Showing posts with label Toronto Maple Leafs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Toronto Maple Leafs. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 01, 2014

USA Hockey: Team USA releases their Olympic roster

Here’s the Team USA Olympic Roster, there's a few head-scratchers on this roster. I am surprised that Bobby Ryan, Jason Pominville and Keith Yandle were left off of the team. The question is, who would/should have been left off of the team to make room for these three guys? I am sure we all have our own suggestions. 
Goalies (3)
Ryan Miller/Buffalo Sabres – Michigan State
Jonathan Quick/Los Angeles Kings – UMass Amherst  
Jimmy Howard/Detroit Red Wings – Maine

Defensemen (8)
Brooks Orpik/Pittsburgh Penguins – Boston College
Ryan Suter/Minnesota Wild – Wisconsin
John Carlson/Washington Capitals – London Knights
Justin Faulk/Carolina Hurricanes – Minnesota Duluth
Cam Fowler/Anaheim Ducks – Windsor Spitfires
Paul Martin/Pittsburgh Penguins – Minnesota
Ryan McDonagh/New York Rangers – Wisconsin
Kevin Shattenkirk/St. Louis Blues – Boston University

 Forwards (14)
David Backes/St. Louis Blues – Minnesota State
Dustin Brown/Los Angeles Kings --
Guelph Storm
Ryan Callahan/New York Rangers --
Guelph Storm
Patrick Kane/Chicago Blackhawks --  London Knights
Ryan Kesler/Vancouver Canucks – Ohio State
Phil Kessel/Toronto Maple Leafs – Minnesota
Zach Parise/Minnesota Wild – North Dakota
Joe Pavelski/San Jose Sharks – Wisconsin
Paul Stastny/Colorado Avalanche – Denver
T.J. Oshie/St. Louis Blues – North Dakota
Max Pacioretty/Montreal Canadiens – Michigan
Derek Stepan/New York Rangers – Wisconsin
James van Riemsdyk/Toronto Maple Leafs – New Hampshire
Blake Wheeler/Winnipeg Jets – Minnesota


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Winter Classic Humor


s/t Addicted Hockey Fans. The game is going to the dogs.
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Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Yeah in Review 2013



Personally, I think that 2013 was a crummy year, however, it was a very good year for sports. There's been some really nice stories. When it looked like the Boston Bruins were going back to Chicago for game seven, but it wasn't meant to be, as the Blackhawks scored two goals in 17-seconds to win the Stanley Cup over the Boston Bruins.



The last team in the NCAA tourney, wins the NCAA tourney by going through a bunch of one and two seeded teams. Also, Yale becomes the first Ivy League school as well as the first ECAC team since 1989 to win the NCAA title. With the NCAA title win, the ECAC sheds the EZAC label.

The Minnesota Wild sign the big-time free agents Ryan Suter and Zach Parise in the summer of 2012 and the Minnesota make the Stanley Cup for the first time since the 2006-07 season. However, the Wild playoff drive is short lived as they are quickly dispatched in five games (4-1) by the eventual Stanley Cup champion the Chicago Blackhawks.



After much discussion, hand wringing and teeth gnashing, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference begins play in Oxford, Ohio as North Dakota and Miami play in the first ever game. North Dakota would go on to win game one by a score of 4-2.



The Toronto Maple Leafs looked like they were headed to the second-round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Leafs had what looked like a comfortable 4-1 lead. Then the roof fell in on the Maple Leafs during the third period. The Bruins would move on to face the New York Rangers in the second round of the playoffs.



Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand, aka the Little Ball of Hate, would get things rolling in round two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs as the Boston Bruins would win in overtime.

Like I mentioned earlier, personally, for me, 2013 has been one of those years that I will soon hopefully forget, but there's been some great sports stories. Happy New Year and see you next year.
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Sunday, December 22, 2013

Jonas Gustavsson makes a save on Dion Phaneuf.



Red Wings goalie Jonas Gustavsson makes a beautiful 10-bell save on Toronto Leafs defenseman Dion Phaneuf. This has to be one of the top saves of the season so far. This is a game changing save right here.

Monday, December 16, 2013

(Video) Robert Bortuzzo head shot on Jerry D'Amigo



Penguins Defenseman Robert Bortuzzo delivers a headshot on Maple Leafs forward Jerry D'Amigo. Bortuzzo was given a two-minute minor for an illegal check to the head. I think there's a chance that Bortuzzo could get a call from the NHL's department of Player Safety.

I also agree with the fans that say that the Pittsburgh Penguins don't have the moral high ground, either. Lastly, Is this the same kind of hit that Deryk Engelland put on Justin Abdelkader? I don't know? Thoughts?






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Saturday, December 14, 2013

Toronto's Clarkson to have hearing for hit on Sobotka


The Department of Player Safety might not be the Christmas spirit when it talks to Toronto's David Clarkson. The Maple Leafs forward has already been suspended this season and could be looking at another lengthy one.
NHL.COM -- Toronto Maple Leafs right wing David Clarkson will have a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety on Saturday morning for a hit on St. Louis Blues left wing Vladimir Sobotka in a game Thursday night at Scottrade Center.

At 6:28 of the second period, Clarkson was assessed a two-minute minor for an illegal check to the head of Sobotka, who remained in the game.

The following grounds are being considered for supplemental discipline: illegal check to the head. However, the Department of Player Safety retains the right to make adjustments to the infraction upon review.

St. Louis won the game, 6-3.
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Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Dion Phaneuf suspended 2 games for hit on Kevan Millar



Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Dion Phaneuf has been suspended for two-games by the NHL for his hit on Kevan Millar. Personally, I think that is the right decision, and I can live with this suspension. In my opinion, a two-game suspension seems like an appropriate length for that hit. The NHL can't go around suspending every player that boards another player five-games. While it was a dangerous hit, Dion Phaneuf has never been suspended by the NHL.
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Sunday, December 08, 2013

Bruins Kevan Miller boarded by Leafs Dion Phaneuf



Boston Bruins defenseman Kevan Miller is absolutely destroyed by Leafs defenseman Dion Phaneuf. There's no sense to this hit, this is a major penalty, in my opinion. This is a dangerous hit and has no place in any level of hockey. The refs in this instance should be fined for not making the proper call.



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Thursday, November 14, 2013

Are the Wild a soft team?

English: Kadri at the 2010 world juniors
English: Kadri at the 2010 world juniors (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
From Michael Russo's blog today. Russo asked Yeo about the Wild being called a quote-unquote “soft” team.
“First off, obviously who’s the first [player] to jump on top of him [Kadri]?” Yeo said. “[Ryan] Suter. So to say that we didn’t do anything, that’s false actually. And if you want to get into it, it’s this simple really: They’ve got [Colton] Orr on the bench, they’ve got [Fraser] McLaren (he actually didn’t play, so I’m not positive whom Yeo meant), they’ve got [Mark Fraser]. They’ve got one after another. So if we go after Kadri, well, are they going to go after Konopka? No. They’re going to go after one of our top guys. They’ve got more down the line where they can keep playing that game.

“So where we have to be better is on the power play. Teams have to be afraid to pull that crap on us [because] they’re fearful of our power play. But at the same time, what I like is that our guys continued to play the game. I’ll take exception with anybody that tries to call us soft because that’s not true. Where it’d be soft is if they tried to have a physical impact on us. And as far as I’m concerned, we raised our game. And that to me is tough[ness]. It’s a different type of tough.
I think there's a good point here. Does Ryan Suter beat the crap out of Nazem Kadri and negate the power play or do the Minnesota Wild wait and pick a time to challenge Kadri later in the game. I say take the power play. The best way to make the Leafs pay is on the power play in that situation. Also, the Toronto Maple Leafs are full of cement heads and the Wild only have Zenon Konopka and Clayton Stoner, there's not a lot of other fighters on the Wild. That's not their game. I don't think their a soft team either.
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Maple Leafs' Kadri suspended three games for Bush League hit (Video)



First, I was out of town and away from the computer, but this hit did get my ire. I don't like this hit one bit, it's a dangerous hit and it's unneeded. In my opinion, the headline should read, Maple Leafs' forward Kadri suspended five games for bush league hits. Second, why isn't there any supplemental discipline for the hit on Minnesota Wild forward Mikael Granlund? That's a dirty hit in my opinion as well. I don't know, maybe I am not looking at this objectively because I am Wild fan? Thoughts on this?

But I digress.

Nazem Kadri's hit on Niklas Backstrom is a chicken wing elbow. Anytime a player extends the elbow like this, it's intentional. I don't care what the players says at his hearing. The NHL has suspended Nazem Kadri three-games for his elbow on Backstrom.  Also, watch the suspension video, it's utter crap. I would use another word, but it's now a word that is used on this blog.


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Saturday, November 09, 2013

Finding a silver lining in a mountain full of garbage



This makes me very happy; the Boston Bruins continue their domination over the Toronto Maple Leafs. After the UND vs. UNO game, my wife’s cousin asked me what I thought and I told him, I was a fan of the Boston Bruins from 1988 to 2011 and I had to wait a long time to watch them win a Stanley Cup. I am not going to let this team ruin day. I am no too upset about this. This is just one part of the season. There’s a lot of season left. This is one game.

I must admit, I didn’t think that the season would play out like this, not with the players that this team has on the roster. So far, this team is under achieving and they’re really not doing much on the ice. Tonight they played better. I think it’s all minor things that the coaching staff will fix and fix quickly. If not, the coaching staff will sit the players that aren’t playing well and try another player.

As far as fixing what ails this team, It will happen either tomorrow night, next weekend, or soon. A Dave Hakstol team will not continue to play like this for very long. This is a coach that bag skated his team after they lost 1-0 to the BSU Beavers in November of 2011. If he doesn’t have their attention, he will soon.

I thought that UND played well against UNO tonight, In the second period. Bad goals have killed this team so far this season. I also think the goaltending has been poor all-season long. I also think that the forwards have been lazy getting the puck into the offensive zone and the defensemen have been doing things a step slow.

UND has lost four straight game for the first time since 2006. Something has got to give. So, their either going to get their act together and play well, or their going to get buried in the bottom half of the NCHC standings, time will tell. They have a tough schedule ahead of them in November. 
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Wednesday, October 02, 2013

NHL Hockey: Anti-Fighting Cabal uses Parros Incident to Push Agenda

Last night, newly acquired Habs tough guy George Parros while fighting fellow Leafs Pugilist Colton Orr, slipped and fell awkwardly on to the ice, landing on his chin.  The violent fall knocked the Habs tough guy out. Fortunately, Parros wasn’t seriously injured and this is the tweet that George put on twitter account this morning.  [Video of incident]




Now, the anti-fighting cabal which never lets an incident go to waste, immediately jumped on the Parros injury to make their call to ban fighting from hockey. Almost on cue, the tweets and articles to ban fighting in hockey started showing up from the usual suspects, you know who they are. Proving once again, that the people that write about hockey probably never played the game, ever. 



Whether you want to admit it or not, fighting is part of the game of hockey, that’s a historical fact, I don’t see that changing anytime soon. Sure, Fighting is not legal in college and most levels of youth hockey, but it’s part of the "culture" of junior hockey and the professional game. Let the hand wringing begin. Checking one of my favorite hockey blogs this morning, I found a few very predictable examples of the anti-fighting cabal’s stance on the issue. Obviously, they just can't help themselves. 

There's also an emerging theme starting to reappear almost every time the topic of fighting comes up in the Eastern Conference. Team are getting tougher because they're tired of getting beat up by the Boston Bruins. I kid you not.
Michael Grange, Sports Net -- With modest skills, he was smart enough to recognize that at six-foot-five and 230 lb. his best chance to make it to the NHL was as a fighter. He took boxing lessons (fighting is not allowed in college hockey) and fought every chance he could in the American Hockey League. He made his NHL debut in 2005–06 and has been in the league ever since, amassing 141 fighting majors and earning about $4 million.

This season he’s part of an arms race of sorts that threatens to make play in the Atlantic Division something like a UFC card on ice.

Parros’s name was added to the Canadiens’ lineup in part in response to the presence of rugged types like Orr in the Leafs’ lineup. The Leafs added fighters under head coach Randy Carlyle because he thought the club he inherited from Ron Wilson was too easily intimidated by the likes of the Boston Bruins, who won the 2011 Stanley Cup and were the toughest in the league.

Here's a few of the examples that I was talking about.
Pierre LeBrun, ESPN.com -- Everyone who reads me understands that I believe the game could survive without fighting. My belief is simply based on my fear that one day a player will die in a fight on the ice. Pure and simple. I say that because Don Sanderson did die in a Senior A Ontario game fight in 2009.

Am I concerned how the game would look if the "rats" in our game weren’t policed? Yes, I am. And I don’t have a good answer for that other than I’d hope the refs would police it as well as they could.

And you cannot discount the emotional lift that some fights do provide in games. The Habs seemed buoyed by Parros’ first fight with Orr, as well as Travis Moen taking on Mark Fraser.

I totally understand that and do not argue that fights in games have an impact. No question, they do.

But I come back to my one and only concern, the only one I’ve ever held on the sensitive subject: I’m worried we’ll have a tragic incident one day, because today’s players are just stronger and bigger than ever.
I believe that LeBrun is right about one thing, the NHL can't let the "Rats" in the NHL run wild. If the NHL takes fighting out of the game of hockey, the Patrick Kaletas and the Matt Cookes of the NHL will flourish and will run wild. Unchecked these players will be free to take runs at the leagues star players without the fear of retribution. You might want to ask Sidney Crosby if he want's the leagues "Rats" to have more freedom to take runs at him if fighting was banned from the NHL. To me, that's unacceptable. 

You must read this one, below is a blurb from the Hockey News, the anti-fighting hockey web page. It's almost like you have to be have an anti-fighting bias to write for them. 
Adam Proteau, the Hockey News -- In one respect, the injury could have happened on any play; it was an unexpected shift in weight and momentum that could’ve happened on a body check, as we saw with Kevin Stevens in 1993. As always, the standard disclaimer about how the game will never be 100 percent safe has to be issued, lest the straw-clutchers in the comment section get riled up.

But there’s no arguing one point: if Orr and Parros had been ejected from the game after their first fight in the first period, there’s no way Parros is hospitalized tonight. Tell me again why there shouldn’t be an automatic ejection for NHL fights?

To do so would allow fans of fighting and those who see it as a stress release valve to still watch fights. They just wouldn’t get to see the same guys punch each other repeatedly, repeatedly. Given what we’re learning about the long-term risk regular fighters such as Parros and Orr may face after their careers are over, the least we can do is acknowledge the toll one fight can take on them and not make them face two or three fights in the same night.

This is the nuance many fight fetishists can’t wrap their minds around. They throw out empty arguments such as the classic “you want to ban fighting”, when, at least for most people I know, that isn’t true at all. You can no more ban fights in hockey than any other sport. But you can punish it appropriately. And in all other sports, a fight gets you ejected.
We can’t have the anti-fighting debate without Adam Proteau chiming in. Proteau is a one of the founding members of the anti-fighting cabal. Proteau is a dove that hates fighting,  and sees no use for any fighting what-so-ever, in the game of hockey. Of course he’s right as well, Parros’s injury could have occurred even if he hadn't been in a fight. How about all of these grotesque checking from behind calls that aren't punished to the full extent of the rule book? I am more concerned about those kinds of hits. 

We can't forget Damien Cox from the Toronto Star. I used to follow this guy on Twitter but I had to unfollow him because I got tired of reading his political views in my twitter feed. Again, hockey is an awesome escape from the realities of real life. I don't care what these Canadian sports writers think of our countries flawed political system. Just write about hockey.  

But I digress.

Cox is another member of the anti-fighting cabal, that never misses an opportunity to slam the NHL's stance on fighting. I wonder sometimes if he wouldn't be happier covering baseball or figure skating. Hockey is a contact sport, people are going to get hurt no matter what. Injuries are a fact of life in the NHL. One NHL hockey player got hurt eating a stack of pancakes in his home. 
Damien Cox, Toronto Star -- After a summer in which the Bettman adminstration fiddled with silly rules like tucking in hockey jerseys and made changes to icing into a debate worthy of the Meech Lake Accord, of course it was the elephant in the room that made itself heard on opening night of the 2013-14 NHL season.

Fighting. The dangerous, pointless, bloody shame of fighting in the NHL, the combination of a league terrified to let the sport stand on its own two feet and a union that refuses to protect its workers.

In his 211th professional fight, Montreal’s George Parros went down for the count on Tuesday night, missing Maple Leafs enforcer Colton Orr with a wild haymaker and awkwardly hurling himself face-first into the ice as the bloodthirsty Bell Centre crowd, so thrilled with its new goon, roared.

And then went deathly, eerily silent.
Lastly, no one wants to see anyone get killed on the ice, that would be a travesty. However, fighting only accounts for about 10-percent of the on-ice concussions. Personally, I am more concerned about the dirty head shots, and the God awful, dangerous, checking from behind calls that need more scrutiny. Why doesn't the anti-fighting cabal members show as much disdain for these acts of violence as well?


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Tuesday, October 01, 2013

It's official: Kessel re-signs with Leafs.

Well, my scheduled post was little out of date. So, the Leafs have re-signed their prized forward to a fat 8-year deal worth $ 8 million a year. Also, a no trade clause in his contract.
MHL.COM -- The Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to announce Tuesday a new contract for star scorer Phil Kessel, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.

The reported eight-year contract, which would start with the 2014-15 season, will have an average annual value of $8 million, and include a limited no-trade clause.

Kessel is in the final season of a five-year contract he signed after being acquired by the Maple Leafs from the Boston Bruins and would become an unrestricted free agent if not signed before July.

The 26-year-old led the Maple Leafs with 20 goals and 52 points last season, a total that tied for seventh in the League. He led the team in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with four goals, including two game-winners.

Kessel had at least 30 goals in his first three seasons with the Maple Leafs, and in seven NHL seasons with the Bruins and Maple Leafs, he has 185 goals and 379 points in 504 games.
Well, my scheduled post was little out of date. So, the Leafs have re-signed their prized forward to a fat 8-year deal worth 8 million a year. Also, there is a no trade clause in his contract. With Kessel signing of this lucrative deal, the expectations for him in Toronto are going to go up. Toronto is a tough town to play in and I expect him to be the whipping boy if things don’t go well for the Leafs this season.

NHL Hockey: Phil Kessel to re-sign with the Leafs?

It appears that former Boston Bruins and Minnesota Gopher forward Phil Kessel is close to re-signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs. If Kessel had waited till next summer, he would’ve been a hot commodity on the open free agent market.


Getting a sense Phil Kessel's contract extension in TOR could get done as early as Tues. Leafs and Kessel's agents working towards that.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) October 1, 2013
But no one has confirmed it's done yet. So we'll see. If it's done, I would expect it'll be $8M per year, give or take $500K, for 7 or 8 yrs
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) October 1, 2013
Neither Leafs nor Newport Sports (Kessel's agent) is commenting on extension speculation, however, sense is there will be news tomorrow.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) October 1, 2013

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Sunday at the Links: Hockey is on my Mind





Looks like former UMD Bulldog forward Justin Fontaine has made the Minnesota Wild. Former DU Pioneer Jason Zucker has been sent to the Iowa Wild.  With the injury to Mike Rupp, it looks like Fontaine will be used as a fourth line forward for now.

Puck Daddy Takes a look at Josh Harding's goalie mask, it's pretty sweet.



A few things that came out of the WCHA Media Teleconference this past Wednesday. The WCHA and the rest of the NCAA is going to focus on the obstruction and checking from behind calls. I know, I know, we have heard this all before right. We will soon see if they can execute it correctly.



The Calgary Flames have acquired former Boston Bruins and DU Pioneer forward Jumbo Joe Colborne. To be honest with you, Joe could have used a few more years in college instead of bolting early for the professional ranks.






I guess the Minnesota Wild will be giving Justine Fontaine a look after all, I wrote this article earlier this summer and while I am not ready to be the Amazing Carnac, I do think that Fontaine is a good option. Last season during their brief playoff run, the Wild's fourth line looked very slow and now they have added some speed on that forth line. This is the Wild's current fourth line as of today. Mitchell-Konopka-Fontaine...

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Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Toronto Maple Leafs: Forward Phil Kessel Suspended for the Rest of the Pre-Season



Well, that was swift, the wheel of justice has been spun. I think Kessel's suspension should be longer, because this is the second stick swinging incident for the Leafs star forward in the pre-season. That's unacceptable and that needs to be addressed going forward. We don't want the NHL to start resembling the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation or the movie Slap Shot. Apparently, the head coach of the Buffalo Sabres has been fined an undisclosed amount for his players selection that led to this event.
NEW YORK -- Buffalo Sabres head coach Ron Rolston has been fined for player selection and team conduct as a result of events that took place at 10:01 of the third period during NHL preseason game No. 61 against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Toronto on Sunday, Sept. 22.

The events took place during the face-off after Buffalo forward Corey Tropp fought Toronto forward Jamie Devane. Buffalo forward John Scott initiated an altercation with Toronto forward Phil Kessel, whom he was lined up against on the face-off, resulting in several fights. In total, 211 penalty minutes, including three game misconducts, were assessed due to the various altercations.
With all of the altercations that have transpired in the pre-season, it should be a good exciting and emotional regular season. I also think that NHL's department of Player Safety has set the tone early and sent the playes in the NHL a message that they're not going go easy on players that cross the line.
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Phil Kessel Light Saber Gif... (Humor?)


s/t to Next impulse sports and to my friend @scofarr
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NHL Hockey: Did John Scott Break the Hockey Code?

As I suspected, David Clarkson has been suspended by the NHL for 10 regular-season games for leaving the bench to join a fight/altercation. This is the second 10-game suspension of the pre-season already. The think that it's funny; the Toronto Maple Leafs are the only ones in this whole mess that will face any time on the beach. The Leafs Phil Kessel has a phone hearing fo rhis stick swinging incident.



I am not usually a fan of Damien Cox, but he does bring up some good points here. I was thinking about this as well.
Damien Cox, Toronto Star -- But the question NHL hanging judge Brendan Shanahan needs to ask himself is whether justice will be done if Kessel is suspended and the Buffalo Sabres don't receive any sanctions at all, not even a token fine.

If Shanahan chooses that option, he will be in effect opening the door to a strategy in which enforcers can jump star players on opposing teams without the league coming down hard on them. The league should protect its marquee players, although it seldom makes that a priority and instead allows the Patrick Kaletas of the world to run wild. You can say Kessel did wrong, but you better have a explanation as to how he should have handled a 6-foot-8 goon who had already dropped his gloves.

You can argue the goon in question, John Scott, did nothing overly wrong under the rules of the game, other than breaking them and getting a penalty. But in combination with Buffalo coach Ron Rolston, Scott instigated the entire affair by doing what most NHL people would argue is completely against the culture and spirit of the game, and that's menacing a skill player who had done absolutely nothing to provoke Scott.
I know that there’s going to be a few people that think that Phil Kessel had a beat down coming. But I ask you; think about it this way. Interchange Leafs forward Phil Kessel with Sidney Crosby, Patrice Bergeron, Zach Parise or even Jonathan Toews. Now I got your attention, right? Do we really want a two-bit goon like John Scott beating the bejesus out of a star player? Do we want him to just take liberties against marquee players? First off, I am not a dove by any stretch of the imagination. I love a good bare knuckles brawl, but the head coach of the Maple Leafs bares some of the blame in this situation.

Here’s a couple of questions that I will pose to the readers. Should Goons be going after skilled players? How’s a skilled players like Phil Kessel supposed to respond in this situation? Again, you can interchange your favorite skilled player with Kessel. Are skilled players just supposed to accept their beat down? I don’t know. Imagine the outrage if Scott had lined up again Sid Crosby or Patrice Bergeron, both players have had concussion issues. Do we want a cement head like Scott pulverizing the franchise player? You have to expect a player like Clarkson to jump off the bench and come to their aid.
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Monday, September 23, 2013

NHL Hockey: Sabres and Leafs Line Brawl.



I predict that there's going to be a few suspensions and fines from this altercation. First, I would be willing to bet that David Clarkson will be looking at a 10-game suspension for jumping over the boards to enter an altercation. That's supposed to be an automatic suspension. This is after Biznasty was just given a 10-gamer for doing the same thing. I don't think that Clarkson has a leg to stand on here.

This is what the Sabres pylon had to say about the incident. Quote courtesy of Buffalo Hockey Beat.

“He had obviously some other guys in the lineup,” Scott told a throng of reporters this afternoon inside the First Niagara Center. “I think their coach kind of wanted to maybe downplay it. But I was just doing my job.

”The 6-foot-8 Scott knew he had to respond and said he would’ve went after anyone who lined up beside him, so he told Kessel, who’s about eight inches shorter and 60 pounds lighter, “Phil, we’re going to have to go here, just to let you know.

”How did Kessel respond?“I think he said, ‘All right, let’s do it,’” Scott said.

Within seconds, a full-scale brawl had erupted between the fierce rivals.“I wasn’t going to try to hurt him,” Scott said about Kessel. “I was just trying to send a message.”Kessel responded by ferociously whacking Scott with his stick as Leafs mauled Scott.
Also, I don't think that Leafs forward Phil Kessel should get off Scott free for swinging his stick, pardon the pun. That being said, I love a good fight, I like a good brawl like the next guy, but a guy like John Scott is basically a waste of a roster space. The guy can barely skate and is in Buffalo to protect the Sabres. My question is, can't they at least find a goon that can take a regular shift and add something to the game?



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Monday, September 16, 2013

Toronto Maple Leafs: Sick Nazem Kadri goal



After signing a nice new two-year contract for a reported $5.8 million, Nazem Kadri took to the ice to show off his offensive skills. Nice, slick goal. Looks like the Flyers still have problems in net as well.
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