Der Toronto Maple Leafs Thread

[AustroLeaf]

Hätte ich anfangs nicht geglaubt, mittlerweile halte ich es für völlig verdient und bin froh drüber. Aus der Toronto Sun:

Leafs reward Fergie

GM's option picked up for '07-08

By NEIL STEVENS

TORONTO (CP) - The Toronto Maple Leafs have picked up the one-year option for 2007-2008 on general manager John Ferguson's contract.

"We are excited about the direction the Leafs have taken, on and off the ice, under the leadership of John Ferguson," Richard Peddie, president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, said in a news release Wednesday.

Ferguson, 39, is in his fourth season as Leafs GM. The team had the second-best points total in the Eastern Conference going into its road game against the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night.

Decisions last summer to buy out Ed Belfour and Tie Domi, trade for Andrew Raycroft and sign free agents Mike Peca, Hal Gill and Pavel Kubina have paid off.

Since Ferguson was hired on Aug. 29, 2003, the Leafs had 98 wins, 63 losses, 10 ties and 15 overtime/shootout losses. His .594 winning percentage is the highest of the 12 men who have served as GM of the Leafs.

 

"Prior to the (2004-2005) lockout, John created a strategic plan that would address a number of needs that our franchise had - principally procuring and developing young talent, and operating a team under the parameters of a new collective bargaining agreement," Peddie added. "We've begun to see the results of John's plan, and picking up the option on the fourth year of his contract enables that progress to continue."

Ferguson thanked ownership for the stamp of approval.

"I've said it many times - there is no better place to win than here in Toronto," he said. "Winning on the ice, making a positive impact in our community, and making our fans proud now and in the future are what it's all about."

Ferguson was named vice-president and director of hockey operations for the St. Louis Blues in February 2001. He was assistant GM of the Blues during the five preceding years.

He was a member of the Ottawa Senators scouting staff from 1993 to 1996. He also earned a law degree and was admitted to the Massachusetts bar in 1996.

Ferguson played four AHL seasons in the Ottawa and Montreal organizations and was an assistant captain of the 1992 Fredericton Canadiens who finished first during the regular season.

The native of Montreal is the son of John Ferguson Sr., who was a member of five Stanley Cup championship teams with Montreal and who later was GM of the New York Rangers and the Winnipeg Jets. His father lives in the Windsor region and is a part-time scout for the San Jose Sharks.

Link

[Lichtgestalt]

Buffalos Sabres - Toronto Maple Leafs 7:4 (2:2, 2:1, 3:1)

0:1 (3.) Tucker 14 PP (Kaberle, McCabe)

0:2 (4.) Wellwood 4 PP (McCabe, Kaberle)

1:2 (11.) Afinogenov 11 PP (Kotalik, Numminen)

2:2 (13.) Novotny 5 (Vanek, Gaustad)

3:2 (22.) Brier 9 PP (Vanek, Afinogenov)

4:2 (24.) Campbell 3 (Briere, Funk)

4:3 (35.) O'Neill 6 (unassisted)

4:4 (48.) Tucker 15 (Kaberle, O'Neill)

5:4 (55.) Briere 10 (Paille, Pominville)

6:4 (59.) Pominville 12 SH EN (unassisted)

7:4 (60.) Drury 13 SH EN (Paille, Campbell)

SOG: Sabres 29, Leafs 36.

PIM Sabres 18, Leafs 18.

PP: Sabres 2/8, Leafs 2/7.

-> Recap

[Lichtgestalt]

Washington Capitals - Toronto Maple Leafs 1:7 (1:2, 0:4, 0:1)

0:1 (2.) Wellwood 5 (Antropov, Ponikarovsky)

0:2 (3.) Peca 3 (Battaglia, Gill)

1:2 (18.) Ovechkin 14 PP (Zednik, Green)

1:3 (31.) McCabe 6 PP (Tucker, Kabrele)

1:4 (31.) O'Neill 7 PP (White, Stajan)

1:5 (32.) Gill 2 (Peca, Kubina)

1:6 (35.) Tucker 16 (O'Neill)

1:7 (49.) Stajan 6 PP (O'Neill, Tucker)

SOG: Caps 23, Leafs 28.

PIM: Caps 10, Leafs 12.

PP: Caps 1/6, Leafs 3/5.

-> Recap

[Lichtgestalt]

Toronto Maple Leafs - Boston Bruins 1:3 (0:2, 0:0, 1:1)

0:1 (7.) Tenkrat 2 (Chistov, Chara)

0:2 (15.) Savard 6 PP (Bergeron, Chara)

1:2 (53.) Sundin 9 PP (Tucker, McCabe)

1:3 (56.) Boyes 4 (Bergeron, Sturm)

SOG: Leafs 28, Bruins 25.

PIM: Leafs 9, Bruins 23.

PP: Leafs 1/4, Bruins 1/2.

-> Recap

[Lichtgestalt]

Returning Sundin wary of disrupting team chemistry

TORONTO - The day before Mats Sundin returned from an elbow injury, the Maple Leafs captain had joked with reporters that he might have difficulty fitting onto a Leafs team that had been playing its best hockey without him.

It was no joke. The Leafs, as was proven by their 4-2-1 record during Sundin's seven-game absence, do not need their captain to win. They had outscored their opponents 29-19 during that stretch, with 12 different players chipping in goals. So when Sundin returned to the lineup in Saturday's 3-1 loss to the Boston Bruins, there was the obvious standing ovation from the fans who were happy to see No. 13 back on the ice. But there was no feeling of relief that usually comes after a team has been without its star player for an extended period of time.

"We didn't rely on Mats to score," said Alexei Ponikarovsky, who had two goals and six points while Sundin was out. "We know we can score even without him. That's not an issue." What may have been an issue for the team was how to avoid disrupting the chemistry that had been created during the two-and-a-half weeks that Sundin was injured.

Sundin had been the team's leading scorer with 19 points when a bodycheck by Philadelphia's Ben Eager strained ligaments in his right elbow on Nov. 6. The durable forward had managed to stay in that game and even set up the game-winning goal. But for the next 18 days, he sat and watched as his Leafs steadily climbed up the Eastern Conference standings without him.

For a captain who continually talks about the importance of team depth, Sundin said he was proud that his Leafs -- who also missed starting goaltender Andrew Raycroft for three games -- had found ways to win. But on Saturday, when Toronto managed 28 shots but scored only once -- on a goal by Sundin -- the team's leader may have been disappointed that his teammates failed to put forth the same effort with him in the lineup.

"We didn't have a good game," Sundin said after the loss. "Was it because I played? I don't know. I'm not going to say that. I'll let you guys say that." The Leafs did not lose because of Sundin. The team may have been guilty of waiting around and watching for him to take control of the game, but his inclusion in the lineup should have made the team stronger, not weaker.

"You can see that question coming from a mile away, I guess," Darcy Tucker said when asked if the team was negatively affected by Sundin's return. In the seven games that Sundin missed, Tucker led the Leafs with six goals and eight points. He assisted on Sundin's third-period goal. "We're a hard-working team, regardless of who's in the lineup," Tucker said. "We're not concentrating on that as much as we do with the way we play our game."

Still, Sundin posed a logistical problem as he returned to the lineup. His spot on the top line had been taken by Kyle Wellwood, who along with Nik Antropov and Ponikarovsky had combined for 22 points in Sundin's absence. Toronto's other two forward lines were just as solid. With nowhere to play, Sundin began Saturday's 3-1 loss to the Boston Bruins on the fourth line, in hopes that he could bring along the underperforming Chad Kilger and John Pohl.

-> canada.com

[Lichtgestalt]

Toronto Maple Leafs - Boston Bruins 1:4 (0:0, 1:1, 0:3)

0:1 (26.) Donovan 1 (Alberts, Mowers)

1:1 (36.) Antropov 5 (Peca, Kaberle)

1:2 (46.) Murray 12 (Tenkrat, Stuart)

1:3 (58.) Sturm 4 (Primeau)

1:4 (60.) Boyes 5 EN (Bergeron, Chara)

SOG: Leafs 46, Bruins 24.

PIM: Leafs 6, Bruins 12.

PP: Leafs 0/6, Bruins 0/3.

-> Recap

[Lichtgestalt]

Atlanta Thrashers - Toronto Maple Leafs 5:0 (1:0, 0:0, 4:0)

1:0 (14.) Hossa 18 PP (Mellanby, Kozlov)

2:0 (42.) Hossa 19 (Kozlov, Kapanen)

3:0 (53.) Mellanby 7 PP (Hossa, Kozlov)

4:0 (53.) Larsen 5 (Vigier, Holik)

5:0 (58.) Hossa 20 PP (Kozlov, Mellanby)

SOG: Thrashers 27, Leafs 36.

PIM: Thrashers 21, Leafs 21.

PP: Thrashers 3/7, Leafs 0/7.

-> Recap

[Lichtgestalt]

LEAFS FALL TO FIVE-STAR PERFORMANCE

ATLANTA — The Toronto Maple Leafs officially are mired in their first slump under first-year coach Paul Maurice. For the first time under Maurice's reign, the Leafs suffered their third consecutive defeat and were blanked for the first time this National Hockey League season when Marian Hossa had his fifth career three-goal game to lead the Atlanta Thrashers to a 5-0 victory before an announced crowd of 15,092 at the Philips Arena Thursday night.

The Leafs have lost six of their past eight games, and since captain Mats Sundin returned to the lineup after his elbow injury, Toronto is not only winless in three games, but has scored only two goals."We're going to have some ugly nights and this will be one of them," Maurice said. "Every team around us has done this, probably already this year. We'll have to fight through it, but it's not the end of the world. It's going to feel like that for a couple of guys [today]."

The Leafs will practise Friday afternoon in Montreal in preparation for Saturday's game at the Bell Centre against the Canadiens. It was clear that the Leafs coach was not happy with the play of young Toronto centre Matt Stajan after he was victimized on Hossa's second goal of the game early in the third period. Stajan did not see the ice the rest of the game, and second-year forward Kyle Wellwood also did not have a shift in the final six minutes of the third period.

Eerily, the last time the Leafs arrived in Montreal after getting hammered in back-to-back games against the Ottawa Senators by a score of 13-4, Toronto rebounded against the Canadiens with one of their best outings in a 5-4 shootout victory.

The Leafs need a solid game from Sundin, who did score in his first game back last Saturday, but has looked rather ordinary in his return. He was thoroughly checked by Atlanta centre Bobby Holik Thursday night, and although Sundin managed five shots on goal, he didn't muster any quality chances.

Toronto forward Jeff O'Neill, however, didn't agree that the Leafs have suffered a letdown since Sundin's return. "I don't think so," O'Neill said. "We're happy and excited to have him back. We have to take our heads out of [behinds] and start doing the little things that help you win hockey games."

If listed, the number of little things would stretch from here to Toronto. The Leafs need to exhibit more hustle, move the puck better, win more battles along the boards and in the corners, fore-check more effectively and perform better on the special teams. "We have to be more aggressive like we were at the beginning of the year," said Sundin, whose team is 0-for-13 on the power play in the past two games and gave up three power-play goals to Atlanta.

Hossa's three-goal, one-assist game enabled him to lasso the lead in the NHL's scoring race with 20 goals and 40 points. He scored on a power play in the first period and again early in the third period off a rush to give the Thrashers a 2-0 lead. That forced the Leafs to open up the game, and they were burned by power-play goals from Scott Mellanby and Hossa and an even-strength one from Brad Larsen. "[Hossa is] an awesome player, and if you give him time and space, he's going to burn you," O'Neill said.

The Leafs' slump has put them in a tenuous spot in the Eastern Conference standings. The top eight positions qualify for the playoffs, and the Leafs are only four points in front of the ninth-place New Jersey Devils, who have played four fewer games. In the five-team Northeast Division, the fifth-place Boston Bruins and fourth-place Senators have moved to four and three points, respectively, behind Toronto. The Senators have one game in hand, while the Bruins have four.

-> globesports.com

[Lichtgestalt]

IT'S OFFICIAL: LEAFS IN THEIR FIRST SLUMP

ATLANTA -- As dozens of hats fluttered down from the Philips Arena stands late in the third period, the fans here began chanting Marian Hossa's name. All the while, the Maple Leafs were cursing it.

Hossa had just completed his hat trick, driving the final nail into the Leafs' coffin, and the crowd was going bonkers. The visitors likely heard none of it. They probably were distracted by the alarm bells going off in their own ears. Yes, the electrifying Hossa was dominant in the Atlanta Thrashers' 5-0 hammering of the Leafs last night, but that should not cloud the issue facing this team.

Having now dropped a season-high three consecutive games and five of their past seven, the Leafs find themselves in their first official slump since Paul Maurice took over as head coach during the off-season.

In what was yet another first, Maurice was asked if his team had "quit" on him, alluding to the four unanswered goals drilled past goalie Andrew Raycroft in the third period. "We're going to have some ugly nights and this was one of them. But I wouldn't say any player quit on us," said Maurice, whose team has not scored in its past 13 power- play opportunities. "We're not generating enough and we're not scoring enough to change the tension of the game. It's all on our side."

After humiliating the Washington Capitals 7-1 a week ago, the Leafs managed just two goals in back-to-back losses to the Boston Bruins. And just when it appeared that the goal-scoring funk could not get any worse, in steps Kari Lehtonen last night to hand the Leafs their first shutout of the season.

"Any time you lose three games in a row, it's frustrating," said captain Mats Sundin, who has seen his team go 0-3 since returning to the lineup from an elbow injury. "We have a lot of work to do. We have to get back to the way we were playing. We're right in the mix of things (in the Eastern Conference) and there are a lot of teams in the same position as we are. We have to start winning games again."

Matt Stajan saw limited ice time after a couple of giveaways, but he wasn't the only Leaf who struggled. With a date against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre tomorrow night, the Leafs had better regain their collective scoring touch -- and fast.

That's not a problem for Hossa, who continued his quest for the Hart Trophy as league MVP with a four-point night. Scott Mellanby and Brad Larsen also scored for Atlanta. Hossa had never defeated the Leafs since becoming a Thrasher in the summer of 2005, going 0-5 against Toronto heading into last night. In fact, the Thrashers snapped an eight-game losing streak to Toronto thanks in large part to Hossa. "It was one of those nights where everything goes your way and the puck finds the back of the net," said Hossa, who leads the NHL in goals with 20. "We played a great game. If I get two goals or three goals, that's fine. I'm just happy the team won."

-> Toronto Sun

[Lichtgestalt]

CARLO IS ALMOST THERE

ATLANTA -- Carlo Colaiacovo wants to shut up the naysayers -- the ones who claim he will never make it in the NHL because he is too injury-prone.

"Definitely it's a motivating factor for me," the Maple Leafs defenceman said in a phone interview yesterday. "The critics, the comments, it's all been mentioned in the media and throughout the hockey world. Everybody has their opinion. At least the organization has been behind me. I can't say enough about the support they have given me. I plan to be back in the NHL. That hasn't changed."

Colaiacovo does not deny he has suffered more than his share of ailments. Sure, there have been the standard muscle pulls and tears, but he has also experienced some bizarre injuries, too.

There was the time in St. John's, for example, that he was nailed on the side of the head by a shot while playing for the Baby Leafs, and wound up deaf in one ear for more than a month. But that's nothing compared to 2006. "Honestly, this has been the toughest year of my life," he said.

-> Toronto Sun

[Lichtgestalt]

Montreal Canadiens - Toronto Maple Leafs 4:3 SO (0:2, 1:0, 2:1, 0:0)

0:1 (10.) White 2 (Peca, Battaglia)

0:2 (13.) Sundin 10 (Antropov, Bell)

1:2 (30.) Perezhogin 3 (Lantendresse, Dandenault)

1:3 (43.) Wellwood 6 PP (McCabe, Kaberle)

2:3 (52.) Koivu 7 (Latendresse)

3:3 (56.) Koivu 8 PP (Kovalev, Markov)

4:3 (SO) Souray

SOG: Habs 22, Leafs 39.

PIM: Habs 24, Leafs 12.

PP: Habs 1/4, Leafs 1/6.

-> Recap

[AustroLeaf]

I'm back, baby

[Lichtgestalt]

I'm back, baby 

1335341[/snapback]

zeit wird's. reicht ja, dass ich im 96-thread allein bin.

[Lichtgestalt]

Toronto Maple Leafs - Atlanta Thrashers 2:5 (2:0, 0:0, 0:5)

1:0 (9.) Tucker 17 PP (O'Neill, Wellwood)

2:0 (20.) Peca 4 (Steen, Kilger)

2:1 (44.) Metropolit 6 PP (de Vries, Kovalchuk)

2:2 (47.) Kozlov 10 (Metropolit)

2:3 (52.) Kozlov 11 (Metropolit, Hossa)

2:4 (55.) Hossa 21 PP (de Vries, Kozlov)

2:5 (60.) Kovalchuk 18 EN (Vigier, Havelid)

SOG: Leafs 19, Thrashers 37.

PIM: Leafs 22, Thrashers 8.

PP: Leafs 1/3, Thrashers 2/10.

-> Recap

[themanwho]

Hab mir das dritte Drittel zu Gemüte geführt, irgendwie arg wie sehr man zuletzt in diesem Drittel einbricht. Aber eigentlich täuscht der Spielstand von 2-0 nach zwei Dritteln, Raycroft zu diesem Zeitpunkt schon mit 0-30. Nach dem zweiten Treffer kaum noch Offensivaktionen. Dann jede Menge individuelle Fehler z.B. wie beim 2-3 ein nicht voll durchgezogener Check, ein Breakaway durch Hossa nach einem FO im offensiven Drittel, usw. - zu guter Letzt noch Glen Metropolit mit 1G 2A gegen den Ex-Verein.