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Rangers @ Maple Leafs Preview

by on October 17, 2009 in Uncategorized - 17 Comments

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Is tonight the night? The Toronto Maple Leafs (0-5-1) look for their first win of the season, as they take on the New York Rangers (6-1-0) at the Air Canada Centre. Will a change of routine help the Buds get of the schnide?

After Tuesday’s loss to the Avalanche, Ron Wilson gave the team a day off, followed by a day of fun & games in attempt to ’reset’ and relax the team. Mike Komisarek also talked about changing his own pre-game routine in an attempt to change the Leafs’ fortunes.

Will any of it matter? The Rangers are riding a 6-game winning streak and have outscored their opponents by a 2-to-1 margin this season. That doesn’t bode well for the Leafs, who fell to the Rangers by a 7-2 score on Monday night.

Hopefully the Leafs will get off to a better start tonight, as they’ve fallen behind 2-0 in 5 straight games. Another key will be avoiding undisciplined penalties and/or improving the penalty-kill.

Matt Stajan, Niklas Hagman, Wayne Primeau and Jeff Finger return to the lineup, as Jamal Mayers, Nikolai Kulemin and Garnet Exelby sit.

Forwards
Ponikarovsky Grabovski Hagman
Stalberg Stajan Blake
Mitchell Wallin Stempniak
Rosehill Primeau Orr

Defence
Kaberle Komisarek
Beauchemin White
Schenn Finger

Goalie
MacDonald

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  • HHT

    Tonight is guaranteed FIRST WIN night.

    If not, there’s always next game!

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  • dawriter67

    I have a feeling that tonight is the night. I saw some of that old flash in the 2nd period vs the NY Rangers then they stopped playing in the 4th.

    Coupled with this rest, a fun practice, and revenge on their minds, the Leafs should prevail. They are out of excuses. Keep it simple and for God’s sake, howitzer the net!

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  • Jordan

    I dunno guys. This is the same lack lusterlines we seen a few times already

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  • http://admin Alex Tran

    Hmmm, Schenn on the 3rd pairing.

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  • Amoroq

    Switch Blake with Stempniak PLEASE!

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  • Hockey_Guru

    Ronnie sending a message to Luke…
    He needs to get MEAN!!

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  • http://admin Alex Tran

    Hawks just nabbed Ebbett off waivers from Anaheim. Decent player, 32 points in 48 games played, 26 years old. Nice pickup.

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  • http://admin Alex Tran

    So many blogs up at once, it’s getting confusing to figure out which one to post on.

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  • Hockey_Guru

    Our lines make the most sense like this for now… if you put Blake on the 3rd line, it doesn’t make that 3rd line as effective at checking. Right now, we have a weak idea of how a team should look. Top 2 lines for scoring, the 3rd for checking and 4th for gooning.

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  • Gary Shields

    @HHT
    That was classic. They are going to win tonight… or some other night… but mark my words, they are going to win. LOL
    .
    I totally agree. :-)

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  • BLUEandWHITE

    1. Stempy 2nd line .. Blake 3rd line
    2. PUT BOZAK AND KULE on 4th LINE
    3. We need size up front…. not Ebbett …his type we have plenty

    @Amoroq
    My thoughts exactly…Stempy is manufacturing good chances, he needs Stalberg and/or Stajan to help finish. Blake should be burried on the 3rd or 4th line as he always starts the year slowly. It’s another thing if he even picks up later on in the year…
    *
    @Hockey_Guru
    If we lose tonight and I hope we don’t….My guess is to blow up the “ideal formula”
    *
    Top 2 lines : the scoring lines
    3rd line :for primarily checking
    4th line :crash n bang and stir things up for team toughness”…
    *
    Instead…….I’d go with removing Orr and Primea and replacing with scoring punch in Bozak and Kuleman to have your 4 th line a scoring threat. The Red Wings of the last 4 years, 1993 Sharks, have showed that this recipe can be successful. Scoring punch on the 4th line is not a TYPICAL 4th line, but since we do not possess players who have showed proven success at that role, we have to try something different. Our goon line gives up chances and goals … At least we can maybe score some goals by having Bozak and Kuleman on the forth line… and spread out the Michels and Mayers throughout the lines for grit and checking…
    *
    @AlexTran
    dont think the Leafs would be interested in ANOTHER smallish forward with skill potential. We already have Stempy, Stajan, Kule, Blake, Bozak, Grabo..practically the whole team fit “that” player type.. Instead keep an eye open for a guy who drives the net well and is a presence infront of the net ala Byfulien, E Cole, D Penner, Franzen Holstrom ….I’m thinking Blake Wheeler has the size, just wondering if is that type of player?????
    Prob won’t be a waiver wire pickup but you never know…

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  • http://www.checkingfrombehind.com Micheal Aldred

    CFB NHL Pre-Game Discussion, feel free to join: http://bit.ly/B61Jc

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  • Blair

    This is virtually the same line-up that was iced the first couple of games (notably the game in Washington) and they didn’t fare too well then. Hopefully Schenn is truly reunited with Finger – they played well together last year and a stabilizing force on the back-end is sorely needed at this point. If this line-up doesn’t get it done tonight that should be their last kick at the can. Send down some of the non-performers like Blake, Kulemin, Exelby, Mayers, move Stempniak off the defense-first line (I know he’s played well defensively, but that’s not his niche), and call up Bozak, Hanson, or some one else based on where they would fit in the line-up. I would feel better knowing Leafs’ management actually cared about losing by trying to do something other than out of necessity (injuries).

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