MapleLeafsFTW

Is this a dream... or are the Leafs 8-3-1?

2011-11-03T07:37:00.000-07:00

If you look at these standings the Leafs appear to be among the leagues elite teams. really? With 2 second line centres and a inexperienced and inconsistent goaltending duo? Some might argue their defence is the big difference this season with Dion Phaneuf stepping up his game., but they've allowed 38 goals against!! That's nothing to brag about, and even the Montreal Canadiens, currently off the pack have only allowed 30 goals.

Hey, don't get me wrong I am loving the excitement of seeing the team win, Kessel score and Phaneuf really lead this young squad, but let's talk again in January. A real team's depth and mentality will show when the proverbial sh!t hits the fan. Goals against is a serious issue for a young defence and goaltending roster. That will weigh heavy on a team that has shown in the past that pressure is more than part of the game, it's everything when it comes down to being a winner or not.

Who is the better Leaf prospect - Colborne or Kadri

2011-08-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

How do you evaluate Nazim Kadri? He has been in the system now and played a few games in the bigs last winter. Does he need a full season with the Leafs before you write him off and trade him for another player with a similarly questionable future. Talent is not the problem here, as much as a defensive maturity.

Now since Burke added Joe Colborne (via Boston) a big center with some solid AHL experience, now Kadri can feel less pressure or more. Who knows what he feels? He needs to step up his game. But Colborne is bigger, with great hands and could very well be the Leafs center of the future, leaving Kadri as trade bait. In fact, I would not think it unlikely that Colborne makes this line-up and makes an impression with the management.

Nazim Kadri and Joe Colborne are bot capable of making the Leafs this year, but who do you think Brian Burke likes more?

Joe Colborne could in fact start the season on a line with a guys like Colton Orr, Matthew Lombardi, Darryl Boyce, Joey Crabb and Jay Rosehill. I like him in that mix, better than I like Kadri trying to find some rhythm amongst these rugged players.

Can Sidney Crosby stay on the ice this time?

2011-07-15T08:40:00.000-07:00

The National Post is reporting that Sydney Crosby is now back on the ice for workouts aimed at determining if his concussion is still a problem to be dealt with. Sydney Crosby has been out of the line-up since just after a hit in the Winter Classic blind-sided hockey's biggest super star. Sadly it was in the midst of a ferocious scoring streak as he led his team back from mediocre to contender within a few weeks.

http://sports.nationalpost.com/2011/07/15/crosby-returns-to-the-ice-report/

The question is, can he stay on the ice and resume his career when the season starts this October. You see, he has tried this before - skating and working out - only to be set back in his trauma/injury, which led to him missing the remainder of last season. That was something nobody expected in January.

The Pittsburgh Penguins will play the Toronto Maple Leafs here at the Air Canada Centre on October 29th, and I just hope that Crosby is back in the line-up by then. But Syd, I would not be expecting the new young-blooded Leafs to be taking it easy on you, so be prepared for a fast skating, hungry team.

Mikhail Grabovski Shootout hi-light... more to come?

2011-07-14T06:14:00.001-07:00

Okay even though we are in the middle of a dastardly hot summer, this shootout goal came to mind yesterday while I was thinking about what could be a very potent second line for the Toronto Maple Leafs this season, centred by Mikhail Grabovksi.

I would also like to remind Hab fans that we basically got Grabovski for notta, cause he did not get along with the Kostitsyn brothers. (okay we will forget about how horrible he was defensively too...) But at this stage I would not take BOTH Kostitsyn brothers for Mikhail Grabovski.

Anyway check out what has to be one of the finest shoot-out goals of the 2010/11 NHL season.

Tim Connolly is an underachiever?

2011-07-13T12:04:00.000-07:00

Sure like about 80% of the NHL player body is. Okay no sooner than I wrote my first Toronto Maple Leaf blog post than did I read yet another pessimistic article from the Toronto Sun. Trust me, these guys will be the first on the bandwagon when the Maple Leafs start playing some real exciting hockey.

Here is a link to the article:
http://www.torontosun.com/2011/07/12/with-tim-connolly-theres-always-a-but

Ken Robson

Will Tim Connolly step up his game like Doug Gilmour did?

2011-07-13T11:11:00.000-07:00

Ok so we did not get Brad Richards, which was no hug surprise, but the Toronto Maple Leafs had no illusions to be relying on winning that bidding war. Brian Burke has made it clear he will now over pay, nor will he be held hostage to those outrageous front loaded contracts. With that, we now have Tim Connolly who has scored a grand total of 48 goals - over the last 3 seasons, mind you.

Sure we all know he had shortened seasons due to injuries, which is another concern. However, it is the playmaking side of Connolly's hockey character that may not only surprise Toronto Maple Leafs fans, but be so much a better a bargain than Brad Richards, that not signing the latter may quickly turn in to a fabulous turn of events.

Can Tim Connolly surprise us like Doug Gilmour did?

Doug Gilmour only had 11 goals half way through the 91-92 season before being traded to the Leafs. The rest was history. Tim Connolly may not have the grit of Gilmour, but his playmkaing prowess is only slightly under the elite level. Now with a starting line of Connolly, with Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul there will be no excuse not to put up some serious numbers this coming season. In fact, Connolly and Kessel could very well connect like Gilmour and Andreychuk did during those very exciting years of the early 90's.

Another great thing about the first line, is, well the second line of Grabovski and Kulemon and someone else like MacArthur, Armstrong or Lombardi. You see with two strong lines of fast skating forwards, other teams will be in checking mode, forced to play against the Leafs, rather than the other way around.

Let's face it, neither of these lines are like a St. Louis/Lecavalier/Stamkos, but two really good lines coming over the boards back-to-back is setting up the Leafs for not only our first playoff showing for a half decade or so, but what I feel could contend for first place in the North Eastern Division of the NHL.

Ken Robson