Nikhil Daljeet
In a game that oscillated between sloppy and entertaining, a young squad of Leafs forwards strutted their wares in a final attempt to crack the big club's roster. If anyone was wondering how the typical Tank Nation extremists' dream-team of solely youngsters would fare, they would need to look no farther than tonight. It was a mix of rookie mistakes, raw talent, and nerve-fraying moves. Here are some notes from this Tuesday night tilt, from the perspective of someone that was at the game itself: [more…]
This must be the mantra Brian Burke is following after recent reports indicate that Jason Allison has been invited to the Leafs training camp on a tryout basis. Some of you remember Allison from his 2005-2006 season with Toronto. He was often seen losing in casual races with the young children of Timbits Hockey. At 34 years of age and having not played for full three seasons, this move probably has some Leafs fans scratching their heads and worrying that John Ferguson Jr. has somehow been reintroduced into the organization.
The Leafs (former?) goalie of the future is officially back for another year with the club. With the signing of Jonas Gustavsson, media and fans alike decreed Pogge's chance to charge in and become the Leafs saviour had all but run out. Of course, it's far too early to completely give up on a tender with Justin's potential, and Brian Burke earlier stated his intentions to qualify the 23 year old without any hesitation.
Brian Burke has been keeping himself relatively busy since returning from his fishing trip. While they have been all minor league signings, he has locked up three Marlies, securing depth for both our farm team and the big club.
-Alex Foster received a one year, two-way deal at the league minimum of 500 000.
-Andre Deveaux received a similar one year, two-way deal, also at 500 000.
-Darryl Boyce received a two year, two-way deal that averages out to roughly 525 000 per year.
Leafs Nation can breathe a sigh of relief. The long wait for Swedish goalie Jonas Gustavsson's decision is over. Reports indicate that the tender has finally chosen the Toronto Maple Leafs after a long wooing process from a number of interested teams.
The contract is a one year deal totaling $900,000. Many expect Gustavsson to be brought in as Vesa Toskala's backup and be a constant source of competition for our Finnish goaltender. Of course, there is the possibility that "the best goaltender outside of the NHL" exceeds expectations and steals the number one spot.
I hope you've all called in sick for work, abandoned your family for the day, or are otherwise prepared to fill your normally empty schedule with the whirling excitement of rumours and deals that is the NHL Draft Day.
Firstly, the team that tabled the "unexpected offer" for Kaberle has been revealed to be the Bruins. [more…]
According to Andy Strickland the first draft-related move of this (almost) off-season has transpired. Chris Pronger has been traded to the Los Angeles Kings for "a package including Jack Johnson and the 5th overall pick." Note that this is an unconfirmed rumor. However, in the past Strickland has been very reliable.
*EDIT*: Strickland has revised his stance slightly. New blog link is up.
13 goals, 3 tenders, countless defensive errors and ugly goals. You almost felt sorry for Curtis Joseph after Jeff Carter cruised in for an easy breakaway goal and the camera panned to a thoroughly annoyed Ron Wilson. The Leafs would attempt a comeback of sorts after going down by six goals, but even with the best efforts of Martin Biron, it all went for naught.
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In a game that was just as much about the Flyers' failings as it was the Leafs' success, Toronto played an energetic 60 minutes. Their bombardment of the Philadelphia net resulted in the exit of a shaky Martin Biron and an eventual total of 38 shots on goal. To be brutally honest, the Flyers were awful on a night when they should have steamrolled a non-playoff team. Ron Wilson and company must be happy that their team was the only one to show up tonight at the ACC.
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A March meeting with a solid team in the playoff chase (yes, that's actually Florida I'm talking about here) went pretty much as expected. Signs of life from the Maple Leafs were quickly overwhelmed by the desperation and talent (surprise! again!) of this Panthers squad. Sadly, this tussle lacked the fan factor that made Tuesday night's game in Tampa a joy to watch.
This Tuesday night matchup between two non-playoff teams went largely as predicted: sloppy play by both squads at various points throughout the night. This was highlighted by a few fights and some thrilling overtime play. Of course, the thrill factor of extra time has seen a slight decrease since it became a staple of Toronto games. The most unusual events of the night were in fact goals by a few slump-ridden Leafs.
Martin Gerber stole this game for the Toronto Maple Leafs. A few months ago, that sentence would have made absolutely no sense for so many reasons. In his first game as a Leaf, Gerber played in a fashion that will make more than a few Senator fans shake their heads in frustration. Other than a late goal that broke his shutout, Toronto's new Swiss goaltender stopped a Washington squad that has admittedly struggled of late.
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