Colorado Avalanche
Bad goaltending is now blamed on an injury. The Leafs have called up rookie James Riemer who will be sitting on the bench tonight as Joey MacDonald gets the nod. Vesa Toskala has apparently suffered an undisclosed injury after last night's 7-2 loss (my bet is a fan clubbed him Nancy Kerrigan style) and is now out. Toronto's top two goaltenders (arguably) are now sidelined. Gustavsson is expected to return sometime next week.
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Five games in, no wins, and few positives within the play to indicate a turnaround is coming soon.
Something has to be done to shake up this roster.  Some sort of move needs to be made, that much is clear.
The question is, what?
The Rangers are riding a 4 game win streak, the Leafs are not. The Rangers have a goal differential of +8 in their last 4 games, the Leafs have a goal differential of -6 in their last 3 games. The Rangers are 5th in the league on the PK (88%), while the Leafs are last (53.8%). The Rangers are 4th in the league for goals against per game (2.00). The Leafs are tied in last place with Florida at 4.25.
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Vesa Toskala and his fellowship of the underachievers will be entering Saturday night's game with the pressure of Leafs Nation bearing down on their shoulders.
A variety of discussion points to kick off the weekend including the imminent departure of Justin Pogge and the Marlies goaltending situation going into next season. Is it finally James Reimer's time to shine? Also, a quick look at the latest flurry of moves made by the Boston Bruins, and how that may affect a potential Leaf trade for the still unsigned Phil Kessel. [more…]
This time of year pretty much everyone is doing a mock draft of some sort. So, with one week to go until the Entry Draft, I figure it's time I chip in with my two cents on what may or may not unfold with the top 10 picks come June 26.
Note that the draft projections listed here are made based on current draft positions, and are not reflective of any possible trades involving the top 10 picks.
So you're Brian Burke and it's July 1st.
Who do you go after? And what is the contract you offer?
The Tyler Bozak "Sweepstakes" are nearly coming to an end and according to Bob Mckenzie, the talented young forward from the University of Denver may make his decision as early as today after much speculation that he was supposed to sign yesterday. Apparently, the 23 year old Regina, Saskatchewan native has narrowed down his list to 3 or 4 teams, with Toronto and Ottawa believed to be among the finalists. [more…]
As the goals against continue to pile up, so do the questions regarding the Toronto Maple Leafs' future between the pipes. Last night's 7-5 drubbing at the hands of the Boston Bruins officially moved the Leafs to the basement of the NHL in terms of goaltending and defensive play with an astounding total of 274 goals allowed (3.41 GAA). Combine that with a league worst 88.4% save percentage and you've got some serious issues. The team directly above them? Andrew Raycroft and the Colorado Avalanche. Ugh. [more…]
Remember the way back in the day when the "Can't Beat Cujo" signs filled the ACC on those passionate, rambunctious (always wanted to use this word) Saturday nights? Well tonight, we got a brief glimpse of the glory days as Joseph turned in a magnificient performance down the stretch to steal a point away from Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals. [more…]
According to TSN, Tomas Kaberle broke a bone in his hand during the 7-4 victory over the Colorado Avalanche and former teammate, Andrew Raycroft.
Kaberle could be sidelined for a minimum of 4 weeks.
It was a game that was circled with a red marker on the calendar, for the Maple Leafs. They would travel to Denver to meet the Avalanche, but this visit had a different feel to it; a different aura. It was potential revenge for ex-blue and white-ers, and similar revenge for a team that struggled the last 3 seasons.
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