z_The Hockey Page - Toronto Star

Who needs practice?

After an intense stretch of six games in 11 nights, the Leafs are off. Golfing.
Pat Quinn: "It was not an idea I liked, but it's part of the corporate responsibility."
Perhaps it's just me, but isn't golfing something you do in the summer? And I know this sounds dreadfully naive, but can't MLSE keep these "branding" exercises and their charity works to a time when the main property isn't supposed to be doing things that might  maximize their potential? Isn't it time to get down to business, the way the Leafs team has operated of late?

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Leafs spanked the Thrashers Friday ... on the scoreboard too.>

A week ago Denial popped out of the rabbit hole and asked the question -- what should the Leafs do? Now the question is more like what can't they do?
And we know the answer: they can't practice.

"We had three work days that you really needed, but all of a sudden you lose one of them (for golfing). We'll do the work, but it won't be the cerebral work I'd hoped. The job for me, as far as I'm concerned, is to work on our team defence, because we can do a lot better in our defensive zone coverage."

I actually thought the defensive zone coverage Saturday night wasn't bad at all, Eddie Belfour chief among the examples covering the most important defensive zone of all.  Montreal's edge in speed, and their aggressive forechecking caused the Leafs the most trouble, at least it seemed that way to me. They were bailed out by Belfour, the power play and  Lindros and his linemates, who did some good forechecking of their own. It was a gritty back-to-back display, coming after Friday's fight night in Atlanta.
Oh, and one little thing that got lost, despite looming HUGE in the closing seconds: With the Habs on a two-man advantage thanks to the empty net and a Toronto penalty, Clark Wilm beat Koivu on that critical last faceoff in the Leafs end.
So this morning -- cloudy, cool, maybe some rain. What a great day for golf! -- 

Update: 10:30 am: hey Chris, whaddya know - it's actually clearing up out there. Great day for golf after all! See, that's why we love this Internet thing so much...instant updates! (that's what you get, CY, for waking up so early) -- SW

Ken Campbell takes a look at the Leafs' power play, which scored nine goals on the weekend, and checks back in with Jason Allison.
With the Leafs off until Thursday, the filings are light this morning, but over at Team Sun, Lance Hornby is saying three cheers for the little guys. The Globe's Tim Wharnsby looks at the Leafs' early form, the good and the not so good.
Oh, and top of the mornin', Theo Fleury.

(C.Y.)

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Thanks Chris. Wow. Two great wins for the Leafs and we're talking about practice, man. We're not talking about the game. We're talking about practice ... Okay, enough with the Allen Iverson memories. Here's some links to get you through a Monday:

Neat little story from the Arizona Republic on Walter Gretzky remembering a 7-year-old Wayne, parked in front of the TV on Saturday nights:

On the paper he would draw a rink: the nets, the lines, the circles, etc. Once the game started, Wayne would chart where the puck went on the rink without lifting the pen or pencil off the paper. "I remember saying: 'What are you doing, Wayne?' He said: 'Look, Dad, see all these dark spots? That's where the puck is most of the time.' As you know, Wayne always played a thinking game. Already at that age, he was thinking."

We're sure Wayne, with that 1-4-1 start, is busy thinking of ways to remove all those dark spots in the Coyotes end of the rink so far this season. Too bad he'll have to do it without one of the game's greats. Brett Hull retired over the weekend. Have to admit, didn't see that one coming. Could poor Steve Yzerman be next? Just one game after his comeback last Thursday, the mayor of Hockeytown tweaked his groin and had to leave Saturday's game -- wouldn't speak about it afterwards.

"He's just so ticked off he can't talk," Wings coach Mike Babcock tells the Detroit Free Press.

Speaking of dark spots, did you see what Martin Havlat did to Boston's Hal Gill on Saturday? Not even the first time the Senators speedster has gone "south" on an opponent. And then there was the suspension for slashing then-Flyer Mark Recchi in the face in 2004. So goes Havlat's budding reputation as one of the dirtiest players in the league. Too bad because he's one of the most fun ones to watch play. Havlat's facing another suspension, and for good reason, but we did manage to find one argument for his case - out of Ottawa, of course.

Hey, they're chanting King Henrik's name in New York.

Dennis Leary vs. Rich Tocchet. Guess who won.

Here's former Maple Leaf Tom Fitzgerald on the visor debate:

"I'm an idiot for not doing it."

Well Tom, so are pretty much all of your co-workers. And after another poll of NHLers, it's pretty obvious the league isn't going to get backing from the players on making these things mandatory.

See you tomorrow, thinking today's a pretty good day to leave work a little early. Fore! (SW)

All this, and Theo Fleury too

A light links-oriented filing today, as we tape our ankles for tonight's live text commentary of Leafs at Thrashers -- and if you'd like to get in on that, and help me stagger through wittily assemble the preamble with some of your thoughts, predictions, and streams of consciousness, by all means the comments are open below (afraid this is the first regular-season broadcast for Leafs on Leafs TV, and for more on that, Chris Zelkovich takes a profiling look here):

This just in ... yet another primer on the new rules.

Let's start off with a couple of our favourite blogs:

Japers' Rink takes a biting look at the state of rivalries in this postmodern NHL (no more of this "new NHL" nonsense here, sir!) and finds himself pining for "something similar to the old playoff format" (JP, I remember the Wales vs. the Campbells. I wore the bell-bottoms and the platforms. I am not going back there.)

And Jes Golbez has a good catch on Patrick Sharp, now wearing a -- wait for it -- visor. And here's an afternoon addition from Chris Corrigan of the excellent Hockey Pundits -- why visors matter from a fan's perspective.

From the treeware people:

Damien Cox gives us your threatened, your overworked, your bullied -- awww, give it up for the lot of the goalie in the postmodern NHL.

Marius Czerkawski talks! (and no louder than he's played, at that).

Mats Sundin is healing, but it's a slow process (and Jes, have a lookee -- L.A. Kings voted against mandatory visors). Jason Allison, meantime, is not thrilled about his own start.

From the tonight's game file: Paul Hunter weighs in on the Thrashers, and the Sun has this one on Marion Hossa.

And here's a little something from an e-mail received yesterday:

"Giants & Theo Fleury go live on the Net

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Theo Fleury, Canada's little big man.

For the first time this weekend the Coors Belfast Giants will broadcast live on the Internet full commentary on the Elite League clash with the Edinburgh Capitals. The game at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast will mark the debut of former NHL superstar Theo Fleury, as Canada's "little big man" officially becomes a Giant.

Calgary based software millionaire, Jim Yaworski, has inspired the initiative. He wants to make sure that all worldwide hockey fans can listen to the latest chapter in Fleury's career and hear the Giants light up the Elite League.

You will be able to log on to the Giants Web site www.belfastgiants.com and go to the live commentary box. Click on then sit back and enjoy the action."

Belfast-Edinburgh at the Odyssey, and Fleury in the lineup. Does it get any better? It's audio only, at 6:55 p.m. GMT, or 1:55 pm in Toronto. (C.Y.)

Everything's, uh, great, maybe

With the Leafs off a couple of days, it’s time to cover a little ground we have viewed but thus far avoided taking the lawn-mower to this season.
First, the rush to judgment on these new NHL rules has been dizzying. All of a sudden, everything is great. The game, the pace, the flow, the penalties – just great. Turn on TSN, for example, and it seems five minutes can't go by without this reminder.
Bloggers like Jordan Cooper have turned up in the past few days with a different outlook. Get a grip, says Tom Benjamin (no permalink, it seems, but scroll down to Oct 11 entry, for a nice one, and a second entry below parsing Gary Bettman).
Hey, the season is barely a week old. I’ve hardly had the chance to go around the league, but so far, from a Leafcentric perspective, I’ve seen one wonderful game – Toronto-Ottawa on Monday night was a pulse-pounder start to finish – and some developments that, overall, are pleasing (the two-line pass, for one) and some that aren’t (mysterious penalty calls; the inanity of shootouts, but we knew that).
Apart from those shootouts, these are just that -- developments. Check in on ‘em at the end of the month, then at Christmas. If you must, Grant Kerr at the Globe tosses some early numbers and impressions at you.

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Preds were 3-for-9 on the power play last night. The Timmins Tornado started Nashville's comeback win with the extra man.

Last night, flipping around the (temporarily free, so endure enjoy it while you can) Centre Ice package, there was a wondering-out-loud moment from the Avalanche broadcasters, after another early nip-and-tug was being called a penalty -- on Tuesday night, goals were down and so were the penalty calls, and maybe this kind of tight interpretation was in reaction to Tuesday's let-em-go moment in time?
So we pulled out the last four days of sports pages, and adding last night’s numbers, here’s a day-by-day (shootouts not included in the goal totals):

Last night (5 games): 31 goals (6.2 avg), 79 minors called (15.8 avg).
Tuesday (5 games): 26 goals (5.2), 68 minors (13.6).
Monday (8 games): 52 goals (6.7), 115 minors (14.4).
Sunday (3 games): 17 goals (5.7), 36 minors (12.0).
Saturday (12 games): 77 goals (6.4), 186 minors (15.5).

There is a pattern there that makes sense in a d’uh kind of way – the more penalties, the more goals. But apart from that, do you see any trending up or down? Me neither. Serves me right for listening, and like I said, let's wait a while longer.
Oh, and a couple of other things culled from the puckage:
Colorado’s Altitude Network – a house organ, owned by the Avalanche and NBA Nuggets owner -- is showing 40 games in high-definition this season. TSN, a national network which bills itself as a world leader in high-def, has yet to show one.
How bad are the Capitals? They lost 7-2 in Carolina, and the only spunk they showed was at the final buzzer when Witt – rumoured to be on John Ferguson Jr.’s radar screen – gave Brind’Amour a snootful of glove.
I turned the TV off near the end of the second in Colorado. Anyone who can tell me how the Predators came back would be much obliged. The Avalanche had them turned inside out by their passing over the first half of the game, including a couple of lovely two-liners that had the Nashville defence in deep retreat mode.

Oh, all right then. Some local items of interest:

Mark Zwolinski looks at the possibility of a new kid line for the Leafs – and why not, everyone needs a kid line: “Pat Quinn may yet give the trio a go,” he says, but apparently not yet,
You say Marius Czerkawski. I say benched.
Rick Westhead has a good one on another union of hockey players who have a bone to pick with the NHL: the minor leaguers.
And oh yes, the Marlies opened their home schedule last night. Paul Hunter has the story here and captain Marc Moro talks to the Sun's Terry Koshan about how this ain't St. John's.
And here’s a look at single-game ticket prices in the AHL and how the Maple Leafs robbers owners stack up with the rest of the league:

Most expensive tickets (bottom price-top price, US dollars unless noted)
San Antonio $9.50-$75
Houston $11-$55
Toronto $10-$54 (Cdn)
Iowa $10-$50
Chicago $9-$48

Least expensive
Syracuse $11-$15
Binghamton $14.50-$15.50
Albany $10-$16
Norfolk $11-$16
Peoria $12.50-$17.50

(C.Y.)

A night of firsts

Okay, exhale.
The Leafs found themselves an opponent who actually played worse in front of their own net than they have this season. They got goaltending. Timely offensive contributions. And good news, albeit tentative, from the medical front.
And hey. Lookee here. No shootout.
A night of firsts: Jeff O'Neill's first goal as a Leaf, and a winner. Kyle Wellwood's first NHL goal. Mikael Tellqvist's first start. Did I miss any? Oh yes, the first win, a 4-2 over the Flyers that was a little closer than the score makes it appear.

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The new pads were working for Tellqvist last night.

So everybody breathes easier today. (Except in Philly, where they're wondering where's the power play? Where's the second line?)
Where do we start with the discussion?
I have two words: Kyle Wellwood.
After the final buzzer and before the bouquets were to be handed out on the night, I'm doing the usual ritual: the Three Stars. My three stars, that is. This goes way back to nights of chips and dip, of keeping the game summary in a schoolbook that recorded the progress of the family hockey pool, and then we'd pick our stars and compare 'em to the experts (term used loosely).
Wellwood was my choice at No. 1, barely edging out Tellqvist. The kid raced to space and scored the first goal of his NHL career, and it seemed to flick a switch in him. He started to freewheel, getting space in the neutral zone and putting pressure on a Philly defence that seemed to be wondering where he came from. He was a danger from there, every time he was on the ice, the Leafs' most flowing attacker.
As for that goal, it was the future come to the present. Steen kicked the puck loose along the board behind the net to Stajan, who whipped it in front where Wellwood was screaming into the slot, fresh off the bench after Clark Wilm had come off (another scoring note of a different type: six hits on the night for Wilm, a team high).
Steen to Stajan to Wellwood. A month ago, six weeks ago, who'd have even dreamed it?
Did I read too much into this, including a plus-2 on the scoresheet for Wellwood, and four of six faceoff draws won? You tell me.
Oh, Tellqvist surely figured in there, Mark Zwolinski making him and Lindros the focus of his report here. He more than figured in  during the second period when the Flyers had the Leafs pinned and looking completely scattered in their own end. Eric Lindros' take:

"Telly was certainly head and shoulders above any other player on the ice."

The Leafs' defensive woes did not go away -- it was Khavanov's turn to look especially miserable, guilty of a couple of blown assignments, one of which resulted in Philly's first goal, and some nervous puckhandling -- but they got big-time cover from their backup goalie.
As for Lindros, O'Neill and Allison, they all did their part just as John Ferguson Jr. envisioned it -- as the Globe's Tim Wharnsby noted, Lindros' line spending the night matched against his usual opposite, Peter Forsberg. (For Rosie's take on O'Neill with a bit of Wellwood mixed in, that's right here. And as for Lindros taking on his old mates, click here). The three new Leafs picked up the slack in their own way for the departed Mats Sundin, who may not require surgery, at least according to Pat Quinn's reading of the X-rays. So too did Ken Klee, solid all night -- even Aki Berg, whose positioning was much better against an opponent that, like them, is built more for size than speed.
Just one win. But it's the first one. No alarm bells allowed for the next day or so, at least.
Oh, and a couple of other things: Bryan Marchment has landed in Calgary. And the Marlies open their home schedule tonight. (C.Y.)

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To the links, where we look ahead to Friday, when the Leafs meet the suddenly high-flying Atlanta Thrashers. The bad news? Super sniper Illya Kovalchuk plays his first game tonight against the Canadiens -- great, a chance to warm up just in time for the Leafs.

Here's an update on Boston's Joe Thornton and his aching back -- the big centre may leave the team for some therapy.

New rules report: Tampa Bay coach John Tortorella has had it. The Bolts are doing away with the no red line rule.

"I think the new rules have played with the minds of some of our players, especially our offensive people," Lightning coach John Tortorella says. "… they think, 'I have to make that long pass.' To me it turns into more turnovers than helping you offensively trying to force that long pass."

"We are going to instill playing with the red line, I don't give a damn what the rule says, we don't have to play without the red line," Tortorella tells the Tampa Bay Tribune. "And our guys are going to play with the red line just to get them to come back. So this (is) going to be a process, especially for our offensive people, they have to understand that."

On the other side of the red line coin, Dallas goalie Marty Turco reacts today to defending a one-goal lead last night against, among late penalties, a six-on-three in the dying seconds after Phoenix pulled the goalie with a two-man advantage:

"It's just the way the league is: You're going to fight tooth and nail to the end," Turco tells the Dallas Morning News. "That's great for hockey, it's great for fans. It's not great for my blood pressure. Thank goodness I'm young."

So the hockey has been great so far. And here's why it's only going to get better: Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman is expected to be in the lineup tomorrow, prompting memories of another Red Wings great coming back to play with the Wings. (SW)

Clueless III

Another day, another shootout.
The Leafs don’t do shootouts too well, do they? Last night it was Ottawa, and Hasek. Last week it was Ottawa, and Hasek. As Damien Cox notes, there seems to be a pattern there, somewhere.
Actually, the Leafs don’t do a number of things too well. As they say in the doctoring game, the shootouts are the symptom, not the cause.
With the Flyers coming in tonight, less than 24 hours after Toronto loses another game of three-shot roulette to the Senators, the possibility probability looms that they’ll end their first week of this new NHL with an oh-fer record.
This isn’t hockey. It’s Clueless III:

“I’ve got Spezza and Schaeffer right on me in the crease. If I get a stick on one of them, I get a penalty. If I don’t, one of them pokes it in. I lose either way.”

That was Bryan McCabe. Then there was Pat Quinn on the Sens’ fifth goal, the one that negated a nice Leafs comeback in the third period, the one that set up the shootout, the one where no one on the ice appeared the least interested in defending. This isn’t hockey. It’s flute lessons:

“There’s two guys with their fingers in the wrong spots and you can’t play hockey with your fingers in the wrong spots.”

The question this morning is just who is going to grab the baton and lead them out of this mess.
Is it Quinn, who, in the apt description of Joe Bowen, is beginning to look like the Bayonne Bleeder? (Harry Neale was calling for the coach to wear a visor last night, but c’mon Harry, you know what Pat would say – “It’s just not for me.”)
Is it Jason Allison, along with Kyle Wellwood the only creative forwards the Leafs have? (and I hate to echo the un-echoable Don Cherry, but how did they ever send Wellwood down? He can’t backcheck, but how do they ever send him down again?)  The problem for Allison, who seemed mostly lost last night, is that he has been a purely solo act so far. His wingers aren’t going to space, and he’s hanging on to the puck too long.
Is it Tomas Kaberle, to these eyes the Leafs’ best player thus far? Is it McCabe, like Kaberle logging 30+ minutes a night? Aki Berg and Wade Belak, separated last night after that horrid Saturday night against Montreal, appear not ready for prime time in this new NHL – but along with the Leafs’ overall defensive woes, this is hardly a surprise to anyone who watched them during the preseason.
Is it Lindros? Belfour? Maybe even Chara, or Redden, if you're really thinking ahead?
It was encouraging last night to see Darcy Tucker finally show up, although he should have had two or three goals instead of just one. As for Czerkawski and Ponikarovsky, where are they?
Bad as it is for the Leafs, this more wide-open brand of hockey is proving a welcome departure for anyone watching -- curiously, last night at the Corel Centre was almost 1,000 short of a sellout -- and it fits for up and comers like Steen and Stajan (and Wellwood, if they stay with him). It’s fast, and up and down. It’s got some ebb and flow, and it’s manageable in terms of time. The full flowering of a player like Jason Spezza, with his Olympic dreams, is a great thing to watch.
The 2 ½-hour NHL game is wonderful, too. Shootout (and Leafs) not included, that is. -- C.Y.

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To the links, where we'll set up tonight's (first win?) tilt with the Flyers. Another arch rival in tha house. Must say, this unbalanced schedule doesn't lend for many nights off. Or maybe it's the Killer B's that's leaving me with the sweaty forehead?

"To me, the rivalry is the jersey, more so than who is in the jerseys," Flyers centre Keith Primeau tells the Philadelphia Inquirer. "That always makes for exciting games between the two clubs. They have enough guys there to remember from the last couple of playoffs, and we have enough guys here aware, as well."

"I've played in a lot of playoff series and I've played in a lot of playoff games that were a lot of fun, but the last 2 years we've faced Toronto and nothing has taken more out of me than the series that we've played against them," Primeau tells the Philadelphia Daily News.

The view from Philly also comes with a healthy dose of Eric Lindros. They know how good he can be over in Flyers camp. The former Flyers MVP and Legion of Doomer has been one of Toronto's best players so far (he's my pick - above, Chris points out Kaberle, discuss). He'll have to keep it up for the Leafs to climb out of their 'funk'.

We'll leave you today with ... you: Some observations this morning from visitors to this space:

Criticism and kudos from regular scribe FlamFlim:

Leafs who need to pick it up: Mariusz Czerkawski (who? where? when? what?!), Darcy Tucker, Jason Allison, oh hell .. everybody! Kudos for big efforts to Lindros, Belfour, McCabe, Kaberle, Wellwood, Khavanov (love that guy), Wilm, and Kilger.

And a call for calm from Colin Bolger:

STOP SLAGGING DOMI AND BELAK!! Domi scored 15 goals in limited duty a couple years ago! He led them in the playoffs that year until his bone-head move on Neidermeyer! But Quinn continues to use him mostly as a fourth liner and a goon, even though he looks great with Lindros and he looked good on the power play last night! ... I would rather have Domi and Belak out there working their hearts out than have floaters like Antropov, Ponikerovski, Czerkawski or Berg...

We had to look it up, but Domi did score 15 goals in 2002-03. He's got two in three games so far this year, putting him on pace for 54. Hopefully we won't have to count on him for that many. (SW)

The visor debate renewed

Lots of talk about visors and their advisability today.
Hands up everyone who's feeling a little deja vu.
Yes, back here again. Mats Sundin has escaped with his eyeball intact, but still may require surgery. The Leafs are without their captain and No. 1 centre for at least a month, and that's the best-case scenario.
It's all so preventable. All so repeatable, too, given the chirping out of Leafs practice yesterday: "As sick as I was watching Mats last night, I just don't believe it's for me," was Darcy Tucker's reaction, and to a man, the Leafs -- the shield-less ones, anyway -- nodded.

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Remember this?

The question for you to debate today is -- is it time to make visors mandatory in the NHL? (It's long overdue, given the line stretching back from here thru Berard and Neely and beyond, isn't it?)
Paul Hunter takes a look at one central issue in that process: the NHL Players Association, which has to sign off on any such legislation. According to an NHLPA spokesman, the organization recently "advised player representatives to initiate conversations with their team on the use of visors". Continuing the diplomaticspeak in an email to Hunter:

"The union seemed amenable to giving the matter serious consideration but indicated there still existed fairly significant resistance from their membership."

Hmm. Do you get the impression, reading that, that the next line would be something about "frank and cordial" discussions?

The Sun's Lance Hornby notes the salary cap implications of bringing up a player to replace Sundin -- or bringing one in, as it were -- and talks to a doctor about the type of injury Sundin has, and the typical scenarios around it. And Steve Simmons takes us back full circle, and how avoidable this injury could/should be.
Hey, goaltenders equipment is mandated by the league. Helmets have been standard issue for 25 years now, after similar resistance leading to their legislated use -- the world kept turning. Citing studies and statistics that indicate the effectiveness of visors, just about every medical authority has called for mandatory eye protection, and for some time.
It's time, isn't it?

Some other items of interest this morning: Damien Cox goes over the NHL's "dizzying" opening, Rick Westhead looks at the fate of salary cap cheats in this new environment, and Mark Zwolinski reports on the AHL Marlies, set to open their season.

I'm off to JABS now. Spencer will be back a little later with some links from around the NHL. The Comments, meantime, are open. (CY)

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Thanks, Chris. Some quick links so we can get right back to the visor debate.

Lost in the shuffle is the shoulder injury to Jeff O'Neill - we'll try and update that situation in this space if there's news. And here we were thinking that Lindros and Allison would be the ones going down quickly. In yesterday's posting on Sundin, Chris reminded us that Steve Thomas is standing by. We'll keep the Stumpywatch ticking here as well. (Update: The Leafs announced this morning they have recalled Kyle Wellwood)

Around the league:

The Ilya Kovalchuk situation isn't looking very good. He spoke for the first time in North America about his contract situation:

"It's my intention to go back to Russia on Sunday," he tells the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.I haven't heard from (Thrashers') management. I don't know (what is going to happen). If they call right now and offer something then maybe (a contract can be completed). But otherwise I'm going back to Russia."

Chris Zelkovich covers the NHL's glorious return to the tube in Canada. Zelko reports that TSN recorded its third-largest audience in the network's 21-year history. And from reports around the league, attendance was very good for opening night. In the U.S., not so much. According to the Washington Post:

The Capitals received more than 1,000 e-mails yesterday from DirecTV subscribers in the greater Washington area who were unable to watch Wednesday's season opener. The Capitals' first game in 18 months -- a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets at MCI Center -- was broadcast by Comcast SportsNet but was blacked out inadvertently by DirecTV because of a technical problem, according to Bob Marsocci, DirecTV's vice president of communications. DirecTV customers in parts of New Jersey, San Jose and Long Island experienced similar accidental blackouts.

Fans in Long Island had it worse. From Newsday:

Marsocci said customers were given a free look at games around the league under the NHL Center Ice package, and several fans who spoke to Newsday confirmed they were able to watch every opening night game other than Islanders-Sabres and Devils-Penguins.

On the local angle, thank goodness we don't have blackouts here and yes, I'm really enjoying the free NHL package right now.

In Boston, the Gah-den was rocking on opening night:

"I think the year away made a lot of people realize how much they missed hockey," Bruins play-by-play man Dale Arnold tells the Boston Globe. ''The game probably will take a hit in some markets, but Boston isn't one of them. I was shocked at how few no-shows there were (at the TD Banknorth Garden)"

TD Banknorth Garden. Suddenly the Rogers Centre isn't such a bad name. Television viewership in Beantown was another story, according to the Globe, the Bruins telecast was crushed going up against the Red Sox playoff game -- a much better excuse than those technical blackout problems.

Ratings in Pittsburgh, however, were a different story. According to the Post-Gazette:

Television ratings for the game on FSN Pittsburgh were an absolute smash. The overall rating number was 7.5, which comes close to tripling the number of viewers watching the team when it last played at the end of the 2003-04 season. The Pirates averaged about a 4.5 rating for their recently completed season.

Does Sidney Crosby get a cut? (SW)

Sundin injured, out at least a month

According to the latest information from the Leafs, Mats Sundin's eye injury means he will be out of action for four to six weeks, a span that could run to about 20 games.
What now?
It would appear the door is wide open for Eric Lindros to assume a bigger role.
Last night against Ottawa, with Sundin gone after just seven minutes due to a broken lower orbital bone, Lindros eventually logged nearly 25 minutes of ice time -- most among the forwards. He seemed to get better as the night wore on, too, delivering several big checks and scoring a goal in the third period.
At least offensively, Jason Allison appeared right at home, and he too, moves up a rung on the depth chart at centre with Sundin out.
Then there's the Jeff O'Neill situation. He didn't practice today, and his shoulder is bothering him enough that he is listed as doubtful for Saturday's game.
Kyle Wellwood is expected to be called up. And what about that story early this week -- the one about Steve Thomas being advised to stay by the phone?

One game down, 81 to go, and the Leafs have issues.
How do you think they handle this? Who has to step up? If you're John Ferguson Jr., are you putting that call in to Thomas? And how well equipped are the Leafs to deal with this kind of an injury, this early in the season?

The morning after

Well, wasn't that an evening.
Twice the Leafs have a lead and twice they gave it up in the final few minutes against a Senators team that, in Paul Hunter's wonderful phrasing, "was playing so badly it appeared to be in playoff form."
Then we have one of those abominable new-NHL shootouts, and Ottawa escapes with the extra point in the standing.
But it would be churlish of me this morning to dwell on it too much. Hockey's back all over. Let's save the grousing for a while. At least hold off until this afternoon.
Lots to digest out of this one, starting with Hunter's gamer and the big news we'll be watching and sending along to you as quick as we get it in this space -- Mats Sundin's eye injury.
That was a scary moment, early in the game, when a puck that appeared to go off Darcy Tucker's stick struck Sundin in the face and neded his night. After all that preseason talk about the brittleness of the likes of Lindros, Allison and Belfour, it's the rock Sundin who looks to be the first man down. Let's just hope it's a cut, like the initial reports suggest, and the eye itself is not injured.
Ken Campbell has a report on that situation here, with the obligatory brainless hockey-player "I"ll never wear a visor" quote.
Damien Cox takes the big picture on the night.

RICK MADONIK/TORONTO STAR

No need for the instant replay here -- Ed Belfour makes the save on Ottawa's Brian Smolinski during the first period.

Over at the Sun, Ken Fidlin notes that the NHL's back and "gloomy times are over." Don't know about that, Ken. I figure the gloom has just begun. And oh, to have the kind of week Carlo Colaiacovo had.
Here's the view from Ottawa, and the news that the Senators plan to make a call to NHL headquarters about that first-period shot from Brian Smolinski that Ed Belfour appeared to snatch out of the net. Coach Murray's take:

"I just can't believe in this day and age that didn't count as a goal."

Chris Zelkovich has a Hockey Night in Canada update, including the news that Ron Tugnutt has joined the team at the CBC's cash cow.

Oh, and in case you were wondering about whether the ticket prices were greener on the other side of the fence: the biggest decrease in prices on something called the Fancast Index is in Hockeytown, Detroit -- 24 per cent. And no, the Leafs aren't in the top 10.

We'll be back a little later this morning with some links from around the league, after a late night last night Spencer has the morning off and it's me, the JABS guy, manning the helm. If you missed our live text commentary, it's here for you check out poke fun at. Now it's your turn. Let's get the discussion started, and we'll be coming back to your comments through the day.
What would an extended loss of Sundin to injury mean to the Leafs? Who among Lindros and Allison struck you as the best equipped to step into the breach, based on last night? What impressed you? What irritated you? And this shootout stuff -- is it bogus, or what?
Let the gloom begin, I say.

Elsewhere, here's some good reads to help you through the morning:

They raised a banner in Tampa Bay last night. Er, it's St. Petersburg, actually.

As Sidney Crosby looks forward, his mom looks back.

The Great One is not the Great Coach  just yet.

ANd this kid Alexander Ovechkin? it could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Optimism

I know all the clichés about the meaningless preseason, and don’t read too much into it, and so yawn.

But here’s one last nugget from the means-nuthin’ season that was lost in the shuffling. Two nuggets, actually, from the Leafs’ final exhibition game, a pair of goals (one by Czerkawski, one by Antropov) that had all five players on the ice touching the puck -- advancing the puck -- all the way from behind their own net, up the boards and to the opposite goal.

It was like flashing back to those steamy-hot mornings inside the ice-cold Ricoh, and you’re drinking some unidentifiable hot dark beverage while they’re doing breakout drills on the ice, over and over again. To see it executed so well during a game, even in a sort-of game, was the equal of rays of sunshine breaking through rainy-day clouds. If we can get enough of that to get us through the winter, it’s not so bad, is it?

Of course, on the morning of what’s literally a new dawning for the NHL, Damien Cox is setting the breakfast table. Cox pulls double duty, too, asking then answering his own question:

"Can the Leafs adjust aggressively and efficiently to the new NHL? History, at least the history of this franchise since George Armstrong lifted the Cup, says no, or at least that the adjustment will be slow and painful."

Dave Perkins is thinking about history, too – the ’68 version of the Leafs, led by one George F. Imlach. Over at the Sun, Steve Simmons is standing Pat and there’s 10 items to keep an eye on.

From the Ex files, how ‘bout that Yanic Perreault? And for those of you who like to have a punt with your shinny, check out this little gem on the new rules of betting the NHL.

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Thanks, Chris. We like to see the optimism on opening night. And before I get to the links, let me use this space for a shameless plug for tonight's game plan. Over in waymoresports, Chris will be hosting a live gamecast for tonight's contest. So for those of you who can't watch it on TV, and especially for those of you who are watching, but need an immediate outlet to rant during the second period after an Eric Lindros giveaway sorry, optimism - a sweet Eric Lindros goal, check out this page to get in on the action.

The links:

In case you missed it yesterday, Chris had us in stitches in his JABS forum with his best of the worst media guide covers. It's worth checking out if only to see Pat Quinn's 1980s mustache. Scroll down past the Rafer madness - you won't regret it.

Do the Leafs still hold the psychological edge over the Senators? Headline from Ottawa Citizen says maybe so: "First, beat the Leafs. Second, win"

The Jeremy Roenick story -- Let Him Entertain You:

"I have always enjoyed the camera and I always enjoyed a microphone and there seems to be an abundance of those things here (in Los Angeles)."

Hey look, there's news on Nick Boynton. Oh, the news is that there's no news. Now the Bruins look like the Maple Leafs on defence -- rookies galore.

In Atlanta, there's a flash of optimism and high hopes for their first dance in the post-season. But can they possibly do it without Ilya Kovalchuk?

From the top 10 moments in Avalanche history:

What were the odds in 1995 that the most beloved player on the hallowed Montreal Canadiens in the previous 10 seasons would play that year in Denver a city that had been without an NHL team for 13 years?

Good read (as always from) Detroit Free Press columnist Mitch Albom on Brenadan Shanahan's summer.

Martin Brodeur says the NHL should have made Sidney Crosby's debut the lone opening game. The Devils meet the Penguins tonight:

"It's a new era in the NHL and everyone wants to see what he can do. Everybody's calling for tickets, but [elsewhere] people want to watch their teams, too," Brodeur says. "It's not fair for the fans."

But the Crosby Show isn't the only rookie act we're watching. Don't forget about Alexander the Great.

Good read from Philly Inquirer on Peter Forsberg and what he brings to a team.

There's 15 games tonight. Enjoy.

Early matchup

An afternoon update from our man in the field: Mark Zwolinski has the Ottawa Senators lineup that will be skating circles around against the Maple Leafs tomorrow night at the Air Canada Centre:

Goalies: Dominik Hasek, Ray Emery (backup).

Defencemen: Brian Pothier, Zdeno Chara, Wade Redden, Chris Phillips, Anton Volchenkov, Andrej Meszaros, Christopher Schubert.

Forwards: Martin Havlat, Daniel Alfredsson, Dany Heatley, Chris Neil, Vaclav Varada, Brian McGrattan, Brandon Bochenski, Peter Schaefer, Mike Fisher, Jason Spezza, Antoine Vermette, Brian Smolinski, Chris Kelly.

NOTES: The Sens lineup features five rookies (Emery, Meszaros, Kelly, Bochenski, and McGrattan) … forward Denis Hamel was placed on waivers Monday for the purpose of sending him Binghamton of the AHL. That opened room for D Christopher Schubert, who was on his way to the AHL, but would have had to clear waivers first. The Sens were very fearful of losing him on waivers. GM John Muckler actually went to ownership and asked for that the payroll be expanded to keep Schubert on board. Schubert had been told earlier in the day that he was AHL-bound, and wasn’t too happy about it. Muckler cleared the situation up later in the day, and Schubert is now the seventh defenceman.

Meanwhile, the latest from the Leafs camp is that rookies Staffan Kronwall and Carlo Colaiacovo have been recalled to the big club, just a day after being cut and sent to the Marlies.

It looks as though Aki Berg and Wade Belak are not fit to play tomorrow, and the two rookies, who are skating with the Leafs today, will be in the lineup against the Senators -- leaving the Leafs with three rookies on the blue line (Andy Wozniewski).