Gustavsson Making His Case

Kenny T
October 29, 2009.

The leafs lost a tough one last night in Dallas 4-3 in OT. However jut like alot of games the leafs have played this season they deserved to win. The thing that kept the leafs in the losing column was the excellent play of Marty Turco in net and Komisareks' phantom high sticking call. Either way Gustavsson played great i net. The first goal was not his fault because it went off of Ian White and in. Overall I think if Ron Wilson doesn't stick with Goose in net they'll be sending the leafs back into low confidence losing.

Kaberle, Leafs Have "Monster" of a Game

Tony Omran
October 27, 2009.

IT'S ABOUT TIME! Leafs Nation finally takes a long, gasp of air as the Toronto Maple Leafs get their first victory of the season against the Ducks in Anaheim. The absolute greatest effort the Leafs have given all year led by Jonas Gustavsson, Tomas Kaberle and Niklas Hagman helps the Leafs score five powerplay goals in a 6-3 win for Toronto in a late game on the west coast. Niklas Hagman got his second career hat trick and Tomas Kaberle had a career night scoring one goal and four assists for five points in the effort Leafs fans have expected since the beginning. Lee Stempniak also had a career night scoring a goal and collecting three assists for four points. Mikhail Grabovski scored a goal, and Matt Stajan also had three assists.

Jonas Gustavsson made 25 saves as the "Monster" has stood out as the new starting goalie for the Maple Leafs. With former starter Vesa Toskala injured, Gustavsson's quick recovery paved the way for a start against the Ducks tonight while temporary starter Joey MacDonald found himself on the bench backing up the new team starter. There have been rumours circulating lately that the Toronto Maple Leafs were ready to be involved in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks in which Jean-Sebastien Giguere would go to Toronto, with Vesa Toskala going the other way. This could only make sense should Gustavsson not emerge as the starting goalie with the Leafs. After tonight, however, the trade rumours and the Leafs jokes will fall silent as it appears we have finally found our netminder, should the "Monster" remain consistent.

The Leafs will spend the night in Anaheim and then travel to Dallas tomorrow for a game Wednesday night against the Stars. This game has an 8 p.m. start Eastern time, with Jonas Gustavsson expected to start for Toronto and Marty Turco for the Dallas Stars.

Identity Crisis

Geoff Hunter
October 24, 2009.

We have a right to be critical, Leaf nation pays top dollar to watch their team after all and deserve better.

Let's examine a key, current problematic situation with this team:

The Leafs have an identity crisis.

The money has been spent poorly (with Kessel as the hopeful exception)

Trades and waivers could soon become reality.

They are trying to make 2nd liners into 1st liners
They are trying to insert 2nd pairing defenseman onto their 1st pair
They are attempting to make starting goalies out of #2 guys or inexperienced guys.
It’s 2nd rate.

I know the budget is restricted, but this is ridiculous.
Where has the money been spent ?
On more 2nd liners and 2nd pairing defensemen?
And we didn’t have enough of that already?
Sure we are tougher – but without premiere talent that won’t get us very far.

For years it was hard to find a linemate for Mats Sundin to get a 1st line going - now there's no Mats Sundin - now there's a potpourri of 2nd and 3rd liners given front line responsibilities - despite lack of leadership, experience, and in many cases skill potential.

Beauchemin - Komisarek makes a nice 2nd pairing on most teams - but Beauchemin on the #1 pp doesn't look 'quite right' and Komisarek 5 on 5 with Kaberle appears a tad slow against the top opposing forwards.
Besides, we already had a nice 2nd pairing with Schenn and White.
Let’s see: add up the contracts of Beachemin and Finger and we could have spent that on a 1st line free agent, or a #1 defenseman. Read more.....

Do Or Die Time

Tony Omran
October 20, 2009.

It goes without saying that the Toronto Maple Leafs need to win a game ... and win one NOW! With a 0-6-1 record to start the season, Leafs fans have begun slowly boycotting and abandoning the team, booing at home games and most shockingly, prices of tickets have decreased by half the regular price! That is the first time this has ever happened, and as a huge Leafs fans I have to say: ABOUT TIME! We have to do something that MLSE, Burke and Wilson finally get the message as we are once again experiencing the same old story in Leafs Nation. In this case it has been all talk and do a little to make it seem like were getting better but we somehow keep losing!

I haven’t given up yet; I will continue watching Leafs games and I will always have faith, however the Leafs are going to need a win Saturday night in Vancouver against the struggling Canucks to at least silence the critics and satisfy the fans for a few days. A road trip might just be what the Leafs need right now as they are in Anaheim Monday, Dallas Wednesday as well as Buffalo and Montreal Friday and Saturday respectively. Injured goaltender Jonas Gustavsson is expected back Monday at the earliest, however Joey MacDonald is expected to start Saturday in Vancouver. No return date is set for Vesa Toskala, not that anybody cares when the struggling goaltender returns. Read more.....

Waiting For Jonas

Tim Mackay
October 20, 2009.

In the interest of honesty, I will be blunt: The Toronto Maple Leafs are playing some of the worst hockey I’ve seen from the team in a long, long time. While Saturday’s game against New York was a step in the right direction, when you’re playing absolutely terrible, it’s easy to improve. As of right now, there are very few, if any, positive aspects to discuss about the Leafs. The forwards have been invisible, neither scoring nor playing with any kind of heart or intensity. The defence corps, a group that was supposed to be drastically improved this season, have been worse than last year and that’s saying a lot. Our penalty killing, a magnificent 30th overall last year, is in the exact same position except 14 percentage points lower. Ron Wilson, a coach who certainly has plenty of confidence in himself (you’d know that if you’ve ever watched his condescending pressers), has seen not one player under his watch improve over the last 2 seasons. Try and think of a player who’s value has gone up under Wilson’s tenure. If a list exists, it’s a very short one. Don’t even get me started on goaltending. We’ve all seen the movie before. It’s just a part of being a Leaf fan and most of us are used to it by now. However, Leaf fans have a way of clinging to one single ray of hope no matter how small or improbable it may seem. Right now, that ray of hope, that one single part of the team that’s keeping Leafs Nation from imploding right now, is Jonas Gustavsson. Read more.....

Leafs Ability to Win Hinges On Gustavvson

Kenny T
October 18, 2009.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have come out of the gate slow. Scratch that, they haven't left the gate yet. Will our "top defense in the league" currently in last for GA, offense struggling and goaltending not being clutch. It's time to release the Monster. And I don't mean for just one game. He should be our #1 guy from now on, Macdonald backing up with Toskala banished to the minors, this guy simply isn't good enough to be a starting goalie. This will also relieve cap space that we could use to maybe acquire Nathan Horton. He is apparently trying to find his way out of Florida and isn't opposed to coming to T.O. Our offense needs help. Period.

Examing Toronto's Defensive Woes

Greg Ryan Sharp
October 17, 2009.

Heading into their seventh game of the season the Toronto Maple Leafs defensive troubles seem as though they can't get any worse. When looking at the team stats for the Toronto Maple Leafs, they have the worst goal differential in the league with a staggering minus 15.

In the off season the Leafs beefed up their back six by adding two proven stop gap defenders in Francois Beauchemin, and Mike Komisarek, as well as signing physical defenseman Garnet Exelby. After looking at the Leafs abundance of talent on the blue line coming into the '09-'10 season, no one expected to start the year 0 and 6, leaving the fans wondering what went wrong? Read more.....

The Quiet Before The Storm?

Geoff Hunter
October 16, 2009.

Six games in and the Toronto Maple Leafs have yet to win. Next up: the high flying New York Rangers on Saturday night. An assessment period for a GM can be 10 games, often 20 until it's time to start pressing the panic button on a struggling team. The concern here is GM Brian Burke vows to get this team into the playoffs this year - the playoff drive could be over in 20 games – likely be too long of a wait.

So rumors are Burke is looking around for help, and don't be surprised if he make's a major trade or two around that 10 game mark. Many of the forwards on this team are not his players, and the need for a front line playmaker as well as some rugged wingers is evident. He drafted for players in those areas, but that’s for 3 yrs down the road.

We'll see if Gustavsson is ready to be the number one goalie when he returns - Toskala's days could be numbered. Will he get another chance ? Could JS Giguere , or some other notable netminder be on Burke's radar? Read more.....

The Leafs Goalie Troubles Continue

Greg Ryan Sharp
October 16, 2009.

With the Monster (Jonas Gustavsson) sidelined already and Vesa Toskala off to a shaky start, things just got a whole lot worse in Toronto. Toskala was injured during Toronto’s Monday night game against the New York Rangers and is reportedly out for at least 10 days with a “knee” injury.

Do you really think this is a real knee injury? Or is it possible that this injury is due to a bruised confidence and is being used as a way to take some of the pressure off? It definitely seems a little convenient that this supposed knee injury comes at a time when he was about to be given the duties of warming the woodwork in lieu of Joey MacDonald’s first start with the club.

Vesa Toskala has posted a 5.57 Goals Against Average (GAA) so far this year, further improving on his GAA trend while with the Leafs; and by improving, I really mean continuing his slide down the slope to double digit GAA as he now surpasses the half way point on his quest towards ten. Since joining the Leafs for the beginning of the ‘07-’08 campaign, Toskala has posted a 2.74 (’07-’08) and 3.26 (’08-’09) GAA, a far cry from his 2.06 and 2.35 GAA days while splitting time in San Jose. Read more.....

The Kessel Years

Greg Ryan Sharp
October 15, 2009.

The Leafs are off to their worst start in years and a lot of people are beginning to wonder if we overpaid for Phil Kessel, however I beg to differ.

The deal went down as follows: Toronto sent three draft picks to Boston in exchange for the rights to Kessel; a 1st and 2nd round pick for the 2010 NHL entry draft, as well as a 1st round pick for the 2011 entry draft. Shortly after the trade was completed, they signed Kessel to a 5 year $27 million contract.

We seem to have forgotten that this kid was touted to be one of the “Next Ones” during his junior career. He was such a fantastic junior player that pro scouts were even ranking him as a prospect comparable to the likes of Sid the Kid (Sidney Crosby) back in ‘04-’05. During that season he scored 98 points in 47 games as a member of the under 18 Development Program in the North American Hockey League. After missing the NHL entry draft by just one month, Kessel was forced to play one more season before being drafted, so he joined the Minnesota Golden Gophers at the University of Minnesota. Unfortunately as a freshman he was slotted in as a third line player with limited ice time, but he still managed to net 51 points with a +22 rating in 39 games. Later that year he was drafted 5th overall by the Boston Bruins. Read more.....

Burke On Poor Start: Players Are Not Executing

Michael Lindow
October 14, 2009.

Pierre LeBrun covers the NHL for ESPN.com, joining the Web site in September 2008 after spending 13 years with The Canadian Press as its national hockey columnist. LeBrun also was a contributor to Rogers Sportsnet and a regular guest on CBC's "Hockey Night in Canada." In 2005, he won Sports Media Canada's top sports writing award for his coverage of the 2004-05 NHL lockout. LeBrun is based in Toronto and continues to be a weekly guest on "Hockey Night."

TORONTO -- Somewhere in Boston, Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli is no doubt licking his lips as he sees what is happening in Toronto these days.

The Maple Leafs have caused near hysteria in their hockey-mad market with an 0-5-1 start. Their fans are not only disheartened by the brutal play of their heroes, but also quite cognizant of the fact the Bruins could be staring at a lottery draft pick (via the Phil Kessel trade) should Toronto not pick up its hockey socks this season.

Leafs GM Brian Burke knew what he signed up for here nearly a year ago. He understands the plight of the fans in this market, hungry to end a Cup drought that's at 42 years and counting. Read more.....

Why the Rebuild Is Far From Over

Kenny T
October 13, 2009.

Leafs: 5 games 0 wins, Vesa Toskala and Jonas Gustavsson injured. It seems the hockey gods don't even want the Leafs to win. In light of our 7-2 loss to the Rangers I've come up with a theory on why the rebuild is not over.

Burke said after trading Kessel that sending away two first rounders was possible because they had gotten so many good undrafted players.... Gustavsson, Tyler Bozak, Christian Hanson and Robert Slaney. And while I love how Burke has gone out and got these guys I gotta wonder which one of these guys equals even one first rounder? A goalie of Gustavssons' caliber could be picked in the second round, Bozak also in the second. Hanson in 3rd or 4th and I don't know a damn thing about Slaney. But with us losing like we have been even though it is only 5 games in we may have bitten off more then we can chew. Secondly, until Wilson realizes it we don't have a starting goaltender. I fully expected us to draft one in the second round of the past draft but we didn't.

Toskala is too damn small I don't care what anyone says. James Reimer is a future backup goalie while Joey Macdonald can be a good backup now. Gustavsson has a huge question mark over his head, he could, if Wilson gives him a chance be our legit number one. Or he could bust making me cry and JFJ be hired back to trade him for Andrew Raycroft.

Struggling Leafs Change Lineup

Tony Omran
October 13, 2009.

If something doesn’t work, change it. That is exactly what Ron Wilson is doing with the Leafs lineup tonight as they host the surging Colorado Avalanche at the Air Canada Centre. Matt Stajan and Niklas Hagman are healthy scratches, Vesa Toskala was been sent for an MRI, and he will be replaced by emergency AHL callup James Reimer. With Jonas Gustavsson still injured, Joey McDonald gets the start tonight, and Tyler Bozak has been called up from the Marlies to replace Stajan. Viktor Stalberg also returns to the lineup, and former Leaf tough guy Darcy Tucker makes his return to Toronto as a member of the opposing team. Read more.....

The Leafs Traded For the Oilers??.....It Almost Happened

Michael Lindow
October 11, 2009.

The Ottawa Citizen is reporting that a trade that would have seen Wayne Gretzky and the rest of the Edmonton Oilers dealt to Toronto for the Leafs lackluster, going nowhere roster of players almost happened......

Behind the boards, away from the lights, two of the NHL's most infamous owners concocted a deal to alter the fabric of the hockey cosmos.

No deal had ever equalled it. None has approached its audacity since.

The Leafs for the Oilers. Almost. In the 1980s.

Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Jari Kurri and the rest of the young Edmonton Oilers nearly ended up in Toronto in a $50-million blockbuster swap of the two entire teams hatched by Harold Ballard, then-owner of the Maple Leafs, and Peter Pocklington, then-owner of the Edmonton Oilers, a new book claims. Read more.....

Toskala's Three Game Audition

Michael Lindow
October 8, 2009.

With the team announcing on Thursday that rookie netminder Jonas Gustavsson was placed on the IR with a groin injury the goalie controversy in Toronto is laid to rest...for at least another week.

Ever since the Leafs went out and signed Jonas in the offseason almost all of Leafs Nation have been hoping for the struggles that haunted Vesa Toskala last season would continue. Alot of pressure for the soft spoken Finnish goaltender who is in the last year of his contract.

In a city where the media spotlights seems to either make or break a goalie, Toskala looks destined to fall by the wayside with the likes of other Leaf backstoppers Allen Bester, Jiri Crha and Andrew Raycroft; good goalies who seemed to fold under the pressure of playing in hockey's hotbed. Being the last line of defence in Toronto is easy; win and you are treated like a god, lose and you will have plenty of volunteers lined up to drive you out of the city limits. Eddie Belfour, Curtis Joseph and Felix Potvin taking us deep into the post season still hold some of our fondest Leaf memories and are cherished by most fans; whispering the name "Raycroft" is now a punishable offence within the GTA. Read more.....

Leafs Under Construction: Too Early To Judge

Geoff Hunter
October 6, 2009.

It's two games into the regular season. Vesa Toskala is no longer the starting goalie, trade rumors are flying, and Ron Wilson will be fired tonight if the team doesn't play better defensively - in the minds of some fans.

But let's get real here:
Yes the defense continues to be terrible.
Last year the focus was to improve team speed and puck possession with several young players competing for roster spots. Ron Wilson has enabled his previous teams out west to play extremely well defensively - but with the added help of top goaltending and a good defense core. Perhaps in time we will see that with the Leafs. Perhaps - it's too early to judge. Read more.....

Season Starts in True Leaf Fashion

Tim Mackay
October 6, 2009.

It’s something as routine and predictable as the leafs falling in autumn. No pun intended. According to Webster’s Dictionary, “leafs” is now an acceptable pluralization of the word “leaf”, so don’t send an email to my editor just yet. But the leafs, whether they are leafs or leaves, are falling right now and as such, a few things are recurring like clockwork concerning the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs training camp opened a few weeks ago and naturally brought about a spell of excitement and anticipation among the fan base. Every autumn this seems to happen. No matter how unlikely it is that the Leafs will have a successful season, every rookie tournament, every scrimmage and every pass in practice is observed by Leaf Nation as if it were overtime in game seven of the Stanley Cup final. Unfortunately for Leaf fans (and the Leafs themselves), their team had a fairly successful preseason, which, because these are the Toronto Maple Leafs remember, means that the parade route was all but planned out before Thursday’s season opener against the Canadiens. All of a sudden, the preseason mattered. The Leafs fan base was buzzing about young players, Phil Kessel, and a re-built defence corps. Yes, training camp was once again a time for excitement and prognostications about the upcoming year and it’s really too bad that the Leafs had to play so darn well before the games actually mattered. Now, two games into the season, the players and the fans have been brought back down to earth. It happens every fall: the air gets colder and so does Leafs Nation’s opinion of their number one goalie. This year, it’s Vesa Toskala and deep down I feel like I’m having déjà vu all over again, to quote the great Yogi Berra. Read more.....