Leafs ended their west coast trip with a loss last night in Vancouver -- at least they outshot the Canucks in a game in which both sides looked less than inspiring.
Leafs obviously missed McCabe, the defence and the power play jittery and out of sorts most of the way -- over at the Battle of Ontario, Meatriarchy figures this night made a case for McCabe as a Hart Trophy candidate -- the PP did click finally in the third, after barely managing a shot in half a dozen previous chances.
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| Jeff Goode/Toronto Star |
| Carlo looking like ol' No. 24, shown here with Carl Brewer. |
Some questions and random notes about this bunch, with the schedule dark until Saturday when Gretzky's Coyotes come to the ACC, while the home PC goes to the great Pentium in the sky and this page is tickin' overs slowly, slowly:
Yes, Kronwall had a very poor game, including one howler of a giveaway that led to a Vancouver goal, and no one filled the rather large skates of Mr. McCabe, but let's not throw all these defensive babies out with the bath water. Colaiacovo's open-ice hip check on Bertuzzi was an old-school thumper, a thing of beauty like something out of a Brian Glennie time capsule. Surely Carlo is here to stay. Surely he HAS to stay. As for Kronwall, he's beginning to show his inexperience after some fine work earlier in the season, and I guess when McCabe comes back he is the odd man out.
Ten points and a blue and white air kiss to anyone who can tell me what Tie Domi has done lately. I know the Leafs have injury issues. And I'm no huge Marius Czerkawski fan, but surely he deserves time on the struggling No. 1 line ahead of Domi, who blew another great chance in front and missed some shifts last night after going heavily into the boards but returned to inactive duty.
And this means not much, 'cause these two are nowhere near the worst team around. But can the duo of Joe Bowen and Harry Neale date themselves any worse than by name-checking Fred Biletnikoff? The constant Sinatra references I can handle, 'cause pretty much everyone knows the late, original gangsta popster and he's gained universal icon status. But this other dude retired 25 years ago.
Couple of other lunchtime links:
Jes Golbez has the keenly anticipated Armenian Update.
Hockey Pundits has some comment off a link to an ESPN article on the Kovalchuk-Crosby feud, and how it's good for the NHL.
(C.Y.)




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