TKO

Technical Knock Out.

Thats what I call last nights loss to those bloody Senators. Technical, because yes, they technically won (they wouldn't have gotten two points if it had been a loss). But, and some may call this an excuse, what do you expect from a team fueled mostly from AHL call ups? The Sens were on their heals the entire game, Razor Emery beat Andrew Razorcroft in the battle of the goaltenders. Not that Ray of Croft played poorly, he played with flashes of the #1 goaltender he actually is (not the #2 goaltender he is pretending to be), It's just that Emery played amazing and stole the game for the Senators. That and a couple defensive brain farts and its 3-2 in OT. Bah.

Heres to hoping round 6 is against a healthier Leaf Squad.

Battle Of Ontario, Round 5

After getting sunk in the third period (what a surprise) by taking too many penalties and allowing 3 power play goals against (what another whopper of a surprise) the Leafs take on the not so high and mighty Senators tonight, who are comming off a 1-0 win over the Rangers.

Commence rumblings, it will be interesting to see which farm team is better.

Go Toronto Marlie Leafs!

The Price Is Right

Tonight the Leafs play the Penguins who, abit having the two best under 20 players in the NHL and probably world, are not doing all that well. This looks good.
What dosn't look good is that the Toronto Maple Leafs seem to have turned into the Toronto Marlies, atleast their forward line. Antro, Pony, Peca and now Wellwood and Tucker, if anyone is counting, thats half of the forwards they dress every game...half. Just when they get their full Defense back in order, the forwards crumble with various and seemingly infectious injuries. Whats next you ask? Sundin takes a puck to the head, falls and takes out O'Neill's knee who smacks Stajin on the ribs, breaking two, who's stick flies out of his hands and gives Steen and Bataglia concussions on the bench. Oh, then Paul Mourice's head explodes, you know, for colour.

Atleast Canada is handing out whoopings in both the World Juniours and the Spenglar Cup (nice to see Quinn back behind the bench and sometime soon Maple Leaf, especially with all these injuries, Justin Pogge in action). Go Canada Go.

Penalty Killed

Dispite Sundin being back to his old self and almost single handedly brought the Leafs out of a 3-0 debt, the absence of Micheal Peca was evident in the three powerplay goals by the Capitals. Again, Raycroft was hung out to dry and will take alot of undeserved guff.

Lets hope the Holidays put the fighting spirit back in the team, that and the time off lets them recover from some injuries.

Capital Punnishment

Bondra had something to prove, and his 500th drove the Leafs into another loosing skid (2 games so far) and tonight they play those pesky Washingtonians (is that what they are called?) complete with Alexander the Great and Alexander the Man Juice (Semin teehee). Can the buds stop their loosing ways and save Christmas? With their number one penatly killer and russian connection down for the count they are gonna have to work for it, my hopes are there, but my sense of reality is an asshole.

Giant Dissapointment

Well the Leafs showed again that they should never blow out another team, it only leads to a terrible showing the next game.

7-3 with 3 goals against landing squarly on the shoulders of big man Hal Gill who with two give aways and a check infront of the net all resulting in Panther goals.

Again prevelant was the penalty parade (I only witnessed the third period so cannot judge the whole game). this created a 5 on three that gave in the 7th and final Panther goal.

Lets hope this isnt the start of another slump.

The Lone Ranger

Interesting game last night, the Leafs thuroughly destroyed the Rangers last night in a 9-2 romp (should have been 9-1, that first goal was just....bad). I enjoyed watching Wellwood have, what I hope to be the first of many, 5 point gams. First career hat-trick, way to go Welly! Pony also had a five point game and Sundin netted three assists.

Heres the thing though, the Rangers didnt put up much of a fight, and Henrick of Lundqvist was hung out all alone for 8 goals on less than 25 shots (thus the entry title). And hell. The Leafs couldnt keep Jagr-meister off the board even in a blowout.

So is Carlo our lucky horse shoe? I'll believe that when the Buds are 10-0 with him back.

Matstastic

Well seems the Buds were able to stave off the third period melt down that had once again (though temporarily) reared its ugly head tonight. That penatly parade nearly sunk them again. Mats was in fine form, potting two and assisting on another, it was nice to see Tucker feed a cross crease pass to him instead of the usual reversal.

I am starting to consider calling Raycroft 'Paris Hilton' due to the gaping hole between his legs.

Also huzzah to Mr Steen, your drought is over, now score some more.

Also, is anyone else seeing what young Sidney Crosby has been up to the past couple games? Yikes.

Hi Ho..Hi Ho..

No better way to be sent off to the graveyard shift at work than with a 6-0 Blowout of those wacky senators who can't seem to decide if they are a hockey team or a bunch of pylons in black gold and red.

Avast ye!

Lightening In A Bottle

Well its over, all the mediots can shut up about calling for players or the coaches heads on hockey sticks. They won, which is great, a little sigh of releif. Does it the cup is on its way? Hell no. Its not really that they won, its how they won.

Chad - Freaking - Kilger, 2 goals and an over all solid game, this is what they need, some one who isnt a super star to step up (also O'Neil even though his goal was a gift). And then there was Carlo, his much heralded retourn was nice to watch. He played hard, and didnt shy away from the physical side. Once he hits his stride, its gonna be fun to watch.

The goaltending switch will probably be the talk of the papers and online sources (TSN I'm lookin' at you). While it was necessary, it should have never happened. Raycroft should have been in from the start. But I digress GO LEAFS GO!

Fantasy Foul Up

As if the Leaf's loosing streak wasn't bad enough in of itself, I have to suffer in another way. My fantasy hockey team (I beleive in magic) has 4 Buds on it. Sundin (great pick till the injury), Tucker (Best sleeper pick ever....until recently), Kaberle (remember that hat trick?) and Wellwood (was on the road to a consistent point production). All of these players combined with several other stellar draft moves by yours truely had me locked in first and pulling away from the pack. Then the slump hit and every Blue and White clad player stopped putting up any decent numbers. Now I am second and falling.

Well atleast I can say that they wern't my worst picks, I took a chance on Wade Redden, who has played all of .07 games this year, thanks Wade, your a gem. Thats what I get for picking up a Senator.

Picture Perfect

Has anyone else ever noticed how Creepily similar Tomas Kaberle and Ray Romano resemble each other?

Not convinced? Can't picture it? Take a gander at this ladies and gents.

I know, I'm scared too.

It's like they are long lost twins, one a comedian who isn't funny, the other an NHL defenseman who dosn't have a slap shot. Now thats a recipe for a buddy comedy if I've ever heard one.

Oh yes and for more Leaf's look alikes check out my friend Aurora's finding, Mr Sundin looks an awful lot like a creepy musician, who you ask? follow the link and find out!

Mats Corgdin!

Dreaming ...

I was sleeping, as I often do before pulling the graveyard shift. During this sleep all that has been dreamed of recently is a slumping buds team, their backs broken, their spirits crushed. Tonight was different. I drempt of a team who has been weighed down by injuries to their leadership, chemistry catastrophies and goaltending that makes you cringe.
throw in a dash of inconsistent reffing and TAH DAH! You've got it, the Ottawa Senators, dropping a third straight, to of all teams, the blue jackets.

Then I awoke, dissapointed that the dream was over and I'd have to face the truth, Ottawa had done what Ottawa always usually does, snap out of a mini two game slide and demolish the punny Columbus squad with their exceptional skill and fire power (bastards!). So on went the computer, on went www.tsn.ca and to my ever increasing joy, my dream had not been a dream at all!

Although this still remains a conscelation prize as the Sens and the Leafs are still tied with 31 points and both (at present) out of playoff contention. Boys in blue still need to win some bloody hockey games.

Blue And White Christmas

"what do you want for Christmas Jared??"

"the Leafs to win a GD game....and a pony"

This Leafs blog begins after an apparent terrible loss (in a 7 game string of them) to the Detroit Red Wings. Am I surprised, no not at all. Am I dissapointed? Hell yes, not only has this season been a near carbon-copy of last in which the Leafs failed to make the playoffs, but it gives those damned Sens fans something to chirp about.

On another note, the Sens lost to the Rangers....so something is well in the hockey world atleast.

And one more thing, those Ducks need to be stopped.