With one goal absorbing the mind-set of an entire team, the Toronto Maple Leafs rolled into the Motor City on a quest to keep pace within their current Eastern Conference Playoff dash. As the Buffalo Sabres, and Carolina Hurricanes regained ground with victories on Friday and with both teams in action tonight, the task at hand once again became vital to the post-season life of the 2010-2011 Maple Leafs. Not since the  Norris Division days, when the Leafs and Red Wings battled for the Western Conference, has a game between the two teams depicted such meaning. The stakes for the Maple Leafs however, were blessed in the form of a banged up Detroit lineup. The glaring holes left by injuries to the likes of Pavel Datsyuk and Johan Franzen, bode well for the Leafs, who come into Motown riding a hot goaltender, in James Reimer. Although still glaring up ice at a very good team filled with talent, the young netminder must have seen the missing stars as an advantage, although not quick to tip his hand, prior to the Original Six meeting on Hockey Night in Canada.

“You respect this place, the team and the building”, Reimer said. “They have won a lot of championships and have a had a lot of good players come through here. It’s a building where you walk in and feel that. They have a heck of a team.”

The buzzing atmosphere in the building was indeed felt early in the first period and with the Red Wings predictably controlling most of the play. Their initial puck possession would pressure the Leafs and eventually draw a hooking penalty to Joey Crabb. Looking to build their powerplay goal streak to 7 games, the Red Wings went to work with the man advantage. A poised and patient Henrik Zetterberg would make no mistake with a backhand through the slot, to beat James Reimer for the 1-0 lead. The powerplay goal seemed to lift the Leafs, who were tentative early, but answered back with a few solid shifts. With their tempo turned up a notch, the Leafs drew a penalty of their own and although unable to score with the extra man, managed to pick up their game. Scoring late in the first period, the Leafs tied the game with a nice shot from Nazem Kadri, who went upstairs on Red Wing goaltender Jimmy Howard for his second career NHL goal. The goal although late, would send the Leafs into the first intermission on a high-note.

The second period saw the Leafs build on their momentum early, and a strong forecheck would see them on the powerplay once again. The speed of the Leaf’s game picked up, creating a slew of chances, yet unable to grab the go ahead goal. The missed opportunities for the Leafs would come back to bite them quickly. Standing still in the neutral zone, Joffrey Lupul hooked a streaking Mike Modano, and the Red Wing’s powerplay would strike again. With Tomas Holmstrom wreaking havoc in front of James Reimer, a Nik Kronwall shot would deflect off the big Swede and past Reimer for the 2-1 lead. The two teams would exchange hostilities following a Darryl Boyce hit on Bryan Rafalski. With Rafalski slow to his feet, Justin Abdelkader would come to his rescue and he and Boyce each received 5 minute fighting majors. When play resumed, the Leafs would receive another chance to correct their powerplay woes. With Darren Helm in the box for tripping, a Dion Phaneuf shoot in would see the second period come to a twisting end. The blast from the Leaf Captain managed to crack the glass, and with 2 minutes remaining, the officials elected to halt the period, adding to the clock for the third period.

The third period got under way in an awkward fashion and lead to an exciting final frame. After a dreadful night on the powerplay, the Leafs began to force the issue and sparked their tying goal. With Dion Phaneuf pinching down low, he would find Phil Kessel in the slot. Kessel snapped the puck and with Jimmy Howard sprawling to the ice, Joffrey Lupul would crash on top of him and managed to find the back of the net from the seat of his pants. The controversial play ended the night for Howard with a shoulder injury and spelled a goalie change for Detroit. A cold Joey MacDonald wouldn’t effect the Red Wing’s result, as their defensive game tightened and the Leafs continued to struggle with turnovers. Jiri Hudler capitalized on the Leaf’s mistakes and beat James Reimer from an angle the Leaf’s goaltender would surely like to have back. With the Leafs well aware of out of town scoreboard, the go ahead goal was deflating and forced Head Coach Ron Wilson to pull Reimer for the extra attacker. With a flurry of action, the Leafs were unable to pull off any late magic and saw their Playoff hopes sputter with Todd Bertuzzi scoring on the empty 4×6 for the 4-2 Red Wing victory.

The Leafs came into tonight’s game with their knowledge full well of what was riding on the line. Needing a Buffalo Sabre loss and a win of their own, the Leaf’s fate was that of a crushing worst case scenario. A 2-0 Sabre win over the New Jersey Devils, coupled with the Leaf loss increased the gap to 7 points for the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference. The margin virtually eliminates a post season chance for the Maple Leafs, and puts a damper on an exciting run of optimism. Surely thrilled with his team’s effort and improvement along the way, Head Coach Ron Wilson wasn’t about to throw in the towel with his comments after the game.

“No, it is a hell of a trip”, Wilson said, Referring to the recent Western road trip his team has finished. “There’s still plenty of time, and we just have to go back home and regroup…keep playing the way that we are.”

For the Leaf’s however, time is not enough. Beyond their own play, some help from other teams has been necessary, something the Leafs haven’t received in a few weeks now. From this point on the victories become morale, while pointing to and reflecting a resurgence among a core group of players. Perhaps externally, the late season race seems visibly similar to that of years past, but a growth process is taking place and gives reason for the optimism to become greater for Leaf’s Nation. A strong finish can only help this team for the future, and given their effort in 2011, missing the post season should not hurt it. 
 

Twitter @RJEmptage

A vibrant Maple Leafs squad boarded a charter after an exciting victory over the Boston Bruins and headed for Buffalo, yet another city where good times have been in short order and desperately needing to change. Playing arguably their best road game of the year and amidst all the trade buzz, the Leafs managed to come away with the win in Beantown, lead by incredible performances from Phil Kessel, Mikhail Grabovski, and James Reimer. Kessel, who managed to snap his dreadful 14 game scoring slump, could not have scripted a more timely breakout and against no better opponent than his former team. Grabovski finished a two goal outing with the game winner on a beautiful rush, splitting the Bruin’s defense to beat Tim Thomas high to the short side. Following the game, many would question whether Grabovski should have even been on the ice, after taking a hard ride from Zdeno Chara into the boards and suffering what looked to be concussion like symptoms. Maple Leaf’s President and General Manager Brian Burke debated that criticism today while on Sportsnet Radio Fan590′s Hockey Central at Noon.

“When you see a player getting up like a young colt and he’s rubber like, your first assumption is that he must have gotten his bell rung. I think our fans need to understand our concussion protocol when a player comes back to the bench. Our trainer is Andy Playter and he is first rate. He went right to Grabo and said how are you. He had total recall of the situation and had no blackout, no dizziness, and no nausea. He was ready to go.”

The Leafs would require a gritty effort mirroring that of the night before to see their fortunes at the HSBC Arena reverse. Their last episode in the win column there dates back to December 2008 and since, the Leafs have dropped 7 straight in Buffalo and have been out-scored 30-12 in that span by their Northeast Division rivals.

Both teams displayed the urgency of the late season in the first period, with chances traded both ways in a fast paced and energetic start. The Leafs were unable to convert on a few opportunities, and nearly put themselves behind the eight-ball, taking 3 penalties throughout the opening frame. A solid penalty kill allowed them to build some momentum into the second with the score remaining at zero.

The momentum for the Leafs would come with a strange twist, as James Reimer was in goal to open the second period. With what was disclosed as a lower body injury, J.S. Giguere’s health concerns found him on the bench and unfit to play. The change in plans however didn’t stop the Leafs from grabbing the all important first goal of the game. Known to score in bunches out of a slump, Phil Kessel would beat Ryan Miller from the slot for the 1-0 lead. The goal lifted the Leafs as they continued a strong fore-check and controlled the physical play, leaving the Sabres on their heels. The pressure saw the emotions rise in the game and tensions grew to end the second period with the Leafs frustrating the Sabres and holding the 1 goal lead into the third.

The action and quick pace from the first two periods was evident and highly visible in the Leafs game through the third. Failing to score on an extended 5-on-3 powerplay and going 0 for their last 38 chances against the Sabres, they seemed to let momentum slip. With Carl Gunnarson in the box for hooking, the Buffalo powerplay went to work, but wasn’t much of an advantage. Joey Crabb made a nifty play shorthanded to break in on Miller and the highlight reel goal would be his first as a Maple Leaf. The play deflated the Sabre powerplay, however they managed to find the scoreboard shortly after, on a soft goal by Paul Gaustad. A sharp angle shot from the boards slipped through Reimer, who would surely love to have that one back. The goal wouldn’t faze the rookie netminder, who showed tremendous composure coming off the bench cold for the injured Giguere. With Reimer shutting the door, the Leafs continued to work the transition game in their favor and put together another 60 minute effort, for the 2-1 lead and slipping into 11th place in the Eastern Conference Standings.

The Leafs managed to mold their performance from Boston and brought it to Buffalo with some determination. Although surrounded by the turmoil from the week’s events, the team rebounded from the shutout in Montreal and put together a recipe for two of their best road games all season. Phil Kessel continued to make up for lost time and skated with a jump, while engaging himself in the play with confidence. His line-mate and new Leaf, Joffrey Lupul is developing some chemistry and his first as a Leaf looks to be coming with 3 great chances in the third. Another effort to build on and seeing the reward with the jump in standings will leave this Leaf team with a taste of success. The drive for that taste will be put to test in the coming week, as this critical stretch of the season continues. And if their recent play while under the circumstances is any indication, the character of this team will allow them the one thing they could ask for….a chance.

Twitter @RJEmptage

Fresh off the NHL All-Star break in which their representation fell to last pick overall in the inaugural Fantasy Draft, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Phil Kessel were back to work in their quest for a second half surge towards a bleak playoff hope. In an important game to say the least, the Leafs welcomed the Florida Panthers to a snowy Toronto, a team one spot ahead of them in the Eastern Conference standings and struggling themselves of late. Idling six points back of the Panthers and with time nipping at their heels, nothing short of a regulation victory would be truly beneficial to the collective second-half goal to make a push up the standings.

Head Coach Ron Wilson continued to look for the right line-up and elected to remain status quo regarding the suddenly crowded Maple Leaf stable in goal. Just days removed from the not so shocking revelation discovered in a ludicrous poll conducted by CBC and the NHLPA – in which 24% of players chosen named Wilson as the Coach they would least like to play for – Jonas Gustavsson may begin to ponder those results. Subject to his sub-par play and the steady influence rookie James Reimer has had on the team, Gustavsson once again found himself the odd man out as J.S. Giguere got the start with Reimer serving as back up.

The Leafs would use some early jump in the first period to reverse a growing trend that has plagued them all season long; for the first time in 11 games, the Leafs registered the game’s first goal. A broken play would see the puck end up behind the Panther’s goal and Kris Versteeg made a smart play, using Scott Clemmensen’s backside to bank the shot in for the 1-0 lead. Although on top early, the usual troubles resurfaced for the Leafs. After two unsuccessful attempts on the power play, they seemed to force the issue offensively and the defense would end up caught pinching without support. Bailed out by J.S. Giguere on a previous 2-on-1, the struggles continued. With Luke Schenn committed on the rush, the Panthers would capitalize on a turnover and Stephen Weiss beat Giguere, who had almost no chance on the 3-on-1. The Leafs however seemed determined to push the pace forward. Clarke MacArthur utilized a strong fore check to feed the puck to Nikolai Kulemin who snapped a shot by Clemmensen, regaining the lead with just over a minute to play in the period.

An early high sticking penalty to Jay Rosehill, who is filling in some muscle left behind by an injured Colton Orr, would see the Leaf lead slip away once more. Late in the advantage, Panthers forward David Booth slipped a rebound past Giguere for the tying goal. The Leafs answered back again on a powerplay of their own. A good win on the draw by Mikhail Grabovski would send the puck back to Tomas Kaberle. Kaberle quickly threw the puck on net, deflecting off Grabovski and beating Clemmensen for the one-goal lead. Although penalty trouble gave the Panthers an opportunity to remain in the game, it was a successful effort on the penalty kill that saw the lead in tact through the second period.

The Leafs tightened things up in the third period until mid way through when the Panthers found momentum. J.S. Giguere, who made a few saves at critical times, saw his strong play negated by a costly elbowing penalty to Phil Kessel late in the frame. Cory Stillman kept a play alive on the boards before heading to the net, where he tipped a point shot by Giguere, tying the game and stealing a crucial point away from the Leafs as the game would need overtime.

The overtime saw a few chances for the Panthers, but Giguere would carry his play over and bail his team out. Phil Kessel, perhaps feeling the pressure from the late penalty causing the overtime, found an extra gear late in a shift. Flying into the zone and beating Keaton Ellerby 1-on-1, Kessel had the game on his stick only to be stopped on his backhand by Clemmensen.

J.S. Giguere, true to form in the game, stopped the final two shooters, and with Tyler Bozak on the board, Colby Armstrong would score the winner for the Leafs on a nice back hand move past a sprawling Clemmensen. The move was a far cry from his remarks earlier in the year when he joked he’d “chip and chase” if called upon in the shootout. Always a means for humour, in Colby’s case, the goal proved to be a character goal by a character player.

Although shadowed by the extra point they surrendered, the Leafs did manage to find the win in a game they let slip away on more than one occasion. It’s tough to describe a three-point game with the Panthers as a building block but the Leafs have to try to find some momentum and some life as they enter a tough stretch of games where points need to amount at a quick and consistent pace. Following the game, Head Coach Ron Wilson was asked if he would lean heavily on Giguere down this stretch. Wilson answered with confidence in James Reimer.

“I’m not really sure. James Reimer has played so well every game. He hasn’t had a bad game yet, so I’m still thinking of getting games in for Reimz (Reimer). We’ll just go from there.”

Reimer has certainly earned his shot to play, and whether or not that means a conditioning stint in the minors for Jonas Gustavsson remains to be seen. At this point, what matters most to Wilson is icing the players that give his team the best chance on a nightly basis regardless of their position on paper. Call him the least liked coach in the league, right now he’s simply a coach that wants and needs to win. His job could very well depend on it.

Twitter – @RJEmptage

Responding well to the 7-0 drumming at the hands of the New York Rangers on Wednesday, the Toronto Maple Leafs kept their memories short and put together a strong performance led by Mikhail Grabovski and Clarke MacArthur in a 5-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks Thursday. Facing his former team for the first time since being traded to Toronto, J.S. Giguere provided his mates with stability in goal and allowed their offensive game to transition smoothly while taking control of the game. A leader on and off the ice, Giguere’s poise tends to create a confidence throughout the line-up in front of him, most certainly a trait prompting Leafs President and General Manager Brian Burke to pull the trigger on a deal reuniting the two in Toronto a year ago. Although bombarded with questions regarding his no trade clause earlier that day, Giguere would speak candidly after the game on what the victory over the Ducks meant to the veteran netminder.

“I wanted to just have a strong game. Not because I’m bitter or anything like that, but you want to play well against guys you know. Its a fun challenge. Seeing them this morning you can have a little laugh but when the game comes, they want to score and I want to make a save. Thankfully I made more saves tonight.”

That same effect on his teammates was required for the Leafs to find their groove and begin to mount playoff ground in a game against the Washington Capitals on Hockey Night in Canada.

The first period opened with a steady pace and saw both teams trade early opportunities on the power-play. The Leafs (14th ranked) and the Capitals (17th ranked) were unable to generate their offense with the extra attacker. A quick and bloody bout between Mike Brown, who was returning from a three game suspension, and Matt Hendricks brought out the physical play and opened things up. Dion Phaneuf made his presence felt with two big hits, one on Jason Chimera before later giving Mike Knuble a ride into the boards. Shortly after the action picked up, the opening goal would come, albeit with a bit of controversy. Scoring his 17th of the season, Alex Ovechkin tipped a Jeff Schultz point shot while tangled up with J.S. Giguere, who was at the top of his crease. Giguere, who was clearly upset with the play, stated his case with the officials but to no avail as the Capitals took the 1-0 lead. With the Leafs unable to capitalize on a truncated late power-play, they headed into the first intermission trailing by 1.

The Leafs began the second period with the remainder of the power-play, but following a bench minor for too many men the pace would open up as the teams skated four on four. The Capitals’ penalty expired and the Leafs found themselves on the penalty kill, although a few short-handed chances would suggest otherwise. Sprung on a breakaway, Tyler Bozak carried the tying goal on his stick, but the steady play of Capitals rookie goaltender Braden Holtby kept the Leafs off the board. Not fazed by the young keeper, the Leafs would keep their intensity up and continued to poor on the pressure. The pressure however wouldn’t crack the youngster as he turned away a flurry of late opportunities to hold his team’s 1-0 lead into the second intermission.

Coming into tonight’s contest, the Capitals were questioned on their ability to close out tight games and a quick goal to open the third period would help build their case for change. Mired in a career low goal total, Alex Ovechkin like all good goal scorers found the right spot and his second of the night. A Mike Green point shot would hit Dion Phaneuf and bounce into the slot onto Ovechkin’s stick. Making no mistake, the Washington Captain beat a sprawling J.S. Giguere for the 2-0 lead. Following the goal, the Leafs found some desperation and quickly  replied on the young Braden Holtby, creating some momentum. Head Coach Ron Wilson sent his 4th line out to faceoff against a tired Capitals team following an icing. Managing a strong forecheck and pressuring the Capital defense, the move would pay off. After Dion Phaneuf made a great board play at the blue-line, Jay Rosehill got the puck on net and Tim Brent found the back of it, beating the impressive Holtby through the legs. The ice seemed to shift in the Leaf’s favor and they looked like a new team, building tremendous pressure over the next few shifts. The intensity might have seen a Leaf comeback if not for a flawless impression of Ovechkin by Matt Hendricks. Skating with a broken nose suffered in the first period fight with Mike Brown, Hendricks forced Luke Schenn into a costly mistake and walked in, undressing J.S. Giguere to regain the two goal lead. The goal, although deflating, wouldn’t prevent the Leafs from their aim to respond, and Ron Wilson pulled Giguere for the extra attacker with over two minutes to go. The pressure would continue and as he did throughout the entire game,  and similarly Holtby continued to display a brilliant performance to hold his team’s lead. With Kris Versteeg on the door step he made a terrific save, fooling CBC’s Jim Hughson and many watching. The save was enough to seal it for the Capitals, but for good measure Ovechkin netted the hat-trick, beating Tomas Kaberle in a foot race for the empty netter and the 4-1 victory.

Last night, as has been the case on many a night this season, there wasn’t a lack of compete from the Leafs bench. Missing a few opportunities and running into an impressive effort by a young goaltender proved to be the difference, although effort points aren’t recognized by the scoreboard. Satisfied with his team’s effort but not the outcome, Leafs Captain Dion Phaneuf admitted their play was lost within the 4-1 score.

“We played hard. They get that second one…it goes off my hand right to him in front. We responded well from that. I think we played better than the score reflected tonight. We played hard and their goalie played very well. We’re not happy about the loss but we have to move forward because we got a big road trip before the break.”

With J.S. Giguere clearly upset in the first period over the Ovechkin goal, Head Coach Ron Wilson was asked if the Leaf netminder had a case with officials.

“No. It was a deflection, and its gaining position in front of the net. I thought Jiggy had a great game but I wouldn’t regard that as goalie interference.”

Part of his team’s hard but unrewarded effort was their ability to generate a net presence. Unable to find the back of the net on many chances and solve the youngster, Wilson pointed to a strong performance from Braden Holtby and the inability of his defense to get pucks through as means for the loss.

“What’s the point of traffic when the D can’t get the shot through. You can have all the traffic you want but you have to get the shot past the first level, and we didn’t do a very good job of that tonight. They’re goalie did make some unbelievable saves. Bozak had a great chance in the third and the guy robs him. You have to give credit to the other team’s goalie.”

Last night was yet another example of the up and down season the Leafs have put together so far. A hard effort, evident on most nights, was visible although a lack of finish when the chances permitted would seal their fate. The balance of consistency that propels a playoff calibre team and separates the good from the, well, not so good cannot be found within this young Leaf team. A trait witnessed routinely since their 4-0 start, the lack of steady results will prove the demise in any quest to regain ground on teams chasing that final post-season spot. This young Leafs squad will be looking like victims of the numbers when all is said and done but so far have put forth a effort strong enough to face themselves in the mirror when doing so.

Twitter – @RJEmptage

The Toronto Maple Leafs ended their four game winning streak with some controversy on Thursday in Phoenix. A Mike Brown hit on Ed Jovanovski caused an uproar and seemed to spark the Coyotes as they took a bite out of the Leafs stride with four third period goals to seal the victory. The recent surge from the Leafs, and especially the play of young goaltender James Reimer, had increased optimism among Leafs Nation surrounding a potential playoff push in the second half of the season. It was that optimism which fueled a variety of debates following the loss as a disciplinary hearing awaited Brown and injuries affected the roster status, leading to the inevitable AHL return of Reimer to the Toronto Marlies.

In the wake of a three game suspension handed to Brown and with a healthy J.S. Gigeure returning to action, the Leafs welcomed the Calgary Flames. It marked the return to Toronto for two Ex-Leafs in Matt Stajan and Niklas Hagman. Although the demotion of Reimer caused quite a stir, the contributions from the farm continued as German forward Marcel Mueller was called up and made his NHL debut skating on a line with fellow Marlie Darryl Boyce and Colby Armstrong. Snapping a four game losing skid on Friday in Ottawa, the Flames were looking to heat up during their Eastern road trip while the Leafs, who have enjoyed the taste of success recently, looked to find their way back into the win column. Both teams would take their intentions to the ice in an All Canadian Match-Up on Hockey Night in Canada.

In the first period, the expected atmosphere was hard to be found. With both teams hesitant to trade chances, and despite a power play for each, the opening frame progressed at a stagnant pace. A few opportunities from a last minute barrage by the Flames led J.S. Giguere to bail out his team’s defensive woes in his first game back from injury. As Giguere settled things down, the game would head into the first intermission at a scoreless tie.

The slow pace evident in the first continued throughout the second period as both teams seemed to lack the spark necessary to create a jump in their game. The Flames, although unable to sustain offensive pressure, were able to muster some shots towards the goal (22). The Leafs would have ended the middle frame with just 8 if not for a few late chances. The dulling play affected the scoreboard and left the game tied at zero heading into the second intermission.

For fans at the Air Canada Centre, this game was a hard bargain for entertainment until mid way through the third period when tthe pace picked up a notch. Matt Stajan used the former Leaf inspiration to finally put the scoreboard to use and bring a goal to this game. After the Leafs’ defensive coverage broke down in front of the net, Stajan was left to take liberties on the chance and put his third whack at the puck past a sprawling Gigeure. The goal was Stajan’s third and his first on the road in what has been a frustrating season for the Leaf Draft Pick. With the Leaf offense missing all night, the game seemed destined to end there until Ales Kotalik took a hooking penalty, leaving the Flames shorthanded with 2 minutes to go in the game. Amounting some pressure on the powerplay, the Leafs were able to pull Gigeure for the extra attacker. As Colby Armstrong caused havoc in front of Mikka Kiprusoff, Mikhail Grabovski found the rebound from a Clarke MacArthur shot and tied the game late for the Leafs.

The extra frame provided some frantic action and a Flames powerplay but wouldn’t be enough to decide the game. Almost a sure bet after the first period, a shootout would be needed and brought out the height of tonight’s action. With Tyler Bozak and Colby Armstrong beating Kiprusoff with similar moves, the Leafs were poised to steal the victory. A questionable and reviewed goal by Alex Tanguay put the Flames back into it and after a goal by Ales Kotalik, Oli Jokinen was able to seal it as he beat Gigeure short-side for the 2-1 win.

A quiet and near agonizing pace displayed through the first and second period made this game difficult to read for the Leafs. While they can take momentum from the late goal and the point salvaged in the process, the trouble to find their legs has been an issue throughout the season. Although not admitting it a concern, Head Coach Ron Wilson alluded to the team’s skating as a cause for demise in their return home from a long road trip.

“I thought we played well but for most of the night we were in a real struggle up hill. And when you’re not skating you start to pass the puck too much and we didn’t start skating until the third period. We passed up way too many shots early in the game. But we hung in there and we battled even though we didn’t have the energy from the schedule.”

The battle back Wilson referred to is the key component for the Leafs. Able to put together a nice streak and build some confidence on the road, the character within this team that was visible early in the season seemed to redefine itself. A healthy Colby Armstrong has provided some energy and enthusiasm along with a few AHL call-ups in Darryl Boyce and Joey Crabb. The consistent production from the line of Mikhail Grabovski, Clarke MacArthur and Nikolai Kulemin has allowed Wilson to keep his lines in check and with Phil Kessel finding his scoring touch recently, the Leafs have been able to establish an offensive attack. With some much needed rest, the Leafs will have plenty of time to get their legs going and find that attack as they won’t play until Wednesday when they head to the “Big Apple” to take on the Rangers.

Twitter – @RJEmptage

The Toronto Maple Leafs kicked off 2011 with a convincing victory over the Ottawa Senators, and with rookie goaltender James Reimer in goal and displaying a strong effort, Head Coach Ron Wilson saw fit to give Reimer the nod when the Leafs welcomed the Boston Bruins to town on Monday. Although a loss, Reimer’s second career start resembled his first. A calm and collective display against a good Bruins team, which may have swayed to his favor, if not for a Marc Savard goal off the forearm of Francois Beauchemin. Wilson, who played coy with the media regarding Reimer’s start gave the youngster a vote of confidence for his influence on the team throughout the two contests.

“He made a number of great saves and he handled himself really well. He’s calm and brings a calming effect on our defense so far.”

The calming effect however wouldn’t be enough to reward him a third straight start. Knowing that points must begin to mount in bunches, Wilson handed the reigns in goal back to Jonas Gustavsson, as the Leafs welcomed the St. Louis Blues to Toronto for a rare meeting between the two teams. For the Leaf’s sake the rarity is a blessing, considering the Blues have not left Toronto on the losing end of things in their past eight trips. In fact not since Feb. 4 1998 have the Blues dropped a game in Toronto; a stat which doesn’t bode well for a Leafs team desperate for wins.

The Leafs looked to reverse that trend and got to it early with the game’s first goal just 15 seconds into the first period. Coming out from behind the net, Kris Versteeg was able to get the shot away with Colby Armstrong holding court in front of Jaroslav Halak. The puck would deflect off a screening Armstrong, giving Toronto the quick 1-0 lead. The Blues would get on the board minutes after as the Leafs began to scramble. Keeping the former Leaf tradition alive, Alex Steen would beat Gustavsson with a sharp angle shot and tie the game for the Blues. The mistakes would continue for the Leafs and consistent turnovers would eventually cost them. Without any outlet  support, Nikolai Kulemin sent the puck into the middle of the ice, right onto the stick of Matt D’agostini who had a clear path to the net. Gustavsson would make the first save, but with David Backes on the doorstep for the rebound he was unable to bail his team out completely. Backes would record his second point of the night and after taking advantage of the Leafs glaring mistakes, the Blues headed into the first intermission with a 2-1 lead.

The Leafs would come out in the second period and looked to have corrected their first period issues. Able to establish a forecheck and strong pressure, they found their way back into the game. Clarke MacArthur set up Mikhail Grabovski and the hottest Leaf tallied his team leading 15th goal of the season. With 10 goals in 13 games, Grabovski seemed to lift his team and they capitalized on their second period surge. Colby Armstrong made a nifty back hand pass from behind the net and Kris Versteeg made no mistake, beating Jaroslav Halak and finding the back of the net for the go ahead goal. Able to sustain their pressure and keep rolling for a 3 minute flurry, the Leafs chased Halak from the net on a steal by Phil Kessel. Kessel would pick off a Vladamir Sobotka pass and beat Halak for the 4-2 lead. Head Coach Davis Payne would call on Ty Conklin for relief and the Blues would escape the second period lucky to be down by just 2.

The third period saw the Leafs widen the gap early as Phil Kessel regained the team’s scoring lead from Mikhail Grabovski. Kessel would hop over the boards and sneak in behind the Blue’s defense. With Mike Komisarek finding him with the stretch pass, Kessel broke in and beat Conklin for his sencond of the game and his 16th of the season. Shortly after, the Blues would utilize a mad scramble to inch their way back into the game. With the puck rolling through Gustavsson’s legs, Brad Winchester would shovel him into the net. The play would be reviewed, however it was ruled that the puck did cross the line prior to Winchester shoveling the Leaf’s netminder. The play lifted the Blues and they would force the Leafs into third period tension. With a Luke Schenn clearing attempt bobbled in the officials skates, Eric Brewer would find the puck and beat Gustavsson, putting his team within 1. On the heels of a disastrous Team Canada collapse, the Leafs would find themselves on the same side of a similar three goal slide. Matt D’agostini would take advantage of a springing bounce and broke in on the Leaf’s goal, completing the comeback and beating Gustavsson with a move to his backhand. The wild turn of events would see the game destined for overtime, although a shaky play by Gustavsson late was close to proving otherwise. Unable to track the puck and cover it, Gustavsson would scramble in his crease and somehow the Leafs would escape and the extra frame would be needed in a game that should have been over in the third period.

The overtime would provide some tense moments for both teams, mostly the overwhelmed Gustavsson who seemingly feared everything that came at him. With Kris Versteeg unable to convert a Leaf’s chance the other way, a shootout would decide what turned out to be a thrilling contest.

An extra round would be required in the nail biter, and with Mikhail Grabovski leading the way with his beautiful spin around move, the Leafs were able to savor the game. Gustavsson, who was beat on the first two chances and looked to have lost all confidence was able to rebound with a few saves following goals by Kris Versteeg and Tyler Bozak. With the near collapse coming full-circle, the Leafs would need to quickly put this one behind them, and surely take lessons from what could have been a shameful result in a game that was well in their hands.

After the game Head Coach Ron Wilson had an interesting analogy on his team’s third period collapse, and with strong ties to the American Hockey Program, perhaps a slight verbal jab to that of Team Canada one night earlier.

“Like we saw last night, when the banana peel is on the ice you tend to slip on it. We took a 5-2 lead and we got really sloppy in the back-end. We didn’t move our feet and we weren’t defending the good ice. We were staring at the puck and that’s what happened on the tying goal. At least we found a way to get it to overtime and a shootout and found a way to get an extra point.”

The confidence of Jonas Gustavsson shifted rather swiftly and it seems as if that may lead Wilson to lean on young James Reimer for Saturday’s game against the Thrashers. Crediting Reimer for his calming influence on the team, and with Gustavsson’s shaky play creating anything but, Wilson’s choice may have been made before the game ended.

“Yeah he’s (Reimer) played a few good games for us and gave us a chance to win. Tonight was a tough game for Jonas so he’ll (Reimer) probably get the start on Saturday. Probably I say.”

Whether it is Reimer or Gustavsson in goal for the Leafs, one thing is certain. A strong focus on a complete game must be in the work and mindset of the players. Embarking on a four game road trip to the U.S. West Coast, the margin for error will decrease drastically. As a team running out of room for such error, this Leaf group will need to use the positives from this game as motivation towards a string of victories. Coming up to the halfway mark of the season and in a position much like last year, it will take that motivation to simply climb into respectability. Climbing into playoff contention however, remains a dark and taunting task.

After an emotional comeback victory over the Boston Bruins on Saturday, the Toronto Maple Leafs took their recent positive vibes to the road, with the first stop being in Washington to take on the Capitals at the Verizon Center. The Leafs were desperately looking to string together a few wins, while the Capitals tried to avoid their third consecutive loss. The play of Jonas Gustavsson during the absence of J.S. Gigeure was solid and steady. Although his performance gave the team a chance to win every game, it was consistently spoiled by a lack of offence and mental breakdowns. As the Leafs aimed to reverse those fortunes, Gustavsson found himself back between the pipes, and his counterpart for the Capitals would be Michal Neuvirth.

A speedy first period saw the Capitals get off to an early lead. Mathieu Perreault tipped a point shot from Tom Poti, after a failed attempt to clear the zone by the Leafs defense. One area  needing a drastic improvement for the Leafs is their power play, and they were able to get on the board in the first. Clarke MacArthur took a hit at the blue-line and somehow found the puck as he got to his feet, beating Neuvirth and tying the game at 1. The even score would be short lived, as Mike Knuble would regain the Capital’s lead on the power play. A shot deflected into the slot by Mike Komisarek, and Knuble made no mistake putting it past Gustavsson. Both teams would trade chances as the period went on, however the score would remain 2-1 heading into first intermission.

With the Leafs unable to bury a few good chances early in the second period, the Capitals increased their lead by 2. A flurry of sloppy defensive coverage found the Leafs running around and Mathieu Perreault made it 3-1 scoring his second goal of the game. The tension would boil over soon after that as D.J. King addressed a previous Colton Orr hit on Alex Ovechkin, in a tilt with the Leaf enforcer. Prior to the game much was made of the incredible numbers  Ovechkin holds in games against the Maple Leafs. Those numbers would increase as the Washington Captain would snipe an unstoppable wrist-shot over the shoulder of Gustavsson. Ovechkin’s 19th goal in 21 games against the Leafs would send his team into the second intermission with the 4-1 lead.

Desperation seemed to sink in for the Leafs in the third period and they began to generate a stronger forecheck which led to some great chances. Nikolai Kulemin wouldn’t  quit on the puck and was able to keep it in the zone with the help of Tomas Kaberle. Mikhail Grabovski one-timed the Kaberle pass behind Neuvirth and the Leafs closed the three goal gap to two. The pressure continued for the Leafs and some strong goaltending allowed them to script another comeback in the U.S. Capital. Nazem Kadri, who made a few nice plays on the night was rewarded with an assist on the Leafs third goal. Kaberle blasted the Kadri pass on net, only to be tipped by Tim Brent, who was making things difficult for Neuvirth. The momentum shifted visibly and the Leafs took full advantage of a shaky Capitals team. Clarke MacArthur’s second goal of the night was a big one, tying the game at 4 on a nifty pass from Mikhail Grabovski. The Capitals saw a three goal lead erased by the Leafs once again, and with overtime not enough, the emotional comeback would see a shootout as the deciding factor.

The shootout would be highlighted by a spinning Mikhail Grabovski goal and three consecutive saves from Jonas Gustavsson, one of which was an incredible effort to get his stick on the puck, dramatically turning away Mathieu Perreault. Gustavsson, who has struggled in the shootout was determined to seize the Leaf’s third period comeback. After the game, Head Coach Ron Wilson spoke off the “Monster” performance from his swedish netminder.

“It’s big. His save on Perreault was a real great second effort save. He’s struggled in the shootouts, so getting three stops in that fashion was great for him.”
 
Over the last few weeks and surrounding their struggles, the talk around the Leafs has been about desperation. As losses continued to pile, it was the lack of desperation that saw their offensive numbers sputter and position among the standings drop rapidly. However the players would use the desperation in their favor on Saturday against the Bruins and in dramatic fashion tonight in Washington. Pleased with his team’s effort, Ron Wilson would avoid any cliches and speak of the spark Colby Armstrong has given the team since his return.

“It’s so overused (a character win). It’s such a bad cliche. We’re desperate now and throwing everything at them. Again I look to what Colby Armstrong brings to our bench in terms of how verbal he is. He wasn’t going to let his friends hang there head and feel sorry for themselves. Because of that we kept pushing.”

Cliche or not, the consecutive wins for the Leafs were that of character. Trying to keep his team hungry and unsatisfied, Wilson will refrain from using any terminology that suggests his squad is where he would like them to be. The same character that saw this Leafs team start the season on a high, disappeared frequently, leading many to believe firing Wilson would be the quick fix to the problem. GM Brian Burke stood by his Coach and longtime friend, and it seems as if so too have the players. How long that will remain to be seen however will depend on their ability to consistently land in the win column. Although a tough week has started on a high note, the task won’t get any easier. A date with Sidney Crosby and the Penguins on Wednesday, the Flyers on the following night, and finishing with an always exciting Hockey Night in Canada against the Canadiens will determine if the train that is the Toronto Maple Leafs has found its way back on track.

Kicking off the first of two divisional games on consecutive nights, the Toronto Maple Leafs traveled a short trip down the QEW to take on the Buffalo Sabres at the HSBC Arena in the second of six meetings between the two teams. After tonight’s 3-1 victory, the Sabres now hold a 2-0 record against the Leafs following a 3-2 shootout decision on Nov. 6 in Toronto.

During most of Monday’s victory over the Dallas Stars, The Leafs controlled the play on both sides of the ice, and looked to build on that momentum as they searched for their second road win in 6 games. In fact, not since Oct. 15 have the Leafs been able to find the win column while playing away from the Air Canada Centre. If that trend was to change, the offense needed to be a factor and become involved rather quickly, especially against a Buffalo Sabres team who has struggled at home. Although it is the obvious intention, Leaf forward and former Sabre, Clarke MacArthur said before the game, that the key to his team’s success would be opening the scoring early and building from there.

“When we score first you look at our team and we seem to pick up momentum and roll, then the other team has to come put of their comfort zone.”

It was easy to see how the first goal could have played a large role in the outcome of the game for either team, as neither have been able to maintain consistency within their offensive ranks.  Jonas Gustavsson looked to continue his strong play in the absence of J.S. Giguere, while Ryan Miller, who has been a nightmare for the Maple Leafs got his first taste of the divisional match-up this season. Carrying his U.S. Olympic team to the Gold Medal Game against Canada, Head Coach Ron Wilson learned a lot about Miller. When asked prior to the game on how his team looked to solve Miller, Wilson had no answers.

“I have no idea,” Wilson said. “If I had the answer, we’d score a lot more goals. He’s a big tall guy who does a great job covering the lower half of the net, and like with all great goaltenders, his concentration level is unbelievable. Every game you’ve scored on him, you’ve earned it.”

The first period was an emotional and spirited affair as both teams came out firing. A Paul Gaustad hit from behind on Phil Kessel ignited the Leafs bench and their emotions would eventually get the best of them. After Nikolai Kulemin was also hit with what looked to be a charge by Patrick Kaleta, Luke Schenn came to his defense and dropped the gloves in his effort to send a message. Adding to a first period already filled with animosity was Colton Orr as he looked to settle a score with Gaustad for his hit on Kessel. Orr received an untimely 6 minutes in penalties on the play which lead to a Jordan Leopold power play goal, and a 1-0  Sabres lead. Things quickly began to unravel for the Leafs as Kris Versteeg took a selfish penalty, getting his stick up on Nathan Gerbe twice behind the play. The inevitable result from the poor judgment became reality for Versteeg and the Leafs as Thomas Vanek beat Jonas Gustavsson  from the point and lifted his team to a 2-0 lead. Versteeg would maintain a regular shift despite his stupidity. The power play goals sparked the Sabres offense and the game may have been well out of reach following the first period had Gustavsson not made four or five huge saves to keep his team in it.

The second period started out where the first had left off, as the Sabres continued to pile the chances on Gustavsson, only to be turned away by the Swedish netminder. The middle frame progressed and the Leafs seemed to find their legs as they began to generate some chances. The change in pace caused the Sabres to take a few penalties, and the Leafs looked to get on the board. Unable to manufacture offense on the power play and with Ryan Miller up to the task when needed, the Leafs found themselves still trailing by two heading into the third period.

The alarming trend surrounding the Maple Leafs offense or lack there of took center stage in the third period. Their inability to create traffic in front of the steady Ryan Miller forced the Leafs power play into mistakes, and eventually lead to a Patrick Kaleta short-handed goal, and the 3-0 Sabre’s lead. Making matters worse for the struggling offense, it was the help of Sabre’s defenseman Jordan Leopold that gave the Leafs their only goal of the game. A funny bounce deflected off Ryan Miller and in an attempt to clear it from harms way, Leopold put it right on the stick of Phil Kessel who slid it passed a sprawling Miller. That would be it from the Leafs offense and like a bad re-run their effort simply wasn’t good enough as they fall to just one win in their last 13 games against the Sabres.

For Head Coach Ron Wilson and GM Brian Burke, the answers from within are no more. The solution to their sputtering and inconsistent offense cannot be found in the current configuration. Nazem Kadri, although playing well at times, has not been effective and has yet to find his first career goal. Phil Kessel is scoring with ten on the year, however the timely goals necessary to lift his team into a game are missing. Counted on by default to create those chances for Kessel is Tyler Bozak, and the young pivot is mired in a pressure filled sophomore slump. Without the luxury of options it will be up to this current crop of players, a group that Brian Burke believes in, to find their way. The belief is evident among Brian Burke, but with his Christmas trade freeze around the corner, just how long he will continue to believe is in question.

Without much rest the Leafs will travel to Ottawa tonight as they look to get right back at it for the Battle of Ontario tomorrow night. Once again deserving a better fate, Jonas Gustavsson is set for his second start in a row. If nothing else the Leaf players owe an urgent and steady performance to their hard working goaltender who has given them a chance in every game he’s played.

A second period outburst against the Nashville Predators dramatically ended the Toronto Maple Leafs eight game losing skid and lifted the weight of the world off of their shoulders. The win on Tuesday looked out of the question as the Predators attacked the Leafs for 3 first period goals, all but collapsing their confidence. A late first period goal from Luke Schenn seemed to lift spirits and sent the Leafs into the locker room with something to build upon. During the second period something clicked with the Maple Leaf power play and as a result they scored four unanswered goals and found themselves in the strange waters of the win column.

As the focus shifts to not only maintaining but taking advantage of momentum, the Leafs welcomed the New Jersey Devils to Toronto for the first of 4 meetings this season. Even after a much needed win the losses continued in Leaf-Land. Goaltender J.S. Gigeure left Tuesday’s game late in the third period, only to be relieved by the steady and timely play of Jonas Gustavsson. With Gigeure looking to miss some time with a slight groin tweak, Gustavsson was given the start against the Devils and will carry the load for the Leafs in the coming week. Head Coach Ron Wilson touched on the exciting but unusual game in which the Leafs look to build on.

“Strange game to say the least,” Wilson said. “I’m glad we won. It’s one of those kinds of games that when you look back on it, hopefully it puts an abrupt stop to the slide we’ve been in. We can use it for momentum.”

The use of that momentum took to the ice and the Leafs showed a desire to play with some jump and were rewarded with a couple nice scoring chances in a mostly quiet first period.

Opening the scoring with a power play goal, Mikhail Grabovski continued his hot streak with his fifth of the year on a rebound from a Nikolai Kulemin shot. The goal seemed to generate the Leafs confidence and they pushed the Devils back on their heels as they continued to press. Phil Kessel put his ninth goal of the season passed Martin Brodeur, following a nifty feed by rookie Nazem Kadri. With the Leafs holding a 2-0 lead the Devils looked to find their way back into the game, and they would do so. as Dainius Zubruis scored on a bouncy play tipping off a Leaf defenceman and passed Jonas Gustavsson.

The third period saw Martin Brodeur sitting on the Devil’s bench after he looked in discomfort from a sprawling play during the second period. With Johan Hedberg in goal, the Leafs looked to test him early, however it was the Devils who pressed the Leafs into their own zone, forcing Gustavsson to make a few critical saves to preserve the two goal lead. With Gustavsson determined to keep his team in the lead, the Leafs began to skate again and moved the puck quickly. The Devils, pinned deep in their own zone took an untimely penalty and the once again productive Leaf power play went to work. It was quality puck movement that lead to another great pass by Nazem Kadri and Kris Versteeg put the one-timer passed Hedberg, giving the Leafs the insurance goal and a 3-1 lead.

The Maple Leafs looked much more like the confident and comfortable group that started the season on a high note. Although outshot, the Leafs kept control with their legs while passing very well off the rush. The fast pace and swift puck movement allowed them to control most of the game and record the 3-1victory. The win comes as the second of a necessary string of victories that will help erase the eight game slump, and push the Leafs back into the playoff picture.

Some of that confident puck movement came from the stick of rookie Nazem Kadri. Playing in his 4th game as a Maple Leaf, and 3rd of the year, Kadri is looking comfortable with his linemates, Tyler Bozak and Phil Kessel. After the game, Kadri was asked how we was settling in and touched on his thoughts regarding the resurgent Leaf power play and heading into Saturday night’s game in Montreal against the Canadiens.

“Our line and the power play has been clicking and the past few games sort of been on fire. When you have guys like that on the other side who can finish, its pretty easy to make those passes. But you can’t always think pass first. I can score too and I’ll be looking for that first one soon. It will be an unbelievable experience in there (Bell Center). They were one of my favorite teams growing up as a kid. Being drafted there by the Maple Leafs, I didn’t get much of a warm welcome. Hopefully I can show a little payback.”

With two victories to show for their solid efforts and blazing power play, Head Coach Ron Wilson is preaching complete games like this, and perhaps looking to iron out a few wrinkles in the game of his young star.

“The most important thing is that we got a win, doesn’t matter who its against. To play a mostly complete game like that will help. The last ten minutes I felt good about our overall game. We got a couple nice saves from Jonas and we settled in. A nice power play goal and a main reason we got the last two wins. He’s (Kadri) making some good plays. We still have some nasty habits we have to fix but he’s learning. With a 1 goal game, he went for a skate twice. Those are things he was doing in the American League and he’ll have to eradicate those if he wants to be a full time player in the NHL.”

The Maple Leafs hold the confidence it will take in order to keep their success rolling. The players will have an extra boost of motivation and will need to be on their best behavior as the team’s annual Father/Son gathering will head to Montreal. Waiting for the Leafs are the red hot Canadiens, a true test for a team looking to remain in the win column.

Looking to break out of their current slump and perhaps send a message to underachieving players, the Toronto Maple Leafs have called up forward Nazem Kadri and defenceman Keith Aulie from the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League on Friday.

Kadri has five goals and nine assists for 14 points in 14 games with the Marlies this season. Leafs President and GM Brian Burke along with Head Coach Ron Wilson made the decision to send Kadri to the AHL prior to the regular season, in order to further develop his all-around game.

The Leafs selected Kadri in the first round (seventh overall) of the 2009 NHL Draft. He has one regular season game under his belt, which took place due to an emergency call-up from the OHL last season. A remarkable junior career with both the Kitchener Rangers and the London Knights, kadri tallied 92 goals and 166 assists for 258 points in 242 career games.

“I have to be dedicated,” Kadri said last month. “I’m willing to learn and do anything I can to be a better player. I know I have a lot of things to work on. This is a developmental league and I’m willing to work hard and do whatever it takes.”

Keith Aulie was acquired from the Calgary Flames in the trade that brought Captain Dion Phaneuf to Toronto. In 14 games with the Marlies this season, the 6’5″ defenceman has one goal and three assists, and has been a physical presence on the back end.

Forward Christian Hanson and defenceman Korbinian Holzer have been re-assigned to the Marlies, making space for the surprising roster change.

Kadri and Aulie could find their way into the struggling Leafs lineup as early as Saturday when the Toronto hosts the Vancouver Canucks. At practice on Friday, Ron Wilson had Kadri placed on a line with Tyler Bozak and Nikolai Kulemin.