Der Toronto Maple Leafs Thread

[AustroLeaf]

Toronto Maple Leafs - New York Islanders 2:3 SO (1:0, 1:2, 0:0, 0:0)

1:0 (7.) Kubina 5 (Colaiacovo, Steen) PP

1:1 (25.) Hunter 15 (Sillinger, Hilbert)

1:2 (26.) Satan 20 (Tambellini, Kozlov)

2:2 (29.) Battaglia 10 (Devereaux, Kilger)

SO winner: V.Kozlov

SOG: Leafs 41, Isles 20

PP: Leafs 1/2, Isles 0/1

Recap

GO LEAFS GO!!!

[XSCHLAMEAL]

Toronto Maple Leafs - New York Islanders 2:3 SO (1:0, 1:2, 0:0, 0:0)

1:0 (7.) Kubina 5 (Colaiacovo, Steen) PP

1:1 (25.) Hunter 15 (Sillinger, Hilbert)

1:2 (26.) Satan 20 (Tambellini, Kozlov)

2:2 (29.) Battaglia 10 (Devereaux, Kilger)

SO winner: V.Kozlov

Ahja, 1 Spiel => 4 Punkte

[themanwho]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4UWhJg0xKA

Eines der 41 Saves von DiPietro, und zwar kein schlechtes...

[Lichtgestalt]

LEAFS INTRIGUE ROBERTS

OTTAWA -- There might be a skirmish of a different kind brewing between the Ottawa Senators and Maple Leafs. League sources confirmed to the Sun Media that Florida Panthers winger Gary Roberts, who has a no-trade clause in his contract, would likely waive it to accept a deal that sends him to Ottawa or back to Toronto.

But Roberts, 40, who's also willing to sign a one-year contract extension with the Panthers before the Feb. 27 deadline, is ultimately going to decide his destination if GM/coach Jacques Martin wants to make a move.

-> Toronto Sun

[Lichtgestalt]

Philadelphia Flyers - Toronto Maple Leafs 2:4 (0:3, 1:0, 1:1)

0:1 (7.) O'Neill 19 (Stajan, Steen)

0:2 (9.) Antropov 10 PP (Sundin, McCabe)

0:3 (15.) Colaiacovo 4 (Kubina)

1:3 (33.) Gagne 30 PP (Zhitnik, Pitkanen)

1:4 (52.) Sundin 23 (McCabe, Ponikarovsky)

2:4 (55.) Knuble 22 PP (Carter, Gagne)

SOG: Flyers 36, Leafs 32.

PIM: Flyers 12, Leafs 14.

PP: Flyers 2/7, Leafs 1/6.

Recap

[themanwho]

So, mit einem Spiel weniger (ebenso die Isles) punktegleich mit den Habs. Carolina mit zwei Spielen mehr nur einen Punkte vorn. Die Rangers bei einem Spiel weniger als die Leafs nur mit drei Punkten Rückstand. Hach, knapp is das alles ... aber ich bleibe dabei, drei Playoffplätze für Ottawa/Tampa/Carolina/Montreal/Toronto/Islanders/Rangers.

[XSCHLAMEAL]

Wenn Tampa nur halbwegs so weitermacht wie mometan (13-3) dann wird Atlanta bald um die Plätze streiten und wir die Nummer 1 in der Division sein

Lecavalier braucht nur die Form behalten

[Lichtgestalt]

OILERS, LEAFS BOTH NEED POINTS

TORONTO (CP) -- The Toronto Maple Leafs have their foot in the door, and the Edmonton Oilers are charging up the front steps. There promises to be an entertaining collision Saturday night in a game both desperately need to win to enhance their chances of qualifying for an NHL playoff berth.

The Leafs had a share of the eighth and final qualifying spot in the East when they practised Friday. "We're playing better defensively and getting the goals against down, our power play has been all right and our penalty killing is doing better," said captain Mats Sundin. "We're plugging away."

The Oilers were six points shy of the playoffs in the West when they took to the ice Friday after the Leafs. "We've been in this situation before," said captain Jason Smith. "We still believe we can get ourselves into a playoff spot. We've played better as of late and maybe not got the results we wanted but we're going to go out and play well (Saturday) and get a win."

Toronto missed the playoffs by three points last spring, while the Oilers got in by winning their last regular-season game -- and then went all the way to the final. "There's still lots of hockey left," said Oilers coach Craig MacTavish. "When you're playing well, six points is not a big deficit to overcome, especially based on the fact we have five games left against Minnesota. "I definitely believe we're good enough to make the run and get into the playoffs. Everybody's got to have that belief, and I'm sure (the Oilers players) do. There's nobody here who doesn't believe that. It's warranted. Do we have to get better? Absolutely. Do we need to score more goals? Sure. But talking about being optimistic, we are."

So are the Leafs. If faith in one's ability is a necessary attribute to achieve a goal, both these teams will make it to post-season play. The Leafs should get an emotional boost from a pre-game ceremony honouring members of the 1966-67 Leafs team that was the last to win the Stanley Cup for Toronto. "It's going to be a great night," said Sundin. "Hopefully it's going to spark our team for the game."

Coach Paul Maurice will give Andrew Raycroft a 20th consecutive goaltending start. Raycroft said he doesn't feel in the least bit fatigued by the heavy workload. "No, not at all," he said. "The body feels good and ready to go. You get into a rhythm. You feel the game a little more when you're playing lots. Right now I feel in a good rhythm, and the team is playing really well, which makes my life easier."

Raycroft will get a game off eventually "but that's not in the very near future," he said. He's not adverse to pinning his hopes on one guy. He did it with Arturs Irbe when he coached the Carolina Hurricanes. "Goaltenders that have prepared themselves well over the course of the off-season can play a lot of games," said Maurice. "I'm not afraid to use both of our goaltenders but at the same time the way he's going he'll keep playing."

Dwayne Roloson will start at the other end. "It's going to be a wildly competitive game," MacTavish predicted. "It should be from both teams' perspectives. "We need the points badly and Toronto is embroiled in its own race. It's a real microcosm of today's NHL where everybody's got a chance. There are only so many opportunities and certainly for us those opportunities are starting to run out and we have to start to take advantage of them and (Saturday) is another opportunity for us. We know it's a big game for the Leafs as well and it's going to be a great game. We're anticipating one."

The Oilers' Ales Hemsky, who had his bell rung Friday night, said he'll be ready to play Saturday. With Jarret Stoll and Fernando Pissano both back home with concussions, the line of Hemsky, Ryan Smyth and Shawn Horcoff is getting upwards of 25 minutes ice time a game. "At the start of the year we filled the net," said Smyth. "Now the critical time is here and we've got to answer the call. It's important that everybody steps up to the plate." A 2-1 overtime loss in Buffalo on Thursday was a good building block, he said. "The biggest thing, I thought, was that we were cycling the puck well and causing a lot of traffic and taking pucks to the net. If you continue those little things, they'll make a difference." The Oilers will make it, he said. "There's no question that we have the depth to get back into the playoff race," said Smyth.

The Leafs are coming off a 4-2 win in Philadelphia on Thursday. "We know it's going to be a big, intense game," said Smyth, who leads the Oilers with 28 goals. "We've just got to play our style and not worry about them." While the share of eighth is gratifying, the Leafs aren't feeling satisfied yet. "Not quite," said forward Bates Battaglia. "We've got a long way to go yet and a lot of work to do. It's a little bit of confidence but you're got to take it in stride. We can't take anything for granted at this point."

MacTavish was nine growing up in London, Ont., when the Leafs won the Stanley Cup in 1967. "I was a (Dave) Keon fan growing up," said MacTavish. "I remember some of the pictures (of the players) at city hall that everybody has seen." Good for them to get the recognition all these years later, he said.

Ditto from Sundin. "1967 was a long time ago," said Sundin. "I wasn't even born. It's great to have this night for them. I'm glad it's happening while I'm around. I haven't seen all those guys together. The fans haven't seen them all together." He's talked briefly to Keon in the past. "He has nothing but positive things to say," said Sundin. "He gave me a lot of encouragement and told me to keep my head up and to work hard -- just a few words of wisdom."

Sundin's hope is that a win rather than a pre-game ceremony will be the main thing Leafs fans will be talking about come Sunday.

-> sportsnet.ca

[AustroLeaf]

Die Leafs führen im ersten Drittel mit 1:0 (Sundin, PP). Die Islanders, Canes und Lightning sind derweil 0:1 hinten. Pfeif ma o

[Lichtgestalt]

Toronto Maple Leafs - Edmonton Oilers 4:3 (1:0, 2:2, 1:1)

1:0 (12.) Sundin 24 PP (Kaberle, Steen)

2:0 (25.) Pohl 9 (Battaglia, Gill)

2:1 (26.) Staios 2 (unassisted)

3:1 (32.) Pohl 10 (Kilger)

3:2 (38.) Pouliot 4 PS

4:2 (51.) Sundin 25 (Kaberle, Antropov)

4:3 (59.) Smyth 29 PP (Pouliot, Hemsky)

SOG: Leafs 35, Oilers 31.

PIM: Leafs 6, Oilers 8.

PP: 1/4, Oilers 1/3.

-> Recap

bearbeitet 18. Februar 2007 von Lichtgestalt

[AustroLeaf]

<--

Das 4:2:

bearbeitet 18. Februar 2007 von AustroLeaf

[Seppo Dramac]

Bedeutet im Moment Platz 8. Weiter so!

[Lichtgestalt]

LEAFS HAVE NO TIME FOR COMPLACENCY

They've honoured their fathers and they've honoured their fathers' heroes. Now it's time for the current Maple Leafs to bring a little honour to themselves. With seven weeks remaining in the NHL season, the focus for the Maple Leafs is on jockeying for playoff position in an Eastern Conference that remains a horse race.

They start the week in eighth, a 7-1-2 record since the all-star break has made up for the team's horrid play in late November and early December and put them back in to a playoff position. Clearly, they have a chance to improve their seeding if they can continue their recent solid play. "There's no time to pat ourselves on the back or be happy with the position we're in," said captain Mats Sundin. "We need to keep working. We've been doing a lot of good thing the last three weeks and we need to keep improving as a group."

Several factors will help Toronto as it tries to move up. Darcy Tucker is expected to return from a broken foot in the next week or two and he'll provide a further injection of offence and grit. (Creative forward Kyle Wellwood should also be back from hernia surgery in mid-March). Sundin continues to provide the type of dominant play that can carry a team; he has seven goals and 13 points in those 10 games since the break. And Andrew Raycroft is providing winning goaltending with little sign of fatigue despite starting 20 consecutive games.

Then there is the schedule itself. It provides a chance for Toronto to leapfrog into a position to face a weaker first-round opponent than Buffalo or New Jersey. The Leafs have two games in hand on each of Atlanta and Carolina, the two teams immediately ahead of them in the standings, and, more significantly, the Thrashers and Canes play each other four more times down the stretch. They'll likely be dividing up the points in those games, giving Toronto a chance to move ahead if it keeps winning its contests. "We're getting points every night. If you get points every night, teams are playing each other, they're going to lose and you're going to be able to gain ground. The key is to keep looking forward and not behind," said Raycroft.

Carolina also plays 13 of its final 21 games against teams that are good enough to currently be in playoff position and eight against the weaker clubs. The Canes are in for a tough few weeks but Sundin said his Leafs can't take anything for granted. "Our schedule is not going to get easier," said Sundin. "We're going to play a lot of the top teams, Buffalo and New Jersey, in the future here and we have to keep winning hockey games if we want to make the playoffs, there's no doubt about that."

Toronto does have a combined six games remaining against the Sabres and Devils but, before they get to the first of those, they have four consecutive games against teams that are currently out of playoff position, starting tomorrow when Boston is in town.

Tucker might well be back when the Leafs host Buffalo on Feb. 27. The winger, who has 19 goals in 39 games, is anxious to jump back on board. Tucker will have an MRI today and join the team on a three-game road trip starting Thursday on Long Island. Tucker isn't expected to play on that road swing. "It's phenomenal for the organization and everyone involved that we got ourselves back in a playoff spot," he said.

-> Toronto Star

[AustroLeaf]

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

0:1 (8.) Chistov 7 (Savard)

0:2 (35.) Axelsson 10 (Boyes, Allen) SH

0:3 (38.) York 1 (Bochenski)

SOG: Leafs 44, Bruins 22

PP: Leafs 0/6, Bruins 0/5

Recap

GO LEAFS GO!!!

[Seppo Dramac]

Auch wenn die Bilanz der letzten Spiele insgesamt sehr gut ist, eines kann ich feststellen: bei Spielen gegen die Leafs kann jeder Goalie seine Save Percentage ordentlich aufpolieren.

44 Schüsse, kein Tor