Game 21: Toronto Beat Who?! (Ottawa In Case You Missed It)

Saturday night I found myself at the Christmas potluck for my in-laws extended family (about 75 people)...Somewhere between the half frozen PC shrimp ring and the home made meatballs the Leafs game was on and they we're looking for another embarrassing loss to the Senators only something really weird happened...They won.

I was watching the game on a huge TV that had the reception of an old coat hanger antenna and for 2.5 hours of the night I was in a happy place.

This is reason #4320 why the leafs piss me off...They beat Ottawa. No, they shut out Ottawa... The first time Ottawa has been shut out since last December. The last 19 match ups leading up to Saturdays game Ottawa was 15-2-2 against the Leafs...Does this mean Toronto is just as good as Ottawa? No way...Does Ottawa have an excuse for losing? nope...Did Toronto deserve to win? You bet...Toronto can play 60 minutes of near flawless hockey against the best team in the league and win 3-0 then Tuesday they'll play Boston and probably lose 5-3. I just don't get how inconsistent the Leafs are this year. No one can really explain why...It just happens...and it blows big time.

A few reason why I think Toronto won:

1) First and foremost...Wozniewski was only on the ice for 7 minutes (2nd lowest TOI for Toronto on Saturday next to Pohl)

2) Toronto converted on 2 power play opportunities in one game (first time all season I think)

3) I don't go back on stats often (I go by memory) but I think this may be only the second time they didn't allow a power play goal in a game...(the first being a Raycroft shutout earlier)

4) Maybe Ottawa came in thinking (assuming) it was going to be an easy win...

5) We had a goalie in net that could make a big save when the Leafs needed it.

I find that a goalie getting a shutout is a lot like a pitcher getting a no-hitter (even though a no-hitter is much harder to do) There are a few things that need to happen...The defence must be solid. The Goalie/Pitcher has to be on top of his game and the defence (goalie for hockey/fielders for baseball) have to make 3 huge plays during the game. Toskala did that making a few giant saves and holding the fort while the leafs were actually skating with Ottawa instead of watching them like they did in the previous 3 games this year.

So before this 4 game week started I was predicting a 2-2 (optimistically) and 1-3 (realistically) record after the game in Boston tomorrow night...Right now they're 1-1-1 so things are looking decent for the time being...I'm really hoping that the win on Saturday can add somesort of morale boost in the Leafs dressing room because as this season grows, it's not gonna get any easier for them.

See everyone Wednesday morning...peace

Game 20: Here's What I Think About The Leafs Game Last Night In Boston...

So I just spent the entire morning in sensitivity training so pardon me if my post is not up to its standard.

I feel as though the Leafs played poorly last night against the Bruins. Raycroft was not as strong as he has been in previous games and it would be nice to see Toronto play well on Saturday against the Senators. I hope they do...that would be swell...Other than that I can not really say anything else regarding last nights match up...I feel that if I do I might be offending someone so it's best to be quiet.

Anyone seen my balls? I seem to have lost them...

Homo Alert!...Way To Be Discrete Jiri Tlusty...

Well with the Leafs absolutely shitting the bed this year most fans have seen this team go from bad to worse...That was the good news for Tlusty...Here's the bad...

Jiri Tlusty has been caught with his pants down and the naked images of him leave little to the imagination.

Tlusty, the Leafs rookie is suddenly the centre of hockey attention after naked photos appeared on the Canadian gossip website isthishappening.com. The photos were actually shot by Tlusty on his camera phone, according to his lawyer.

Leafs GM John Ferguson added: "He made a naive mistake as a teenager. It's a lesson in how something private can easily become very public in the Internet age."

My Favourite is Paul Maurice's comments about the situation...

"(Jiri's) handled it as well as anyone could handle it under the circumstances," said Paul Maurice..."It's an excellent learning experience for a young man."

I can see Jiri sitting in his hotel room cowering in the corner being pet on his head by McCabe right now....handle it under the circumstances?...how else can he handle it?...I cant wait till July when the "Gay Pride Parade" is in town and Tlusty is at the top of the float in his thong with a huge Super Soaker squirting everyone...ohh man...never a dull moment in Leafs nation...

read the full story at http://www.torontosun.com/

I also like how this probably (not) would have blown over if the leafs had of just let it play it's course but noooo...Ferguson decides to have a press release so everyone and their fucking aunt knows about it...this is funny...I feel bad for the kid (not really) but only in Toronto would we get this kind of stuff...(and probably Ottawa since there are a dozen or so homo's on the Senators team)...but that's another story...

Avery To Blake: HaHa You Have Cancer...Or Something Like That...

For Those of you who have not yet heard about the battle between Sean Avery and Darcy Tucker during the pre-game skate on Saturday night let me throw a few notes at you...

Yesterday Howard Berger of the Fan 590 reported that a player in the Rangers' dressing room told him Avery incited the initial jawing session when he directed a comment at Blake about his medical condition...For those of you under a rock Jason Blake has a (treatable) form of cancer known as chronic myelogenous leukemia.

Berger reported Avery's teammate wanted to "strangle" the pesky winger once he heard what was said. Neither Blake nor Tucker would comment on the words that were exchanged on the ice.

NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell has ordered Avery to meet with him this week to explain himself

For once Darcy Tucker actually looks like the classy one..."I'm not going to get into what was said and what was not said. This is out of our hands now and we'll stay out of it," said Tucker.

During this time Avery has been unavailable for comment...So after 72 hours I'm jumping back off the wagon...Avery is a total fucking douche...It's unbelievable that some one even that juvenile would go as low as making fun of a guy for having cancer...FUCKIN' CANCER!...unreal...

Hopefully the league will punish Avery for this mess and he grows a pair of stones and apologizes to Blake...It's just so hard to wrap my head around the fact that a grown man could be so mentally retarded as to say something like that to a person who is ill...whatever...

Check out the full story here...Canada.com

And here is the video of the Pregame fight for those of you who have not seen it...

The Fergalicious GM: John Ferguson Jr.

So no game tonight...and I don't usually post on days where there are no games (mostly because I post my blog entries at work and I waste enough time as it is) but I found this video over on TheScore.com It's a pretty funny video comparing the similarities between Fergie from the "Black Eye Peas" and Fergie (John Ferguson Jr.) from the Toronto Maple Leafs Take a look...

If the embed doesn't work you can always go and check it out right

HERE!

it's good...don't be lazy...go look at it...the guy on the left looks like Mike Myers' estranged bastard child. Before I go I just want everyone to know that I was reading the paper and got some pretty deep inside information regarding M.L.S.E. and Ferguson...if the leafs don't make the playoffs this year he's probably gone...wow what a story...Toronto media will write about anything as long as it has to do with the Leafs...even if absolutely nobody cares...maybe on an off day you could write about something constructive like maybe the Marlies or the CHL...where the talent is coming from...rather than re-hashing b.s. stories that are a year old...just a thought.

Game 13: Washington 7 vs Toronto Holy Shit You Suck...

Funny story...so yesterday I had Indian buffet for lunch and after work I had roughly 4 beers before the game...I got home took the dirtiest shit imaginable and guess what came out?...The Leafs defence...

Last night Toronto got romped 7-1 by the Capitals in a game that saw 5 Capital players score their first goals of the season and one Capital score his first career goal in the NHL (Toronto seems to be good at making those dreams come true for opposing players) and Alexander Ovechkin threw two in to add insult to injury. The Leafs have now allowed 51 goals this season...That's the most in the NHL for those of you who were wondering...

Wha Happen? Toronto put together 2 great games on the road last week and seemed to have gotten over the hurdle that is defence. But then they show back up at the ACC and it's like they took nothing away from the two road wins...I just don't understand.

"Hey Kubina, You're having enough problems playing defence as it is...let's not put too much on our plates and try to play forward too". Pavel Kubina was jumping into every single rush last night and he was getting caught deep in the offensive zone quite often. You piss me off Pavel...you have my pylon vote this week...I dont care if you scored in New York

Halloween costume of the evening goes to Andrew Raycroft for looking exactly like Vesa Toskala and sneaking in net to let in the first 4 goals of the game (it's the only way he's going to get any playing time) And runner up for second best costume goes to Vesa Toskala for looking (and playing) exactly Like Raycroft and letting in the final 3 goals...good job guys!

Thankfully for Leafs fans the Blue and White are on the road for the next 4 games. Hopefully they'll leave this play here at the ACC and pick up the play they had in Pittsburgh and New York again. If anyone is happy about Toronto's bed shitting extravaganza last night it would be Tucker and McCabe...I bet they were starting to get worried that they might of been healthy scratches when they got back...I'm relieved knowing that that wont happen (sarcasm). Toronto's next opponent is the Devils at their flashy new building "The Prudential Center" Hopefully New Jersey starts their back up against the Leafs and we start someone who can actually stop a puck...maybe I'm wishing for too much.

Game 10: The Better Team Always Wins...

So Toronto's last home game before their much needed mini road trip saw the Basement dwelling Thrashers take on the sinking (stinking) Leafs. The Leafs had Toskala in net and even the last place team in the league put their back up goalie in to face the Leafs (Hedberg). Sundin scored 13 seconds into the first and Toronto was playing a very "fuck you" kind of game. They were skating hard, winning battles in the corners, using their size against Atlanta's speed and it seemed to be working...for the first 4 minutes anyways. Tobias Endstrom threw a soft one on net that slipped by Toskala and with less than a minute left in the period, Ilya Kovalchuck just skated around every one like pylons in a drill and with an off balance wrist shot that found the back of the net it was 2-1 ATL after one.

In the second frame the Leafs came out strong again and were rewarded with another goal. This time we saw Hal Gill step into a howitzer that beat Hedberg high to tie things at 2-2. Blake and Perrin exchanged goals and with the score 3-3 going into the 3rd it looked like any one's game (and by anyone I mean Atlanta's)

Going into last night's game, Toronto had been outscored 16-8 in third periods. I believe this has to do with a few things...Toronto's lack of speed. With other teams skating around them in the defensive zone (Kovalchuck was a prime example of this last night) the leafs get tired because their defensive coverage is so poor that they resort to holding, interfering, slashing, hooking, tripping and pretty much anything else a big dumb slow guy would do with a stick to slow down a skilled speedy European. This proved to be the case when Todd White and Eric Perrin had 2 2 on 1's in one rush...as they passed the defence twice they arranged a very nice 2-0 and easily put the puck passed a helpless Toskala. With about 2 minutes left Toronto found that great play they lost at the 4 minute mark of the first and came on very strong completly dominating the Thrashers. With a huge scramble in front of Hedberg and just over 9 seconds left, Ponikarovsky shoveled a lose puck past Hedberg to send it to overtime. The ACC was going Bananas.

I am still not a big fan of shootouts...I do think they are exciting but I don't like how two teams play one another for 65 minutes only to have players 1-on-1 with the goalies. It's like having a tied football game and seeing which punter can kick the furthest...I just don't like it. Or maybe i just don't like them because Toronto sucks at them...either way they bug me. This was the first shoot out for either team this year and I'll give you the quick rundown of how the shooters did.

Leafs 1st: Antropov Scores 5-hole

Thrashers 1st: Kozlov Scores

Leafs 2nd: Sundin poke checked (not like it matters though because he would have just shot it at Hedberg's chest)

Thrashers 2nd: Hossa Stopped

Leafs 3rd: Blake stopped on a shit move

Thrashers 3rd: Kovalchuck comes cross ice and puts it back over Toskala's shoulder for the win.

So Atlanta get their first road win of the season (glad we could help) and improve to 2-1 since Bob got fired. Toronto's off to Pittsburgh Thursday then New York to take on the Rangers on Saturday. Pittsburgh will prove to be tough again (especially if they don't play down to the leafs caliber like they did last time) and the struggling Rangers will have a good chance vs the Leafs because...well the leafs just blow.

And one last thing before I go today. Week two pylon as voted by you goes to...

Bryan McCabe With his beautiful overtime winner in Buffalo (on his own net) and sloppy defensive play on recent games (and all the ones before them) he has been Leafs Nation's scapegoat for the past week. Now I can understand him wanting to downplay the own goal to the press since they want to behead him but he really needs to think about what he says before he opens his mouth. The one quote that bugged me the most was the "It's not like it was game 7 of the playoffs...it was game 7 of 82"...yes it was Bryan, but remember what happened last year when you missed the playoffs by a single point?...they all count and I'm really hoping this doesn't come back to haunt us.

Game 9: Raycroft is back into "Raycroft Form"

So tonight we saw the Chicago Blackhawks come into the ACC to take on the Leafs for Hockey Night In Canada...Again the opposing team decided to start their back-up goalie (Lalime) against Toronto, who in turn started their starting goalie who acts like a back up (Raycroft). The last time Lalime was in the ACC he got lit up in game 7 of the 2004 Eastern Conference quarter-final playoffs while allowing some brutal goals in. That was the last game he ever played as a Senator...Way to go Joe Nieuwendyk!...Wow, I actually forgot what playoffs were like...

Chicago got on the board early with a power play goal by Williams that saw the Toronto penalty killers diving around like Italian soccer players...It was brutal to watch this defensive coverage attempt to penalty kill. They looked like those idiots that put their foreheads on the knob of the baseball bat, spin around 20 times then try to race...unbelieveable...and at the end of it all McCabe is standing by him self (and no one around him by at least 15 feet) watching the whole play...Hey Fucker! get in the game for Christ sakes...you're only getting paid $7M this year...

Sundin came back with a nice short handed goal to tie things up at 1-1 Then shortly after Kaberle threw the puck on net on a 3-3 rush that went off Zyuzin's stick and in...It was a huge break that the Leafs really needed...They haven' been getting any bounces and have been getting stiffed pretty hard in the penalty calls so far this year...For the rest of the period Toronto looked very impressive. They had great back checking, and something I haven't really seen this year was the forwards were really coming back and helping the defence behind their own net with one on one battles...It looked like Toronto was going to really expose the lack of rest Chicago had because of the late arrival in the t-dot the night before.

Toronto completely dominated the second period but only had Sundin's semi-breakaway goal to show for it. Lalime was huge making some really big stops. Because I am new to blogging I don't really know how to do things...while I watch the leaf games I take little notes to remind myself what to talk about after the game. with about 3 minutes left in the second i wrote to my self 'I think this may be the first period all season (or at least that I can remember) that the Leafs haven't taken a penalty"...well way to go Scott you douche...go a head and totally jinx it. Ponikarovski, Wozniewski and Gill all took penalty's that saw Toronto deal with a 5 on 3 for almost 2 full minutes...they held them off in the second but the Third was a different story.

This is the part of the game where it gets really frustrating to be a Leafs fan. Toronto kills off the 5-3 but as Wozniewski is coming back onto the ice Chicago scores...okay no big deal. It's still 3-2 Toronto and because Wozniewski's penalty was over when they scored that just cancels out Gill's penalty and now we're even strength and still up by 1. Then again, like always, the Leafs defence decides to watch the game instead of play it. Keith comes down the right wing as they're announcing Zyuzin's goal and puts it past Raycroft with ease to tie it up at 3's. Then the flood gates open...Lang scores a brutal goal on Raycroft over his shoulder.

Now when Raycroft first came to Toronto he was pretty good (it didn't last long) all the other teams had to do was go look at some old game tapes and see that he goes down on every single shot...and I'm not exaggerating. he really does go down on every...single...shot. So now teams just shoot high and it's almost a givin' that it will go in (and it does)...and this is why I get frustrated...For the entire second period Toronto completely pwned Chicago but only managed 1 goal from Lalime. When Toronto needs Raycroft to steal a few for them what happens? he shits the bed...I swear...I can not describe the frustration I have with Raycroft. Ohh yeah, Sharp also scored on a brutal deflection to make it 5-3 Chicago. Kilger got one back late but as the Leafs were trying to make a last minute come back all momentum was lost when Ponikarovsky was called for "ghost hooking"...(that's one of those brutal penalty breaks that I was talking about earlier) Lang put in an empty net goal and Chicago ended up winning 6-4 in front of a full crowd of sheep.

So Tuesday Toronto will be playing the Thrashers...I'm really hoping that Toskala gets the start...He doesn't give you that "ohh shit" feeling every time the puck is shot at him like Raycroft does. I know it's still really early in the season (game 9 of 82) but Toronto is already under .500 and have only played 2 away games (7 home games). They've lost both their away games and I'm just thinking to myself...there are some teams who start the season with 7 or 8 game road trips and they are doing fine holding their own...what's going to happen later on this year when Toronto has more away games then home?...They certainly aren't making it easy for themselves early on this year...

One last thing before I go...Tonight was Belak's 400 NHL game and in true Belak style he beat the crap out of Koci...way to go Wade. So despite losing again tonight I leave you with this little video montage of Wade because even if you lose the war, Wade will win a few battles.

The Votes Are In...Week One Pylon Goes To...

Well the polls have closed for "Week One Pylon"...thanks to everyone who participated. We will be doing this each week...Our winner this week was...

Vessa Toskala! With a win and two losses in the first week Vessa has rounded into true Blue and White form posting a 4.48 Goals Against Average and an amazing .878 Save %...well done...John Ferguson must be happy with the situation of his team...Last in the North East and #1 in the league for goals allowed. Looks like another 82 game season while the Senators make another legit run for the cup...Fuck you Brian Murray and your stupid lisp...

Toronto is playing Florida tomorrow night and it will be interesting who's gonna win here...what happens when a tier two team plays another tier two team? do they both start their back ups? I guess for Toronto they don't have to worry seeing as how they have two back ups and no starter...

I truly believe McCabe will have a good game Thursday. (there is no possible way he could have another shit game) and I'm hoping Maurice plays Raycroft. I mean this guys been doing everything he can to try and win...just the defence is so brutal that not only are they not preventing goals...They're scoring on their own net!...It's truly frustrating being part of this Leafs Nation...

Pre-Game...Cross Dressing?!

I am not going to get too deep into this because it is for a very good cause (Breast Cancer Research) but I think Kyle should of spoke to someone before auctioning off his game worn Bra...I mean we all know that the Leafs have been playing like a bunch of bitches this year so far but to actually go ahead and sell their undergeaments is a little much... You can go to Here to chek out the auction for Wellwood's "milk bubble holders"...

Tonight the Leafs are in Buffalo where they're looking to lose again...I'm sure Raycroft will get the start and I'm making an uneducated guess in saying the final score will be 6-2 for the Sabres. I also wouldn't be suprised if the Leafs are wearing jills instead of jocks tonight judging by the way they were checking the Pens on Saturday...Thank god I'm missing tonights game (going to see Queens Of The Stone Age tonight) but I'm sure once I watch my highlights and read my paper tomorrow morning I'll be just as depressed as the rest of you...

Game 6: Dear Bryan...You Blow

I have come to the realization that the Toronto Maple Leafs are officially the same caliber as the Florida Panthers, Boston Bruins and the Lightning. How do I know this?...because teams are starting their back-ups against them. Toronto fell behind quickly 1-0 on a shot by Christensen that Toskala is still looking for but they came back strong and turned a 1-0 into a 2-1 lead. All was looking good till Sabourin had to leave the game with a cut on his head...Fleury came in when it was 2-1 Toronto and ended up holding the fort while his team shat on Toskala for a 6-4 win.

Normally I won't single a player out (yes I will) because as the saying goes..."You win as a team and you lose as a team"...Well that saying doesn't apply when McCabe is part of that team. Bryan McCabe litterally handed that game over to Pittsburgh. All night he was just standing around with is dick in his hand...He was a minus 3 (-3) tonight with 3 penalties (6 PIM). Obviously I can't show replays on my blog but on the 3-3 goal by Talbot it seriously looked like McCabe was trying to help him score...Toronto fans are very quick to pass judgement when a Leaf fucks up...sometimes it's deserved and sometimes it's not...tonight it was deserved when the ACC started booing' McCabe. I just had to shake my head in disgust and drink my beer...

It was a sloppy game all round Toronto was playing like...well Toronto and Pittsburgh was playing to the caliber of their opponents...there was tonnes of missed defensive assignments on both sides of the ice and in the end it all came down to who took advantage of those errors more...I'm sure the Pens are happy with the win but I doubt they're happy with the way they played (defensively).

If there is any good news to come out of this it's that Blake scored his first goal...as did Tucker. Gamache, Sundin, Stajan, White and Antropov all had solid games. Vesa looked kind of doo doo on a few of the goals...and a little off topic...I'm not quite sure why Raycroft didn't get the start...I mean if he won on Thursday shouldn't he get the start again? I know he had a pretty high goals against average against the Pens last season but I seriously believe that they (upper management) want him out of Toronto...They are totally tea-baggin' this guy...

One last thing before I go...before the game started I believe is was Scott Oak (or maybe Bob Cole but I think Bob is too stupid to accurately deliver stats) who said "Crosby is still looking for his first goal of the season"...well guess what Scott...If anyone is in an offensive slump the best way to get them out is to play the Leafs...i mean come on...I dare you to find me one single Leaf fan that was thinking "ohh Crosby hasn't scored yet?...well he sure won't start tonight!"...what a fucking joke the leafs are...I'm done...I'll see everyone Tuesday morning...

Game 5: Leafs Win!...Sundin Passes Sittler...No He Doesn't...Yes He does!

With a total cock slap givin' to Leafs Nation on Tuesday by the Canes, Toronto was looking to rebound in the biggest way against the Islanders last night...and they did.

Having been out scored 7-1 on Tuesday the Leafs paid it forward to the Islanders in an 8-1 romp. Gamache scored his first goal as a Leaf, Wozniewski scored his first goal as a...anybody and Sundin got an assist to pass Darryl Sittler as the all time points leader as a leaf...There were standing ovations,

tears, a montage the whole nine yards...That's what made it so funny when they took his assist away a few minutes later thus tying him with Sittler again...Haa Haa

Having felt the achievement of being the Leafs all-time scorer only to have it taken away moments later Sundin was like a dyke at a craft show...He was determined to score...and at any cost too. Of his 390 goals this one is probably ranked somewhere between 7th and 12th as being the ugliest...but hey, they all count. They made him 3rd, 2nd and 1st star (I had never seen that before)...Raycroft must have enjoyed seeing that 2nd and/or 3rd star slip away from his grasp...what the fuck does this guy have to do to get a fuckin' bone in this city?!

Dubowitz looked like a back up goalie...where was this type of performance last spring when he absolutely robbed the leafs of a playoff spot?...I digress...8 different Leafs scored on him but the best goal of the evening hands down goes to...Thomas Kaberle...what a move...he absolutely made the Islanders look like ass...it was amazing.

The Leafs have a much more difficult opponent on Saturday vs the Penguins but with the offensive outburst last night there might just be a bit of much needed morale booster. Before I go I just wanted to mention how stupid the reporters sounded last night when saying "This is a must-win game for the Leafs"...what?! this is game 5 of fuckin' 82!...let's pace ourselves people...

Game 4: Final Score: Carolina - 7 vs. Toronto - Sucks...

Let me start off by saying I didn't watch the game (Stupid regional coverage). But I did listen to it on the radio for 90% of the first period and all of the second. I did catch the highlights on "The Score" last night and it looked bad...really bad...(I'm talking about the game highlights not the stretched out video they put on air) I don't know what was worse...listening/watching the leafs lose 7-1 to the Canes or spending the rest of my evening watching "Reign Over Me"

Warning: The following paragraph talks about Marty York...reader discretion is advised...

I had an opportunity to pick up a pair of tickets for yesterdays game...I'm glad I didn't because it would have been a total waste of money...$180 for a pair of Greens...And that's face value! I was coming into work this morning on the GO and got to Marty York's words of wisdom that seem to find their way into the sports section of the metro...somewhere inside his verbal vomit of CFL news that no one cares about was an Interesting stat (not surprising, but interesting): The Leafs top the NHL with the highest average ticket price at $88.32...Holy shit! No Kidding! Has this not been the topic of discussion since like 1998? The thing that did surprise me was that Buffalo charges the second lowest at $33.56. If you've ever been to a Sabers game you know how fun it is. If I didn't live so far east of Toronto I would be making frequent trips over the boarder to see Buffalo in action. It's a great atmosphere and apparently WAY fuckin' cheaper than a Leafs game (ohh and the on-ice quality is better too....but you already knew that)

A few mile stones of note from last nights game:

1) Toronto Actually scored another power play goal
2) Sundin tied Sittler for most points as a leaf as well as earned second place on the all-time assists list
3) ....nope that's it...just two notes.

It really seemed as though the "I have Cancer" Blake delivered would have been a huge momentum builder but that was not the case last night as they looked completely flat after the first goal. Carolina beat Toronto on every 1 on 1 assignment in the corners, out skated and all round out played the leafs last night....Toskala can't be blamed for all 7 goals at all...(2 by my count) And Sundin's "we played like horseshit" kind of summed it up...I thought I saw Raycroft smirking on the bench after the 6th goal...or maybe he was just trying to repress the tears that the 8 year-old heckler behind him was causing....Rayyyyyy-craaawwwwffffft Rayyyyyy-craaawwwwffffft. Kids can be so mean...

Hopefully the Blue and White get their shit together for Thursday night when the Isles drop by...maybe Blake will score his first goal against them...maybe (and this as a long shot) the Leafs could win again...we'll see. Until next time - "Keep Fit And Have Fun!"

Game 3: Good News - Leafs Win, Bad News - Blake has Cancer...

With a dramatic overtime win on Saturday night the critics have tamed for now. Much to the please of Toskala, Ferguson and Maurice. Kaberle Scored the overtime winner on a power play (first power play goal of the season) making Toronto now "0 for 18" on the power play. They would be "1 for 18" if it wasn't for that brutal short handed goal they allowed in the second period to Markov.

Ian White scored in the first, Kaberle in O.T. and Alexei Ponikarovsky netted 2 goals which has some people in agreement that if Sundin can set up 2 goals a game for Ponikarovsky and Antropov then who cares if he scores #390?

So the leafs are now 1-1-1 but that kind of took a back seat after morning skate yesterday (Monday) when Blake announced that he has a rare form of leukemia known as "Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML)" Although it's "highly treatable" it does come as a huge shocker. I mean it sucked last year when we were missing players because of injuries but now they might start dropping with fatal illnesses...In all seriousness though, I'm sure everyone truly hopes that Jason Blake...scores his first goal soon.

The Leafs play Carolina tonight here in the T-dot. I went to the last game these two played against each other last season. It was a must win for the Cannes and Toronto destroyed them like 6-2. After that Carolina was out of the playoff race. I really hope Toskala gets the start again (I'm sure he will because he certainly played well Saturday) and Maybe we can ride the high of the o.t. win tonight for a second win of the season...Bee-otch!

Game 2: 0-1-1...Not Bad...For The Leafs

Well the Leafs escape the the home and home series with a loss and...well, another loss. No one will argue that the leafs didn't play well. but at the end of the day they are still 0-1-1. Toronto needed a few bounces, a few breaks on the penalty calls and 2 starts from Toskala and things could be a lot different right now. I'm not worried...we still have 80 more games and only 6 are against Ottawa.

Vesa Looked like a number one starter last night. One thing I like about Vesa is the modest yet confident attitude he carries in the media scrum. After his "Raycroft-esq" pre-season, reporters (and only reporters) were worried that maybe he was another one of Ferguson's off season fuck-ups. He was quick to reply "Don't worry I'll be fine when the season starts"...and to me...he was. Does anybody remember Belfour looking brutal in the pre-season then looking...well less brutal once the season started. Toskala will be in fine form on Saturday and with the Leafs / Habs rivalry coming to the ACC I'm sure this will be win number one for the blue and white this season.



Sundin scored? holy shit....Hallelujah...It's not that he sucked at the end of last year. He just wasn't getting any breaks. with goal number 389 under his belt (and early in the season too) he can leave that mental baggage behind and hopefully get plenty more bounces to go his way.


I'll also make my first confession of the season...I have a man-crush on Blake. This guy is the balls. Or as Pierre would say "He's a MONSTER! with DEXTERITY!"....Monsters and dexterity?...this isn't dungeons and Dragons Pierre, Get your shit together...But Blake is looking really good. He was a total pest again and had a great two-way presence in both games. On the opposite end of the scale Tucker needs either new skates, vertigo treatment or one of those little plastic chairs that 4 year-olds push around the ice when they learn to skate. Is it just me or does he look like a house league call up? He's flopping all over the ice and backchecks like Jason Allison. Tucker needs to smarten up. What a little bitch.


I truly hope Saturday is win number one for the blue and white. I also hope Toskala stays in net. Get some rest Maurice, lose those bags under your eyes...Saturdays gonna be a good one.

Game 1: New Year...Same Old Song

So last night was the first game of the regular season for the leafs. And what better way to get things started then a huge media circle jerk before the game even starts.

Everyone was asking (actually everyone was fearing) Who's gonna start in net for the Leafs season opener...Drum roll please...

Raycroft?!


Why the hell did we pick up Toskala in the off season if we didn't want to make the playoffs? Paul Maurice has been giving it the old "it's his job to lose..." Hey, Fuck Face, Did you not see what he did last year? He lost this job before he even left Boston. I do agree "Razer" was the better of the two in pre-season but give me a break...everyone and their retarded kid sister knew Raycroft wouldn't stand a chance against the Sens. Put Toskala in and see if he'll lose the job. It's really a pick your poison kind of situation so far. I hope tonight Toskala gets the start. It will really put thing into prespective...on one hand it will be "wow Vesa's a lot better than that bitch-face, sarcastic prick Raycroft"....or it will be "Holy shit did Vessa ever shit the bed...With no goal tending and molasses-slow defence, here's hoping for a high draft pick"

Anyone who watched the game last night saw Raycroft let in two really soft goals in the first...He did however manage to save a little face by stopping several 2 on 1's and a breakaway or two. The defence looked really slow...McCabe was up to his old antics and very skillfully turning the puck over while Thomas Kaberle looked uncharacteristically sloppy. I was impressed with Hall Gill for the amount of ice he got and Kubina actually looked like a 3rd line defenceman...money well spent.

As far as forwards go I'm gonna say that Blake was impressive. Great two-way skating and was a total fuckin' pest in the offensive zone. I wont be suprised if he matches last years numbers...this guy is what we thought Darcy Tucker was going to be...Tucker's just missing a few things (like balance and skill) other than that he's on his way. Sundin looked old...that's all I'm gonna say about that. Kilger, Steen and Pohl looked good...I hope they do well this season and Matt Stajan needs to learn how to skate with his fucking head up! CAR!

The Senators looked much like they did last year when they played the leafs...fuckin' good. Danny Heatley wrapped one around Raycroft and in (lake a Ferrari around a tree) and also scored the overtime winner...Leaf fans will have nightmares about this guy for years now that he's signed a new extension with the Senators that will see him there for at least another 6 years. Lets hope they let him drive the team bus.

The Leafs are going to lose in the Nations Capital tonight (we all know that)...on the bright side, after tonight we only have to play Ottawa 6 more times this season.

Listen to what I have to say...

Welcome to my Toronto Maple Leafs Blog for the 2007-2008 season.

This Blog is my soap box...In this blog I will bitch, moan, complain and sulk about all things leafs. From Owners to Managers to Coaches to Players to Trainers to Fans to Ushers to Ticket takers to Shovel Sluts all the way down to the bottom of the list where Raycroft stands.

I am a leafs fan. And I HATE leafs fans...I fucking can't stand them. There are several types of leaf fans within "Leafs Nation" and as much as I love cheering for the blue and white I also love bashing these douches...

01. The sketchy middle aged Italian guy that always seems to get tickets from a "buddy". These guys always tend to sit behind you at every fucking game and spew coaching wisdom as if they were Paul fuckin' Maurice. These guys cheer louder for a free t-shirt than an overtime goal. They smell like old spice and always have one of those beers with the stupid sippy lids on them. They also have: Harry ear lobes, Leafs jerseys on under their leather jackets, that curly hair that's half black and half grey but completely resembles old man pubic hair on his junk (not that I've seen this before) If this is your dad/brother maybe tell him that his Purple section coaching is not helping and no one wants to hear it. and if this is you...then you suck.

02. The 16 year old "fanboy" with the "Domi" jersey on while his 14 year old girlfriend wears that cute pink (it's not really cute, it's actually a huge joke) maple leafs jersey. This kid probably got his tickets from his mom who in turn got them from some guy at her office that wants to bone her. This fanboy usually has the matching leafs hat that conveniently sits on top of his hair leaving enough room for his gay bangs to hang out the front. They'll sit in the Gold section while she sends text messages on her cell phone and won't see the goal being scored but will cheer just as loud as everyone else to fit in. He'll sit there thinking the whole game about how he'll try and hold her hand on the train ride home and maybe, just maybe squeeze her boob during that kiss goodnight...I guess I really can't get mad at the fact he got tickets from his mom. But I can tell you that if I have kids that dress like that and waste a ticket on his flavour of the week girlfriend I'll punch him in the throat.

03. The 20-somethings that get shitfaced at the game off $11 beers, wear toques that resemble Jofa hockey helmets and chant "go Leafs go" in the train station after the leafs lose 4-1. These guys are so involved in trying to look like a fan that they have no fucking clue whats going on. I'm not even going to get into this one. These are the ones that truly piss me off...They don't follow the leafs on a daily basis and only rehash stuff they heard from Pierre McGuire on TSN. Stuff like "Antopov's a Monster!" and "Sundin is gonna look good this year"...wow...thank you for nothing you stupid fucks.

You don't have to prove to anyone your a fan of the team. Especially me. So don't wear your leafs jersey over your winter jacket in February at an East Side Mario's before the game because we get it. you like the leafs...no one cares.

Follow along with me this year as we watch the leafs shit the bed again. Post comments and let's start something here...(non sexual) because weather you want to admit it or not...you love the leafs...you homo