Game 18: Come here and give me a hug

Two in a row! Two in a row! Two in a row!

I attempted to start this chant in my bedroom last night but then my wife told me to knock it off. And to remove my blue wig and shut up already about Montreal.

Hang on. I need to finish a letter I started writing after the win:

Dear Ron Wilson:

You deserve a lot of credit for putting Versteeg on the blue line during power plays. Three goals in two games? The guy is on fire back there. Sheer genius. And that Kadri kid is making some sweet passes. Now please make sure everyone is ready for Saturday. Please. A win in Montreal and that whole losing streak is forgiven.

P.S. What exactly do you have against smiling?

Wow. Talk about an emotional pendulum.

A week ago, I was thinking about moving to Belize to live under an assumed identity. This morning, it's like, "Yeah, that's right. I'm a Leafs fan. What's it to you?"

Was that the most entertaining Leafs game of all-time? No. It wasn't even the most entertaining Leafs game of this week. Did I nod off for a few minutes somewhere between Dion Phaneuf's laconic visit to the broadcast booth and Wendel Clark's cringe-inducing commercial for Gold Seal tuna? Maybe.

But you know what? Last night's win felt like something we haven't experienced yet during this topsy-turvy season. It felt routine.

The Goose stopped 29 of 30 shots? Yeah, that's what Goose does. The Leafs scored on the power play? Yeah, yeah, that's just how they roll. Grabovski, Kulemin and MacArthur teamed up for a goal? Yeah, those crazy guys are always doing that.

Routine stuff.

Now, granted, much of this ho-hum victory can be attributed to the shockingly inept performance of the visitors. Did the 2010 Devils get drunk one night, climb into a time machine and accidentally switch places with the 1982 Devils?

Sweet mother of God, Lou Lamoriello should get a hair transplant just so he has something to pull out in the weeks ahead.

Also, can someone explain Ilya Kovalchuk's contract to me?

They're paying him $100 million? What's the breakdown? Does he get like $143,098 to skate around in circles? Or $346,980 whenever he misses the net? Or maybe $265,958 each time he takes a dramatic swig of water on the bench while blinking rapidly?

Whatever.

A win is a win. The Leafs now have two in their past two games. Momentum. Confidence. The ship seems to be out of stormy waters. And if you look closely, on the upper deck, you will see the youngest team in the NHL standing near the railing and grinning this morning.

Get ready, Montreal. It's on.

PHOTO: FRANK GUNN/CANADIAN PRESS

 

Comments

[Nik Culoman]

So I guess after winning lastnight the fans in Toronto will do the follow: People will jump back on the bandwagon, fans will think the Kris Versteeg trade is a steal again, They will think Kessel once again is a great star on our team, Coach Ron Wilson is a genius for tickering with the lines to have found such a potent offense.

Everything is perfect, at least for today......Who knows next game, next shift, one bad pass, or one bad line change and everything will go back to normal......

But for today, I will enjoy all the positivity that encircles this team for their back to back wins.......Who needed an alarm this morning, all I could hear was the thunder of fans running to get back on the bandwagon before it arrives in Montreal....

[Robert]

I wonder at Lou's future. The million dollars a minute contract, no defence left,
Marty is hurt and he loses to Toronto. Certainly the boys in blue skated well last night, passed the puck stick to stick and got the goaltending they need to shore up the frequent pratfalls. But they won. That means something - Tuesday's contest, the Leafs and Refs vs the Thrashers was not something to judge the ability of this team. After Saturday, we shall see, although, the Thrashers shut out the Canadians. Perhaps there is something in the fall air? Well, it all shakes down after Christmas. But in the meantime, have fun.

VM Replies: I was also wondering about Lou's future. And wondering if Marty's wonky elbow is the beginning of the end for him. It's kind of sad to see that franchise in a state of advanced decay. Oh well. Yes, you're right: In the meantime, we embrace the fun.

[Nik Culoman]

Robert? Ref and Leafs vs. the Thrashers?? What game were you watching? Outside of the Boulion penalty, every other one was a legit penalty. Can you blame the Leafs or the Refs for the Thrashers delay of the game penalty? How about the Holding call, ect....

How many games this year have the Leafs seen back to back penalties? I don't see you saying that the Leafs lost the game because of the refs. Who knew the Leafs would have an offensive explosion on their power plays? They could have just as well stunk up the place and scored none.....The fact that they came back from a 4-1 deficit says a lot about this team, and even more about the Leafs team from the past that would have folded up and called it a night.

Even in victory people will find something to complain about.....Such is being a "fan" in Toronto I guess....

[leafland'r]

@ Nik C: Long standing Leafs are always faithful. Forget your idea of "jumping BACK on the bandwagon". They have never left. It's just sometimes during the long ride a band member may have to shuffle his/her stance or he/she might have a leg or arm fall asleep from being continuously in the same position.
During the rehearsals it's okay to be analytical in order seek out the best performance when it comes to showtime. So, Mr. C, I think we have never left the wagon, just fine tuning while there.

[Nik Culoman]

Oh for the people comparing Seguin to Kessel;

Kessel: 9 goals, 4 assists
Seguin; 4 goals, 3 assists

Hmmmm.........Really what a bad trade that was........Kessel is just starting to get hot again.....Having Kadri and Bozak feeding him the puck.....What a difference his play has seen!

Go Leafs Go!

[Greck]

Predators...not Thrashers...cmon, its not that early!

[Al]

as I fellow baldy to Lou, I might take exception at the hair transplant barb ... except that it was hilarious :) (And my hairline is just receding... poor Lou's looks like it committed scorched earth before leaving the planet for good)

Also LOL @ Kovalchuk';s contract description - gold! He did look great on their goal-scoring shift - he was buzzing and the leafs couldn't contain. So maybe that's $335,023 per good shift as well!

Anyone see Kadri's post-game interview? I want to like this kid - I really do - but holy unearned arrogance, batman. "yeah whatever, passing is for puss**s, I score goals" "yea Phil and Bozak are pretty good, but when you add ME, it's magic time!" And here I thought they had crushed the kid's confidence when they sent him to the minors...

VM Replies: Wow. I need to track down the post-game clips.

[Go Leafs Go]

Nik, you're comparing an 18 y/o rookie who plays 12-13 minutes a game to 5th year player who plays 20+ minutes a game. Wait until Seguin's 5th year and then get back to me. Not to mention Jared Knight, this season's 1st rd pick and this season's 3rd rd pick (which we had to surrender to Chicago along with a 2nd rd pick in order to get back our original 2nd rd pick)...

[Nik Culoman]

Seguin is still a guess as to what you will get....Go check Kessel's stats since returning from cancer treatment. His stats are only getting better, and if he hadn't been sick in his first couple of years his stats would have gone all the way back to his rookie year.

If this were a horse race, I would put my money down on Kessel who is a sure of a shot, any player can be....

[Go Leafs Go]

And another thing Nik: Kessel finished his rookie season with 11 goals, Seguin is on pace for 19 goals. Not bad at all for an 18 y/o rookie. Besides, aren't you the one that always harps on about young players developing and getting better and better? That's a pretty good base to build off of if you ask me.

[Go Leafs Go]

So Seguin is still a guess, but you're perfectly comfortable GUESSING what Kessel's rookie stats could have been??? Great argument! Keep up the good work!

And again, it's not just Kessel for Seguin, it's Seguin (2nd overall) Jared Knight (32nd overall), this year's 1st rd pick and this year's 3rd rd pick.

[Nik Culoman]

But Kessel isn't old...Will only get better....Seguin is nicely surrounded with talent...The Leafs are thin, and Kessel on most nights is the only threat any team needs to take care of. Kessel finished with 11 goals in a season cut short......because he was sick......By my recollection he only played 70 games.....

But the Leafs picked up Bozak, Goose, Brayden Irwin, Kessel, Aulie, Mueller, Hanson, Clarke McArthur, Jussi Rynas, Lashoff, D'Amigo, McKeeg ect....So they easily made up for what they lost.

The draft is only a part of the rebuilding process, trades...Signing, and College pick-ups are also part of the process. I don't know about you, but what Burke picked up since that trade doesn't look too shabby at all.

VM Replies: Sorry to jump in to your debate with Go Leafs Go. But just wanted to point out that we now have another vote for "Goose."

[Go Leafs Go]

And one final note Nik: Seguin's 4 goals are only one less than Versteeg, Kulemin and Grabovski despite the fact he is considerably younger, considerably less experienced and has considerably less ice time than all three...

[Uncle billy]

Was I right about the monster or what? He is the key to the leafs future, and if not him, then the two young goalies behind him. His time to play is now. He needs to shut out teams until the leafs score, then keep the boys in blue one goal ahead at all times. The Montreal game is perfect tomorrow. He needs to pitch shutout hockey in terms of always keeping the leafs one ahead. It's what all winning teams have - a goalie who keeps his team at least one ahead 95 per cent of the time - 4 per cent tied, and 1 per cent behind. There is no secret here people.

[hoofheartz]

Nik, you forgot the most important thing us "bandwagon jumpers" will do. We'll still consider your posts irrelevant.

[Moe Green]

So does Bill Watters still think this team can't win a few games in a row? Okay, so I know it was the Devils but they held it together. And face it, though they didn't dominate the Devils the score could have been a little more lopsided. Like Vinay said, Goose looked, well, like the Pro he is and Grabo, Kulemin and MacArthur are on fire. Kessel was, well, the Kessel of when the season started. So yeah I'm a Leafs fan "beaches."

So now the set up. It's Montreal. The lyrical, vocal Bell Centre. The "Goodbye Song" and all that. Perhaps the best place in the world to cobble together a modest three-game winning streak. But it's also true that a loss in OT in Montreal would not be soul crushing. Heck I could even handle a loss in regulation as long as they don't stretch it to two losses in a row.

Lose in Montreal but only if the Canadiens deserve the win but just know that if you do then the next game against Dallas is a must win. I'm tired of must-win games so let's put that baby to bed with a nice solid effort in Montreal tomorrow night. The Leafs are due for a big fat blowout too. Too much to ask? Maybe, but I haven't seen a Kessel hat-trick yet.

VM Replies: Oh no you didn't! Calling for a hat-trick is the ultimate jinx. Now I'm truly worried.

[Moe Green]

I know what you mean about the kid's arrogance AL, but maybe that's just what this team needed. When the season started they had confidence and it all seems to drain away after losses to the two New York squads. Kadri is cocky but he is backing it up with some sweet plays. I like modesty too. Maybe he will learn a little but for now I think a little of his "over-confidence" might be rubbing off on Versteeg, Kaberle, MacArthur, Grabovski. This looked like a different team last night even though they were facing the Devils. Something tells me they will be even better Saturday. Lord knows, they'll probably need to be! Prediction: Kadri and Grabovski each score two goals in a 5-3 win over the Habs!

[TG77]

Sorry but where are these quotes from Kadri coming from? Those seem like the types of comments that reporters would jump all over but nothing in a national post article I just read about his two assists last night. Anyway, I don't want to jinx it but Komisarek is slowly playing much better, safer hockey. He obviously knows he didn't earn his salary last year and the word is he offered to Burke to have the contract voided because of the injury. I also am really impressed with Aulie and I would like him to stay with the team when Phaneuf comes back because Lebda has looked pretty bad and Gunnarson doesn't look the same this year. Finally, what do you do with the forward lines when Armstrong is back? Just put him with Versteeg and Brent on the 3rd? Mitchell has actually played much better lately too so before I thought he was the obvious pressbox move with Caputi dropped to the farm. Seems like Luca is kinda being wasted by not playing with the Leafs while he could easily be getting lots of ice with the Marlies.

VM Replies: Re: Kadri. I think AL was doing an impression of Kadri, meaning those aren't direct quotes. Here's his post-game interview with Leafs TV: http://video.mapleleafs.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=83590

[Go Leafs Go]

Nik, it's obvious you are trying to convince yourself that the Kessel trade was a good one by mentioning Burke's other additions. As a stand alone trade, Kessel for two 1st rd picks, a 2nd rd pick & a 3rd rd pick doesn't look too hot considering where the Leafs finished last year and where they may finish this year.

I would argue that without the Kessel trade we would still have all the players you listed, PLUS Seguin, Knight, this year's 1st rd pick and 3rd rd pick. So Burke didn't make up for what he lost.

[Moe Green]

I wonder still if Ron Wilson is the problem. It seems to me that when the Leafs play a team like Montreal they have to exploit their advantages and minimize their weaknesses to have a chance. After all Montreal is first in the division and flying of late. Arguably, the better team.

But Wilson will undoubtedly have they playing the same "puck-pursuit" game (as he calls it) that he always has them play. Will that work? Can you exchange body blows with a better team? How can that work? Effort being equal, won't the better team win most of the time. For me, when you go into a place like the Bell Centre on a Saturday night you want to quiet the place down with a little trap-hockey. Frustrate the Habs and their fans and capitalize on your chances. After all, wont the Habs want to put on an entertaining show at home. You as the visitor don't care about entertaining Habs' fans, you want the win.

My guess is that while the Leafs might win they won't trap the Habs into submission. And that's too bad because that means they will have to outwork the Habs and why would the Habs allow that to happen? They can work just as hard. Sooner or later this Leafs team will have to play differently against different opponents. It will likely take a different coach to make that happen. So because of Wilson Saturday's game will likely come down to luck and a hot goalie. Price is hot so let's hope "Goose" is up to the task too.

[Moe Green]

I wan't calling for a hat-trick just commenting that I hadn't seen one yet. You think the hockey-gods will buy that one VM?

VM Replies: No.

[Nik Culoman]

I would twist that Kessel argument like this...Where would Boston have been had they had Kessel's 33 plus goals from last year?? How much deeper would they have been in the playoffs with Kessel in the lineup.

Is it simply a coincidence that Boston has seen a huge drop in goals ever since Kessel came over to the Leafs??????

I will always go with the for sure bet....You know Kessel can pot you 30 plus goals each year, with Savard or without Savard......Over the course of the 5 year contract I will bet that Kessel scores close 150 goals if not more....How many players in the NHL can say that??? How many players involved in that trade can say that???

Just last year alone, only 2% percent of the players can say that.....I say Toronto is better for having Kessel, Goal production over the past two years are indicative of my point.

You can argue

[TG77]

Okay so yes suggesting that the Kessel-Bozak-Kadri line is nearly unstoppable in the interview might be a bit over the top but he heaped a ton of praise on Kessel and Bozak prior to that.

The debate over the Kessel trade can't really be resolved for a number of years and even in 5 years Seguin will be 24 and Kessel will be 29 so even then it will be virtually impossible to evaluate. I think one missing element from the debate is that Kessel was coming off surgery and missed around 12 games to start the season so to me it seems weird to trade for a guy who is injured and couldn't play at full capacity for the 1st year and pay him $5.4 mill that season.(think of how winded he got in games last year due to no training camp). Also, the Leafs play horribly against the Bruins (I think the B's are a better team with the best goaltending tandem in the league so it makes sense) so anyone think they grip the sticks a bit too tight knowing they are 4 pt games and ultimately decide where the B's draft? They need to use those games as some serious motivation to avoid feeding a division rival another top pick and to shut those brutal homer announcers up too. I think the bottom line to the trade is Burke was anxious to make a splash with the fanbase and obviously over-estimated the team he had. Oh well, we could have Sutter as our GM. In 6 months Ian White went from being traded for Phaneuf to being traded for Anton Babchuk.

[Nik Culoman]

But Kessel still scored 30 plus goals last year......Winded or not...Playing from game one or not...You only just proved the point I was making about the talent Kessel is.....Even at half pace he is better than most.....Thanks for proving my point.....30 plus goals for a guy who played what 12 or 13 less games says a lot about his talent doesn't it?

This year he is on pace for over 40....He is finally healthy....He put up 60 plus points after returning from Cancer treatment.....How many players can say that when they are 100% healthy?? What more do you want from the guy??

No Leaf before him has his skill...None of you who bash him can do better or even come close and yet....That isn't good enough??

[Dyllan Guenther]

i agree with putting versteeg on the blueline on power plays because he is a fast and strong player

[Al]

yes, my "quotes" were impressions... he wasn't that bad! Just left me with a bit of a funny feeling... Anyway I should have clarified that they weren't actual quotes.

Moe: I hear you, and you're probably right. I think the same conversation is happening about Subban in Montreal. Confidence vs. Cockiness vc. Conceit vs. Arrogance. Maybe it's a generational thing, idk.

[TG77]

I am not bashing Kessel I am saying it's weird to trade for a guy who you know can't play the first 15% of a season when the talent level was quite low last year. What I am saying is that we all remember the hole the Leafs dug themselves when he wasn't in the line-up last year so I would make the trade if he was healthy at the start of last year. That is my point. If the Leafs had more talent at the start of the year and Kessel was the difference maker between making the playoffs and having home ice then sure, make the trade if the B's are going to get the 18th pick overall (or something to that effect). He was the only legit top 6 forward on the team and instead the Leafs had Stalberg, Stajan and Blake as the top line on opening night because Kessel wasn't ready to go. I think he is a really good goal scorer and has been a difference maker in a number of games in just over a season with the leafs so I don't dislike him, it's just a bitter pill to swallow for a team in the same division to get the 2nd pick overall. I even agree that the naysayers who said he wouldn't score without Savard were proved wrong. He played with Stajan, Bozak, Mitchell and Grabovski last year and got over 30 so I actually agree with much of what you are saying.

[Go Leafs Go]

Nik, Nik, Nik… all I can do is shake my head at your silly arguments.

What do I care how Boston did last year? I’m a Leafs fan. All I care about is how the Kessel trade affects the Leafs.

You say Toronto is better off with Kessel, but where has his goal scoring gotten us thus far? With Kessel the Leafs finished 29th last year and it’s arguable that without him we would have finished 30th and been rewarded with Taylor Hall. Even this year we’re on pace to miss the playoffs again.

I’m not arguing that Kessel isn’t a top notch scorer, obviously he is. But that’s all he is and for the price we paid to get him I expect more than a one-dimensional sniper. He’s not a leader, he’s not physical, he’s soft on the puck, he’s a good but not a great playmaker, he’s extremely streaky and he’s not the type of player to put a team on his back. I understand that there aren’t many players that fall under all those categories, but it would be nice if he was more than just a streaky sniper.

My problem is that Kessel is just a piece, he’s not a centrepiece and for that price I expected a centrepiece (which is what Seguin’s ceiling is, only time will tell whether or not he reaches it).Everyone keeps saying Kessel needs players to play with, meanwhile Sundin made career 3rd liners into 25 goal scorers…

As for the argument about Seguin not scoring more goals than Kessel over the course of his career, I’m pretty confident that Seguin won’t score more goals than Kessel, but neither will Toews, Getzlaf, Richards, etc. and you’ll have a hard time finding anyone who thinks Kessel is a better player than them.

[Nik Culoman]

Kessel has made Bozak look great, and even made Stajan look good.....What are you talking about the Leafs are on pace to miss the playoffs again...My last check has them 2 points out of 8th.........There is still a lot of hockey left to be played......

We finished 29th because the team sucked last year...Do you even remember who this team started with?? Do you remember who was out goalie until Jan.????? Wow, you are going to blame kessel for that???

Kessel may be one dimensional however, you need a piece to build on.....Rememeber there have been teams with center pieces...Washington, Ottawa to name a few who have center pieces but still can't win a cup! You need a team, not one player...But 22 players all playing together and hitting their stride together. One player teams don't last long......

You said you don't care about Boston.....and their situation...But that is also telling on the worth of Kessel...They leave and they can't score...He comes into Toronto and we finally have a threat who can pocket 40 goals a year....How is that not telling on is worth??

Not every player you get can be physical, not every player you get has to be a leader, and do everything...The last time that happened a team burned out their player and he became a showdow of himself...Eric Lindros was a perfect example of a player that was asked to be the fighter, the scorer, the captain, the leader, pretty much everything on his team and he just burned out....

Every goal scorer is streaky...You just notice it more because he plays in Toronto, and we don't see how other players are doing....I am sure fans and the media in other cities call out players all the team but we don't hear about it....

You bring up Sundin?? What championships did Sundin bring to Toronto?? The closest year he came, he was injured until game 7 against Carolina in the conference final and that game he came back and the team lost the series.. Toronto has seen some of the worst years during Sundin's time here......How many remember the yo-yo seasons they had in the final 3 years.....Muskoka 5 and all that....Don't bring up Sundin, because he was a waste....I enjoyed guys like Gilmour, Roberts if you are going to bring up names

[Goose Enthusiast]

The most important part of this story is that Gustavsson is finally being called by his proper name. The Goose. End of story.

[Nik Culoman]

Sorry if my last post was a terrible read...It is an off day for me......I will come back tomorrow bigger and better..........But Kessel is a gem!

VM Replies: Your last post wasn't a terrible read. It was an awesome read. Do you know why? Because you wrote "the team sucked last year." Ha! Now you can't get mad if/when I write the same thing this year.

[Nik Culoman]

But last year's team isn't the same as this year's team.....We started with a healthy Kessel, Giggy in net, Phanuef on D, and one hell of Stud on D in Schenn...This team has a new dynamic that last year's team didn't...

They are almost at .500 hockey...Which keeps them in the playoff race...Unlike last year........

Way different team..But as much as they sucked..I never abandoned them...I always deffended them.....and never jumped ship..As bad as they were I never said they sucked, and would give the same fight last year as I do this year.

[Pedrodamus]

Vinay your postings are a breath of fresh air. In just a few short weeks you've easily become my favourite read and best source for my daily Leaf fix. Having endured years of Howard 'overcompensate my Leaf-amour by negativity' and Damian 'kick sand in the faces of Leaf fans after every painful loss', your hilarious blogs hit the nail on the button every time. Prediction for tonight, the kids will win 4-3 in a SO thriller, a nice coup-du-grace for all those player hating bandwagonesque front running Hab fans. Keep up the great work! PS: I know a hairstylist that does a great shade of blue.

VM Replies: Thank you, Pedrodamus. And I may take you up on that hairstylist referral if your prediction proves accurate.

[Go Leafs Go]

Bozak has 5 points in 18 games, Kessel is making him look great! And he didn't make Stajan look good either, Stajan always looks the same: average, with or without Kessel. You're pulling at straws here.

Again with Boston. Here's the problem; the trade would have been a good one if Toronto was as good as Boston. That way Boston would get a mid-range 1st rd and 2nd rd pick instead of the 2nd overall pick, not to mention this season's 1st rd pick... And despite what you think, I'm sure Boston is VERY happy with the way this trade has turned out and I would be willing to bet that they wouldn't change a thing if they could go back.

I just said that Kessel can't be everything, but it would be nice if he was more than just one thing. There are MANY players in the NHL that fall under more than one of those categories. Also, there's streaky, and then there's Kessel. Please find one example of a top scorer who already has a 7 game pointless streak less than 20 games into the season... I'll be waiting.

Sundin was a waste because management surrounded him with career 3rd and 4th liners for the majority of his Leafs career. Do you remember Modin, Renberg, Hoglund, Johnson, etc? And despite that he would still turn these losers into 20+ goal scorers. And I like how you mention Gilmour and Roberts after you bash Sundin for not bringing Toronto any championships. How many championships did they bring to Toronto again??? P.S. Im not bashing Gilmour, he's my favourite player of all time, I'm just pointing out how silly your argument is (what else is new). And didn't you just say it takes a team to win??? You should just stop because you're talking out of both sides of your mouth.

By the way, Sundin > Kessel any way you cut it. Kessel is a better scorer, but Sundin is a better hockey player. One last note, I seem to remember you always praising Sundin. Funny how your opinion can quickly change to suit your argument.

VM Replies: I think you and Nik should meet for beers to debate all of this while the rest of us watch from nearby tables.