Der Toronto Maple Leafs Thread

[Lichtgestalt]

LEAFS' WIN COMES WITH PRICE

TORONTO -- The consensus was that the Toronto Maple Leafs would be among the eight playoff-bound teams in the National Hockey League's Eastern Conference as long as injury-riddled Jason Allison and Eric Lindros could avoid any long-term sojourns in the infirmary.

But last night, Allison joined Lindros on the Leafs' injury list when he suffered a fractured left ring finger in the Leafs' important 2-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils. While killing a penalty midway through the third period, Allison dropped down and blocked a shot that ripped into the tip of his ring finger. He suffered a serious laceration and a shattered nail.

Allison definitely won't accompany the Leafs to Pittsburgh, where they will play Sidney Crosby and the Penguins tonight. Lindros, who has missed six games with torn ligaments in his right wrist, is expected to miss at least another week. Leafs coach Pat Quinn reported that Allison, who has 34 points in 36 games, was to have his finger surgically repaired last night, and how quickly the centre returns will depend on his "pain threshold."

The Leafs also may be without feisty forward Darcy Tucker tonight. Tucker, who leads the Leafs with 15 goals, was given a match penalty for hitting Devils rookie forward Cam Janssen in the back of his head with his own helmet in a second-period fight. A match penalty is automatically reviewed by the league. Early in the tussle, Tucker ripped Janssen's helmet off and didn't let go of it. He slugged Janssen on the back of the neck twice before finally dropping Janssen's headgear.

"It was in the heat of the moment," Tucker said. "I didn't really know what I got the penalty for until I saw the replay. It was one of those things. Hopefully, they will consider that. Obviously, it was unfortunate to get kicked out of the game."

Besides Lindros, the Leafs were already without forwards Alex Steen (thumb) and Nik Antropov (knee). So they will likely have to recall a forward such as John Pohl and possibly another frontliner from the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League.

The Leafs had assumed control of the game until Tucker's five-minute match penalty. But the Devils, who are 26th in the league with the man advantage, continued to struggle on the power play. They had only three shots on goal during the five-minute advantage and no quality scoring chances. After the Devils opened the scoring with a John Madden deflection, the Leafs went to the dressing room with the lead on goals from captain Mats Sundin and Bryan McCabe, who blasted in his 13th goal on a 5-on-3 power play.

The Devils had the Leafs back on their heels in the third period, outshooting Toronto 18-6. But goaltender Ed Belfour, 40, enjoyed one of his best periods of the season to get his 450th career win and beat Canadian Olympian Martin Brodeur at the other end of the rink. He was particularly strong during the Devils' two power plays in the third period. "It's always nice to beat one of the best goalies in the world," Sundin said. "I think Eddie won that battle."

If the Leafs are going to be one of the eight teams in the Eastern Conference to qualify for the playoffs, they have to keep the teams behind them in the standings in the rear-view mirror. The Devils, six points behind Toronto, are one of those teams. So are the dismal Penguins.

Last night's game, played before 19,314 at the Air Canada Centre, was the first in a stretch in which the Leafs will play five games in eight nights. Toronto has two games each against the Devils and Penguins.

The Devils, along with the New York Islanders and Atlanta Thrashers, are one of the teams hoping to gain traction before the Olympic break and take a run at the Leafs, who hold down the final playoff spot 36 games into the season.

-> g&m.com

[Lichtgestalt]

STEEN RETURNS TO PRACTICE

It was a shot that probably would not have dented a sponge. But for Alex Steen, at least it marked progress. While not quite prepared to unleash Brett Hull-like rockets quite yet, the rookie Maple Leafs forward was back on the ice yesterday for the first time since injuring his right thumb during a practice tumble earlier this month.

The morning workout consisted of a few light wristers, some non-chalant stickhandling and some easy skating. Admittedly it's nothing too strenuous, but at least Steen can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Steen is hoping to be back in the lineup Saturday against the New Jersey Devils.

"There's still a little bit of pain in there, but hopefully I'll be back shortly" said Steen, whose thumb was heavily wrapped with ice. "It all depends on how long it takes for it to settle down. It was just good to be back out there and try to work the puck around a little bit. It was really the first time I've felt comfortable enough to try it." Steen has not played since the Leafs were thrashed 8-2 by the Ottawa Senators on Dec. 17.

While Steen has made progress, Nik Antropov and Eric Lindros remain on the shelf indefinitely. Antropov, who already has undergone a pair of reconstructive knee surgeries in his young career, continues to battle pain in his knee, an ailment he jokingly refers to as a "lower body injury."

Claiming it is nowhere as bad as those previous knee woes, Antropov still doesn't know when he'll be able to resume skating again. "I was killing a penalty against Anaheim (Dec. 12) when I caught a rut in the ice," Antropov said. "It's getting stronger, though. The rest has really helped it. It's still frustrating though. Every year it seems something happens to me."

Toronto Sun

[Lichtgestalt]

tucker wird heute in pittsburgh dabei sein:

The NHL has reviewed the Darcy Tucker fight from last night and it has been determined that he will not receive a suspension. He instead has been issued a $2500 fine for ripping off the helmet of New Jersey Devils forward Cam Janssen during a fight and hitting him twice on the head with it. The league is satisfied that the helmet was caught on Tucker's wrist and he did not intend to use it as part of the fight.

[Lichtgestalt]

Pittsburgh Penguins - Toronto Maple Leafs 2:3 OT (0:0, 1:2, 1:0, 0:1)

1:0 (28.) Recchi 10 PP (Leclair, Gonchar)

1:1 (29.) Khavanov 2 (Sundin)

1:2 (40.) Sundin 8 PP (McCabe, Tucker)

2:2 (53.) Ouellet 3 PP (Crosby, Gonchar)

2:3 (63.) Kaberle 3 OT (Sundin)

SOG: Penguins 35, Leafs 33.

PIM: Penguins 8, Leafs 16.

PP: Penguins 2/8, Leafs 1/4.

-> Recap

[AustroLeaf]

Witzig, daß sie diese Erklärung von Tucker gekauft haben.

Jason Allison wird 7-10 Tage fehlen, der gebrochene Finger ist bereits operiert. Carlo Colaiacovo hat sich gegen Pittsburgh das rechte Handgelenk gestaucht und ist für die nächste Partie fraglich.

[Fex]

:traktor:

[revo]

Wo hört ihr? Toronot-Radio oder Buffalo-Radio?

[AustroLeaf]

Wo hört ihr? Toronot-Radio oder Buffalo-Radio?

919812[/snapback]

Ich für meinen Teil natürlich AM640 Leafs Radio Network

[AustroLeaf]

Toronto Maple Leafs - Buffalo Sabres 4:3 SO (2:1, 1:1, 0:1; 0:0; SO: 2:0)

1:0 (14.) Ponikarovsky 10 (Stajan) SH

2:0 (16.) McCabe 14 (Domi, Wilm)

2:1 (18.) Connolly 8 (Vanek, Kotalik)

2:2 (25.) Tallinder 3 (Connolly) SH

3:2 (26.) Tucker 16 (Wellwood, Kaberle) PP

3:3 (49.) Pominville 4 (Campbell, Connolly) PP

Shootout:

BUF: Kotalik, Vanek vergeben

TOR: Sundin 1:0, Ponikarovsky 2:0

[AustroLeaf]

Mal wieder was für zwischendurch...

[AustroLeaf]

New Jersey Devils - Toronto Maple Leafs 3:6 (1:1, 1:4, 1:1)

1:0 (4.) Gomez 12 (Parise, Gionta)

1:1 (9.) Sundin 9 (McCabe) SH

2:1 (22.) Gomez 13 penalty shot

2:2 (28.) Czerkawski 4 (Wilm, Kilger)

2:3 (28.) Tucker 17 (O'Neill)

2:4 (30.) O'Neill 13 (Wellwood, Kaberle) PP

2:5 (35.) Kaberle 4 (Belak, Wilm)

2:6 (45.) Pohl 1 (Tucker, Kaberle) PP

3:6 (48.) Gomez 14 (Gionta, Martin) PP

Besonders erwähnenswert das Unterzahltor des Nordic God (Prädikat: bw) sowie das erste NHL-Tor von John Pohl.

5-game winning streak

[Lichtgestalt]

sehr forza! wenn das der heurige post-xmas-deke is, dann bitte mehr davon!

STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS 2006

[AustroLeaf]

sehr forza! wenn das der heurige post-xmas-deke is, dann bitte mehr davon!

STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS 2006

 

921576[/snapback]

Und weiter geht's...

Toronto Maple Leafs - Pittsburgh Penguins 3:2 OT (0:1, 0:0, 2:1, 1:0)

0:1 (6.) Gonchar 6 (Palffy, Crosby)

1:1 (42.) Kilger 5 (Steen, Sundin)

2:1 (45.) Kilger 6 (Sundin, Steen)

2:2 (56.) Ouellet 5 (Palffy, Whitney) PP

3:2 (62.) McCabe 15 (Wellwood, Kaberle)

Tucker schied nach 40 Minuten mit einer Rippenverletzung aus, Rookie Alexander Steen ersetzte ihn bei seinem Comeback (nach Daumenbruch) in der Linie mit Mats Sundin und Chad Kilger bravourös. Sundin kann sogar Kilger zum Goalgetter machen.

[Lichtgestalt]

tucker (die harte sau ) dürfte trotz angeknackster rippe gegen die flames dabeisein:

TUCKER LIKELY TO PLAY IN THE GAME

Calgary -- Eric Lindros, with his troublesome right wrist, practised at the Stampede Corral arena yesterday. Darcy Tucker, with his bruised ribs, did not. So which Maple Leafs' forward is likely to play against the Northwest Division-leading Flames? The guess is: the guy with the bum ribs.

Known for his ability to play through pain, Tucker has been bothered by soreness since mid-December and did miss a couple of practices last month. In Monday's 3-2 overtime win against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Tucker aggravated the problem and could barely stand up straight after the game.

Lindros has endured his share of suffering, too. Currently, it's been ligament damage in his wrist suffered during a victory on Dec. 12 over the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. Although he's been skating with the Leafs, Lindros has been wearing a cast, and it has limited what he can do in practice.

-> g&m.com

[Lichtgestalt]

BIG E COULD NEED SURGERY

Eric Lindros hopes that a new cast will help the damaged ligament in his right wrist heal properly, but won't know for at least two weeks whether he'll still need surgery. Lindros, who has not played since Dec. 10, could not handle a stick in his right hand yesterday.

"I'm told the cast will stay on for two weeks ... then doctors will take it off," said Lindros. "Hopefully, it heals on its own and we won't have to worry about alternative ways (surgery) to deal with it."

Lindros joined the Leafs in Calgary for their three-game western Canada road swing yesterday, but only in a practice capacity. He was seen for the first time sporting a cast on the wrist he injured while being hooked during a shooting motion against the Dallas Stars.

Lindros had been testing a custom-fitted brace from a Texas manufacturer. The brace was supposed to allow some flexibility while providing stability for the healing process. Prior to the appearance of the cast, the best-case scenario for Lindros's return to the lineup appeared to be some point in the next two weeks. The cast, though, brings his entire recovery process — and the possibility of surgery — into further uncertainty. "I guess we'll know more in two weeks," he said.

ALLISON IMPROVING: Leafs centre Jason Allison said he felt fine after testing his injured finger in Calgary yesterday for the first time since he was hit by a puck Dec. 26. He said he has not ruled out playing on this western Canadian road trip which begins tomorrow in Calgary, then moves to Edmonton Saturday and Vancouver Tuesday.

TUCKER SITS: Leafs LW Darcy Tucker (strained rib muscles) did not practise yesterday, but said he is still hopeful he can play tomorrow night against Calgary. Tucker, though, said that he will not decide on his playing status until game time.

-> The Star