Ed. Note: Meet Daniel Santos, the newest member of the MLHS blogging team. Daniel serves as the Editorial Coordinator for The Score, and formerly blogged about the Maple Leafs for The Score’s “Six Pack.” Welcome, Dan.
Well, the comeback kids couldn’t do it tonight. Unlike last night against Pittsburgh, The Leafs couldn’t overcome a slow start tonight and fell 3-2 to the Buffalo Sabres.
I know it’s just pre-season, but the slow starts are starting to concern me a little bit. It seems that the Leafs need to be down a pair of goals to finally get in the game. I hope this isn’t a trend that’s carrying over from last year’s team. They need to show more urgency as soon as the puck drops. But since it is the pre-season, we’ll turn the other way…for now.
Here are some of my thoughts on some of the individual performances tonight:
- Garnet Exelby brings the ‘pugnacity, testosterone, truculence and belligerence’ that Brian Burke desires, but he didn’t have a strong game tonight. He made numerous mistakes, including a bad pinch that eventually resulted in a goal, he coughed the puck up in his own end a couple of times and just plain fell over on a Sabres rush in the third. However, I haven’t seen that much of him yet, so I’ll let him off the hook.
- Tyler Bozak didn’t look as good without his usual ‘frat line’. He made one nice pass to Grabovski on the tail end of a power-play, but didn’t create much offence otherwise. Ron Wilson re-united him with Stalberg and Hanson in the third, but they weren’t able to generate much in their few shifts together. However, Bozak did make a great defensive play in front of the Leafs’ empty net.
- Jiri Tlusty got a nice little break on his penalty-shot goal. Hopefully, he can build on it as he’s running out of time to make an impression on the coaching staff, especially since he can be sent to the Marlies without clearing waivers.
- I thought John Mitchell had his best game of the pre-season even before his third-period goal. He had good jump and was much more noticeable tonight than in the other pre-season games I’ve seen. His roster spot is all but secure.
- Joey MacDonald looked solid tonight. He kept the Leafs in the game after going down 2-0. I’m confident that he’ll be good insurance behind Vesa and the Monster.
All in all, not a bad effort against a Sabres lineup missing only a couple of key players. Up next for the Buds, a home-and-home starting Friday in Detroit.
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September 24th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
Keon, you and me have been on the same page all day, but security settings at work wouldnt let me post…I can’t for the life of me understand why anyone would want to see a true goal scorer liek kessel play with a dud like matt staydown, playmaker he is not…
September 24th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
Hey Garret,
What’s the word on the street. Who’s Burke after next?
September 24th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
I hate hearing “Stajan sucks” He doesnt suck. Hes just not what I want for our 1st or 2nd line center position. He would make a good 3rd liner or fill-in for second. But no way he would win a cup playing top 6 mins. Hes consistantly and average player. Nothing bad, but nothing special. Im not happy with ANYONE unless they are blowing me away(to a certain extent). I dont know about you guys, but I actually want a cup here, and I couldnt see Stajan being the guy to help us. Main reason is this : IMO your top center should be a large part of your teams identity. Pittsburg is Crosby’s team, and thats what I mean. Im not saying I want another Crosby because it wont happen. But if Kadri comes next year and plays with his talent and grit he has already, that would be our teams identity. Along with our big defence we would have a playpoff like built team. Do you want our team to have the identity of Stajan? Ummmmmm….lets not even bother answering that
September 24th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
Using Pittsburgh as an example is perfect.. on a team that just won the Cup.. their third line centre is Staal.. who is by far better then Stajan.. yet because Stajan has been here for 5 years people are putting him in the #1 centre spot (so much for ending that culture of entitlement) a spot which he neither deserves nor has earned.. He just doesn’t belong there and will definitely hold us back.. On a good team like Pittsburgh he might be a #4th line centre.. so why not give ourselves a chance and put someone who might actually develop into a top 2 centre in that spot instead to at least see what they can do?
September 24th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
agree with keon…jordan how can you say “stajan doesnt suck” and then say you dont want him leading your team? That to me says “STAJAN SUCKS” loud and clear…If stajan is your 3rd line center where do you put J Mitchell? Personally I would take J Mitchell 100% of the time over stajan…Plain and simple, there is NO room for him on this team and as much as anyone can say he was in teh shadows when sundin & co were getting all the top line minutes, stajan is now part of that same system and its going to prevent guys like bozak/stalberg/hanson/kadri from getting their chance with the big club
September 24th, 2009 at 6:17 pm
@Peter
Totally.. finally someone agrees with me.. Its not like i have anything personally against Stajan, in fact i used to really like him when he first came.. but now its just like i feel he’s peaked and what you see is what you get with him.. he’s def not a true top 6 centre and if we had to burry him for a year on the third line i don’t think it would be the end of the world.. i just don’t see him as part of the plans moving forward.
If we didn’t make the Kessel trade, and we still had our draft pick i’d say sure let him play top line minutes.. but since we don’t, and now we actually have a pretty solid top 6 player in Kessel, I actually want to see us win some games this year!
September 24th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
Keon (are you the HB Keon too?):
You can’t use Staal as your prototypical third line centre – everyone and their brother knows he doesn’t belong on the third line.
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It’s also fun to note that you constantly hear people say ‘we need more home grown talent’, ‘too many americans/euros’, yet they want to throw the Mississauga boy under the Go Bus.
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Again – I’m not a Stajan fan. I’d love to see a Stajan++ for Horton, or someone. I would love to see some stats regarding Stajan (ie. points per TOI per salary, or something). I am willing to bet he overachieves according to his pay scale/linemates.
September 24th, 2009 at 6:20 pm
Peter – you’re right. On a championship team, I’d much prefer Mitchell vs Stajan on the third line. However, we’re nowhere near that yet.
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And if you think those other guys would help the team NOW more than Stajan…well, go tell that to Ron Wilson..
September 24th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
@Luke, I would love to have 5 minutes with RW just to know what he really thinks, if I had to guess, I would say he’s playing the game with the media letting the league know that the organization values the vets because if he doesn’t their value goes to shit, all im saying is that I hope thats all it is because if its not, than both burke and wilson have lost all credibnility because they are going back on their word of “the best player plays” “entitlemnet era is over” and” you have to beat out a top 6 to earn a spot on this team”…
September 24th, 2009 at 6:34 pm
re Kadri–I’m aware that Ron had said before ‘no 9 games’
but the leafs need a jump at the outset to bank points and their first 7 games are against Montreal, Wash, Ottawa, Pitt, NYR, Col, NYR before going out west
Mtl, Ott and the 2 NYR games might prove crucial come late March as to who sneaks into 8th in the East Conf and they are not known to be hammering teams
So, I can see Ron telling Kadri on Sunday he WILL for sure be sent down after the 2nd NYR game
I can also see the leafs carrying 14 F and 7 D for those 7 games if need be
September 24th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
Peter – Out of curiosity, who do you think has outplayed Stajan?
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In my opinion, noone has, but I’m certainly open to other opinions.
September 24th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
Bozak has IMO. I didnt think he did a few days ago but he keeps getting better. Hes smarter and more skilled then Stajan and has way better upside
September 24th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
I am a bit surprised at the outcry to keep Kadri, and mostly the dogs being hung by the kennel-full on Mr. Wilson. I am very impressed with young Kadri’s play, and his very presence makes me more excited about the future of homegrown Leaf talent than I have… actually…. than I have ever been.
But…
Aren’t we the same folks who cried for patience, doing things the “right” way, not rushing, keeping the LONG term as our main goal, not to be overshadowed by short term gain or (hockey Gods forbid) bowing to public/media pressure?
Kadri is a YOUNG man… or rather a boy. He is smart, he is talented, he has hockey sense and a confidence that will make him a great Leaf for years to come – speaking of that confidence, its quite amazing how self -assured he is, yet he does NOT come off as cocky or full of himself, judos Mr & Mrs Kadri, plus teachers and coaches along the way!
I was listening to AM640, and was socked to hear the cry to keep Kadri… and insinuations that there is an alternate agenda on behalf of Ron Wilson and BB… from the very mouthpieces who have crucified the organization for mishandling and ruining many a prospect.
Last time we had a promising young lad who has not yet grown into his body, he had to full-on knee reconstructions before the season was out – it is my humble opinion that Antropov would have been a far more accomplished player, a better skater and probably still a Leaf, if his body and his psyche hasn’t been abused by being rushed into a man’s (and a BIG man’s at that) league before his body was fully developed. Now, I don’t think Kadri will have to wait as long as the uber-tall and very lanky young Nik (tall skinny kids always take longer to grow into themselves) but Nazem stands a good chance of suffering the same fate.
One way to look at it is this – he will not be harmed any by a year in London (which, by the way is a veritable prospect forge with a staff second to none and I have yet to hear anyone have anything but the utmost respect for their abilities and results with young talent). Bottom line, it may not do him any good, but it will not harm him. A year in the NHL could very well break him, physically, mentally, or both.
In the end, I trust that Burke&Wilson and Co., will make the right decision – lets not forget, they see things that even the most connected of us do not see, and quite frankly, have the reputation of solid hockey minds for a good and well earned reason.
Still, isn’t it GREAT that we are having this discussion!? The fact that this post has this many responses (as well as most others on this site) is a wonderful sign of change in Leaf land! All the best to all of you, always a pleasure,
Peter.
September 25th, 2009 at 3:42 am
It’s surprising to see the number of fans bash the veteran Leaf players and convincingly say that the younger players are much better. Based on a few exhibition games, they say that Bozak Stalberg Hansen are better than Stajan Stempy and Blake. I hope that they are right in this prediction, but they certainly should not already suggest that the veterans be dumped into the minors until the young guys prove they are convincingly better.
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Stajan had 55 pts in 76 gms
Gomez had 58 pts in 77gms
Drury had 56 in 81 gms
Salary difference? over 7 mil VS. 1.7 mil
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Blake had 63 in 78 gms (25goals)
B.Richards 48 pts in 56 gms (16 goals)
Salary 7.8 mil Vs 4 mil for Blake
The point im trying to make is that alot of Leaf fans seem to either hate the players or love them. Sure its always great to cheer for a young up and commer but it seems that they cheer for them in hope they will be as good as they want them to be and often times they are not that good and get disappointed..
Stajan and stempy are both only like 25 26 years old. Hansen and Bozak are only a couple of years younger and WERE NEVER DRAFTED.
They were late bloomers.. but not one scout drafted them in even the 7th rounds. There were reasons why they weren’t drafted back then. So why NOW all of a sudden they get the nod over Stajan and Blake?
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I think we tend to think that players are better than they REALLY are when we know little of them. They give us false hope. I’ve seen it with Suglobov last year, Jeff Farkas, Lonnie Bohonus remember him?
I hope I’m wrong and these young guys turn out but I wont put them ahead of the older guys just yet until they get the opportunity to play in REAL game situations and prove it..
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