have fulfilled their respective roles over the first month of the season, but Versteeg hasn’t lived up to his billing, with only 2 points in 9 games. Playing on the third line is nothing new for him, as he played parts of the season in the bottom six with the Chicago Blackhawks last year. He should, however, be playing a prominent offensive role on a thin group of forwards in Toronto.
Phil Kessel will be counted on heavily tomorrow night and expected to score against the Senators, who he has posted goals in all six games versus the Senators last season. He is currently tied with Alex Ovechkin, Daniel Sedin and Marian Hossa for fourth overall in the NHL with 7 goals.
On the other end, the Senators are once again being anchored by captain Daniel Alfredsson, who has 12 points in 11 games this season. Sergei Gonchar is second on the team in points with 6 assists. Ottawa has had inconsistent secondary scoring, with only 3 goals from Alexei Kovalev, 1 goal from Jason Spezza and none thus far from Nick Foligno.
Brian Elliott’s shaky play in the early goings of the season are in part due to the loss of Anton Volchenkov, but also the overall inconsistent play of the Senators defense. His 3.39 goals-against-average and 0.890 SV% ranks 35th and 34th in the league. The Senators defense has a combined -18 over the first 11 games of the season.
Here are tonight's lineups for both teams:
Toronto Maple Leafs Lines
Forwards
Luca Caputi – Tyler Bozak – Phil Kessel
Nikolai Kulemin – Mikhail Grabovski – Clarke MacArthur
Mike Brown – Tim Brent – Kris Versteeg
Fredrik Sjostrom – Christian Hanson – Colton Orr
Ex. John Mitchell
Defense
Francois Beauchemin – Dion Phaneuf
Tomas Kaberle – Luke Schenn
Carl Gunnarsson – Mike Komisarek
Ex. Brett Lebda
Goalies
Forwards
Luca Caputi – Tyler Bozak – Phil Kessel
Nikolai Kulemin – Mikhail Grabovski – Clarke MacArthur
Mike Brown – Tim Brent – Kris Versteeg
Fredrik Sjostrom – Christian Hanson – Colton Orr
Ex. John Mitchell
Defense
Francois Beauchemin – Dion Phaneuf
Tomas Kaberle – Luke Schenn
Carl Gunnarsson – Mike Komisarek
Ex. Brett Lebda
Goalies
Jean-Sebastien Giguere
Jonas Gustavsson
Ottawa Senators Lines
Forwards
Peter Regin – Jason Spezza – Alexei Kovalev
Nick Foligno – Mike Fisher – Daniel Alfredsson
Jarkko Ruutu – Chris Kelly – Chris Neil
Zack Smith – Jesse Winchester – Ryan Shannon
Defense
Ottawa Senators Lines
Forwards
Peter Regin – Jason Spezza – Alexei Kovalev
Nick Foligno – Mike Fisher – Daniel Alfredsson
Jarkko Ruutu – Chris Kelly – Chris Neil
Zack Smith – Jesse Winchester – Ryan Shannon
Defense
Chris Campoli - Sergei Gonchar
Chris Phillips - Erik Karlsson
David Hale - Matt Carkner
Goalies
Brian Elliott
Pascal Leclaire
The game gets underway at 7:00 pm on Rogers Sportsnet and can be heard on AM 640 in Toronto.
Goalies
Brian Elliott
Pascal Leclaire
The game gets underway at 7:00 pm on Rogers Sportsnet and can be heard on AM 640 in Toronto.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Leafs Drop 2-1 Decision to Islanders for First Loss of the Season
The Leafs four game win streak to start the season came to an end tonight against the New York Islanders. Both teams showed tremendous speed and poise, but the Islanders pulled out the win on the reliable play of goaltender Dwayne Roloson and by capitalizing on a few lucky breaks.
Matt Moulson opened the scoring for the Islanders at 2:17 of the second period after a beautiful pass from linemate Frans Nielsen. Moulson roofed the puck after beating Jean-Sebastien Giguere on a backhander. Several minutes later, Dion Phaneuf fired a puck on goal from the slot, which was batted out of the air by Kris Versteeg and shot into the net past Roloson. The goal was immediately waived off after it was ruled as a high stick.
The Isles played a cautious third period, leaving one forward high and the other two forwards in the neutral zone, to limit the Leafs bid to create scoring opportunities. Toronto maintained attack, led by the breakout by Dion Phaneuf to move the puck up the ice. The Leafs defence anchored the play for the majority of the game at both ends of the ice.
Midway through the third period, Colby Armstrong jumped on a loss puck behind the Islanders net and banged the puck past Dwayne Roloson, but couldn’t beat the post. The puck slide across the goal line and was scooped out by John Tavares. Upon review, the goal did not cross the line, but it appeared that Tavares covered his hand over the puck. The Islanders still led 1-0 with half of the third period to play.
Toronto had several chances to get the puck past Roloson, but he continued to shut the door. However, with just over two minutes remaining in the third, Phil Kessel snapped the puck between Roloson’s five hole to even the game at 1-1 on a powerplay goal to force overtime.
Brett Lebda took a goaltender inference penalty 3:07 into the overtime frame, giving the Islanders a 4-on-3 advantage. Leafs goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere had a couple of nice saves in the early minutes of overtime, but couldn’t stop a powerful one-time shot from John Tavares 3:26 into the overtime period. Islanders forward P.A. Parenteau fed Tavares with a crisp pass to set him up for a perfect shot to give his team a 2-1 win over the Leafs. Tavares has 5 points in 5 games played at the Air Canada Centre over his first two NHL seasons.
Dwayne Roloson also continued his excellent play in Toronto, stopping 29 of 30 shots. He also had two fortunate breaks on disallowed goals to Kris Versteeg and Colby Armstrong.
Leaf fans will be cringing after watching their team suffer their first loss of the season. Many positives can be taken out of tonight’s game, including the impressive play from Dion Phaneuf and Luke Schenn on the backend. Toronto’s third and fourth lines also continued their success on the special teams by killing off two of three penalties. Despite the loss, the Leafs still hold the number one seed in the Northeast Division and Eastern Conference.
Toronto has two days off before facing the New York Rangers on Thursday at the Air Canada Centre. Jonas Gustavsson is expected to get the start in net for Toronto.
Matt Moulson opened the scoring for the Islanders at 2:17 of the second period after a beautiful pass from linemate Frans Nielsen. Moulson roofed the puck after beating Jean-Sebastien Giguere on a backhander. Several minutes later, Dion Phaneuf fired a puck on goal from the slot, which was batted out of the air by Kris Versteeg and shot into the net past Roloson. The goal was immediately waived off after it was ruled as a high stick.
The Isles played a cautious third period, leaving one forward high and the other two forwards in the neutral zone, to limit the Leafs bid to create scoring opportunities. Toronto maintained attack, led by the breakout by Dion Phaneuf to move the puck up the ice. The Leafs defence anchored the play for the majority of the game at both ends of the ice.
Midway through the third period, Colby Armstrong jumped on a loss puck behind the Islanders net and banged the puck past Dwayne Roloson, but couldn’t beat the post. The puck slide across the goal line and was scooped out by John Tavares. Upon review, the goal did not cross the line, but it appeared that Tavares covered his hand over the puck. The Islanders still led 1-0 with half of the third period to play.
Toronto had several chances to get the puck past Roloson, but he continued to shut the door. However, with just over two minutes remaining in the third, Phil Kessel snapped the puck between Roloson’s five hole to even the game at 1-1 on a powerplay goal to force overtime.
Brett Lebda took a goaltender inference penalty 3:07 into the overtime frame, giving the Islanders a 4-on-3 advantage. Leafs goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere had a couple of nice saves in the early minutes of overtime, but couldn’t stop a powerful one-time shot from John Tavares 3:26 into the overtime period. Islanders forward P.A. Parenteau fed Tavares with a crisp pass to set him up for a perfect shot to give his team a 2-1 win over the Leafs. Tavares has 5 points in 5 games played at the Air Canada Centre over his first two NHL seasons.
Dwayne Roloson also continued his excellent play in Toronto, stopping 29 of 30 shots. He also had two fortunate breaks on disallowed goals to Kris Versteeg and Colby Armstrong.
Leaf fans will be cringing after watching their team suffer their first loss of the season. Many positives can be taken out of tonight’s game, including the impressive play from Dion Phaneuf and Luke Schenn on the backend. Toronto’s third and fourth lines also continued their success on the special teams by killing off two of three penalties. Despite the loss, the Leafs still hold the number one seed in the Northeast Division and Eastern Conference.
Toronto has two days off before facing the New York Rangers on Thursday at the Air Canada Centre. Jonas Gustavsson is expected to get the start in net for Toronto.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Nikolai Kulemin 2010-11 Preview
The Leafs don’t have any legitimate first line scorers – with the exception of Phil Kessel – so secondary players like Nikolai Kulemin are expected to step up and fill the void. The 24-year old left winger is entering his third NHL season, after posting back-to-back campaigns of at least 30 points. The Leafs are banking on Kulemin to top the 20 goal, 45 point mark playing on the first two lines.Like many of the players on Toronto, Kulemin was slow out of the gate last season and only scored 3 points in his first 15 games. He elevated his play by doubling his pace to 6 points in the preceding 15 games. Then he had 8 points in the next 15 games for a total of 17 points in 45 games. Based on these figures, Kulemin was on pace for 31 goals pro-rated (82 games). However, he finished with 36 points, which shows just how well he played in the second half. If Kulemin can continue his upward progression to start this season, he can realistically be expected to score between 40 and 45 points.
Along with his offensive abilities, Kulemin also prides himself in being a complete player by contributing on the penalty kill, where he averaged 1:14 of shorthanded ice time per game last season. He also scored 1 shorthanded goals. Those numbers don’t jump off the page, but looking deeper at another stat explains where Kulemin is most effective. Last season, he took only 5 penalties and drew 23 from the opposition. Those numbers led the Leafs for the best penalties taken/drawn ratio.
The 6-foot-1, 225 pound power forward uses his large frame to overpower opponents in the corners and forecheck the opposition on both special teams. He will never be expected to score on a point-per-game pace, but makes up for that with his exceptional two-way play.
Head Coach Ron Wilson has already stated that Kulemin will start the season alongside Tyler Bozak and Phil Kessel. This is a potential method for success based on the results that the trio produced in the final 30 games last season. Kulemin has started off slow the past two seasons, so the Leafs hope he can right the ship by playing with familiar linemates.
With two years of experience under his belt, Nikolai Kulemin is finally settling into Toronto and is poised to breakout into one of the best two-way forwards in the league.
2009-10 Statistics
78 games, 16 goals, 20 assists, 36 points, 16 penalty minutes
2010-11 Prediction
79 games, 24 goals, 21 assists, 45 points, 20 penalty minutes
3 Burning Questions
1 – Do you think Kulemin will start on a line with Tyler Bozak and Phil Kessel to replicate the success they had last season?
2 – How many points do you think Kulemin will score this year?
3 – Can Kulemin have a better start this season after starting slow last year?
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Kris Versteeg 2010-11 Preview
Kris Versteeg was acquired to provide versatility and a dose of edge in a top six role for the Leafs. He comes from Chicago with a winning resume; which includes a Calder Trophy nominee, Stanley Cup ring and impressive lyrical skills (wait, does that count?). He has also posted back-to-back twenty goal seasons and has tallied 26 points (10 goals, 16 assists) in 39 playoff games.Despite being only 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, Versteeg is known to mix it up in the corners and is not afraid to play on the edge. His two-way instincts put him in a good position to play a prominent role on both special teams for the Leafs. Versteeg played a supporting role with the Blackhawks last season, sliding between the second and third lines. In Toronto, he will be counted on to play between 17 to 19 minutes per game, compared to his 15 to 16 minutes per game average last season.
With his ice time expected to increase by two or three minutes, a 25 goal, 55 point season is not out of the question. Some are even projecting Versteeg to hit the 60 point barrier if he plays on the first line alongside Phil Kessel. Either way, his offensive skills are his best asset and his edginess makes up for his lack of size.
Versteeg was shifted around throughout the regular season and playoffs by Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville and played with a variety of players in the process. This shows his versatility and ability to develop chemistry with all types of players. In the early stages of the season, expect Versteeg to audition with every player, but eventually settle into a second line scoring role alongside either Nazem Kadri or Mikhail Grabovski at centre. Versteeg typically played with Andrew Ladd last season, so playing with a player like Nikolai Kulemin would give him a similar fit.
On the other hand, the Leafs will be able to max his potential playing with Tyler Bozak and Phil Kessel on the first line. This option will more likely come to fruition down the stretch when the team is fighting to make the playoffs. However, the trio will likely be separated for the majority of the season to keep the scoring balance on an already thin group of forwards.
The Leafs organization is banking on Kris Versteeg to follow up from last season’s success and bring his wealth of experience to a playoff atmosphere. He is only 24 years old, but will provide a calming influence in big games for some of the younger players who were playing bantam hockey the last time the Leafs made the playoffs.
2009-10 Statistics
79 games, 20 goals, 24 assists, 44 points, 35 penalty minutes
2010-11 Prediction
82 games, 25 goals, 33 assists, 58 points, 31 penalty minutes
3 Burning Questions
1 – Will Kris Versteeg start the season on the Maple Leafs first line?
2 – How many points do you think Versteeg will score this season?
3 – Will his wealth of talent and experience in big games help propel the Leafs into the playoffs?
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Phil Kessel 2010-11 Preview
It was just under a year ago that the Leafs sent two first round picks and a second to the Boston Bruins in exchange for 21-year old sniper Phil Kessel. Fast forward one year later, Kessel is entering his second season with the Leafs with high expectations for himself. After posting back-to-be seasons with at least 30 goals, Kessel will be counted on to top the 40 mark to give the Leafs a chance of making the playoffs.Kessel scored a modest 55 points last season in only 70 games, so a significant point increase is to be expected. However, those are quality numbers for missing training camp and the first month of the season. The 6-foot, 190 pound winger started strong out of the gate last season with an impressive 5 goals and 8 points in his first 7 games. He continued his strong play throughout November and into December, although his production significantly dropped off after December 18th, in which he went pointless in six straight games and then only 2 goals in 21 games.
Kessel regained his scoring touch in mid-January last season and maintained a steady pace throughout the remainder of the schedule, although often looked tired after shifts last season as he skated back to the bench. Appearing to wear down over the course of 70 games, Kessel will significantly benefit from a productive off season of working himself back into game shape. His first training camp in Toronto will prove as a beginning step to a successful and productive season. He can no longer cite his lack of preparation due to missing training camp in 2009 as a reason for not playing up to standards.
The acquisition of Dion Phaneuf last January helped the team in more ways than one. As seen towards the latter part of the season, teams are assigning their penalty killers to cover Phaneuf on the blueline, which leaves Kessel open on the half boards. Kessel will be relied on to improve his numbers on the powerplay this season and salvage the Leafs special teams out from the basement of the National Hockey League.
Depending on Ron Wilson’s impression of the Leafs in training camp, Kessel may or may not start the season on a line with Nikolai Kulemin and Tyler Bozak. The trio produced last season and may bode well to start the season on an enhanced Leafs forward group. The additions of Kris Versteeg, Colby Armstrong, Clarke McArthur and Mike Brown will all add a different element to the team, but it will take time to develop chemistry. Playing a familiar line of Kulemin, Bozak and Kessel will at least prove to be a reliable line if the other lines are inconsistent in the beginning.
Despite not playing in a full season, Kessel managed to crack the top 20 in goals, along with leading the Leafs in scoring. The former 5th overall pick can be expected to score over 40 goals and 70 points. He isn’t the biggest or toughest guy, but ‘Phil The Thrill’ has a deadly combination of skating, shooting and quick hands. This is a crucial year for Kessel to prove himself to Leaf fans that he was worth three high draft picks. He can erase that memory by leading the blue and white back into the postseason.
2009-10 Statistics
70 games, 30 goals, 25 assists, 55 points, 21 penalty minutes
2010-11 Prediction
81 games, 42 goals, 30 assists, 72 points, 22 penalty minutes
3 Burning Questions
1 – Will Phil Kessel top the 40-goal mark or repeat with another 30-goal campaign?
2 – Do you think Kessel will start the season playing on a line with Tyler Bozak and Nikolai Kulemin?
3 – Can Kessel maintain his form throughout or slowdown towards the latter part of the season?
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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