Toronto Maple Leafs V Philadelphia Flyers Preview

Tonight October 24, 11 on Leafs TV at 7pm the boys in blue will be taking on the Broad Street bullies in the first of three meetings on the season. Actually, the next time the Flyers and Leafs face one another will be on February 9, 12.  Tonight’s meeting is also the regular season debut of the Schenn v Schenn clash as Leafs defenseman Luke Schenn takes on little brother Brayden Schenn.

Entering tonight’s action, Toronto finds themselves in a familiar situation to last weeks clash with divisional rival the Boston Bruins. That is to say, the Leafs will be taking on one of the top teams in the NHL, and a win could go along way at showing fans that they are ready to contend with the big boys of the Eastern Conference. At the same time, tonight’s game also features Toronto taking on a powerhouse that has lost its last two games. We’ll find out if Toronto has learnt anything from last Thursday’s defeat to the Boston Bruins.

One area of concern for the Leafs an in particular their fans, is that tonight’s game will be the third appearance for backup goalie Jonas Gustavsson. The heavily criticized Swede has become a whipping boy of sorts after disheartening performances first in the aforementioned game with Boston and then in relief of top goalie James Reimer on Saturday in Montreal.  Tonight’s start will be make or break for Gustavsson as a slew of media outlets are speculating that if he can’t show some consistency and win a few games, the Leafs may be forced to look at other options.

On the other hand, the Leafs coaching staff seems to have learnt something from Boston, as Ron Wilson and his assistant coaches have elected to go with the same lineup as Saturday night in Montreal. For those of you that missed that game, Toronto came out flying and was seemingly able to roll four lines the entire night. The fourth line of Mike Brown Philippe Dupuis and Jay Rosehill in particular were able to play defensively responsible in their own zone. As well Rosehill and Brown were each able to play around eight minutes, which is something the Leafs coaching staff has needed from their fourth line.

Looking at the standings, the season may be early, but if the Toronto Maple Leafs want to continue their push to the playoffs, they will have to come out with a win against Philadelphia tonight. As we noted earlier, the Flyers are coming off back-to-back losses, but Toronto would be best served adding to the misery rather then allowing the Flyers any opportunity to win. Toronto currently has 11 points, while Philadelphia has nine points. The Leafs special teams and defense will have to show up tonight, as despite the Buds being in third place in the Eastern Conference, they have given up 23 goals and scored only 24 this season.

Tune in to Leafs TV for the game at 7pm, before tuning into the best Damn POST GAME SHOW Online at Leafs Talk Radio.

Written by: Eric Freedlander (@three_2_lose)

LEAFS BEAT HATED HABS FOR SECOND TIME THIS MONTH

Well Leafs Nation, could that game have been any more exciting? The game was back and forth which is typical for a game featuring the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens.

Both teams came out hard and gritty. Montreal came out flying dictating the early pace of the game. Early in the first a scary moment happened when Brian Gionta ran into James Reimer, forcing Reimer to lose his helmet. Reimer was shaken up and taken out of the game as a precaution at the end of the period. Gionta was given a two-minute penalty for goaltender interference on the play.

As the Leafs power play went to work they give up a shorthanded goal. The goal arose when two of the Habs players drove to the net and Reimer looked very tentative, (still shaking off the affects of the Gionta collision) and was forced way back. This goal allowed the Habs to take an early one to nothing lead, before Toronto would respond a short time later on another power play.

Jonas Gustavsson was in net to start the second period, leaving Leaf Nation gasping. After Gustavsson let in the first shot he faced, fans and management alike were left asking themselves what will we do if Reimer is injured for an extended period of time?  Luckily Leafs Nation, you won’t have to worry for long, as Reimer should be back Monday night to take on the Philadelphia Flyers.

 After trailing two to one after Gustavsson let in the first shot he faced, the man known as Phil the Thrill came back 37 seconds later to tie the game at two. The Leafs would then take their first lead of the game on a Dion Phaneuf blast from the point on another power play. Yes that is right fans the Leafs had two power play goals on the night.

Entering the third period the Leafs appeared to sit back for a short period of time. This in turn proved costly, as the Habs tied the game on a Mike Cammalleri rocket just in side the blue line. Then Travis Moen picked up his second goal of the game to let the Habs take the lead four to three. However, that is when Leafs Captain Dion Phaneuf took over the game, as he and the Grabovski line had an excellent rush, which ended with Nikolai Kulemin scoring the game-tying goal. After regulation the Buds and the Habs were tied at four.

The game came to an end quickly in overtime, as the previously mentioned Grabovski scored the game-winning goal. Grabo came out from behind the Habs net and made a nice spinning deke before depositing the game winner. Final Score Leafs 5 Canadiens 4.

Toronto’s victory over Montreal was also huge in the standings, as thanks to a Tampa Bay shutout over the Buffalo Sabres, the Leafs were able to take sole possession of first in the Northeast division. It is absolutely fantastic to see the Leafs contending early this season. However, with that being said, can the Leafs keep it up all season long and finally make the playoffs?

The next step in Toronto’s quest to make the playoffs will take place Monday October 24, 11 when they battle the new look Philadelphia Flyers. This is an important game, as the Leafs have been deadlocked in the standings with the Flyers on a couple of different occasions. You can watch the game on Leafs TV at 7pm and then tune in to the best damn post game show afterwards at Leafs Talk Radio.

Written by: Stephen Marshall (@hockeyman1929)

Edited by: Eric Freedlander (@Three_2_Lose)

Posted by: John Davis (@Hockeyman1981)

Everyday I’m Hustling Leafs V Habs Preview

Since the start of the season some two weeks ago, the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs have each struggled significantly. The one dilemma both teams share is their inability to get consistency through the lineup when it comes to scoring on their opponents. In each team’s most recent game on Thursday October 20, neither team could muster much offense against powerhouse teams. Montreal lost a three to one decision to the Pittsburgh Penguins, while Toronto got lit up like a Cheech and Chong film by the Boston Bruins six to two.

What’s most intriguing about Canada’s most prolific teams losing, is that neither lived up to their moniker as teams that “hustle” and never give up. To quote the great Rick Ross, “It ain’t no coincidence that my age is kilo”. As two of the younger teams in the NHL, the Habs and Leafs have constantly struggled with consistency. In fact, you could make the argument that if neither the Habs nor Maple Leafs had amazing goaltending from starters Carey Price and James Reimer, neither team may have won a game by now.

Entering Saturday night’s action at the Bell Center in Montreal, the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs will need to get back to what’s made them each unbeatable in the past. That is to say, they have to hustle real hard and somehow anyway at all get off to a fast start. The Achilles Heel for the two original six franchises is they are each notoriously slow starters.  In their first encounter, to open the season back on October 6, neither team really got off to a fast start. With this being the case, that opening night game has dictated how each team has played thus far in the season.

In my opinion, Saturday night’s game on CBC at 7pm couldn’t be more important to either team. Entering Saturday’s game, Toronto has collected points in five of six games, while accumulating a record of four – one – one. At the same time, Montreal has only collected points in two games while going one – four – one in that stretch. If Toronto loses, it could start another long losing streak that the team may not recover from. Similarly, if Montreal continues to lose, they may need to hit the panic button, as building a hole early is never easy to climb out of.

ROUGH START TO ROAD TRIP

Last night the Leafs were handed many firsts of this young season and if it was going to happen I guess why not it be the defending Stanley Cup Champions have. Let’s get started on that list of firsts. It was their first road game of the season, which resulted in their first road loss and also their first loss in regulation.  How many more firsts can there be you ask yourself? I will continue. It was Gustavsson’s first start of the season and what a lot of people expected to happen did. The tem did not look confident in from of him and they got pounded 6-2. Bringing another first of the season, the most goals surrendered by the team thus far. Some bright spots if you can say there were any in a 6-2 loss were that Kadri was in the line up and looked pretty good out there. Finishing with 13 minutes of ice time, his first point of the season coming on Steckel’s goal and a plus 1 rating on the night. Looking forward to Saturday hopefully we can see some more first, such as The Maple Leafs winning their first road game of the season. Also I would like to see them kick The Habs ass again for the 2nd time this month. As a Leafs fan you can’t tell me it’s not a little bit more fun at work on a Monday after a Leafs win against The Canadians on Saturday night.   Check back soon for a pre-game report and always catch the Leafs talk Radio 5 minutes after the final buzzer at http://m.blogtalkradio.com/leafs-talk-radio/2011/10/22/toronto-maple-leafs-post-game-show   Written By: Stephen Marshall  

Leafs Pre Game Report-Toronto Maple Leafs Set To Make Statement Against Rival Bruins

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Tonight the Toronto Maple Leafs will be taking on the Boston Bruins in the buds first road game of the regular season. The game can be seen on TSN at 7pm.

This game is a crucial one for both teams for a few different reasons. Firstly, this will be the first official game between Boston and Toronto in which we know who all the pieces in the big Phil Kessel deal from a few years ago are. Secondly and perhaps more importantly, the Leafs could really make a statement for their season, by decimating the defending Stanley Cup Champions.

Thus far in the season, the Bruins have struggled significantly, as they appear to be suffering from a Stanley Cup hangover. The Bruins are without star center David Krejci which in turn has hurt their special teams. On the other hand, the Leafs have experienced much success in the first four games of the season going into last night’s action with the Winnipeg Jets. However, like Boston, Toronto has struggled on the power play.

Another crucial factor in the outcome of this game is the return of the Monster Jonas Gustavsson. Gustavsson who hasn’t played a regular season game, since giving up seven goals to the New York Rangers last January, will be looking to show not only the Maple Leafs, but a potential trading partner, that he can be a viable option in between the pipes. The question Leafs nation is wondering, is whether or not the man known as the Monster has the mental toughness to battle a tough team like the Boston Bruins. If he can show that he is still competent in the net, Toronto may be able to form an impressive tandem with the Monster and number one goalie James Reimer.

Thursday October 20, 2011 is the first of six divisional matchups against the Boston Bruins for Toronto. Can the boys in blue continue their hot start? No statement will be bigger then a win over last season’s Stanley Cup Champions.

Come Listen and chat live with the boys from RSC LEAFS TALK 5 mins after the final buzzer
http://m.blogtalkradio.com/leafs-talk-radio/2011/10/21/toronto-maple-leafs-post-game-show-vs-bruins

Written By: Eric Freedlander (@Three_2_Lose)
Edited & Posted By: John Davis 

Leafs post game report from October 19th, 2011- Jets grounded by the Leafs at the ACC

Well it wasn't the prettiest of wins but it's 2 points at the end of the day. That's what matters most. This was a big character win for the Leafs who showed they were able to once again battle from behind and come back to tie just as they did against the Avalanche on Monday night. Last night though had a much more positive ending with the Buds winning, potting 2 nice goals in their first shoot out of the season. The goals were scored by Lupul and Frattin. Then Reimer did his job turning away the two shooters he faced. The first 2 periods we're not the greatest for the Leafs especially for the forwards after 37 minutes in to the game only 4 of the 12 had shots on net and with Armstrong getting injured early on it was really more like 4 of 11. Hopefully they can get off to a better start tonight, which I think will really be required with Gustavsson getting the nod tonight. A quick start out of the gate and some good defense, the Leafs could continue their winning ways by taking advantage of a struggling Bruins team. So now the Leafs are 4-0-1 to start the season. The Leaf's have taken 9 of a possible 10 points and are now sitting in 3rd place only behind first place by 1 point. Tonight with a win and a Pittsburgh and Washington loss they can leap in to first place. So catch the game tonight and cheer your Leafs on. Then catch the show after the game at http://m.blogtalkradio.com/leafs-talk-radio/2011/10/21/toronto-maple-leafs-post-game-show-vs-bruins

Written by: Stephan Marshall
Edited and Posted by: John Davis

Toronto Maple Leafs Prospect Report

Since Brian Burke took over the helm of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2008, he has steadily collected himself a growing cupboard of prospects. As everyone is well aware of, he likes to build himself from the back end out. He started turning the Toronto Maple leafs franchise into a respectable team in terms of prospects where in the previous decades we have been ridiculed of terrible drafting along with giving away our assets of draft choices in trades. Although many people believe we have a great strength in goaltending and defense, we are just starting to see forwards making an impact throughout the junior level.

Although we have 7 players throughout the junior ranks playing at over a point per game average, we will look at the three players that are making a difference to their respective clubs. We can only hope that they may in fact, one day suit up for our Blue & White.

Bradley Ross – Portland Winterhawks (WHL)

Games Played	Goals	Assists	Points	Points Per Game	PIM	+/-
11	7	11	18	1.64	19	-2

Playing for the third place team in the Western Conference in the WHL, Bradley Ross is starting to show his offensive flare to go along with his tenacious physicality. Ross is often compared to players such as Steve Ott, Darcy Tucker, and Cal Clutterbuck. However, he was sent back to the WHL to provide leadership and hone in his offensive instincts before he makes the move to the professional level.

Ross is a prototypical “Brian Burke” type player who will hit, fight, back up teammates and more importantly provides leadership. Last night Ross and the Portland Winterhawks hosted the Saskatoon Blades. Ross registered 2G, 2A and playing to an even rating in a 7-6 Final.

Playing with skilled players such as Ty Rattie (STL), Ryan Johansen (CLB), Nino Niederreiter (NYI), and Sven Bartschi (CAL), Ross will look to provide that toughness along with the leadership and offense that Portland will need to make another playoff run in the 2011-12 WHL season. 

Josh Nicholls – Saskatoon Blades (WHL)

Games Played	Goals	Assists	Points	Points Per Game	PIM	+/-
10	6	7	13	1.30	8	1

A Member of the Saskatoon Blades, Josh Nicholls is a huge wildcard prospect for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Playing for the 2^nd place team in the WHL and being given a bigger role on the team, Nicholls has been on fire and leads his team in Goals, Assists, Points, and Points Per Game. Last night the Blades took on the Winterhawks in a shootout. Unfortunately, they fell 7-6 but Nicholls was named first star of the game for registering 4G, 2A; the 4 goals were all scored consecutively for his team, and were scored in the 2^nd and 3^rd periods. Nicholls looks to continue his hot streak when he and the Saskatoon Blades take on the Tri-City Americans.

Greg McKegg – Erie Otters (OHL)

Games Played	Goals	Assists	Points	Points Per Game	PIM	+/-
7	2	8	10	1.43	6	-8

Playing for the last place team in the OHL, and suffering a minor concussion last week, McKegg has shown why he is the captain of the Erie Otters and why some consider him to be a steal in his draft year. Although he has not played since last Wednesday, he still leads his team in Assists, Points, and Points Per Game; followed closely by another Leafs prospect Sondre Olden.

The Erie Otters are the 4^th lowest scoring team in the OHL, they are eagerly expecting his return. It is unlikely that they will make the playoffs this year, but after a 49-goal campaign, he will be looking to make an impression for his graduation to professional hockey. It is expected that McKegg will return to the Otters lineup in the next 7-10 days.

Written by: Torrey Duckworth
Edited & Posted by: John Davis 

Leafs welcome Jets for first time in 15 years‏

 Tonight in another all Canadian match-up in the NHL the 

4th in 5 games for the Buds. The Toronto Maple Leafs play host

to the Winnipeg Jets for the first time since March 13th 1996. 

A game that was so long ago it ended in a 3-3 tie in pre shootout 

days. Tonight the Leafs look to continue their quick start to the 

season. Already at a 3-0-1 mark earning points in all 4 games.

The Jets on the other hand are at the opposite end of the spectrum

going 1-3 in there first 4 games. Finally winning for their first time 

since returning to Winnipeg with a 2-1 victory versus the Penguins. 

With the Buds playing 4 games in the next 6 nights look to see 

Gustavsson between the pipes at least once in that span. Maybe 

even tonight. If not most likely tomorrow when the Leafs take on 

the defending Stanley Cup Champions The Boston Bruins. Gustavsson 

not knowing when he will be playing had this to say "You just have 

to practice hard and do well in practice to get some confidence to 

go out there and play in a game," The last time he saw action was 

against Detroit in preseason on September 30th in a 4-3 win. 

Tonight I am sure we will see quite a few Jets fans at the ACC 

and that's great, cause getting a NHL franchise back in Canada 

is amazing and hopefully we get some more. So catch the game tonight 

on TSN at 7:30pm and join me and the crew after the game at:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/leafs-talk-radio/2011/10/20/toronto-maple-leafs-post-game-show

Written by: Steven Marshall (@hockeyman1929) 

Edited by: John Davis