Leafs Jambalaya - Covering the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Toronto Marlies

Marlies: So close but so far.

2011-03-31T09:26:00.000-07:00

With 5 games remaining and only 2 points out of the final playoff spot. Time is running out for the Toronto Marlies. There are only 7 points seperating the 7th placed Peoria Rivermen and the 13th placed Abbotsford Heat, the final games for the Marlies will be cruical, for a loss here and there could be the difference between them making the playoffs and missing it for the 2nd straight year. The Marlies will be taking on the Lake Erie Monsters twice, as well as the Manitoba Moose, Rochester Americans and the Abbotsford Heat. This will not be easy for the Marlies as the Monsters lead the season series 5-1, the Moose lead the series 4-3, the lowly Americans also lead the series 4-3 and the Heat also lead the series 4-3 as well. A huge problem for the Marlies, they are so close to a playoff birth but the stats have their backs against the wall. Leafs management have stated that they will try to help them (Marlies) out by giving them reinforcements like, Nazem Kadri, Matt Lashoff, Keith Aulie and any other player that is eligible, but only when the Leafs have been mathematically eliminated. GO MARLIES GO

Sabers, Canes Win; Leafs farther back now

2011-03-31T08:57:00.000-07:00

Last night, both the Buffalo Sabers and the Carolina Hurricanes won last night, meaning that A) Buffalo is not tied with the New York Rangers for 7th and that the Leafs are once again 7 points back. The Leafs will be taking on the Boston Bruins tonight in a game they must win, if they want to continue their improbable run. GO LEAFS GO

Leafs beat Sabers; move closer to a playoff birth

2011-03-30T08:40:00.001-07:00

Last night at the ACC, one heck of a game took place, between the 10th place Toronto Maple Leafs and the 8th place Buffalo Sabers. For the Leafs there hopes and dreams of ending their playoff drought were on the line, while for the Sabers a win would make the playoff hopes for the Leafs going from slim to not a chance. Goals by the captain Dion Phaneuf, Darryl Boyce, Clarke MacArthur and Mikhail Grabovski, including stellar goaltending by James Reimer sealed the 4-3 victory for the Leafs, and move them to within 5 points of 8th place Buffalo and 7 points behind the idle New York Rangers. The Leafs will try to continue their unbelievable run when they take on the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. But all eyes will probably be on the scoreboard today as the Sabers and the Carolina Hurricanes are in action tonight. The Sabers are taking on the Rangers at HSBC arena while the Hurricanes are at home to host the Montreal Canadiens.

Leafs vs. Sabers

2011-03-29T08:57:00.000-07:00

Tonight will be THE BIGGEST GAME for the Toronto Maple Leafs. They are currently sitting in 11th place and 7 points back of the Buffalo Sabers who are desperatly holding onto the 8th and final playoff spot. With 6 games remaining (incl. tonight) the question is can the leafs pull off the impossible? Todays game will be the 6th and final game of the season between the two, the Sabers lead the series 3-2 and look to win the series while the Leafs are trying to tie the series and more importanly stay in the playoff hunt while gaining ground on both the Carolina Hurricanes as well as the Sabers. For the Leafs, Phil Kessel and Joffery Lupel have been hot as of late, with Kessel having 4 points in 4 games and Lupel having 3 points in 3 games. For the Sabers Ryan Miller has been on fire going 4-0-1 in his last 5 games which includes 2 shutouts. Playoff Race: Buffalo - 7GR 85 Points ----------------------- Carolina- 7GR 80 Points Toronto- 6GR 78 Points Atlanta- 7GR 76 Points For the Leafs they will be counting on their top 2 lines to contribute as well as their special teams. The Leafs powerplay has been an issue for the Leafs, they have only scored 5 PPG going 5 for 51 in the month or March and 2 for 20 in their last 5 games. Their penalty kill hasn't been much better, allowing 3 PPG in their last 4 games, if the Leafs want to have success tonight their special teams will have to be a lot better. The Sabers rank 12th in the league on the PP and 15th on the PK, both not amazing stats but much better than the Leafs who rank 27th on the PK with a 77.56 success rate and 25th on the PP with a 15.74 sucess rate. Also tonight the Carolina Hurricanes will be taking on the Washington Capitals at the Verizon Centre, and the Atlanta Thrashers will be facing the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. Three Huge games for 4 teams looking to clinch a playoff spot in the round of 16. What will be the outcome? No one knows Hopefully it will be the Leafs coming out on top with the Sabers, Hurricanes and Thrashers all losing their games, but then again thats just a dream right? GO LEAFS GO

Leafs playoff Hope's Continue with Win over Flyers

2011-03-04T15:39:00.000-08:00

With the Leafs 3-2 win last night over the Eastern Conference leading Philadelphia Flyers, the Leafs are inching closer to the final playoffs spot, currently held by the New York Rangers. Last night's win in the "City of Brotherly Love" was their first since March 12 2008, it was also their first game since trading former Leaf Kris Versteeg their for a couple of picks in this up coming draft.

The scoring got started by none other than Versteeg, who scored his first goal against him former team and his second in a Flyers uniform. Mike Richards and Chris Pronger were credited with the assists. The goal was scored shortly after the game began.

Seconds later the Leafs were able to get on the scoreboard when Nikolai Kulemin tipped in a Clarke MacArthur shot pass Sergei Bobrovsky. The goal was Kulemin's 24th of the season, while the assist was Macarthur's team leading 31st of the campaign.

After 1 complete period it was all tied up at 1.

Early in the second period it would be Versteeg who would once again haunt his former squad, as he reclaimed the lead for the Flyers' off a nice pass by Richards. That goal would be his 17th of the season. Richards and Matt Carle earned assists on the play.

As the second period was about to end, with both teams serving penalties, Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf tied the game at two, after banging a rebound home. His goal was just his fourth of the season. Mikhail Grabovski and Kulemin got assists on the play.

In the third period with less than five minutes play in the third, it looked like the Leafs were going to be going into extra time once again. But Daryll Boyce was able to score on a wrap around after battling hard in the Flyer's corner for the puck. His goal was his fourth of the season and gave the leafs the edge. Colby Armstrong and Phaneuf were credited with assists.

The Leafs were able to survive several attacks by the Flyers and hold onto the 3-2 win, thanks to some phenomial saves by James Reimer. Reimer stopped 28 of 30 shots to pick up the win and now lead the team in wins.

By now you've got to think that James Reimer could be a clear canadite for the Calder Trophy, after last night's win he now spots a record of 12-4-3 and 2 shutouts which is unbelievable.

With the win the Leafs are now 3 points behind the struggling Rangers who have lost 3 straight and are barely holding onto the 8th and final playoff spot. Also last night the Carolina Hurricanes and Buffalo Sabers squared off with the Hurricanes beating the Sabers 3-2 in overtime. With the win it puts the Hurricanes 4 points ahead of the Leafs, and with Buffalo picking up the extra point in extra time it puts them 1 point ahead of the Leafs with the Leafs playing 2 more games extra compared to the Sabers.

The Leafs are back in action tomorrow as they return home and get set to host the defending Stanley Cup Champions, Chicago Blackhawks.

GO LEAFS GO

Quick Marlies Update

2011-02-28T13:58:00.000-08:00

As of right now the Toronto Marlies (AHL affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs) are currently sitting 11th in the Western Conference with 68 points, they trail the conference leader Milwaukee Admirals (AHL affiliate of the Nashville Predators) by 8 points. The question becomes, Can the Marlies squeeze into the top 8 with only 18 games remaining? Right now Mike Zigomanis leads the team with 40 points (10G 30A) and Fabian Brunnstrom and Nazem Kadri lead the team with goals with 14 a piece. Jonas Gustavsson has been doing very well in net ever since being sent down on a conditioning stint with the Marlies. The 26 year old in 5 games has posted a 3-1-1 record with a .955% save percentage and a 1.14 GAA. The marlies have the day off today and will host the Admirals tomorrow at Ricoh Coliseum.

GO MARLIES GO
GO LEAFS GO

Deadline Day

2011-02-28T10:56:00.000-08:00

Hockey deadline day is one of the most memorable and exciting days in the NHL. Today we've seen a number of trades happen, unfortunately, the leafs have yet to strike. There have been many rumours that the leafs were targeting Brad Richards as well as John Michael Liles but those rumours have been shot down by Brian Burke. Right now there aren't a lot of big names out there that are available. According to a source Burke is still looking for a defenseman and the 3rd rounder they acquired in the Versteeg deal is being used as bait. According to a different source Toronto has yet to agree on a deal with winger Clarke Macarthur, this will most likely mean that he will stay in Toronto and go to an arbitration hearing or get traded right before the deadline or get traded on draft day.

Are the playoffs in the Leafs current future?

2011-02-23T13:45:00.000-08:00

Currently the Leafs are only 6 points out of a playoff spot with only 20 games to play. They currently trail the Atlanta Thrashers, Buffalo Sabers and the Carolina Hurricanes who are currently holding onto the final playoff spot. The Leafs will have a tough schedule going forward as they will be playing Montreal, Pittsburgh, Atlanta and Pittsburgh once again, in their next 4 games. Although the Leafs have been doing well in their last 10 games, going 6-2-2, a lot of the other Eastern Conference bottom dwellers have been playing well as of late, most notably the New Jersey Devils who are 9-0-1 in their past 10 games. If the Devils can continue their torrid pace a playoff birth is certainly in their future. With 20 games to play in their schedule every point is going to be crucial for the Leafs as the playoff hunt is slowly heating up in the East.

Tomas Kaberle: The Saga Ends.

2011-02-18T11:41:00.000-08:00

In what ended 18 months of Kaberle-to-the-Bruins speculation, the Leafs shipped the veteran defenceman and his 520 career points to Boston in exchange for the Bruins first-round pick in 2011; 6-foot-6 forward Joe Colborne and a conditional pick in 2012. The conditional pick reportedly becomes a second rounder if Kaberle, a pending unrestricted free agent, either: a) re-signs with the Bruins or b) helps Boston reach the Stanley Cup final.

Is this the best the Leafs can do?

The Leafs had offers that sound way better then what they ended up being today. Jeff Carter and a first Rounder For Just Kaberle?? Remember that in 2008? Fans did not like that descision that he did not waive his no trade claus then. Kessel for Kaberle? They wouldn't have had to trade 2 first rounders for Kessel. No offense to Colborne, but he's Not A Jeff Carter or Phil Kessel.

Gone is the second-highest scoring defenceman in Maple Leafs history.
Gone is the franchise’s No. 11 all-time scorer.
Gone is the final remaining player from the Pat Quinn era.

Kaberle was a big help to the young D in Toronto's System, especially Luke Schenn. Schenn might have been in the Minors if it wasn't for him.

In 55 AHL games with the Providence Bruins this season, Colborne scored 12 goals and added 14 assists with a -16 plus/minus rating. Ouch. He used to play with Tyler Bozak. Maybe they can spark some much-needed offense. Just not now. Colborne was sent to the Minors. The 21-year-old was drafted in the first round, 16th overall, in 2008. At 6-5, 216 pounds, Colborne is a big forward who doesn’t always play to his size. He does not play physical, but has soft hands.

Leaf Fans, what do you think of this deal?

Leafs send Beauchemin to Ducks for Lupul, Gardiner and fourth-round pick

2011-02-09T10:03:00.000-08:00

Beauchemin is going back to the team where he had the most sucess.

Ok, if you want another player who has been injurned a few times recentley and has lost his goal-scoring form, Toronto made a great trade.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have shipped defenceman Francois Beauchemin back to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for forward Joffrey Lupul, defenceman Jake Gardiner and a conditional Ducks' fourth-round draft pick in the 2013 Entry Draft.

The 30-year old Beauchemin struggled during his time in Toronto after signing as a free agent in 2009, however he helped the Ducks capture the Stanley Cup in 2007.

In Return The Leafs get a good young player in Jake Gardiner. He is a very fast skater. If you like Keith Aulie, you will like this guy. He has good hands and good strength, even though he weighs less the 180 pounds.

Lupul, on the other hand, has been injurned for most of this season and last. He had only 14 points last year, and is on pace for only 20 this year. He has had 50 points twice in his career.

What Does Toronto Do With Their Goaltending?

2011-02-09T08:44:00.000-08:00

With rookie James Reimer quickly becoming the toast of the town after blanking the Carolina Hurricanes 3-0 on last Thursday, Toronto's goaltending got a bit more confusing. What should they do? Well , the Maple Leafs announced last friday that struggling second-year goalie Jonas Gustavsson has been lent to the team's American Hockey farm club "for conditioning purposes." He has not proven himself since joining the Buds in the off-season of 2009. In recent years, Toronto's goaltending has been a mess, with Vesa Toskala, J-S Aubin, Andrew Raycroft and Curtis Joseph, just to name a few. They all had their moments, but never was able to get to the main goal: Make the playoffs.

This year the Leafs have a strong group of guys defending the net, with J-S Gigueire, The Monster, Reimer, Scrivens and Rynass. The last 3 have put up a great battle with the baby Leafs, and GM Brian Burke was so impressed with Reimer to continue to call him up. But now hes here to stay. So what to do with Jiggy and The Monster?

Trade #35. He has big trade value compared to most Leafs. Trade him to a team that has a chance for the cup, but isn't sure if their goalie can take all the load. Teams like Anaheim, Philly and the Caps come to mind. The Caps have alot of players that can be sent to Toronto, like Semin, who can be packaged to T.O, and also sending Kaberle over their. Look at some of Giguere's achivements:

2003 Conn Smythe Trophy MVP

2003 Best NHL Player ESPY Award

2007 Stanley Cup Championship

2009 NHL All-Star Game

Those are attractive achivements for anyone. Any team that wants to make a run needs to get him. His contract will not be renewed. It's $6m, which means any team trading for him is taking a big risk.

Gustavson has struggled since joining the league. You can say it's been his team, but its the same team that plays night in and night out with Reimer. Reimer has proved so far hes a legitimate goalie in the NHL. Gussy can still be a backup, but the question is can Reimer be a legitamte starter? He never proved to be a starter with the Marlies, but can the Leafs afford to put their faith in another fail goaltender, like Raycroft or Pogge?

Syko

Keep Ron Wilson! (AND SEND DOWN BOZAK!!!)

2010-12-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

Im tired of all the booing. People want Ron Wilson out of town. So basiaclly, Leaf Fans, you want one of the best coaches ever to coach the game out of Toronto, where it doesn't who the coach is because the team is a peice of crap. Kessel, your top player, is not producing. Is It Kessel's fault? No. He has no one to play with. Kadri was called up and is now playing with Kessel, but Nazem wasn't good enough to make the team in the first place. He was benched in the AHL, but now hes getting asked to play with one of the streakiest players in the NHL? Shows how bad the team is.

Wilson is a great coach. But you cant win with a team that plays like they belong in Timbits. They have blown leads in recent years about as many times as Montreal have won the Stanley Cup. A recent loss against Tampa Bay proves my point. They blew a 2-0 lead and lost 4-3. If they cant maintain leads, its not Wilson's fault. Wilson isn't on the ice, he is behind the bench. You can blame Brian Burke more then you can blame Wilson, as he is the one who traded, drafted or signed most of the players. You can also blame John Ferguson Jr for past Leafs Struggles. Same with Cliff Fletcher. He is the one who spent all the money on Jeff Finger.

In Other News....

I Think Tyler Bozak belongs with the Marlies. He started as the first line center. Now he's getting shifted around every game. That's not what they need him doing. They are putting a young players career in jeperody. He can get alot more ice time and better oppurtunities in the AHL. Isn't the reason they wanted Kadri down the street with the Marlies is because they didn't want him playing in a checking role? Kadri won't stay much longer with the big club, as he went from first line center to fourth line center in one game. If they dont want to send Bozak down and he wont perform on The Maple Leafs, ship him off in a deal to get either Blake Wheeler from Boston, Wayne Simmonds from the Kings or Brad Richards From Dallas.

Sad News

2010-11-19T15:57:00.001-08:00

I Have Sad News To Report. :(

Former Habs, Leafs And Devils Coach Pat Burns Has died today. It was confirmed by The Devils and the NHL. He Died From A Lengthy battle with Cancer. Over fourteen seasons between 1988 and 2004, he achieved a record of 501-350-161-14 in 1019 games. He Was 58.

Rest In Peace, Patty.

2010-11-11T16:33:00.000-08:00

So I know it's been awhile but I thought this would be an ideal time to talk some more about the Leafs. Now I know there in a slump... Well a huge slump but things will change starting with the return of Phaneuf. Think about it, as soon as he returns The Leafs will feel more stable not only on defense but the offense will be able to focus even more on scoring. Especially Kessel who should feel safer with another 6'3", 214 lb body ready to fly in and back him up in scuffles. This should lead to some more drives to the net and aggressive play. Also I only really watched one game (i usually see all the highlights but there haven't been too many of those), it was in Florida and I saw the puck hit the post about twice and Ghrabovski got an unlucky bounce at one open net chance. So it's not like the Leafs aren't trying, they'll get that lucky bounce soon enough and get that elusive W. Then when Phaneuf comes back they'll be back to being playoff contenders, like they were at the beginning of the season.

I will post again really soon because I was lucky enough to get some tickets to the Preds vs. Leafs (Leafs tickets are almost IMPOSSIBLE to get) also I should be able to get some awesome pictures.

Oh and happy Remembrance Day.

Is Bozak The Center For Kessel?

2010-10-28T08:59:00.000-07:00

Phil Kessel (Left) And Tyler Bozak (Right)

Phil Kessel is only a few years removed from playing with Marc Savard on Boston, one of the best playmakers in the NHL. Skip to this season. Kessel is playing with 24 year old sophmore Tyler Bozak. 2 years ago Bozak had 23 points in 19 games with the University of Denver. 2 years ago Kessel had a career year with 60 points in 70 games with the Bruins.

In Recent years, Toronto has had centers Mats Sundin and Yannic Perault, 2 great centers who won faceoffs and had good scoring ability. People thought Mikail Grabovski was the next big Center for Toronto, but Grabo has only dissapointed. Toronto does not need a top scoring centerman. What they need is a playmaker. Bozak is obviously not a goal scorer: At This point, 4th line fighter Colton Orr has double the goals Bozark has. Orr has 2. The Goal scoring so far has come from Kessel and Macarthur.

You are all probably aware of the trade rumors involving the Leafs. Brad Richards from Dallas has been rumoured to be sent packing to Ontario's Capital. Same With Travis Zajac and Jamie Lagenbruner of the Devils. Lagenbruner would be the #1 center for sure, but is getting old and would not last long. Richards would replace Versteeg on the first line. The Devils players are cheaper and have more depth for the future with Zajac.

My Point is, i think Bozak Needs time to develop into a first line Center. I think he has been rushed. If Toronto could aqquire Marc Savard, Toronto would be a huge threat for success.

I Cursed The Leafs......Woops

2010-10-24T08:45:00.001-07:00

I said in my last post that i hope that what i was about to write wouldn't curse the Leafs. Well It Did. The Leafs Lost 3 Straight.

OOOPPPSS :S

Are The Leaf's For Real?

2010-10-21T13:14:00.000-07:00

Fans of The Blue And White better hope this isn't a curse.

Ever since i wrote my article on why the leafs will make the playoffs, which you can read HERE, they have started strong. They went 5-4 in the pre-season and so far they are 4-0-1 in the Regular Season. They lost in OT to the Islanders, another team in the rebuilding process.

But it wasn't going to last. Buffalo in 06-07 went 15-1-1. Calgary started 5-0 last year only to miss the playoffs. Atlanta started 7-0 after the death of Dan Snyder. They also missed the playoffs. The Philadelphia Flyers went undefeated for a 35 game stretch in the 1979-80 season. That Will Never Happen Again.

As Of Today, they have not lost in regulation. They are alot better then last year. Players like Carl Gunnarson, John Mitchell and Christian Hanson have been healthy scratches and Jeff Finger was sent down to the Marlies. In their places are Brett Lebda, Mike Zigomanis, Tim Brent and Mike Komisarek. Komi is returning from an injury that limited him to only 34 games and 4 points. He Has 3 in 5 so far. Brent has 2 goals in 2 games. Ziggy has been a reliable face off man.

Brad Richards has been rumored a possible player that can be sent to Toronto. He has a big salary, so someone like Francois Beauchmin, Komi, or Thomas Kaberle could be sent packing to Dallas.

So are the Leafs for Real? Only the players can answer that.

Leafs and Starting the Season

2010-10-20T14:18:00.000-07:00

So i suppose that if you've been watching the Leafs lately your probably thinking wow were doing good so far. And I would have to agree but not only do the leafs look good "so far" but they're looking pretty good for the rest of the season as well. Now it's obviously still a bit too early to say where I think for certain the Leafs are gonna finish this year but people who are supposed to score are scoring and people who beat up others are doing just that. And doing it well to boot. My favourite part about the Leafs roster this season has been the first line and probably the fact that both large acquisitions from last year (Phaneuf and Giguere) seem to be preforming to my standards anyway. Either way we have to take into account that the Leafs had a very good pre-season last year and that didn't turn out so great so even though it's extremely unfair we're just simply going to have to wait and see.

Colton Orr Scores as Toronto goes 3-0

2010-10-14T08:56:00.000-07:00

Colton Orr scored early to make it 1-0. Pittsburgh scored twice more to make it 2-1. But the second period was a good one for Toronto, as they made it 4-3. That was the Final Score.

Gustavson Played Great. Here is a big save he made:http://video.mapleleafs.nhl.com/videocenter/console?hlg=20102011,2,39&event=PIT85&fr=false

Stats:

Scoring Summary

1st Period
05:18	TOR	Colton Orr (1) Tip-In - Assists: L. Schenn (1) & M. Brown (1)
11:27	PIT	PPG - Chris Kunitz (1) Tip-In - Assists: E. Malkin (1) & A. Goligoski (2)
17:33	PIT	Maxime Talbot (1) Wrist Shot - Assists: M. Cooke (2) & T. Kennedy (1)
2nd Period
03:01	TOR	PPG - Clarke MacArthur (3) Snap Shot - Assists: T. Kaberle (2) & D. Phaneuf (2)
05:31	TOR	Francois Beauchemin (1) Slap Shot - Assists: L. Schenn (2) & M. Zigomanis (1)
10:30	TOR	Clarke MacArthur (4) Snap Shot - Assists: M. Grabovski (3) & N. Kulemin (2)
19:16	PIT	Sidney Crosby (1) Backhand - Assists: B. Lovejoy (1) & M. Cooke (3)
3rd Period
none

Penalty Summary

1st Period
08:28	TOR	Luke Schenn : Hi stick - double minor - 4 min
2nd Period
02:54	PIT	Eric Tangradi : Hi-sticking - 2 min
03:28	PIT	Matt Cooke : Slashing - 2 min
06:08	TOR	Colton Orr : Fighting (maj) - 5 min
06:08	PIT	Deryk Engelland : Fighting (maj) - 5 min
18:03	TOR	Dion Phaneuf : PS - Tripping on breakaway - 0 min
3rd Period
06:52	TOR	Clarke MacArthur : Delaying Game-Puck over glass - 2 min
14:39	PIT	Kris Letang : Tripping - 2 min

Shots on Goal

	1st	2nd	3rd	T

TOR	7	5	2	14
PIT	5	11	9	25

Saves

	Goalies	EV	PP	SH	Total	TOI
TOR	50 J. Gustavsson (W)	21 - 23	1 - 2	0 - 0	22 - 25	60:00
PIT	29 M. Fleury (L)	9 - 12	1 - 2	0 - 0	10 - 14	58:39

Skater Stats

TOR	Pos	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	Shots	EV TOI	PP TOI	SH TOI	TOI
2 L. Schenn	D	0	2	2	1	4	2	19:53	0:01	1:20	21:14
3 D. Phaneuf	D	0	1	1	0	0	1	18:29	2:29	2:41	23:39
8 M. Komisarek	D	0	0	0	0	0	0	12:29	0:00	0:58	13:27
9 C. Armstrong	R	0	0	0	-1	0	0	16:00	0:04	1:11	17:15
11 F. Sjostrom	L	0	0	0	-1	0	1	16:10	0:00	1:41	17:51
15 T. Kaberle	D	0	1	1	0	0	0	18:58	3:27	0:00	22:25
16 C. MacArthur	L	2	0	2	0	2	2	14:32	1:53	0:00	16:25
18 M. Brown	R	0	1	1	2	0	1	6:54	0:01	1:49	8:44
22 F. Beauchemin	D	1	0	1	1	0	1	20:04	1:38	2:20	24:02
26 M. Zigomanis	C	0	1	1	1	0	1	3:08	0:01	1:32	4:41
28 C. Orr	R	1	0	1	2	5	1	1:45	0:01	0:00	1:46
32 K. Versteeg	R	0	0	0	0	0	0	17:44	2:13	1:50	21:47
36 C. Gunnarsson	D	0	0	0	0	0	1	11:55	0:39	2:18	14:52
37 T. Brent	C	0	0	0	-1	0	0	17:05	0:04	1:40	18:49
41 N. Kulemin	L	0	1	1	0	0	2	14:38	1:49	0:36	17:03
42 T. Bozak	C	0	0	0	0	0	1	17:15	2:13	0:00	19:28
81 P. Kessel	R	0	0	0	0	0	0	14:05	2:13	0:00	16:18
84 M. Grabovski	C	0	1	1	1	0	0	13:26	1:49	0:00	15:15
PIT	Pos	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	Shots	EV TOI	PP TOI	SH TOI	TOI
3 A. Goligoski	D	0	1	1	1	0	2	18:40	3:13	1:56	23:49
5 D. Engelland	D	0	0	0	-1	5	0	9:54	0:00	0:58	10:52
6 B. Lovejoy	D	0	1	1	1	0	0	16:29	0:00	1:42	18:11
7 P. Martin	D	0	0	0	-1	0	0	22:00	3:13	2:30	27:43
8 A. Hutchinson	D	0	0	0	-2	0	0	12:08	1:46	0:01	13:55
9 P. Dupuis	R	0	0	0	0	0	4	14:01	0:00	2:11	16:12
10 M. Letestu	C	0	0	0	-1	0	2	16:50	1:36	0:00	18:26
14 C. Kunitz	L	1	0	1	-2	0	2	17:08	3:23	0:01	20:32
17 M. Rupp	C	0	0	0	0	0	0	8:14	1:36	0:32	10:22
24 M. Cooke	L	0	2	2	1	2	0	12:08	0:00	1:10	13:18
25 M. Talbot	C	1	0	1	1	0	1	12:25	0:00	0:57	13:22
26 E. Tangradi	L	0	0	0	-1	2	1	13:18	1:36	0:00	14:54
27 C. Adams	R	0	0	0	-1	0	0	6:25	0:00	2:18	8:43
28 E. Godard	R	0	0	0	0	0	0	3:24	0:00	0:00	3:24
48 T. Kennedy	C	0	1	1	1	0	3	12:16	0:00	0:00	12:16
58 K. Letang	D	0	0	0	0	2	1	22:39	1:46	1:07	25:32
71 E. Malkin	C	0	1	1	-1	0	6	21:23	3:23	0:00	24:46
87 S. Crosby	C	1	0	1	0	0	3	16:29	3:23	1:05	20:57

1st:	CLARKE MACARTHUR
2nd:	LUKE SCHENN
3rd:	MATT COOKE

Toronto Gives The Marlies "The Finger"

2010-10-13T13:36:00.000-07:00

Today Toronto sent down MAJORLY over payed defenceman Jeff Finger. Everyone knew it was coming, He was not playing to his $3.5m Per year salary. He should have never been on the team in the first place.

Thoughts?

Current Leafs Roster

2010-10-13T13:34:00.000-07:00

This is the Current Toronto Maple Leafs Roster.

Colby Armstrong, Francois Beauchemin, Tyler Bozak, Tim Brent, Mike Brown, J-S Giguere,Mikhail Grabovski, Carl Gunnarsson, Jonas Gustavsson, Tomas Kaberle, Phil Kessel, Mike Komisarek, Nikolai Kulemin, Matt Lashoff, Clarke MacArthur, John Mitchell, Colton Orr, Dion Phaneuf,Luke Schenn, Fredrik Sjostrom, Kris Versteeg, Mike Zigomanis.

Injured: Brett Lebda.

Final Pre-Season Game V.S Detroit

2010-10-02T18:52:00.000-07:00

Kris Versteeg Of Toronto after scoring in tonight's game.

DET	Pos	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	Shots	EV TOI	PP TOI	SH TOI	TOI
2 B. Smith	D	0	0	0	-1	2	3	14:51	09:17	00:55	25:03
4 J. Kindl	D	0	1	1	0	0	4	12:57	08:07	00:00	21:04
8 J. Abdelkader	L	0	0	0	-1	9	1	10:29	04:51	02:01	17:21
15 J. Owens	L	0	0	0	0	0	0	08:22	01:02	00:17	09:41
18 K. Maltby	L	0	0	0	0	0	2	12:57	01:49	00:55	15:41
20 D. Miller	L	0	0	0	-1	2	2	09:54	04:02	02:13	16:09
21 T. Tatar	C	1	0	1	0	0	2	10:22	04:06	00:00	14:28
24 R. Salei	D	0	0	0	0	0	2	14:39	05:17	02:57	22:53
25 B. Lashoff	D	0	0	0	0	0	0	12:41	00:25	00:21	13:27
37 D. Janik	D	0	0	0	-1	0	1	16:55	00:38	00:55	18:28
39 J. Mursak	L	0	1	1	0	0	3	11:20	06:25	00:00	17:45
42 M. Ritola	C	0	0	0	-1	0	3	07:48	04:19	00:00	12:07
43 D. Helm	C	0	0	0	0	2	3	12:10	02:44	00:39	15:33
48 C. Emmerton	C	1	0	1	0	0	3	10:35	05:00	00:00	15:35
52 J. Ericsson	D	0	1	1	0	0	2	11:21	04:33	03:18	19:12
59 F. Pare	C	0	0	0	0	0	2	07:32	01:33	00:00	09:05
62 J. Andersson	C	0	1	1	0	4	1	07:54	03:23	00:52	12:09
70 W. Coetzee	R	0	0	0	0	0	2	11:46	02:54	00:00	14:40

TOR	Pos	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	Shots	EV TOI	PP TOI	SH TOI	TOI
2 L. Schenn	D	0	0	0	0	19	2	12:44	00:00	04:11	16:55
3 D. Phaneuf	D	0	0	0	1	0	4	14:43	03:56	06:23	25:02
8 M. Komisarek	D	0	1	1	0	2	0	12:44	00:00	02:25	15:09
9 C. Armstrong	R	0	0	0	0	0	0	09:47	00:48	03:53	14:28
11 F. Sjostrom	L	0	0	0	0	0	2	10:02	00:00	07:06	17:08
15 T. Kaberle	D	1	1	2	0	0	6	14:26	03:56	00:49	19:11
16 C. MacArthur	L	1	0	1	0	0	1	13:50	00:17	00:46	14:53
18 M. Brown	R	0	0	0	0	2	0	05:55	00:00	03:34	09:29
22 F. Beauchemin	D	0	0	0	1	0	0	14:12	00:17	07:39	22:08
26 M. Zigomanis	C	0	0	0	0	0	2	06:20	00:00	04:10	10:30
28 C. Orr	R	0	0	0	0	2	0	06:39	00:00	00:00	06:39
32 K. Versteeg	R	1	1	2	1	4	4	12:42	01:42	02:03	16:27
36 C. Gunnarsson	D	0	1	1	0	0	0	13:20	00:17	06:43	20:20
37 T. Brent	C	0	0	0	0	0	1	09:11	00:00	06:43	15:54
41 N. Kulemin	L	0	0	0	0	2	3	12:57	01:43	00:57	15:37
42 T. Bozak	C	1	0	1	1	0	3	11:03	03:56	00:00	14:59
81 P. Kessel	R	0	3	3	1	0	1	12:18	03:56	00:00	16:14
84 M. Grabovski	C	0	1	1	0	0	0	13:57	00:17	00:46	15:00

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Period
10:41	DET	PPG - Cory Emmerton Snap Shot - Assists: J. Andersson & J. Mursak
14:19	TOR	PPG - Clarke MacArthur Snap Shot - Assists: M. Grabovski & C. Gunnarsson
16:28	TOR	Tyler Bozak Snap Shot - Assists: P. Kessel & M. Komisarek
2nd Period
04:41	TOR	PPG - Kris Versteeg Snap Shot - Assists: T. Kaberle & P. Kessel
11:41	TOR	PPG - Tomas Kaberle Slap Shot - Assists: P. Kessel & K. Versteeg
3rd Period
12:13	DET	PPG - Tomas Tatar Snap Shot - Assists: J. Ericsson & J. Kindl

PENALTY SUMMARY

1st Period
05:36	TOR	Nikolai Kulemin : Cross checking - 2 min
07:20	TOR	Mike Komisarek : Hi-sticking - 2 min
09:59	TOR	Kris Versteeg served by Clarke MacArthur : Slashing - 2 min
09:59	TOR	Kris Versteeg : Roughing - 2 min
09:59	DET	Justin Abdelkader : Roughing - 2 min
11:48	DET	Darren Helm : Holding - 2 min
12:19	DET	Drew Miller : Tripping - 2 min
19:24	TOR	Mike Brown : Charging - 2 min
2nd Period
04:03	DET	Joakim Andersson : Holding - 2 min
10:37	DET	Joakim Andersson : Interference - 2 min
3rd Period
06:10	TOR	Colton Orr : Boarding - 2 min
10:24	TOR	Luke Schenn : Fighting (maj) - 5 min
10:24	DET	Justin Abdelkader : Fighting (maj) - 5 min
10:24	TOR	Luke Schenn served by Colton Orr : Unsportsmanlike conduct - 2 min
10:24	TOR	Luke Schenn served by Colton Orr : Instigator - 2 min
10:24	TOR	Luke Schenn : Misconduct (10 min) - 0 min
13:59	DET	Brendan Smith : Interference - 2 min
18:03	DET	Justin Abdelkader : Tripping - 2 min

Tonight Toronto wrapped up the 2010-2011 Pre-season with a win against the Red Wings. They started off by letting in a goal by Detroit's Cory Emmerton. Then Toronto scored 2 more by Macarthur and Bozak to make it 2-1. Then Versteeg and Kaberle scored to make it 4-1 in the second, and Tatar scored for Detroit to make it 4-2.

Luke Schenn got leveled by Justin Abdelkader, who had 9 minutes in pentalies. Schenn got into a fight with Abs and had 19 pentalies, including a game misconduct. Here is the fight:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gh4BPMgJmrU&feature=sub

Leafs V.S. Flyers Pre-Season Game 4

2010-09-25T08:30:00.000-07:00

Last night Philly came to Toronto to face the Leafs. I got platinum seats, 5 rows from the ice. Best seats ive ever got for a sporting event. Toronto was winning 3-1 in the last minutes of the game, and then Nikolai Zheredev scored to make it 3-2. Then there was a weak shot from the point and it got tipped in by Daniel Briere to tie the game up. Kessel scored in in overtime, but it was waived off because it went off his hand. When i got home, i noticed it actually did not touch his hand and it was a fair goal.

The game went into shootout. Philly switched goalies, switching Leightonen for Boucher. It turned out to be a good move as Philly won the game 4-3.

Leafs Game Tonight

2010-09-24T13:32:00.001-07:00

Hey guys, Syko here. I got platinum seat tickets for tonights leaf game, so il do a recap with pictures from the game today. GO LATVIA GO! Oh wait, GO LEAFS GO!

Why The Leafs Will Make The Playoffs

2010-09-23T13:10:00.001-07:00

With The Help Of J.S. Giguere, the Leafs may make the playoffs.

After 5 years of not making the playoffs, 6 if you include the lockout year, fans want to see the Maple leafs playing in the spring. I’m a huge Montreal Canadiens fan and love watching the leafs fail miserably, but this year I’m pretty sure they will be ok.

It all started one day in February when GM Brian burke traded Ian White, Jamal Mayers, Matt Stajan and Nicholas Hagman for super star Dion Phaneuf, winger Freddy Strojstom and prospect Keith Aulie. Then a few minutes later, Vesa Toskala and Jason Blake were shipped to Anaheim for 2003 Conn Smythe winner J.S. Giguiere. At that point, they knew it would be tough to make the playoffs, especially after starting 0-7-1. There plan was to get better for next year and to hopefully make the playoffs.

They have improved every position on the roster. That’s one of the main reasons I think they will make the playoffs. They have better goaltending, better defense and a bit better offense. As seen by their recent pre-season games, they have a lot of potential. They are one of the youngest teams in the world. All the players have skill, they just need to prove it.

With the addition of Kris Versteeg in the off season, I think the leafs offense has gotten a bit better. Bozak, Kessel and Versteeg will be the first line, and expect them to become an offensive threat.

All im saying is that the leafs should be ok and make a push for the playoffs. Are they going to win the cup? Not a chance. That’s still years away. If Kessel can get 70 points this year, Toronto will win many games and will do well. Toronto should rebound and be the team they were before the playoffs.

A team that won a few games.

2010-09-22T14:45:00.000-07:00

Leafs vs. Sens

Last nights game against the Sens last night, in my opinion, was down right TERRIBLE. The most exciting part of the game was when the beach ball went onto the ice. I mean seriously, 5-0?! Jesse Winchester at 5:59, then Nick Foligno at 9:38 in the first. In the second Corey Locke at 15:20. Then in the third it was Chris Neil at 11:26 and finally Chris Kelly at 12:36. All from the Sens. Then again if you take a closer look at the Leafs you'll see that most of the players were young, inexperienced players and tonights game has a brand new lineup. Therefore we can be expecting a brand new game, hopefully. Maybe tonight we may see the real Leafs in action, maybe not. Let's watch and see, again.

Pre-season Game 1: September 21st (SYKO'S VIEW!)

2010-09-21T18:53:00.000-07:00

Robin Lehner

Tonight made me laugh. 5-0? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

They probably were. The Leafs didnt have their big guns. No Kessel, no Komisarek, no Beachiman. Jonas Gustavson started in net, but Rynas ended the game. The Monster let in 2 goals, while the rookie Rynas let in 3.

There were 3 fights. Here is the Jay Rosehill fight: Jay Rosehill Fight. He will not make the Leafs this year. Mike Brown and his mustache got his first fight in a leafs uniform. And Christian Hanson got his first fight of his carrer.

Robin Lehner was amazing for the Senators, recording his first pro shutout in his first game, even though it was the preaseason. He will challenge for the backup role, but expect him to stay in Bingmaton.

This highlight of the Night was for sure the beach ball that landed on the ice. That was Lehner's toughest save :D

Dont worry Leaf fans, this is not what the team will be like during the season.

Hopefully that is.

-Written by Syko-

First Leafs Preseason Game TONIGHT!!

2010-09-21T15:34:00.000-07:00

Tonight is the first Leafs pre-season game against the Sens! We will have comments on the game either tonight or tommorow

Toronto Maple Leafs / The Rebuild

2010-09-20T16:16:00.000-07:00

Toronto Maple Leafs:

The Rebuild

Since the midway point of the 2008-09 season, Toronto Maple Leafs, GM-presedent, Brian Burke has been trying to make this team a Stanley Cup contender.

The problem is that the players there were used to mediocrity being acceptible. Then it all started.

First the Kessel trade in the off-season of 2009 where Toronto sent a first and second round 2010 draft pick to Boston for Phil Kessel.

Then January 31st, when Toronto first, sent Matt Stajan, Niklas Hagman, Ian White, and Jamal Mayers to Calgary for Dion Phaneuf, Fredrick Sjostrom, and Keith Aulie.

Then Burke sent out Vesa Toskala and Jason Blake to Anaheim for J-S Giguere. These trades were probably some of the best ones any leaf fan has seen in years. The reason being that after these trades Toronto's record changed compared to before them. Before these trades their record was 17-28-11, 30th in the league, but after it was 10-6-2 from then till the end of the season, 7th in the east.

Then even more changes happened, Burke signed Francois Beauchemin and Mike Komisarek, blueliner veterens, and NCAA stars Tyler Bozak and Christian Hanson, as well as Swedish goalie Jonas Gustavsson.

These changes on the roster seem to have a great impact on this teams record and might just put the Leafs into the playoffs. There is a very strong defense, good goaltending, and an OK offense. May this team be the next Stanley Cup Champs? May they even make the playoffs? Has all these roster changes even done something good to the team?

This game tonight against Ottawa may reveil some of these answers. Let's see what'll happen.

Welcome To Leafs Jambalaya!

2010-09-20T09:01:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, Im Syko and Welcome to Leafs Jambalaya! This is a site where all we do is talk about the Leafs(And the Marlies.) We are looking for writers, so if you want to write for this site or any of the Jambalaya's, comment on this post or send me or @oilersjambalaya a message on twitter.

Leafs Jambalaya, Coming Soon!

2010-09-19T13:40:00.000-07:00

Leafs Jambalaya is coming...