It will be interesting, on Gary Roberts Returns night, if the Leafs remain in the mode of "c'mon in, let me hold the door open for you, can I take your coat and get you a drink?"
Some notes out of yesterday's practice indicate Pat Quinn, who suggested late last week he'd had enough, is shaking things up. The slumping Allison line has been broken up -- Allison, with a viral infection, is iffy for tonight at the ACC, reports Ken Campbell, and with him out Lindros was centring Jeff O'Neill and Alex Ponikarovsky. Other trios: Wellwood with Tucker and Domi, Stajan with Perrott and Steen, and down on the No. 4 line, a revolution is breaking out, as Campbell notes:
"If Aki Berg can play tonight, Belak will move up to the right side of the fourth line with Clarke Wilm at centre and Chad Kilger on the left side."
With Berg on the verge of returning and Allison ailing, this oughta strike fear into the Panthers (and you thought they had no answers).
Forget this shuffling of the deck chairs for a sec, though. I'd settle for a couple of checks thrown.
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| STEVE RUSSELL/TORONTO STAR |
| How are we feeling this morning? |
While Campbell looks at the day-to-day, his linemate Damien Cox is talking big picture -- "Poor management could still mess this up. But the unmistakable signs that the Leafs are heading in a new, productive direction, albeit at glacial-like speed, are there."
Some other Leafs links:
Mark Zwolinski talks to Gary Roberts on his coming back to the ACC: "Weird", Roberts assesses. And for more on those rejigged lines, click here.
TV/radio critic Chris Zelkovich was as tired as I was listening to HNIC on Saturday, especially the half-baked notion from the house dinosaur that a game-ending fight would've somehow vindicated the night. (My favourite comment, though, was from SensOwn on the official-licensed-site Leafs chat board: "The hockey being played on that pond he does not understand. (Cherry) needs to smoke a joint with Quinn and reflect.")
From Sunday, Zorro gives Alex Steen the Unplugged treatment.
And finally, Unibrew has this catch of the day.
(C.Y.)
Halloween indeed. Where to begin?
Well, I laughed though I cried watching Ottawa give the Leafs the shellacking I knew was coming. Point of interest: Toronto hasn't lost a game so badly since a 12-1 pasting by Pittsburgh in 1989 ... or so I read.
I did say before the season began Toronto would be lucky to win two of the regular season contests against the Sens this year. Now that it's 3-0 for Ottawa on the season, I'm regretting that I don't gamble.
That Tie Domi got the snot pounded out of him by Chris McGratton all but cemented the changing of the guard in the Battle of Ontario. In the words of Conn Smythe, the guy that founded Maple Leaf Gardens, "if you can't beat 'em in the alley, you can't beat 'em on the ice". Truer words have not been said. And Ottawa manhandled, nay, toyed with the Leafs as a cat does to a mouse throughout the game. It was embarrassing.
If Toronto doesn't win in Ottawa on Dec. 17, then that'll be the end of the Leafs' playoff drive right there. Didn't the Star's Damien Cox say as much but far more poetically? I think so.
As for tonight's game against the Panthers ... I don't really care. It's Florida. Gary Roberts and Joe Niewyndyk (or however he spells it) ... I just don't care. Zzzz.
Posted by: FlamFlim | October 31, 2005 at 11:09 AM
Quinn vs. JFJ? Anyone got the betting line on this?
Questions I had at the start of the season that I now want answered:
Why did they not buyout Eddie? Why did they sign Domi? Who the hell is Mariusz Czerkawski? Why are Belak and Berg on the ice, ever? Why should any of us fans care MLSE? WHY?
Posted by: mm | October 31, 2005 at 12:12 PM
A quote from Wade Belak in the Toronto Sun this morning (not that I read the Sun ...) reveals a bit of truth about the player's mindset:
"Seems all the defence get blamed for everything so it would be all right," Belak said of the possibility of playing forward versus Florida tonight. "Maybe it would be nice to be a forward and hide out there."
Glad to know you're working on your game oh Belakian One! Now get out there ... and hide!
Posted by: Andrew Spencer | October 31, 2005 at 12:16 PM
ok, first of all, let's all relax here. Remember 2 years ago when the Flyers waxed the Leafs 7-1 on a Saturday night, and everyone was predicting a 30th place finish for the Leafs, thought that Quinn was finished, Sundin should be traded, Wendel brought out of reitrement....you know where this is going. Well, things turned out ok, as they will again this year. Every team gets smoked 1-2 times a year...it has to happen.
No, they won't win the Cup this year (seriously, get it into your heads), but they will be competitive, and will make the playoffs, and bring us some exciting games.
Now, that being said, I have no idea why Belak gets a shot on defence out there or why Berg even has an NHL contract in his pocket (let alone one that pays him over $1 million), but I'm pretty sure Pat's been through this before, and can get them through it.
Let's give them a chance to redeem themselves, and see where we are at the 20 game mark. Then, if things have gotten worse, we can bring Wendel and Dougie out of retirement, and give Tucker the "C".
Posted by: bferg | October 31, 2005 at 02:40 PM
Eddie is struggling with being confined by the new rules. So is Marty in New Jersey. They just seemed to be lost without being part of the flow. Will they adjust? I think so, I hope so but I’m not ready to write off either one of these greats just yet. That said, let’s be realistic and make a judgment call in another 20 games. If Eddie can’t adjust then give Tellqvist the chance to hone his skills before the playoffs.
The Saturday pasting was an embarrassment for the team and the fans. Ottawa is an incredibly talented team capable of shellacking any team on any night. They equally capable of being out hustled and outscored by a team prepared to work hard enough to overcome the talent deficit (case in point – Philly/Ottawa last night).
It’s a cop-out to blame everything on Belak and Berg. They suck. They shouldn’t be in the NHL. They make Mike Pelyk look like he was a defensive stalwart. That said, where are the back-checking forwards? Where’s the commitment to team defense?
Leafs need to commit to out working the other team every night. Eric Lindros has to lead every shift out there. He’s got to take the body every chance he gets. Playing great defense is infectious. Great leadership is infectious. I’d like to think Leafs have the kind of character players they need but I’m sure not seeing the effort. It’s time for O’Neill to commit to leaving every ounce of energy on the ice every shift. It’s time for Ponikarovsky to run over the opposition. It’s time for Kilger to crash the net. We need to see the team get engaged in a game on a different level then trying to out score the other team every night.
If this team won’t do it then shake them up. Fire Quinn, trade Tie, and buy out Belak and Berg. Do something because the current state is too discouraging to be the fans reality for the rest of the season.
Posted by: Leaffan | October 31, 2005 at 03:03 PM
This is outrageous! Belak can't be moved to forward — who else are they going to find that can skate backwards?
Posted by: James Mirtle | October 31, 2005 at 03:08 PM
James, I thought that was what Allison was doing out there.
Posted by: cy | October 31, 2005 at 03:16 PM
The Leafs are a phone call away from getting a winger who can score - Steve Thomas.
Too old for the "new" NHL?
Combined, the youthful Wilm, Kilger and Czerkaski have a pathetic 8 points. How many "tireless skaters", a hockey card euphamism for offensively impotent, can the Leafs afford?
Steve Thomas, old as he is, surely would've actually scored in the 12 "New NHL" games the buds have played. At the very least he would give Eric some hope.
Pat, JFJ - make the call.
Posted by: Iain Wood | November 04, 2005 at 07:54 AM