Game 30: The Sweet Face of Revenge

 

With a few minutes left in tonight's flawless 4-1 victory over Edmonton, I removed my glasses for a quick lens clean. But before returning them to my face, I held them up and said: "Thank you for correcting my vision and letting me see this game. I needed this."

Did we just witness the Leafs best road game this season? It sure felt that way. Did we just enjoy 60 minutes of sweet revenge after that humiliating 5-0 loss earlier this month? No doubt.

The Leafs started the game with more bounce than a trampoline artist on Red Bull. They skated at speeds not permitted on the Autobahn. They controlled the play the way Kate Gosselin once controlled Jon.

As soon as the puck dropped, as soon as the glorious chants of "Go Leafs Go" ricocheted inside Rexall Place, the Leafs had a look in their eyes that said: "We didn't come to Oil Country to screw around. Not tonight."

And screw around they did not:

* Captain Dion Phaneuf, playing in his hometown, blasted a howitzer from the point for his first goal of the season.

* Mikhail Grabovski re-directed a gorgeous slap-pass from noted pugilist Clarke MacArthur for the winning goal.

* Kris Versteeg got credit for a goal Jason Strudwick helpfully scored on his own net.

* Phil Kessel dropped to one-knee and one-timed an airborne feed from Versteeg. Kessel also played his best two-way game as a Leaf. While shorthanded in the second, he backchecked in a way I've never seen him do. He was up-and-down the ice on a mission. He was aces.

* In a battle of geriatric goalies, J.S. Giguere outfoxed Nikolai Khabibulin and stopped 23 of 24 shots, including two breakaway saves on Taylor Hall in the first period alone.

* The Leafs were 2-5 on the power play.

* The penalty killers defused all four Oiler chances.

* Even the new cheerleaders looked vaguely depressed.

Sweet revenge.

But as sweet as all of this was, and it was really sweet, there was a moment in this game that was even sweeter. It was one of those moments that bonds a team.

It's now past 1:30 a.m. in Toronto. I don't know the whereabouts of one Zack Stortini. But if I had to guess, I'd say sprawled and groaning on a La-Z-Boy recliner with a pack of frozen peas draped across his swollen face.

My God, Colton Orr pounded that face as if it was an evil alien life form and the fate of humanity rested with its destruction. And he did this because minutes earlier, Stortini nearly turned Grabovski into a circus midget with a dangerous low-bridge hit on the knees.

Now, look. I know people don't like fighting. On rare occasions, when my wife catches a few minutes of a game with me, her reaction to any fisticuffs is always the same: "How can you watch this? They're hitting each other! This is barbaric!"

Ignore her. For tonight, just ignore her.

Instead, let's simply give Mr. Orr a lot of credit for doing the right thing at the right time. He didn't fight Stortini in the first, when the Oiler tough guy wanted to go. And he didn't tangle with Steve MacIntyre in the third, when he also seemed interested in a pointless dance.

But when it mattered, when something needed to be done, he did it and he did it well. In fact, that fight was highly symbolic of the entire Leafs team this evening: Smart, ferocious, determined and blessed with perfect timing.

So these magnificent Leaf bastards now decamp to Calgary for The Return of Dion. If tonight is any indication, it promises to be a game to remember. 
 

MAIN PHOTO: DAN RIEDLHUBER/REUTERS

Comments

[TG77]

I missed this one outside of a few minutes in the first so maybe I need to follow Oakville_Girl's lead since I am actually by birth, an Oakville_Guy. I requested some text updates while I proctored my student's exam and I got to mock some of my more vocal anti-Leafs students (in a nice way). Got to see the highlights just now and lots of positives to take away from tonight and I am a huge Eberle fan since his Team Canada heroics so glad it was him who scored.

There were a lot of "fans" suggesting an 0-for December by the Leafs so it's nice to see them with a winning record for the month. I will submit the Leafs win in Pittsburgh as the best road victory this season but I truly didn't get to see tonight's game but given Phil the Thrill backchecked twice, I can see why it might be the most complete game. Finally, I don't want to harp too much on Lebda because maybe he is coming into his own lately but Aulie should be playing ahead of him based on results this year. Aulie and Schenn as our shut-down pair once Kabs is out of town would be my vote. I guess once Komisarek is back healthy Aulie will get sent back down because why bother having him sit. He is a great kid and I was thrilled when the Leafs got him last year. Nice start the trip and I hope they can keep it up in Calgary. 10th place in the East now. Baby steps! I honestly don't think Tampa holds onto 8th with their goaltending situation so there is some hope for the 9-13 place teams.

VM Replies: Baby steps is right. It was 9 points before last night's game. Now it's 8 points.

[Ken Baumgartner]

I didn't see the game but if your commentary is any indication it sounds like these guys are finally getting it. Step 2: on to Calgary.
The Return of the Dion, is the a sci fi flick or a horror movie?

VM Replies: I'm hoping it's a feel-good comedy.

[Ken Baumgartner]

Nik, here is a quote from Brian Burke."Our plan is to make the playoffs. It was our goal to begin the season and it still is."
Anything anybody else says is simply conjecture. The playoffs are the plan, the expectation, fans should expect nothing less. Anything less and they fall short, young team or not,period. I want to see progress and I do see potential with the youg guns, however, the playoff are the bare minimum according to Brian Burke, so it is according to this magnificant leafs fan bastard also.

[leafland'r]

Luckily, I saw the game. I had some thoughts. Yours were right on. By the way, my wife says the fighting is barbaric as well. Yet, strange, she never comes to the TV at the sound of a horn to see a goal replayed. She only arrives on site when she hears of a fight. Go figure, huh.

[gettingcozywithsarkozy]

I believe the key to last night's effort (and the success early on in the season) was indeed the relentless forechecking and minimizing the breathing room for their opponents. Outside of a few minutes in the first, the leafs dictated the play and forechecked mercilessly. Oh and Kadri, Kadri, oh so close yet so far away. It seems as though he should already be sharing the lead for goals on the team with all the opportunities he created. The key phrase he is HE CREATED. While he still lacks the strong finish, all (okay maybe not all, but most) of his scoring chances are a result of HIS brilliant plays and give-and-go's. Right now it looks like he needs a little more strength to maintain control of the puck on the finish. I say send him to the Gary Roberts school of hard-knocks over the summer. Geesh, I really did enjoy Roberts when he was a Leaf!

...An aside, the edmonton cheer girls really need an outfit re-tunning. What they were wearing last night looked like something cheerleaders wore in those 70's teen movies.

[Ken Baumgartner]

Hey leafland'r, your wife may think it is barbaric but has she ever denied that she is a closet barbarian? Just a question.

[Maple 77]

Taylor Hall's performance last night, his speed his determination his skills were out there for all to see. No doubt he will be a franchise player similar to Crosby and another great player for Team Canada. As for he Leafs, we continue to turn over the puck, two breakaways in the first? Gigi very good happy for Phaneuf. Next stop Calgary.

[Leaf Hate Nation]

Sweet taste of revenge? Give your head a shake......do you know where the Leafs are in the standings? Well when I guess there is nothing to cheer for, you have to hang on to the little things. Leafs fans are the worst, they are probably thinking that they will still make the playoffs. The media is not helping them either.

VM Replies: I'm just taking it day by day, Sir Hate-a-Lot.

[We BeLeaf]

Finally a game that I got to watch from start to finish! I like the west coast games for the later start because the kids are in bed, but do you know how difficult it is to suppress cheering and swearing? It's safe to say after last night's game the Leafs have renamed the arena to the "Wrecks-All" Centre. Great performance all around, with the only defensive mistake committed by Schenn on that untimely backhand to try and keep the puck in the zone. Vinay, your blog nailed all positive aspects of the game perfectly. Love to hear fans in opposing arenas cheer, "Go Leafs Go!" drowning out the cheers of the home team further proving my point the vastness of Leaf Nation. On to Calgary and hopefully another 2 points for the Leafs!
Cheers to all in Leaf Nation!

VM Replies: I kind of liked the late start as well. Mind you, I had to be up at 5 for something this morning. So now I'm going on three hours sleep. A small price to pay for last night's game.

[red5]

Did anyone else notice the ref's seemed to be getting in the way more often than normal last night? Just something I noticed.

I also wonder about the state of the ice at the ACC and other rinks. The Leafs get on the best ice in the league, and are on fire with their passing and playmaking (see the replay of the Kessel goal). I can't imagine it's a coincidence, as that is where good ice can make a difference.

Also, anyone have an updated stat on the "Armstrong Factor"? Something like 10-3-1 isn't it?

@Bomber - The playoffs have to be the goal. There is no point playing the game if they are not. However, if we see exciting games that the team competes in for the remainder of the season, and the team falls just short of the playoffs (like 9th or 10th place), than we should not look at it as a complete failure of a season, but a part of the process.

VM Replies: Both teams were flying in the first so maybe the refs simply couldn't keep up. Never thought about the ACC ice as a possible impediment. That's interesting. Also, thanks for mentioning the word "replay." I forgot to add YouTube links for Leaf goals but now that's fixed.

[Nik Culoman]

I never said the plan wasn't to make the playoffs...Every team wants to make the playoffs even if they have a chance or not.....Realistically if the Leafs finish 9th this year, would people consider this season a loosing season???

No GM no matter what point of the season would throw in the towel and say we aren't going to make the playoffs and that isn't the goal....But I would be happy with a 9th place finish this year, more continued growth next year and with some tinkering in the summer a strong competitive team for years not year to come...

Building a competitive team year in and year out takes time...That means you have to build a large prospect pool (college signings/draft/free agency), and you must have talent and proper leadership as well.

I never said the goal wasn't to make the playoffs....My point has always been patience, and time....The playoffs aren't as far away some in the media/ some "fans" may say or think....But the true testament to success is when you can carry it on from year to year.....Not some flash in the pan one time success,.

[gettingcozywithsarkozy]

The hater must be a fan of one of those other Canadian teams, you know the ones that accept government subsidies in order to survive. "Wrecks-all" haa, I love it, cuz by pronounciation alone, you can't tell the difference!

[Simon]

let's go oilers GO LEAFS GO!!
I'm surprised nobody mentioned how much louder the Leafs fans seemed to be in Oil country. Is it the ACC then? Or is it TO fans? Either way, it was nice to hear a stamp of authority on their cheering.

VM Replies: That back-and-forth chant medley was amusing. I think there's just something about cheering for a team while inside another team's building that makes a person louder and more energetic. (Maybe it's fear.)

[Nik Culoman]

Hey, did anyone see the reaction of Billy Watters after the game when he needed to aknowledge another strong game by Grabo?? HAHAHAHAHAHA Watters is a useless tool, nothing the team does is ever good for the guy...But can someone tell what success did he reign and terror bring to the team??

Watters is a joke and I think with each radio show and each time I watch this clown on tv, his comments get childish and stupid..Wasn't Watters part of the brain trust of this team while they were trading away prospects?? Wasn't he part of the brain trust that ruined the Marlies?? One more thing...If he was so smart why hasn't he been picked up by another team???

Here has been the time line of Watters rants on tv. Grabo-Phaneuf-Grabo-Grabo-Kessel/Burke-Phaneuf-GRABO-GRABO...You get my point.....I think Grabo has been the most consistant player outside of Schenn.....Grabo's line is producing when other lines may have lagged...Do I think Grabo's a number 1 center..But he isn't terrible or befitting of such attacks...

VM Replies: I must confess, Wilbur is definitely getting on my nerves these days.

[We BeLeaf]

@ Nik Culoman,

If the Leafs finish outside of the playoffs by a 9th place finish, I would not be disappointed. If the Leafs finish outside of the playoffs by a 9th place finish due to a tie in points with another team, I would be somewhat disappointed. If the Leafs finish outside of the playoffs by a 9th place finish after dropping a few games at the end, then I would be upset as would anyone else naturally. I was once heard a phrase that I thought was appropriate to any sports team and thought I would paraphrase it to fit the hockey mold..."If the goal at the beginning of the season is not to win the Stanley Cup, then you accept failure and should not be playing at all" So if by that statement we look upon it as things are only black and white, then not making the playoffs would be regarded as failure. I agree with you on a team being successful is when you consistently maintain it year after year (case in point the Red wings), and I think Burke has established the foundation for success in the Marlies. My hope is with the success that the Marlies are currently enjoying, will the time line for the Leafs be advanced. Will we be consistent contenders for many years to come? Will management fall back into the trap of buying players and trading picks once the success has been established? We're coming up on the salary cap year so the Leafs are in position to acquire the players they need, so let's see how things unfold.
Cheers!

[Slap happy]

The thing that gets me about hockey fans, is how they love to hate the leafs and proclaim them terrible. Are they? Well, overall there is A LOT of work to be done, and I mean A LOT! But that's not my point. My point is this. Whether or not other teams have "young superstars" or not, there are PLENTLY of God awful teams in the NHL. You saw one of them last night, and i'm not talking about the Leafs. I'll give you a list, Edmonton, Ottawa, Carolina, New York, New York, New Jersey, god i could go on for ever. It's a plain and simple fact that most teams can be really terrible on most nights. Aside from a small handful in the east and two handfuls in the west, most other teams are BRUTAL! Give the Leafs a star Center, a star goalie (fingers crossed for Rynnas and Riemer (sp?) and another scoring winger and they'll be fine.

[Nik Culoman]

I feel the errors made in the past shouldn't and can't hang over the team....How many of the front office staff are the same?? How many players or coaches are the same??

We finally have a GM who get's it....Who went out a picked up a 23 year old sniper (Seguin, anyone been following him lately?? (Benched the last couple of games), He picked up Phaneuf, Aulie, Freddy S. by trading away what has amounted to a bag of pucks...The Marlies and Jr's look like we have some prospects we can look forward too, and the signings like the Monster, Rynnas, Bozak, Hanson, ect...Are a work in progress but most if not all have shown some level of blue chip status.

If you look at the trades Burke has made, sure he has traded some picks, and young prospects...But look at what came the way....Versteeg, Kessel, Aulie, ect... This def. a change in operating practices from past regimes.....

That's why I made the point of Brad Boyes & Tukka Rask to prove that this is a new and refreshing change in culture and hockey thinking that this organization needed and we should be happy with the progress that has been made.

[Nik Culoman]

One more childish rant by Willbur, I am will be firing him off a email to discuss his hockey smarts...How many people remember him ripping into the leafs when they played the caps?? Only to have them win the game?? Did you see his face, he was mumbling his speech and really had nothing to say...It was like he had seen a ghost!

Willbur holds no weight ( unless we weigh the crap that comes out of his mouth) in the hockey world...If he did, wouldn't some other team have signed him to help within their organization by now???

Willbur is part of that group in the media that can't find anything positive....Even if it hits right in the face or embarrasses him on t.v. for the world to watch hahahaha

[moe green]

I gotta agree Nik, I simply don't understand Wilbur's apparent hatred of Grabovski. Look, the guy has his weaknesses but his lack of production has never been for lack of trying. I don't think I've ever seen Grabovski take a single shift off since he's been in Toronto. This guy is on pace for a 60 point season without scoring a goal in the first 12 games. And Grabovski never runs from a physical challenge like Kessel. I also love the coolness of the low-key, "just another day at the office" goal celebrations between he and Nik Kulemin. Vinay pointed it out and I think it's outstanding. Remember Jason Blake's over-the-top celebrations on meaningless goals?

[moe green]

Revenge is a dish best served cold. And in the case of last night's game, with a hot side order of Colton Orr's furious flying fists. Look guys, I'm as bloodthirsty as the next guy and love watching a good fight. But you can have Orr's bout with Stortini, I'll take MacArthur's genuine fury any day of the week. That's about the only real fight I've seen this season. Or the best one anyway.

Would you have rather had Orr fight Stortini there? See I believe in guys fighting their own battles. I don't believe in involving big-brothers or daddies or enforcers. Calling fighters "enforcers" is like calling soldiers "peace-keepers." Grabovski didn't want or need Orr to step in. I get the feeling he'd have taken Stortini on himself, if not with his fists, then on the score sheet wher it actually counts.

Again, I love a real fight. I hate a staged fight. Colton Orr fights his set partners - that's it. Meaningless! Remember when Crosby was taking liberties with some smaller Leafs and Orr stepped in an pointlessly fought the Pens' tough guy. If he would have fought Crosby, maybe it would have meant something. But that would never happen - it's not in the script. Last night the fight between Stortini and Orr was the first this year when he actually fought someone who deserved it. My guess is that it wont happen again for the rest of the season.

The main reason fighting exists is because of poor officiating. Not poor officials, you understand, poor officiating. If all penalties were called there would be no need for so-called "enforcers." That means no missed calls but as importantly, no erroneous calls either. Like Versteeg's "elbow" last night. And the NHL needs to step in and adequately punish players who injure others with dirty hits. If you end a player's career with a dirty hit - yours should be over too. IMO Bertuzzi should never have played another game of hockey in the NHL. Simply put: you return when the injured player is cleared to play - not before.

Whenever I say this people erupt with: "oh you're gonna slow down the game with all the replays" and "you wanna take all physical contact out of the game." Bull-pellets! Add one off-ice official who can (after appropriate video review as necessary) overrule or call penalties. He (or she) could do this through audio link with the ref. He could call delayed penalties from above and overrule bad calls. Simple and fast. Or give each team one challenge. Win or lose the cost is their timeout. I don't think it would impact the flow of the game one bit. If you're worried about the flow of the game - eliminate the TV timeout!

And as for eliminating the physical aspects of the game - nonsense. I think it would increase physicality. No more worrying about idiotic retaliation after a clean hit. No more missing the original infraction only to catch the retaliation. No more penalties for touching a players mid-section with your stick. No more penalties for someone stepping on your stick. Yes to crushing body checks. If you eliminate "touching" as a penalty, so-called "diving" will end too. The fact that "diving" is an actual penalty tells you just how bad the officiating is in the league right now.

In short: Fix officiating and you can eliminate fighting tomorrow. And for those of you who still like a good fight, go see one. Me I'll take good old fashioned "real hockey" the way we played it as kids, the way it's played in the Olympics. Playoff hockey. When I was a kid, fighting was for poor sports, the untalented, people who couldn't play the game, thugs. Fighting has no place in the modern game. It will be gone very soon. Scantily-clad cheerleaders, now that's a different story. They belong in the game.

VM Replies: Oh, man. My heart aches when you denounce fighting so eloquently. Grabovski did make Stortini pay by scoring on the PP less than two minutes after that hit. As for real-time responding, Beauchemin was ready to go immediately after the hit but the play was dead and the linesmen stepped in to escort Stortini to the box. I still maintain that was a "must" fight for Orr.
One other small disagreement with you: I think (but have no way of knowing) Grabovski *did* appreciate the fight. Judging the bench, I think the entire team appreciated the fight.
But it's entirely possible I am trapped in a world that no longer exists.

[Ken Baumgartner]

Are you folks telling me that not making the playoffs is acceptable? 9th place isn't a total failure?
Mr Menon, I am afraid to report that blue and white disease runs deeper than Brian Burke realized. He has eliminated it from his side of the fence by all accounts, but if it is acceptable to the fans that they almost get there, then the allure may be too much for the players to ignore and they might get the sniffles.
Its like a virus, you may be feeling well today, but the virus festers in the backround waiting for another cold day to present itself, then you feel like crap all over again.
I believe we need to rid ourselves of this blue and white disease from our side of the fence. Just like they came up with Cold FX to boost the immune system we must have something. We need a blue and white disease extractor.
Hi humbly submit this report for your consideration.

VM Replies: You make a good point. Do *we* have blue and white disease? I shall investigate.

[Ken Baumgartner]

Addendum Mr. Menon. 9th is indeed not a complete failure. It is however, a failure none the less. Even if there is progress, it is still a failure. Therein lies the complications of where blue white diease sits and waits for a cold day.

[A True Leafs Fan]

did you see that guys face after Colton Orr droppped haymaker after haymaker? I almost felt bad....Almost "My God, Colton Orr pounded that face as if it was an evil alien life form and the fate of humanity rested with its destruction" LOL Vinay thats hilarious. That was some good entertainment. He may screw up alot but oh man Colton Orr is a certified gem. I hope we throw a 15 years deal at him like New jersey. Oh and I died laughing when Taylor Hall almost crapped his pants when Phanuef grabbed him....Is it just me or does Phanuef never need to wear glasses? His eybrows cast permanent shade over his eyes.

[Ken Baumgartner]

I saw it on the highlight. He was punching at will. You know, if fighting were ever eliminated from hockey I would be ok with it, but a good battle is always is fun to watch. Hey, maybe I'm the barbarian Leafland'r.

[Simmer]

@Moe

I completely disagree with your views on fighting. While I can't stand the staged fights as well, fighting in the game has nothing to do with penalties.

Fighting used to be used as an intimidation factor in games to deter people from taking liberties on stars. Even today any player can catch Sidney Crosby with his head down and end his career with a clean check. The reason this doesn't happen is because of the intimidation factor.

Personally, I could do without the staged fights, I miss the emotion in fights like with Tucker when his eyes made it look like his opponent has just spouted off a few obscenities about his mother.

[Nik Culoman]

Ken??????? Are you kidding me.....So you are saying that people who are willing to give this group of 25 new players time and patience as they gel have Blue and White desease?????

I would like to know how you would have fixed the farm system, the Leafs roster in 2 years........Progress is made in steps, Chicago, Pittsburgh and even Tampa Bay before they won the cup had rough seasons.

No GM no matter who he is was going to reverse years of mismanagement. My point was, if the Leafs finish above last year in the 9-13th place seeding they would have made huge steps going forward in their developement.

It's unreasonable "fans" like yourself that has no patience for a rebuild, no patience to see what this team can do, what trades do you think are available to Burke without having to give up Schenn or Kadri??????

You Sir, are one of those people who Damian Cox wrote about last week...THIS TEAM CAN'T WIN FOR WINNING... Making noticeable leaps in the standings is one key indicator that we are on the road to where we would want this team to go.

You have a desease my friend...it's called dementia.......And maybe Alzheimer's because you forget the fine mess JFJ/Quinn left behind that Burke in two years has slowly and methodically corrected and strenghened.

If you need an example....Look at the 4 goalies we have in our system......The Monster, Reimer, Rynnas, Scrivens....All have shown flashes of being great prospects.......Only one of them was around before BB came in. On defense....Look who he has added Lashoff and Aulie and both look like a lock to have a spot on the roster next season. Phaneuf hasn't hit his prime, will only get better.

Our fowards need some work but we can now say we have Kadri, Kessel, Caputi, McKeeg, Nicholls, Ryan, ect...All brought in by BB.

So progress will take time, and most of us who understand how to build a team, and understand where this team was two years ago....Will be happy with a 9th place finish.

[Nik Culoman]

@ Ken, you sound like one of those kids who get's told to hop in their parents car and is told they are going to Disney World...Every 5 km's is asking....Are we there yet, Are we there yet?!!

Than you start to wish your parents had never decided to go Disney because you have sucked out all the excitement and joy of going to begin with....

Repairing years of mismanagement will take a little more time....It took 43 years to create the mess BB inherited....give him some time and support while he corrects it.

[KD]

Moe, I like your idea of allowing teams one challenge, but if they're wrong, the penalty should be a bench minor for delaying the game, not just the loss of a time-out. It's no different, really, than what happens when they call for a stick measurement.

VM Replies: Wow. Forgot all about the illegal stick call.

[Ken Baumgartner]

I love your spunk Nik, but yes, if 9th place is an acceptable failure for you, you have blue and white disease.
All of what you say about the potential that the leafs possess is true. Your point about building a consistant winner is bang on! Hey I was happy about the win the last night, 3 & 2 last week was very good. I have been paitiently watching the the leafs miss the playoffs since the middle of last decade. I have considered what Damien Cox wrote about and have asked myself if I am that person. I say no I am not.
Brian Burke has made sweeping changes to the club that take time to develop into a lasting legacy and I believe it will take hold. All I am doing however is holding the Leafs to the very same standard that the man in charge is holding them to? If I am delusional then so is Brian Burke. Making the playoffs in 8th place means that the team is only mediocre. Brian Burke thinks that an acceptable season for this squad is to be mediocre, anything less, is less than mediocre and that to me, to Brian Burke, to Dion Phaneuf, and to it seems the rest of the Leafs, is a failure.
Potential and progress is fine, I am all for it and I believe this team is moving in the right direction, but don't tell me that you know how to build a team better than Brian Burke. You don't. If he expects the team to make the playoffs than so do I.
If you don't subscribe to that then my advice is to get to the nearest Magificant Leaf Bastard Fan Medical facility and get checked for blue and white disease, which I believe was first diagonsed by Ron Wilson. I like you Nik. You are a good leafs fan, but please get help before it is too late and 9th place becomes acceptable to the players. I think you have it and you don't even know it For our sake, for the team's sake GET HELP MAN!

[Nik Culoman]

Ken, you are exactly what Damian Cox was writting about....Do you remember where this team found themselves lastyear????? If they finish in a playoff spot or just out of a spot that is huge success......Improvement doesn't happen over night.

Just because Burke sets out a goal of making the playoffs doesn't mean that any progress wouuld be lost if they don't. I never said I could build a better team than BB, when have I ever said that??????? I have been the biggest Burke supporter no matter what others say.......

It's you who only sees the tree and not the forrest....If this team places 9th in the conference do you know how many positions in the standing they would have leaped?? Do you know how many more points over last year that would be??

This team was torn down to bare bones...and in a short while is starting to show a turn around........That is something to be excited about, and that success breeds more success.....

I am still lost and confused as to why people complain and crap on this team ( current roster) for the failures of past teams...When none of those same players with the exception of Kaberle are still on the roster.......That makes no sense at all....

That is like saying A guy get's hired to GM as their CEO, than a week into the job he is being fired because the company found themselves in the red because of the previous CEO...Does that make sense to you???

No wonder past regimes felt like they needed to rush fixing this team...With fans like you where patience and loyalty depend on a minute by minute change in a game or day.....

[moe green]

I really do appreciate several aspects of the pro-fighting argument. Whenever a fight erupts, if I'm honest, I find myself psychically "willing" the good guys fist into the bad guy's face. When the fight is on and the adrenaline is flowing, I want a KO - potential brain injuries be damned! I'm saying that I get into it big time. But I maintain that my "getting into it" is not sufficient justification for keeping fighting in the game. As I suggested only half-jokingly earlier: Is stick swinging or kicking okay? What about strippers between periods?" Why not, the fans want it.

Vinay, I think you are right about Grabovski (and most others) appreciating the Orr intervention. I would have appreciated it too. It's a intensely ingrained part of hockey culture. Stortini is a big guy. But you know, if I am a little guy, I want to tackle a big guy cuz I really can't lose. Plus Grabovski is scrappy.

And Simmer, do you really think that people don't hit guys like Crosby because of the existence of enforcers? I can't imagine any d-man worth his salt not tagging Crosby for fear of being beaten up by the other team's bully. Besides, as adults, are we really worried about being beaten up by a bully, called a "fraidy cat" or worse? Remember when Kessel was tagged with that check last year. I think it was his first game back from injury too. Did Colton Orr's presence prevent that in some way? Or how about Cam Jansen's hit on Kaberle. You think he did it cuz Belak wasn't in the lineup? I think the main reason they don't hit guys like Crosby is because it's really hard to hit guys like Crosby. If they could, I think Dion Phaneuf et al. certainly would. Dirty players (Avery comes to mind) could care less about "enforcers." And if enforcers really work, why is Avery still breathing the same air as us?

I do agree that an honestly inspired fight, when done to right a perceived wrong, will always be a part of the game. But it's there in all sports. Baseball, basketball, football even soccer. The question is: How does hockey deal with it? I say make it a rest of game plus one (or more depnding on circumstances) suspension. Make a fight mean something. Suspension or not, I bet that MacArthur still fights last night. However, if the officiating was better, he wouldn't have had to fight in the first place. And that's what really has to happen. In this day and age, too many games are decided by bad or missed calls.

[We BeLeaf]

Remember Nik that the fans patience after 43 years will wear thin very quickly after a bad string of losses. In this over-hyped, technological age someone's patience is about 5 minutes long now it seems. I don't disagree with you or Ken, in fact you both make valid points: You say everyone must be patient and wait for the team to be successful from within. Ken says they need to be successful with what they have right now because otherwise we accept the fact that the Leafs are not good enough which breeds complacency and the dreaded blue and white disease. I think this is why with most people there will never be a middle ground...either they make it to playoffs and expect the best, or they tank it for the rest of the year and start anew next season. I'll throw this out there for you...when the Leafs missed the playoffs after their best years with Quinn and Burns, were you saying "we could/should have won with this team", or were you saying "this is not acceptable that they didn't make it because...(fill in the blank)"?
Cheers,

[moe green]

@KD

I think you should be able to use your timeout to challenge a call. But you do burn your only timeout. But I would go with the penalty for delay of game as an alternative. I think the important thing is to get the call right. With a off-ice official sitting behind a bank of monitors in the press box decisions could be made very quickly. Put a strict time limit on it.

[gettingcozywithsarkozy]

Nik and Ken: It seems as though you are both arguing the same theme from two different viewpoints. I think the word of the day here is IMPROVEMENT. NIk: I think myself, Ken, other Leaf fans, and yourself want to see the same thing in our team: improvement. I believe Ken's problem (as was mine yesterday) is that in your posts you are coming across as a fan who although desires improvement is content with failure as long as the future looks brighter (yes we should be concerned with "seeing the forest, not the trees" but, lets not forget that the trees do indeed make up the forest when summed up). I don't believe any of the goals/objectives Ken mentioned are "unacheiveable" for this team. While they may fall short of their objectives (i.e. making the playoffs), us fans will be content as they display effort and a competitve nature night in and night out. This point here (effort), sadly, is what I saw lacking on many occassion over the last couple seasons (and many times this season too). Remember, this season we are seeing Burke's team (only a couple players left over from the JFJ era) and what I'm seeing many night is a lack of effort. How many times have we seen flashes of brilliance and the team take a lead only to witness them have a breakdown and blow it big time with sloppy defense and horrid breakouts from the defensive end and into the offensive zone (I've seen better in the peewee league down the street)? If a team's goal is not to make a push for a championship (i.e. playoffs) and instead write several seasons off while they gradually rebuild, we will see a league dominated by one team on a rotational basis and a diminishing base of competition -- leading, in the end, to a boring league (just thing back to 1997 and 1998, how exciting was it when the whole hockey world knew Detroit would win the cup those years? Did anyone think Philly and Washington actually had a chance?)

[moe green]

Re: Burke and the rebuild.

I think Burke has integrity. Obviously, he's not always right, but that's okay - as long as he's right most of the time. But as long as his decisions are consistent with his stated objective, I'm cool with it.

JFJ made moves that didn't make sense regardless how they turned out. JFJ mortgaged the future by trading Rask for a quick fix called Andrew Raycroft. If stability was the goal, then why such a risky move? Why gamble on a goalie coming off a bad year if stability is your objective? Then why extend his contract with a huge raise before he ever plays a game for the team. Especially since he still had a year left on his contract. That's move that was bad regardless of how it turned out. Even if JFJ lucked out and Raycroft had won the Vezina, the move is still a flawed one.

Burke is entirely different. You can question his judgement, the validity of his plan or the logic behind his decisions, but at least he's sticking to his stated plan. His moves make sense. He says he builds from the net out - he stocks up on goalies. He says defense is next - he signs a whole whack of defensemen. Even though the Kessel deal flies in the face of what WE see as a smart rebuild strategy, Burke does it purposefully. Burke believed, when he made the deal that the acquisition of Kessel, at that time, was more important to the team, at that time, than the draft picks given up for him. When Burke says he'd make the deal again, he means that he still believes that. I'm not sure he's wrong.

[leafland'r]

Passing thought on all this talk about failure re: 9th place finish. Failure lies in how ( and on what) you measure success. So, at the very least, an improvement over the '09-'10 season in total points after 82 games could be success. A Stanley Cup Championship would be ultimate success ( though possibly painfully slow in arriving), yet maybe note all intermittent successes on route.

[Ken Baumgartner]

Good points by all and I agree completely.I agree with most of what you say Nik. I want to see improvement just like everyone else. If the leafs do not make the playoffs and finish 9th I will consider it an improvement over last year. No question. All I am trying to get across is that if Brian Burke, who is the architect of this team has the expectation that the team he built make the playoffs, then that is mine as well. It should be your also. If they don't for him it is a failure, improvement over last year to be sure, but a failure none the less. Why let the team off the hook because they are young? You have Stanley cup champions on this team. He thinks they are good enough. He knows better than me, you, or most every fan where this team stands. Maybe he is wrong, maybe he is right, we will find out. If you are willing to accept 9th place, you are letting this team off the hook already, and we haven't even reached the Christmas break. To me that is blue and white disease.

[Hoofheartz]

Being a member of Leaf Nation I've often wondered why Leaf haters come on here to add their 2 cents. I wouldn't waste my time going to another teams site but I would like to say that the stinking habs lost again tonight. How does that song go.....ole, ole, ole, ole.

[gettingcozywithsarkozy]

Hab loses always brighten my day...

[leafland'r]

Ken Baumgartner (re: 8:14am)

Guess I'll have to change the pronunciation my wife's name from Barbara to Barbaria, at least, on Leaf Nation nights.

[Nik Culoman]

@ Ken...My response to your post would be this....Wouldn't just making the playoffs be a failure as well?? 16 teams a year make the playoffs....out of aprox. 32 teams that are in the league..So that would make this team still average at best...So shouldn't the ultimate goal be to win the Stanley Cup??? Any team in any year can make the playoffs....But only one wins the cup.....

To build a Stanley Cup winner, takes time...It takes building which is a long journey where some of the teams in which we hold in such reguard today had to endure many loosing seasons, in some cases almost their teams.

I think the goal should be to win the cup, just making the playoffs.....Isn't good enough just as much as a 9th place finish would be if we follow your train of thought. So if we are to build a stanley cup winner, shouldn't and doesn't that take time??

[leafland'r]

Nik Culoman ( re: (9:38am Thurs.)
You surprised me. Wait 'til the Leafs win the Stanley Cup to claim due success? Thus, that means continual failures along the way over the time it takes. From your posts I thought your die hard "support" would include praise of the little successes during the journey: the long and winding road.
By the way, isn't it a fact that there are 30 teams, not 32 in the league?
Then again, of course, I may have misread or misunderstood your 9:38 post.
Enjoy the trade VS trade game tonight.

[Nik Culoman]

I never said wait for the stanley cup to claim success...I was trying to get across the point that even making the playoffs would be deemed a failure....This organization has made the playoffs....But with little success, So I say be patient and let's build a stanley cup winner was the point I was trying to get across.

Yes, you are right there are 30 teams, so if 16 teams make the playoffs than just making playoffs would be an average goal. Being the one team to win it all, now that is a goal.....

I champion gradual success, and properly building a team from the ground up which will inturn as is my hope would lead to Stanley Cup success and being in the playoffs would be a basic goal.

I like where this team is going, for me watching this team finish 9th this year is a huge success, and may lead to a huge turn around in fortunes going forward. I did state that building a Stanley Cup winner takes time and should take time, especially given where this organization found itself before BB arrived.

I want the ultimate prize, but to watch this organization strenghthen itself from the bottom up can only strengthen the chances of victory. Playoffs in cities like Detroit, Pitts, Chicago, ect...Are a given, what they shoot for because they have a system in place where they cultivate their team through their minor system breeds more success than teams that use patch work "just to get in".

I still preach Time and Patience...Gradual success...I am sorry if I haven't explained myself correctly....But Blue and White desease is far greater than just accepting a 9th place finish as success...I feel it is far greater, and consists of little patience, unobtainable expectations given the situation this team was lft to BB 2 years ago, we have witnessed far too much patch work "just to make " the playoffs that the future was traded away for aging vets.

[Ken Baumgartner]

There is only one team that has the ultimate success, that is correct, but the bare minimum for success is a playoff spot. For this team with the rebuild it is in I accept the bare minimum of success. Brian Burke accepts the bare minimum. If a team does not make the playoffs they have no shot at winning the Stanley cup, None. They very bare minimum I believe, for the Leafs to consider this year a success, as mediocre as that success would be, is to make the playoffs. If you think that standing on the platform while the playoff train rolls out of the station is a success because they were so bad last year, and now they are just really bad, I totally disagree and that is a sign of the dreaded blue and white disease. You are banking on next year being better, but next year is next year and whether or not you believe it, you don't know it to be true that it will be better. All we really have is this year, today, these playoffs. This the National Hockey League where less than half of the teams miss the playoffs and if you are one of those teams again you have failed. It does not matter what what the future holds,and I believe the future has promise for the Leafs, but if they don't make the playoffs they have failed to reach their goal this year again, just like the last 5 years.

Vinay, blue and white disease is alive and well amongst Leaf nation. I don't know what else to say.

[Nik Culoman]

So to please people who want to make the playoffs today...Let's trade Schenn, Kadri, Rynnas, ect...Those prospects that teams will want in exchange for players that will help the team make this playoffs this year.

But haven't we seen this path before?? Isn't this more of the same lack of patience, and lack of foresight that brought us to the point we find ourselves today?? We have had no farm system for years because the fans have no patience, we have traded sure shot prospects Boyes being one of them...Where did that take us????? You want to see this team win, than let's stick to the plan BB has in place in which we build from the bottom up.

Because let's be honest, all we have now with the exception of a few players...Rookies in the line-up....Prospects...These are our only assets that we have to improve the team today....For this year, these playoffs....We will need to mortgage the future because as we all can accept...This current team still needs some improvement in the forward positions.

But I say...Stick with this group of youngsters, let them learn on the job..Yes, the season will sporadic...They may loose more than they win...But that is the process every rebuilding team goes through because they plan for the future more constant success and not some flash in the pan success as some with no patience would like to see.

I am sure some of you were on the let's trade Luke Schenn bandwagon last year.....He was having a aweful year....But how many of you are happy that we didn't?? What about Kadri, would you trade Kadri because he is having a rough go this year?? We have walked this path repeatedly, with the same loosing results....Trading away youth for today leaves you with nothing....

I say trading away the youth, because outside of that group...Who else on this roster would teams want?????? To make a trade you must give up an asset people WANT for an ass et you want.

In closing no wonder this team is struggling.......People think following the plan of quick fixes that didn't work before..Would all of a sudden work now....Isn't there a saying that goes..."If you don't learn from the past, you will only repeat the mistakes in the future??"

[Ken Baumgartner]

What I am saying is this is the team we have. Brian Burke's plan, that you say we should stick to, and I totally agree with you, is that this team makes the playoffs. How many times must I tell you that? The plan for Brian Burke, the expectation for Brian Burke, the goal for Brian Burke is that the Toronto Maple Leafs make the playoffs this year.
What I am saying is get off the schneid, work their ass off and start winning enough to secure a playoff spot, because that is what they are paid to do. Brian Burke believes this team is good enough for a playoff spot, at least he expects them to be and so do I. He certainly thinks that this group of young players should be able to work hard enough that a playoff spot is the bare minimum for them.
When did I say trade anyone?
Lift your expectations Nik Culoman, a little bit, and buy into Brian Burke's plan, because his plan includes the playoffs this year. Forget about me, If the leafs miss the playoffs, in Brian Burke's eyes, they have failed. He has said that. The very first year he came he said that. His expectation for every team he is in charge of is that they make the playoffs. Anything less is a failure and I agree with Brian Burke. It's the NHL, not house league 'C'. If you allow any expectation less than that you are building a culture of losing. Regardless of how young they are, If you accept missing the playoffs, then you accept losing and you have blue and white disease. Brian Burke made the team and he doesn't accept it, why should I?

What time does the game start tonight and is it on TV?

[gettingcozywithsarkozy]

Just like to point out that the playoffs weren't always a "given" for teams like Pittsburgh and Chicago (Detroit, yes, they are a given there). They've both spent their time in the league gutter accumulating high draft picks (CHI: Toews, Kane, Seabrook, Skille, Barker; PIT: Sid, Malkin, Staal, Fleury) and only in recent years have risen to success. I've mentioned this in other blogs, but, I think the most respectable way to run a hockey team is continuously building and molding a contender without the lottery picks (which CHI and PIT were showered with over the last decade) and with solid trades and farm team development. That's why as much as I loathe the team, I must respect the Red Wings organization because of their solid system... and NJ to a lesser extent. These are the two teams that have remained competitive over the last two decades even without the high picks year in and year out.

[Ken Baumgartner]

Hey leafland'r, give Barbaria a little good luck kiss for the boys before the game starts would ya?

[We BeLeaf]

@ Ken,
Game is on Leafs TV and Sportsnet Central...Go Leafs Go!
Cheers,

[Nik Culoman]

@gettingcozywithsarkozy,

When I wrote the playoffs for those cities were a given is because they invested the time and the patience to see a winner through. My quote was something like "Playoffs in cities like Detroit, Pitts, Chicago, ect. are a given, because they have a system in place where they have cultivated their team through their minor systems, which breeds more success than teams that use patch work "just to get in".

I was framing my point around slow rebuilds, cultivating a bottom to top philosophy of building a continual winner than just a flash in the pan one year playoff push. That is why most of the teams I listed have grown and have garnered much success...Whereas teams like the Leaks, who push for the playoffs as a one year plan..Get nowhere.....Because your eyes should be on a continually competitive team with talent come up in the system every year.....

As one player leaves, we have another player to fill that spot who is just as talented.

I continue to push and promote a slow rebuild.....I continue to preach patience and excitement each step forward this team makes. I am of the mindset, we have pushed to make the playoffs so many years at the risk of the future by trading away our prospects for a strictly now mentality.

[Hockey Fan, therefore by Definition Not a Leaf Fan]

I love reading about the Laff's making the playoff from their "knowledgeable" fans.

After the Calgary game:
Laff's winning percentage: .451
Last 51 games, to reach 90 points (and likely playoffs): .608
Percentage over last 7 games, which has fans so excited: 571

Nice to see Laff fans are so in touch with reality.
If you were truly aware, you would BOYCOTT every product associated with the Laff;s, until the team improved. But we all know that won't happen.

BTW, my Habs, after losing 3 in a row, even to the Laffs, still lead the division.