One more sleep

Sawchuk and Bower the last duo of goaltenders that brought The Leafs to the Promised Land.

Terry, the worry wart, hated if players scored on him during practise.

Johnny Bower, the old man in the cage. Despite playing into his 40's , he managed to win 4 Cups for the Leafs. .

My late uncle referred to him as "Old Porous", referring to his leaky play at times. Well, Uncle Brian, he did really well when it mattered.

One more sleep until we can watch some Leafs-Habs playoff hockey. Thank the baby Jesus. I can't wait.

I doubt I will be able to fall asleep easily tonight. 

The wife will be off visiting her brother in law for the next 2 days, so I will have the house to myself.

I will wake up tomorrow morning and smile because I am a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Auston has to be The Man tomorrow, and in the entire series.

Your best players have to be Your Best Players.

 

Game On !!

The Leafs have some decisions to make

 I know it's been a lomg time between blogs, so I apologise for the lousy picture beside.

It has been a tough year for all of us,no doubt.

 It’s very evident that Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas made a major impact at the NHL trade deadline. He was able to address the team’s depth by bringing in a top-six forward, a shutdown centre, a reliable goaltender and a steady defenseman.

It’s great to have this kind of depth, especially when the general manager thinks this is the perfect time for the team to go all-in and win a championship. With the additions of Nick Foligno and Riley Nash from the Columbus Blue Jackets, roster decisions are going to have to be made at the forward position.

When the playoffs start, head coach Sheldon Keefe is going to have to ice the best possible lineup in order to have a successful playoff run. This means that some players may have to take a seat as the newly acquired could see more ice time than some currently on the roster. Here are the Maple Leafs whose roster spot is on the line after trade deadline.

Joe Thornton

When the Maple Leafs signed Thornton to a one-year, $700,000 contract, many were excited at the prospect of bringing someone of his caliber in to help be a vocal presence on a young team. As he got older on the San Jose Sharks, he still seemed to play relatively well with the Maple Leafs two youngest stars.

 He has since been demoted seeing time on the third and fourth lines. Thornton’s production has taken a hit in the process after a strong start. He currently has 12 points in 32 games, a 0.38 point per game rate. While we know that his production wouldn’t be where it was previously, the Maple Leafs probably expected more than two assists over his last 21 games played. Thornton saw time with Jason Spezza and Alexander Kerfoot, yet they continue to make an impact as they have 22 and 18 points respectively.

Thornton was recently placed back in the top-six against the Calgary Flames and he did not look good in that role. While the team’s power play has gone cold, he has been ineffective all season despite playing with two elite level players. His age is starting to show as the 41-year-old’s inability to keep up in a fast paced game is evident as he’s always a step behind on the rush or in the offensive zone, no matter what line he is on.

 Once Foligno arrives, he could very well be in a second or third line role, pushing someone like Thornton off the roster. It’ll be difficult for him to keep his spot over someone like Ilya Mikheyev who has speed to burn and is an asset on the penalty kill. Toronto Sun’s Michael Traikos mentions that Maple Leafs have better options and that Thornton isn’t “good enough to warrant a roster spot in this improved lineup.”

Everyone loves Thornton. Who doesn’t? He gives this team a personality and energy that wasn’t present before. Though, they’re going to need to get more out of him. If he can’t find the level of play he had early on, he might be sitting out come playoff time.

 

Wayne Simmonds

Another signing that Maple Leafs fans wanted and got.Waybe Simmonds was brought in to provide grit and toughness needed for when things got rough and we have seen that every game.  

Like Thornton, things were going well for Simmonds at the beginning of the season. He recorded five goals, three of which came on the power play. He was physical and even got in the occasional fight every now and then. It was all going well until he sustained a broken wrist that sidelined him for six weeks.

 Since returning from injury, he has one goal and two assists in 14 games. While the production is low, he has consistently been playing in a fourth line role and has good possession numbers for the season. He has a 52.21 Corsi For percentage and has a high danger goals for percentage of 75% when he is on the ice. But there are some inconsistencies that have stood out in his game recently.

There are times where he makes great plays and gets in on the forecheck. Then there are ones where he has the puck and it amounts to nothing. Even when pursuing the puck, he doesn’t have the speed that was noticeable early on in the season. When the puck is on his stick, it seems like he’s trying to do a bit too much and takes an extra second or two to make a decision and then the play is dead. Plus his presence on the power play, like Thornton, continues to be a problem.

 Simmonds may be safe for now, as the logjam appears to be happening on the left side, putting Thornton’s job in jeopardy. In addition, when William Nylander comes off the COVID-19 list, it could create some movement on the right side. The fact that Mikheyev can be shifted to the right side brings in the idea that he can move down into a fourth line on either side. The possibility of taking Simmonds out of the lineup isn’t entirely out of the question.

 

Pierre Engvall

At the beginning of the season, I mentioned Pierre Engvall’s name as someone who could be battling for a roster spot.  Now, he’s fighting to keep it. 

Engvall earned a contract extension in 2020, signing it in February after having a good rookie season with 15 points in 48 games. We knew that he was going to be seeing minutes as a bottom-six forward, but it seems like he’s taken a step back this season as he has eight points in 35 games and been inconsistent in his overall play. This seemed to be the case from the beginning of camp as Keefe wasn’t happy with his play during an inter-squad game.

While his speed is great, the drive and effort seems to be lacking compared to last season, where he used his size to his advantage to win puck battles. While we’re seeing him going into the corners, he’s not using his big frame to intimidate the opposition. His positioning in his own end and defensive play has also been a concern.

He’s an asset on the penalty kill as he’s proven to be effective in that role. However with the addition of Nash, once he comes off the injured reserve list, the chance of Engvall losing the fourth line centre position just got higher. There’s no doubt that Nash serves as a better option over Engvall up the middle. Both players have similar offensive production, but Nash would serve as a player who wouldn’t be afraid to use his body to make a hit and engage in battles in the offensive zone.

 Engvall could probably be moved to the wing and won’t be relied on heavily up the middle as his struggles have shown. Though he’s still in the same situation as Thornton and Simmonds, as all three lines seem to be set in stone going forward. Though, if there was one forward to still be in the lineup Engvall would provide more value over the other two players.

With the depth that the Maple Leafs have, difficult decisions are going to have to be made when the newly acquired Maple Leafs return to the ice. They look to have a solid top-nine, Thornton, Simmonds or Engvall are going to see their ice time cut. They could be rotated periodically, but the Maple Leafs are at a point where they might be better off without these three players.

 

 

The Leafs

 

This Saturday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs play at home against the Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens are currently second in the Northern ( Canadian Division ).

Auston Matthews has a consecutive point game streak on the line, but more importantly, they can actually separate themselves from thier nearest rival by 5 points.

The reason that I think that is so important is that they play the following three games at home versus the Ottawa Senators, currently in last place.

If, and I don't want to get too far ahead, but should they take 2 out of 3 games from Ottawa, they should be welcoming back Nick Robertson and Joe Thornton, and be a handful of weeks from getting back up goaltender Jack Campbell back. The result of which will determine the workload on Freddy Anderson, and other veterans on the Leaf squad.

This season has gone incredibly well for Toronto so far, with just 4 of their regulars getting injured.  Wayne Simmonds can then take his time getting back into game shape, and the Leafs can continue to shuffle M. Lehtonen and Rasmus Sandin in and out of the line up, giving rest to the core defense.

There's another western road trip due in March, but there's a chance that it could meet with continued success.

I am wishing them.

Leafs prevail

 Leafs are in fist place in the Canadian Division.

After a hard fought 4-3 win against the Calgary Flames last night. 

Here's how I saw it.

Mitch Marner's been working on his shot and it showed in the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 win Tuesday over the host Calgary Flames.

Marner's quick one-timer amid a crowd of Flames produced the game-winner at 12:14 of the third period.

"Trying to get more of a shot mentality," Marner said.

"I feel like I really want to try and make an extra play most of the time, but this year, trying to be more of a threat and more of a guy that can be more of a consistent shooter on net, and kind of change things up a lot on goalies."

Marner, who also assisted on an Auston Matthews goal Tuesday, continues to vie for the early lead in the NHL points race.

He was tied with Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid at five goals and seven assists Tuesday.

Matthews also had a goal and an assist for the Maple Leafs (6-2-0).

Wayne Simmonds and Travis Boyd scored Toronto's other goals. Frederik Andersen stopped 23-of-26 shots for the win.

Johnny Gaudreau scored twice for Calgary (2-2-1). Milan Lucic also scored for the Flames and Jacob Markstrom stopped 17 shots in the loss.

Calgary's sluggish start forced the hosts to chase Toronto.

Gaudreau's second goal of the game drew Calgary even at 3-3 in the third period, but Marner's deceptive release on a Matthews pass from the boards restored Toronto's lead.

"We did a good regrouping in the second getting ourselves back to an even hockey game, but they win from the inside of our slot.," Calgary head coach Geoff Ward said.

"The guy is standing right between three of our guys and finds a way to get a shot off. You can't give up four goals in this league regularly and expect to win games."

Gaudreau scored top corner from the face-off circle for a power-play goal at 9:03 of the third period.

Calgary outshot the visitors 18-5 in the second period, but still trailed by a goal after two.

A Juuso Valimaki pass caromed off Leaf Alex Kerfoot's skate to Lucic in the slot for him to beat Andersen between the pads at 14:21 of the second period.

Gaudreau halved a two-goal deficit at 1:08, but Boyd restored Toronto's two-goal cushion 61 seconds later.

Pierre Engvall dished to an unchallenged Boyd charging into the slot. Boyd scored his first as a Leaf fishing the puck out of his feet and chipping it over Markstrom.

Unchecked on Andersen's right side, Gaudreau had time to go backhand-forehand on Toronto's goalie.

Toronto outshot the Flames 10-1 and led 2-0 after the opening period. It took nearly 16 minutes for Calgary to register a shot on net.

"That was just an awful first period from us," Gaudreau said. "Not the way we're going to win games, playing catchup the whole game."

Matthews whipped the puck over Markstrom's right shoulder at 14:16 of the first period for a power-play goal.

Simmonds scored his second goal in as many games tucking his own rebound by Markstrom's right toe at 3:44.

Leafs backup goaltender Jack Campbell was replaced in the lineup by Michael Hutchinson.

Campbell's leg was injured in the final minute of Sunday's 3-2 win over the Flames when Matthew Tkachuk fell on him in a goal-mouth scrum.

Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe said Tuesday that Campbell will be sidelined for "weeks".

After enjoying the gentlest schedule to start the season of any team in the all-Canadian North Division, the Flames will now play 21 games in the next 40 days.

Calgary departs on a five-game road trip with two games in Montreal starting Thursday, followed by three games in four days in Winnipeg.

Toronto faces the Oilers on Thursday and Saturday in Edmonton to conclude a four-game road trip.

Notes: The Maple Leafs wore No. 10 patches on their chests in memory of George Armstrong, who captained Toronto to four Stanley Cups in the 1960s and died this week at age 90. Every Leaf wore No. 10 and "Armstrong" on their back during warmup ... Flames winger Dillon Dube was scratched for a second straight game with an upper-body injury.

 The Chief, George Armstrong, # 10.

 

 

 

 

 Hail to the Chief !

George Armstrong, who captained the Toronto Maple Leafs to four Stanley Cups in the 1960s, has died. He was 90.

His death was announced Sunday by the Maple Leafs, who said he died of heart complications, citing his family.

 Armstrong had 296 goals and 417 assists over 21 seasons for the Leafs, including 12 seasons as team captain, and remains the franchise leader in games played. The right wing had 26 goals and 34 assists in 110 playoff games.

Known as the "Chief," Armstrong was one of the first players of Indigenous descent to play professional hockey.

He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1975. Some 41 years later, Armstrong was voted No. 12 on the franchise's list of 100 greatest Maple Leafs in its centennial season.

"George is part of the very fabric of the Toronto Maple Leaf organization and will be deeply missed," Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan said in a statement.

"A proud yet humble man, he loved being a Maple Leaf, but never sought the spotlight even though no player played more games for Toronto or captained the team longer. Always one to celebrate his teammates rather than himself, George couldn't even bring himself to deliver his speech the day he was immortalized on Legends Row."

Armstrong would become one of a few Leafs honored with a banner at Scotiabank Arena, and his number was retired in October 2016 at the team's centennial anniversary home opener.

In 2015, Armstrong was added to the Leafs' Legends Row. The team released a statement Sunday with the words from Armstrong's unread speech that night.

"Hockey is a great game and I love it. I am part of a fading generation that you will never have again. Every one of us is one of a kind, that will never be repeated. To all of my friends and acquaintances, thank you for your advice and direction, that helped make me who I am today ... a very, very happy person."

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman paid tribute Sunday to the former Leafs captain.

"The National Hockey League family is saddened to learn of the passing of George Armstrong," Bettman said in a statement. "For 70 years, he represented his beloved Maple Leafs and the entire NHL with class and distinction as a player, coach, executive and ambassador.

"A humble man and revered leader, Armstrong captained the Leafs for 12 seasons -- including to three straight Stanley Cups in 1962, 1963 and 1964 and the stunning 1967 title -- and scored the final goal of the Original Six Era in Game 6 of the '67 Final.

"Our game will miss him dearly."

After retiring in 1971, Armstrong coached the Toronto Marlboros to Memorial Cup victories in 1972-73 and 1974-75 before accepting a scouting position with the Quebec Nordiques in 1978.

He spent nine years with Quebec before returning to Toronto as assistant general manager and scout in 1988. Armstrong served as interim coach for the final 47 games of the 1988-89 season after John Brophy was fired following an 11-20-2 start.

The next year, Armstrong returned to his role as a scout for the Leafs.

Armstrong scored 20 goals four times during his career but was better known for his leadership and work ethic, helping restore the franchise's winning touch. A smart player and talented backchecker, he worked the angles to get the best shot at his opponent and formed a formidable penalty-killing tandem with Hall of Famer Dave Keon.

Born in Bowland's Bay, Ontario, to an Irish father and an Iroquois mother, Armstrong honed his hockey skills near the nickel mines where his father worked.

It was during the Allan Cup tournament in 1950, specifically a visit to the Stoney Indian Reserve in Alberta, that he got his nickname. When the band heard of Armstrong's ancestral background, they made him an honorary member with the name "Chief Shoot-the-Puck" and presented him with a ceremonial headdress.

It was a different era and "The Chief" nickname stuck. Armstrong, who was proud of his mother's heritage, would become the first player of Indigenous descent to score in the NHL.

He spent most of two seasons in Pittsburgh with the Leafs' American Hockey League farm team before making the big league. He made his NHL debut in December 1949 and became a full-time member of the Leafs in time for the start of the 1952-53 season.

Toronto owner and GM Conn Smythe named Armstrong his captain before the 1957-58 season. Smythe would later call Armstrong "the best captain, as a captain, the Leafs have ever had."

The Leafs won the Stanley Cup in 1962, the first of three straight championships.

Armstrong was 36 when the veteran Leafs won the franchise's most recent championship in 1967. His insurance empty-net goal with 47 seconds remaining in the clinching 3-1 Game 6 win was the final goal of the Original Six era.

The 6-foot-1, 204-pounder played a few more seasons but suffered a knee injury during the 1969-70 season that forced him to retire. Armstrong was persuaded to come back for the 1970-71 season before quitting for good at age 40.

 

He will be missed, as an icon of the Maple Leafs.

 

 

 

 

Well hockey returns to my household this Wednesday night as the Maple Leafs take on the blue, blanc et rouge. Meaning their arch rivals , the Montreal Canadiens. My friend JF , who lives in Montreal has always appreciated the romance that this match up brings. He longs for the days when Lafleur would skate wildly down the wing and wind up and send a booming slapshot towards the net, hoping for a goal.

Me, I want to see Davey Keon stick handle and dipsy doodle around a defenceman ( doesn't matter what team ) and deke out the goalie.

Some wish to see John Ferguson duke it out with Eddie Shack, fisticuffs at centre ice. I wouldn't mind to see that brawl either, but the key is Montreal vs Toronto for ice supremacy. 

I have had the unique honour of being in both Montreal Forums, Maple Leaf Gardens, and the Air Canada Centre ( now named the Scotia Bank Arena ), and let me tell you, it is electric when these two teams play one another. Hair stands up on end, fingers tingle, fans try to stay in their seats, straining to see a glimpse of their heroes skate up and down the ice in the name of the best game ever invented.

So, it is my honour to name the All Time Leaf team and the All Time Habs team, my preferences, my favourites.

Montreal will be coached by Toe Blake, assisted by Scotty Bowman, how's that for hall of Fame coaching.

1st Line, at centre Le Gros Bill, Jean Beliveau, at right wing Yvan Cournoyer, and on left wing Guy LaFleur.

The second line will be manned by The pocket rocket , Henri Richard, Bob Gainey and Dick Duff.

The 3rd line will be centered by Elmer Lach, wings are Rocket Richard and Bernie Geoffrion.

On defence, only 6 are on my list, Serge Savard, Doug Harvey, Tom Johnston, J.C. Trembley, Guy Lapointe and Big Larry Robinson.

Tending the twine tent, Ken Dryden, backed up by Patrick Roy.

For the Maple Leafs, their first line will be Dave Keon, Frank Mahovlich and Wendel Clark.

Their second line will be Auston Matthews, Lanny MacDonald and Rick Vaive.

Their 3rd line will be Doug Gilmour, Paul Henderson and George Armstrong

On defence, old Coffee Baron himself Tim Horton, Borje Salming, Allan Stanley, Red Kelly ( I had to to find a spot for the old Redhead) Bobby Baun and Ian Turnbull.

Manning the cord cottage, Johnny Bower and Curtis Joseph.

Oh and the coach will be Ted Kennedy. The ol' Teeder.

Signing the national anthem will be Roger Doucet, and calling the game will be Foster Hewitt and Danny Gallivan.

Enjoy the game JF, as will I.

Twas the Night before Christmas, hockey version

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hey, what do you want from me, I have two grandchildren....

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the rink,
The players were stirring, can you smell that hockey stink?
The gloves, pads and skates were hung in the lockers with care,
In hope that the next game soon would be there.
The players were ready, they’ve trained and they’ve bled,
With visions of hat tricks dancing in their heads.

The Zambonis were parked, the sticks were taped,
What a beautiful night for a long winter skate.
When out on the ice there arose such a clatter,
Gloves were dropped, what exactly was the matter?
The fists they flew through the air like a flash,
The blood hit the ice, drop by drop, with a splash.
The combatants were sent to the sin bin for a timeout,
To jaw at each other, to whine and to pout.
They’d get five minutes each, a penance for their sins,
Then come back out and go at it again.
The dekes, sick handles, and slap shots they fly,
But the goalie says, “No!” each and every time.
The game has come down to the last little bit,
The crowd rises to their feet, urging their team not to quit.

Their team gets the puck with one last chance to score,
As the clock ticks downs, they need one goal more.
The puck moves left then right, and rifled down the boards,
The forecheck crashes in with defensemen and forwards.
The puck squirts free, it’s there for the taking,
The home team picks it up and there they go skating.
The goalie, he looks through the steel of his cage,
His weak spots the forward will have to gauge.
The shot flies through the thin winter air,
The puck spinning and twisting, this the goalie must snare.
The goaltender lunges, to his left with the glove,
But the sound of puck hitting twine the crowd would surely love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

With a thud and a swoosh as the puck hits the net,
The forward wipes his brow of his sweat.
The horn sounds loud for all to hear,
This was the greatest game of the year.
With sticks raised high in salute to the crowd,
The home team has won and wow, it is loud!
The three stars skate out and then head out of sight,
The announcer calls out, “Merry Christmas to all and to all a happy hockey night!”

and drop the puck on January 13th !!

 Merry Christmas , Merry Christmas.