Leafs Prospect Report

Kenny T
November 6, 2009.

Short into the season I wanted to take a break from the leafs players and take a look at some of the prospects and how they're doing so short into the season.
Taking a look at some of the stats one player that seems to be lagging in Mikhail Stefanovich of Quebec of the QMJHL. His stats read 1 goal and 2 assists in five games. Hardly comparable to the type of numbers he put up last year. although it is early in the season he'll need to bring it every game and start scoring some goals to catch Brian Burke's attention as this will be his last year in the Q. One prospect who seems to be getting my attention is Joel Champagne of P.E.I. of the Q. He has put up 4 goals and 7 assists in 14 games this year. And with a hulking 6'4 frame and great faceoff skills he should be able to fit in nicely with the leafs 3rd of 4th line some day. Go Leafs.

Unrequited Love...... Continued

Greg Ryan Sharp
November 5, 2009.

I completely agree with what Tim has said in his post 'Unrequited Love - The Leafs and Their Fans', however I believe there is more of the story to be told.

The management of the team - more so the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan - is definitely at fault here. However the fans themselves are not completely guilt free.

It is the fans fault that regardless of the calibre of product on the ice they still flock like herded sheep to fill the seats at the Air Canada Center. Fans are giving the franchise the right to field an inferior team because ownership knows they will still sell out home games regardless of who's actually on the ice.

Over the years Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) has slowly brain washed the fans of Toronto into believing that they actually care about winning a Stanley Cup. They even have us believe that they are doing everything possible in their power to win one.

It's no coincidence that Leafs most competitive era fell during a time when the majority owner was Steve Stavro. After Harold Ballard passed, Stavro became Chairman of the Board of Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd and Governor of the Maple Leafs in October of 1991. Later that year he worked out a deal to purchase shares from Ballards estate. Molson also agreed to sell him the remainder of their stake in Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd, which would ultimately see him become majority owner by 1994. Read more.....

Unrequited Love - The Leafs and Their Fans

Tim Mackay
November 4, 2009.

The relationship between the Toronto Maple Leafs and their fans is almost like Sid and Nancy. Well, maybe not Sid and Nancy, but more like Lysander and Helena if you know you’re Shakespeare. One’s love is not returned, essentially. Fans of the Leafs have had their love go unrequited for, oh, about 42 years now and you can tell their starting to get a little turned off by their love interest’s hard-to-get attitude. After reading David Feschuk and Michael Grange’s book ¬Leafs Abomination, I have to say I was impressed and intrigued as to how the two reporters addressed this infidelity. The book drew me in and I couldn’t put it down to be honest. It was well written, well-structured, well-researched and gave an updated version of the history of the Maple Leafs while tearing apart the organization in order to anatomically determine the reasons for the team’s 42-year Stanley Cup drought. However, this is not a book review, so I’ll get to the point. There was a chapter of the book called “Blame the Fans” (other chapter titles included “Blame Peddie”, “Blame John Ferguson Jr.” and “Find Hope in Brian Burke”) and I couldn’t help but realize how Feschuk and Grange’s argument was both painstakingly true and horribly false simultaneously. Read more.....

Roadtrip in Review

Greg Ryan Sharp
November 3, 2009.

With the Toronto Maple Leafs getting set to take the ice back home at the Air Canada Center for the first time since October 17th, we take a look back at the five game roadtrip to see if anything has changed since their abysmal seven game start to the season.

The Leafs started out the season with a winless record of 0-6-1 managing to steal just one point of the initial fourteen available. During that time they had a -18 goal differential after being outscored 32 - 14 by opponents. Since then, while on their five game roadtrip, they have been able to secure five of a possible ten points to end the month of October. While away from home, the Leafs were able to finish with a 1-1-3 record and a respectable -1 goal differential, being outscored just 17 - 16 in the last five games.

Although I was unable to see the entirety of their five game roadtrip, I was able to see enough of each game to notice some key changes to the Toronto Maple Leafs style of play that could explain the better record as of late.

The first thing I noticed came in the third period against Vancouver on October 24th when the Leafs were down 2 - 1. With Toronto fighting to tie it up, the Leafs' defence began pinching in the offensive zone to keep the puck in deep and maintain pressure. Although this didn't result in a goal, it gave Toronto multiple scoring chances and opportunities that could very well have tied the game had Roberto Luongo not played as well as he did in that final period. Read more.....

Phil Kessel: Our Light At The End Of The Tunnel

Geoff Hunter
November 3, 2009.

Is he a star?
2 1st round picks to get him would suggest that he is.
Who get's to play with him at center ? - why we hear it's Matt Stajan.
Mikhail Grabovski would be the only other present choice.

And is this to just buy time until junior star Nazem Kadri is ready in a few years ?
Probably - unless Brian Burke can't wait that long and pulls off a big trade.

It should be fun to watch the power play.
It's been clicking the least few games, and now add Kessel to that.

Also add some some big timely saves by Jonas Gustavsson and some much needed wins may come via the pp and goaltending alone. His size and agility, and willingness to come out to the edge of the crease when necessary is making Vesa Toskala wonder about his own future.

You don't like to see pressure put on players so young and inexperienced. Expecting too much right away would not be appropriate. If Kessel scores 1 goal in his first 10 games as a Leaf, is he a failure? Let's get real here.

This is a start in focusing more so on good young talent rather than hitting the panic button for aging, slower star players.

And Kessel and Gustavsson are just the beginning.
Stalberg and Kadri aren't far away, so in a few years things should look real nice.

This season is a wash, making the playoffs would be a bonus but not a necessity.

Let's hope the Leafs don't spend unnecessarily on any more 2nd liners and 2nd pairing defensemen or quick fix goaltenders, and focus more so on making room financially for their young prized talent.

Kaberle Has My Vote; Kessel to Play Tuesday?

Tony Omran
November 2, 2009.

At the beginning of the season, Ron Wilson said the next captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs would be named in mid to late November when the right player emerged. The three candidates were defencemen Mike Komisarek, Francois Beauchemin and long time Maple Leaf Tomas Kaberle. 12 games into the season, with a 1-7-4 record, the Leafs appear in dire need of somebody to emerge as the next Mats Sundin. We have not had any player, out of the three candidates or the rest of the team, show any signs of improvement or leadership... until now.

Tomas Kaberle was just named the NHL first star of the week after scoring 12 points in four games this week, including a career five point night in Anaheim against the Ducks. After years of trade rumours surrounding Kaberle, being the last of the "Frozen Five" that refused to remove their trade clauses two years ago to help the Leafs build for the future, Leaf fans are actually rejoicing that Kaberle chose not to remove his trade clause and remain a Maple Leaf. Now with 17 points in 12 games, he has been the lone bright spot for the team, and the most deserving player for the Maple Leafs captaincy. I would personally like to say thank you Tomas! You have consistently been the best Leaf for the last 3 years and you have my vote for the next captain for the world's greatest hockey team. For the record, if Kessel needs a puck moving centre, why not see what Kaberle can do next to him? He has been one of the best puck moving D-men in the league and he might just be the perfect set-up man for Kessel.

In other Leafs news today, reports say Phil Kessel is only one test away from making his debut in a Toronto Maple Leafs uniform. He is taking a final test Monday, which he is expected to pass, and be cleared to play his first game this season on Tuesday night in Toronto against the under-achieving Tampa Bay Lightning. Jonas Gustavsson is expected to get the start Tuesday night.