Golden Effort Falls Just Short posted by Brad VanFossan

A Golden Effort Falls Just Short By Brad VanFossan I know it’s more than just a hockey game when my 63 year old father is looking forward to watching, and has been watching most of the hockey games during this Olympics. I know it’s more than just a game when patrons at bars ask to turn the hockey game on, both the men’s and women’s games, as I have seen happen over the last couple weeks. This is about reliving nostalgia for those who were around for the 1980 Gold Medal team‘s “Miracle“ run. And it’s about wanting to experience that same feeling for those of us who were too young or weren’t around then. This is the kind of thing the brings generations of sons and fathers together creating memories that become part of family lore. More importantly, this is a message to the world that hockey isn’t a secondary sport in the United States anymore, but one we can excel at, and even be the best.  It’s almost time for the opening face off, winning twice on enemy territory won’t be easy, but I think if anyone can, it’s this group of relentless young men. No matter what the outcome, they will put forth an effort to be proud of.My in game thoughts from the penalty box: -In the first U.S./Canada match up the U.S. was able to score first, taking the crowd out of things for a bit, today Canada scored first, it’s the first time the U.S. has trailed all Olympics. -Jonathan Toews goal was off of a rebound, not too much cause for concern yet. The U.S. is still playing pretty well, theyContinue reading "Golden Effort Falls Just Short"

Leafs busy as deadline looms posted by Andy Charles

As the trade deadline approaches it was the Toronto Maple Leafs who made the first big moves to start the rebuilding of their franchise with the addition of hulking defenseman Dion Phaneuf and veteran goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

The Leafs appear unlikely to challenge for the Eastern Conference playoff places this season, sitting bottom after a 5-3 defeat by Vancouver on Saturday that saw them take a 3-0 lead and fall to an embarrassing defeat with some poor play on the blueline.

Toronto have let in more goals than any other team in the NHL this season and needed a real shutdown defender who also provides some offense – there are few better at both, according to NHL Picks, than Phaneuf.

GM Brian Burke appears to have started work early and, other than center Matt Stajan, doesn’t seem to have given up much in the way of talent to add two players who could be a real improvement on their current staff.

Phaneuf, at 6ft 6ins, will give a deal more stability than Ian White on the first defensive pairing and when Mike Komisarek returns to his best after shoulder trouble they have a couple of veterans to look after promising youngsters Luke Schenn and Carl Gunnarsson.

The Leafs also received veteran winger Fredrik Sjostrom and prospect Keith Aulie in the Phaneuf deal, giving up Stajan, White, Niklas Hagman and Jamal Mayers.

Aulie could be a very interesting add to the Toronto farm as well, since he played very well for Canada in the World Junior Championship, and his size will also be something for the Leafs to make use of when he is ready to graduate from the American Hockey League.

Maple Leafs Make Some Big Moves posted by Jeff Ponder

It seems that Leafs' GM Brian Burke has not needed sleep this weekend.

Burke announced on Sunday morning that the team had made two blockbuster moves that will see all-star defenseman Dion Phaneuf and all-star goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere in Maple Leaf jerseys.  Burke shipped forwards Jamal Mayers, Matt Stajan, and Nick Hagman with defenseman Ian White to the Flames for Phaneuf, forward Fredrik Sjostrom and prospect Keith Aulie.  The second trade involved Giguere heading to Toronto from Anaheim for forward Jason Blake and goaltender Vesa Toskala.

The trade comes the morning after a loss to Vancouver on Saturday, sending the Leafs on a six-game winless skid.  But Burke denies that the trades have anything to do with the losses.  He says that “these pieces were in place prior to yesterday.”

"We've got to create tension where there's enough talent on the roster and a high enough battle level that the coach has decisions to make," Burke said. "Right now he doesn't have decisions to make. It's these guys who got to go on the ice. We're trying to change that. Today is an important part of changing that."

Its no surprise that the team is having a shake-up; some people in Toronto are pointing fingers at head coach Ron Wilson for the team's atrocious 17-28-11 record, which ties them for last in the Eastern Conference.  But Wilson has proven time and again that he has regular-season success.  His 569-489-101-70 all-time record (with the Mighty Ducks, Capitals, Sharks and Maple Leafs), proves that he knows how to be an elite coach in the game. 
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USA! USA! USA! posted by Goon Squad

Has it been 30 years now since the US beat the Soviet Union at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid?(It seems like only yesterday...)

The Americans went on to win the gold medal in hockey that year - something that hasn't happened since, but don't expect any miracles next month at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. No, the United States still isn't favored to win a gold medal in hockey. In that respect the Americans remain underdogs. But with a roster stacked with young talent, they certainly are a medal candidate - one that the powerhouses from Canada, Russia and Sweden can't afford to overlook. "A little bit different situation [than 1980] in my opinion," said United States team captain Jamie Langenbrunner, a forward with the NHL's New Jersey Devils. "As much as Canada deserves all the credit that they're getting for the players they have, the 23 players named to the [United States] team play in the same league as those guys and we feel quite comfortable playing against them on a nightly basis. We feel we belong on the same ice."

That's a far cry from goalie Jim Craig and the 1980 team! US coach Herb Brooks had to convince that group of college All-Stars that it could compete with the grown men the Soviet Union sent over. But since 1998 the NHL has allowed its professional players to compete at the Winter Olympics. So this group of Americans is baffled by the notion that they would be intimidated by any of the major hockey powers.

Told of stories in the Canadian press that listed him as the only American capable of making the loaded Team Canada roster, forward Zach Parise chuckled. "I think that's kind of a bold statement," said Parise, also a New Jersey Devils forward. "I don't think there's going to be too many people that would agree with that."

Maple Leafs Sign Mike Komisarek to 5-Year, $22.5 Million Contract posted by Jeff Ponder

Leafs GM Brian Burke was not done adding some grit to his lineup after signing New York's Colton Orr to a 4-year, $4 million contract.  He continued on a few hours later, picking defenseman Mike Komisarek up from free-agency.

The former Montreal Canadien is not known for his offensive ability, but rather his toughness and defensive abilities.  Komisarek, an All-Star in 2009, paved the way for the Montreal defense to start the 2008-09 campaign.  He was known league-wide as a feisty defenseman who will not back down from any challenge.  Komisarek finished last season with 121 penalty minutes, which led the Canadiens roster.

With an average of $4.5 million a year, Komisarek is expected to be a leader in the Leafs' lineup.  Signing a player of Mike's caliber to this kind of contract is frowned upon by many NHL general managers nowadays, (notably Red Wings GM Ken Holland, who says that defensive defensemen should not make more than $3 million a season), but this could be a smart signing for Burke.  Komisarek could help further the progress of young Luke Schenn, which could potentially benefit the team for years to come.Continue reading "Maple Leafs Sign Mike Komisarek to ..."

The Canadiens Move Up to Seventh in the Playoff Race posted by Julia Borgini

Saturday night's 6-2 convincing win over the Toronto Maple Leafs provided the Canadiens with a little breathing room in the race for the playoffs. They moved up to seventh in the Easter Conference standings, with 4 games to play.

THE GOOD: Montreal wins 6-2 against Toronto. Three goals scored on the power play. Balanced scoring as Kovalev, Latendresse, Tanguay, Higgins, Gorges, and Lapierre all score. Halak solid in net for a flu-ridden Price, who's also playing well of late.

THE BAD: Tanguay coughing up the puck to Toronto's Boyd Devereaux, who scored a short-handed goal in the third period.

THE UGLY: The blue line took a serious hit when both Schneider AND Markov left the game with 'upper-body injuries'.

THE RESULT: Montreal is in seventh, 3 points ahead of the eighth place Rangers and Panthers (who are now tied.) They still have one game in hand against both of those teams, and sit only 1 point behind the sixth place Penguins. The Canadiens finish off the season with 4 games in 6 nights, with two of those games against the Rangers and the Penguins.

Hold on to your hats everyone, it's going to be a wild finish.

Back from the WBC; first thoughts posted by David

After spending a week and a half with Team Italy, I am home again and am beginning to collect my thoughts on the World Baseball Classic. Highlights from my trip include meeting Curtis Granderson (one of my favorite players), watching Italy beat Canada in Toronto, and being in the press box to hear Peter Gammons leave a voicemail for Scott Boras.

Other baseball people I met include Mike Piazza, Mike Hargrove, Tom Trebelhorn, Jeff Conine, Omar Minaya, and Jeremy Guthrie. I rode an elevator at the Rogers Centre with Larry Walker and Justin Morneau, who were heading to a Toronto Maple Leafs game after Team Canada’s loss to the United States in the opening game. At various points I found myself just a few feet away from Derek Jeter, Dustin Pedroia, Chipper Jones, and Andres Galarraga.

As a fan, there are a number of things I think need to be changed about the WBC.

First of all, a team should have to beat two of the other teams in its first bracket to advance. Venezuela should not have moved on to Round 2 simply by beating the same team twice, especially a team like Italy that has so many fewer major leaguers. That they beat the U.S. in their second try doesn’t count for much because there was little pressure to win, as the only thing on the line was seeding in Miami.

Secondly, all participating countries need to have their best players participate to make the WBC what it should be. Team Canada was sorely lacking in the pitching department, as Rich Harden, Erik Bedard, and Jeff Francis are all recovering from injuries (Francis just had surgery and is expected to miss all of 2009) and Ryan Dempster reportedly declined an invitation to play for the Canadians. Team Canada’s best pitcher – Scott Richmond – didn’t throw a single pitch in the Classic because he was being saved for a game that his team didn’t even get to play.
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Trade Deadline Predictions posted by Jeff Ponder

With the NHL Trade Deadline looming, teams are preparing for a tough day of decisions on how to better themselves for the playoffs, or for the future.

Here is a list of things I believe to happen (or to not happen) by Wednesday, March 4th at 3 p.m. EST.

-    Ryan Smyth will stay put in Colorado.  He has already stated he does not want to waive his no-trade clause.

-    It has already been announced on TSN.ca that Nik Antropov and Dominic Moore will sit tonight’s game against the New Jersey Devils.  Dominic Moore will be shopped, but GM Brian Burke will not find any deals that please him.  Antropov will be dealt to a Western Conference team, possibly the Edmonton Oilers or the Minnesota Wild, who are both still battling for their playoff lives.

-    Chris Neil will be a Dallas Star.

-    Keith Tkachuk will remain a St. Louis Blue.  The team decides to be cellars and make a move for the playoffs, and with just a few minutes remaining, will pick-up Derek Morris for some draft picks to help bolster their defense.

-    The Nashville Predators, Columbus Blue Jackets and Buffalo Sabres will find themselves in a bidding war for defenseman Tomas Kaberle of the Toronto Maple Leafs up until the waning minutes of the deadline.  Brian Burke may decide to hold onto him after all, since he still has two years remaining on his contract and could be beneficial in the development of Luke Schenn.

-    Ducks’ GM Bob Murray has publicly said that Pronger and Niedermayer are not for sale.  He will prove that tomorrow by not moving either player, hoping for a playoff push.  Being said that, the 2009 NHL Entry Draft could be very interesting for the Ducks.
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Wow... Toronto? Really? posted by Ryan Boulding

Here's a fitting summary of tonight's game. Toronto wins 7-4. Terrible Toronto just beat the Avs. Stewart had the first Avs goal. Hejduk had two. Liles had a nice one from a bit out on the dot. Hejduk had another that was called back on a most ridiculous display of officiating. And the snowball took off and the Leafs became an unstoppable machine. Not the finest night of Raycroft's career, against his former team. And Tucker's former team. Again, the first line looked the best. Poor Cumiskey finally got some ice time and then lost an edge, hit the boards, and left with an injury. Honestly, he looked a lot like Stastny when he blocked the shot that broke his arm.

This one was really just brutal to witness. It was Toronto, of all the teams. At this point, the return of Stastny is going to be like the second coming of Christ... or have absolutely no impact on a mediocre team putting forth a rather pathetic performance. Sakic won't even return soon enough to make an impact either way. I don't know if Foppa, in the best shape of his life, could save this sinking ship.

My advice: Get a goaltender that our team can rally behind. One that is solid and can keep us in a game when the rest of the team is blowing it. Devise a new game strategy and implement it immediately, because ours stinks worse now than before the break. The first line works, but we need a second line that we can depend on as well. Svatos, Stewart,Hensick/Willsie/Guite (My first choice would be Jones but he is out with a shoulder injury, my second choice would be Cumiskey at winger - but now he's out too-; Hell I'd throw McLeod or McCormick out there). Granato hasn't impressed us much either.

Stempniak Trade Analysis posted by Jeff Ponder

The end of the Stempniak era is over in St. Louis.  Being dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday, Stempniak will join his new team Tuesday night in Atlanta.  What does this mean for both teams though?

The Blues brought in defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo and center Alex Steen from the deal, two players that have been under fire in a Leafs sweater this season.  Steen, racking just four points in 20 games, is known as a two-way center that can also kill penalties.  After being drafted in the first round (26th overall) in the 2002 NHL Entry draft, Alex has 126 points in 253 career NHL games.  Not too shabby, but his former head coach Ron Wilson showed how upset he was when Steen was traded, being the only member of Leafs management to not say his goodbyes to the 24 year-old. 

Colaiacovo is known as a puck-moving defenseman who can take a shot when needed and be a strong point-man for the power-play unit.  Although he only has 33 points in 111 NHL games, Carlo possesses smooth skating attributes as well as crisp-passing abilities.  The biggest downfall of Colaiacovo is his health though; missing many games due to many diverse injuries, most of them being head injuries.  Carlo has played in just 86 games since the start of the 2006-07 campaign out of a possible 183 Maple Leaf games. 

On the other end of the deal, fan favorite Lee Stempniak was the only man dealt to the Maple Leafs.  Being reunited with former penalty-kill linemate Jamal Mayers, Lee has been heralded as a hero in the St. Louis area.  During his rookie season in 2005-06, Stempniak notched 14 goals and 27 points in the Blues’ last-place season.  Following a 52-point season in 2006-07, Lee struggled his junior campaign, when he added just 13 goals and 38 points in 2007-08.  This was quite a disappointment to head coach Andy Murray, who bumped Stempniak back down to the third line with Jamal Mayers and David Backes a large portion of the season, as well as limiting his power-play time.  After a slow start in 2008-09, Stempniak picked his game up and recorded 13 points in the first 14 games before the deal took place. 

F MacArthur signs 1-year deal with Leafs (AP)

Forward Clarke MacArthur has signed a one-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The team announced the deal with the unrestricted free agent Saturday. MacArthur had 16 goals and 19 assists last season between the Buffalo Sabres and Atlanta Thrashers, who acquired him on March 3 in exchange for draft picks. [read full article]

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