Penguins VS Leafs (4-5) Kaberle Out 4 Weeks!

Don't freak out Leaf fans this does not hurt Kaberles trade value in any way at all. When he is healthy again it will be right before the deadline and right in the stretch drive. People will still want Kaberle and this also makes Kubina all that more valuable as well. The Leafs will start Toskala I am hearing Garon but it may be Fleury the Pens are being mum on this.

1st Period: Really good start to the 1st and then they kind of let the momentum slip towards the Pens. Toskala is not very good at all this season and I will be very surprised if Burke is able to swing a trade involving him. Nice goal by Ian White and what a ceremony for Killer it literally brought a tear to my eye.

2nd Period: Wow! That was a terrific period for the blue and white and a nice moment with Cherry and Gilmour. The Leafs are lighting it up and they actually seem to be playing better without Kaberle which includes Toskala, he has really shut the door since the 1st goal against him. Should be a very touchy 3rd. Nice fight with Schenn and Kennedy.

3rd Period: Wow what a flurry of goals in the 3rd and Jason Blake continues to shine scoring his 7th in 7 games and 9 in 13. Toskala does not look comfortable in net anymore and I think that he may be losing the confidence of his team mates.

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Leafs VS Avalanche (7-4)

I retract my last statement Andrew Raycroft will get the start against the Leafs tonight, Jeff Finger is back and Vesa Toskala will start.

1st Period: Good start for the Leafs in this one, nice to see Antropov break the snide I hope Ponikarovsky can do the same. Unlucky bounce on the Colorado goal that tied the game. Toskala looks sharp something that he hasn't been is some time. Lets hope for a consistent 2nd period.

2nd Period: Grabovski, Moore, Finger all scored for the Leafs in the 2nd in what was a goal scoring explosion! Beautiful goal by Hejduk that rap a round was something else. With the way these goalies are playing it could be 99-80 at the end of the game.

3rd Period: Terrific third period Stajan scored and Moore had 2 goals, Jason Blake ended the tie he is completely on fire lately he leads the team with 16 goals. The Leafs play again on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

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No Antropov Trade Today!

My source has confirmed that Nik Antropov will be gone in the next 2 weeks it won't be today. He says the teams really pushing for him are Calgary and Boston at this point.

The Leafs want Mike Cammelari from Calgary and Milan Lucic from Boston, I think Camel could be had but I don't see the Bruins giving up Lucic.

(The Sources take: I think Cammelari will be a Leaf this summer anyways so why not make the trade, as for Lucic it would be great to have him but I think the Leafs would have to give something more than just Antropov to get him)

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Leafs VS Wild (1-6)

1st Period: That may have been the most boring period of hockey in history! To bad for Nik he had 2 great chances and couldn't get them by Backstrom. Cal Clutterbuck scored a sneaky but beautiful goal firing it over the shoulder of Justin Pogge. Can't wait for the 2nd period to start I need a nap!

You know I could have come on here and kept you all up to date but it truly wasn't worth it. The Leafs were terrible from the net out tonight and Pogge showed that he isn;t ready just yet. Next up for the Leafs Colorado and Andrew Raycroft could be a fun night for him.

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Pogge/Kulemin Re-called

Toronto Marlies goaltender Justin Pogge joined the Leafs for today's post-all-star game practice, suggesting he may be getting another look.

Pogge, 22, has played one game with the Leafs this season, a victory, giving up only two goals.

He joins Vesa Toskala and Curtis Joseph on the Leafs, who travel to Minnesota to face the Wild on Tuesday night.

Pogge, the Leafs' first choice, 90th overall in the 2004 draft, has played 32 games with the Marlies this season, with a record of 15-13-4, a goals against average of 2.58 and a save percentage of .901.

The Leafs also recalled Nikolai Kulemin from the Marlies. Kulemin was sent down to Toronto's AHL affiliate on Friday.

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BREAKING NEWS: Antropov Gone By Wednesday?

Talking to several people this morning who have said that Wed will be the day that Antropov will be shipped out. I was told Boston or Calgary, could be the teams to look at.

(Please realize that while I rarely post things like this I do trust this person and they have been right most of the time.)

(UPDATE: I have just been told that this may be false, I am getting confirmation)

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Leafs Return 2 To Marlies

F Nikolai Kulemin and D Anton Stralman have been returned to the AHL Toronto Marlies, I assume that D Mike Van Ryn and F Jeremy Williams will be ready to go after the All Star weekend in Montreal.

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Bruins VS Leafs (4-3)

1st Period: Very good period for the Leafs they finally scored in the 1st at home, Jason Blake has been playing very well as of late and may be raising his trade value. To bad on the tieing goal just a breakdown in front of the net. Should be a good 2nd or so we hope.

2nd Period: Great 2nd by the Buds I can't believe they are playing this well against the Bruins. They are good on the forcheck there in zone coverage is tremendous and there passing is great to. Hopefully they don't have a collapse in the 3rd.

3rd Period: I thought to myself can the Leafs hang on to this one and sure enough I was WRONG!

OT Period: The Leafs had the PP and couldn't end it, lets hope Toskala isn't his usual sieve in the shootout.

Shootout: Jason Blake scored a beauty but it wasn't enough as Toskala yet again stumbled in the SO. Something needs to be done. The Leafs that we hope to have traded are more than likely killing there worth with all of these losses. (With the exception of Kaberle)

Hurricanes VS Leafs (2-0)

1st Period: Great back and forth period there, the Leafs look good in both ends something that hasn't been the case lately. Toskala looks really good and Tlusty is making me wonder why he was ever sent down in the first place. He has 4 points in 2 games which shows that the Leafs prospect cupboard isn't all that bare. As for the Canes they looked like they were gaining some momentum at the end of the period lets hope that's not the case in the 2nd.

2nd Period: Ha Ha Ha!!! Another breakdown by the Leafs and its a two goal deficit, the Leafs were consistently bad in the 2nd and it showed. Kaberle took a terrible penalty which took the Leafs momentum right out of them. Good goal by Chad Larose to make it 2-0.

3rd Period: I should have named this blog Leafs VS Cam Ward because that's why the Canes won tonight. I don't really have much to say about the 3rd period. Good win for the Canes after losing 5 in a row before this one. Cam Ward was amazing and truly deserved the S.O.

RUMOR: White to Lightning?

As I'm sure everyone has seen today there are rumors flying around that Ian White could be on his way to Tampa Bay. I have been hearing all kinds of things including some very out of the atmosphere stuff that the Leafs are trying to make the deal bigger by trying acquire Steven Stamkos.

As of right now though it sounds like either Jeff Halpern or Jussi Jokinnen, stay tuned for more.

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Leafs Vs Thrashers (3-4)

Not much to say about this one, should be a speedy game the Leafs will go with Toskala, and the Thrashers will go with Hedberg. The Leafs have won 6 of the last 7 against the Thrashers and have one 3 straight at Philips Arena.

1st Period: WOW!! What a period for the Buds I thought for sure that was Luke Schenn's goal, but good for Moore to get the goal. The Leafs are dominating so far but I don't think we can get our hopes up just yet as the Leafs had a 4-0 lead last night and almost lost in the 3rd. Should be an entertaining 2nd this has all the makings of a blowout.

2nd Period: What happened to the Leafs there? They had a great shift and then BAM! Kovalchuk scores a goal. The Leafs looked terrible at some points of the 2nd period and really couldn't get the momentum back after the 2nd Atlanta goal. They should definitely work on there forecheck so this doesn't happen again.

3rd Period: Ahhhhhhhhh! Ummmmmmmmmm!!! Is what Ron Wilson is saying right now, he is shaking his head wondering what happened because the Leafs once again blew a 3rd period lead.

OT Period: COME ON! If this isn't an indication to start moving bodies then Burke shoudln't be GM of the Leafs. This was a disgrace and Toskala looked terrible! Pogge should be called up after this one it was a stinker.

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Burke Trying To Make Moves

Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke understands that a rebuilding process takes time, but he also feels the disappointment stemming from the fans, reports the Toronto Star.

"I understand the frustration of our fans," Burke told the paper. "We weren't good enough in our last two home games, not by a mile."

The Leafs currently sit 11th in the Eastern Conference, nine points out of a playoff spot. With a number of moves expected to be made between now and the March 4 trade deadline, Toronto could fall even lower down the standings.

"Even if you're rebuilding, it doesn't mean you have to lose every single game," Leafs center Nik Antropov, whose name has been tossed around in various trade discussions, told the Star. "We have a lot of pride on this team. It's the Toronto Maple Leafs. We can't just lose every game, you know."

In addition to trade talks, Burke has been scouting a number of college players set to become free agents.

According to the Star, Burke was in Boston this week watching Boston University defenseman Matt Gilroy, who is considered one the most sought-after U.S. college free agents available this spring.

Other top college prospects include Tyler Bozak of Denver University and Notre Dame center Christian Hanson.

"The way we've drafted, we've got to try and sign as many college free agents as we can," Burke said. "The idea is, sign five and hope two make it."

On the trade front, Burke is receiving more calls these days. The Star claims the Leafs called up defenseman Anton Stralman likely to show him off to other scouts.

In addition to Antropov, the Leafs are receiving interest in Tomas Kaberle, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Matt Stajan and Pavel Kubina, among others.

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This Article Courtesy TFP

Leafs VS Hurricanes (6-4)

Two teams struggling to score will play tonight looking to turn there season around the Leafs are 2-8 in there last 10 something that has a lot of fans (including myself) wondering when the bodies will start moving out the door. Toskala for the Leafs, Ward for the Canes.

1st Period: Great 1st by the Leafs thats the 1st time in about 9 games the Leafs have scored 1st, Dominic Moore continues to impress it is interesting to think if he could one day be named Captain of the Leafs. Nice to see the PP unit click great shot by White to score the goal.

2nd Period: What a terrific period for the Leafs, Jason Blake is dominant tonight and his linemates are playing well too. Carolina is outshooting Toronto but the Leafs have the 4-1 lead going into the 3rd period. Look for a desperate type of game coming from the Canes in the 3rd period. Nice to see Hagman break his scoring slump as well.

3rd Period: I guess it is true what they say close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades! The Leafs played a good game and Jason Blake was amazing tonight a career high with 5 pts. The Leafs can get a 2 game streak going as they play the Thrashers tomorrow night.

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RUMORS: Bouwmeester a Leaf?

As was all the rave this summer it seems that Jay Bouwmeester is back on the Leafs radar and now it seems closer to being done than ever before.

The Leafs almost acquired Bouwmeester at the draft this year and then again at the beginning of the season but instead acquired Mike Van Ryn (Which as of right now isn't such a bad thing when he is not hurt)

Last night the Leafs were being scouted by 3 of the Panthers scouts, I spoke to a source inside the Panthers organization who told me that they were there for a forward but wouldn't give me any names. If I had to guess I would choose someone like Ponikarovsky or Stajan.

Anyways scouts are there to see whats wrong with players not whats good about them, the Leafs played a solid game last night they just couldn't score anything. If the Leafs are to acquire Bouwmeester expect the Leafs to be giving up conditional picks.

They are willing to give the 1st rounder on a conditional bases due to the fact the Bouwmeester is UFA and if he doesn't re-sign they can get there pick back. Look for that to be part of the package if this goes threw.

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Predators VS Leafs (2-0)

(I just want to apologize for the lack of game blog tonight, I was very busy working on some rumors that I will have tomorrow for everyone. The reason I don't post them now is because I need confirmation before I post them. I don't like to post stuff that doesn't have some kind of backbone.)




You'll have to forgive Steve Sullivan if he's a little excited about his latest NHL point. After all, it has been nearly two full years since his last one.

Playing just his second game of the season after missing the entire 2007-08 campaign and half of this one with a back injury, Sullivan assisted on the third-period game-winning goal by Radek Bonk, sparking the Nashville Predators to a 2-0 lead over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night.

"It was just great to be back and be able to make a contribution offensively for my hockey team and get a big win," said Sullivan, a former Maple Leaf.

David Legwand ripped an insurance goal with just under seven minutes left while Pekka Rinne

Bonk's power-play goal was the result of a brilliant individual play by Sullivan. After taking the puck at the right point, the slick winger moved across the ice, shook off the checking of Matt Stajan and snapped a quick shot that deflected off Bonk over the glove of Toronto goalie Vesa Toskala.

Sullivan was originally credited with the goal, but he knew all along it glanced off a prominent part of Bonk's body en route to the back of the net.

"I knew right away it went off Radek," he said. "When the referee came over to ask, we said it was tough to miss Radek's backend. So obviously it went off him and went in the net."

It should come as no surprise Toronto surrendered the game-winner while short-handed. The Leafs entered the game with the NHL's worst penalty-killing unit.

Sullivan played just over 12 minutes in Nashville's win over Chicago last Saturday before sitting out the return date in Chicago on Sunday night to avoid back-to-back contests right off the hop. After a fairly peaceful outing in his first contest, Sullivan was given a nice jolt along the boards by Leafs rookie Luke Schenn early in Tuesday night's game.

"He picked me out, I had nowhere to go, I took the hit," said Sullivan, who had roughly 20 to 25 friends and family from his hometown of Timmins, Ont., among the 19,223 in attendance at Air Canada Centre. "On my way down, I just hoped it wouldn't hurt on the way back up. I was able to bounce back and didn't really feel it at all, so it was a good sign."

Sullivan, 34, may not have felt much on the hit, but the Predators bench sure did.

"He took that first big hit and I think everybody probably held their breath," said Nashville coach Barry Trotz. "Even Sully, I'm sure he held his breath and then got up and said, 'Hey, I'm OK and we're good to go."'

Sullivan had a goal and an assist for Nashville in a 6-5 shootout loss to Montreal on Feb. 22, 2007. It was his last game before his recent comeback.

Trotz believes Sullivan, always known for his shifty moves, may actually have benefited in some ways from his extensive time on the sideline.

"He's just so smart," said Trotz, adding he's still very conscious of easing Sullivan back into the flow of games. "Two years of watching, he's even gotten smarter, just seeing the game from up top. He's just one of those remarkable, remarkable players and as we go along here he's getting better and better."

Seeing familiar sweaters is a bit of a theme for Sullivan on this comeback bid. He's been a part of three organizations other than Nashville -- Toronto, Chicago and the New Jersey Devils. Having already faced the Hawks and Leafs, Sullivan will lineup against the Devils next Monday.

"The opposition, I've always said, isn't important right now," he said of coming back to Toronto. "It's just a matter of me trying to play the best hockey I can. Obviously it's somewhat of a homecoming; I've played Chicago, Toronto today and I've got New Jersey on Monday. I'm doing the full circle here."

Tuesday's game was a scoreless dual between two Finnish goalies through 40 minutes as neither Toskala nor Rinne blinked.

Toskala's best save came early in the game when he stymied J.P. Dumont on a breakaway.

Toronto (16-21-6) was trying to snap a three-game losing streak, but Rinne did a good job of limiting second-chance opportunities by controlling his rebounds and the Leafs really didn't do enough to force the issue.

"We were doing a lot of the little things right, but we didn't drive the net like we should and we didn't fire enough shots on net. Under 20 shots is not enough for this team," said Stajan, whose team was blanked for the second time this year after mustering a season-low 17 shots.

"It's frustrating, we wasted a solid effort by Vesa. There's not much else to say. We've got to be better."

Rinne, a 26-year-old rookie, is showing signs he could be a classic late-bloomer. Including his win over Toronto, Rinne has allowed more than two goals just once in his past eight appearances. The game marked his fourth shutout of the season in 15 games.

The Predators, meanwhile, won for the first time in eight tries on the road and now have victories in three of their past four games.

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This Article Sportsnet.ca

Leafs VS Flyers (1-4)

The Leafs have won 3 straight against the Flyers and will look to continue that tonight. However they are without there 2nd line center Mikhael Grabovski as he has been suspended for 3 games because of the incident against the Canadiens. Toskala for the Leafs Biron for the Flyers.

1st period: Wow Leaf fans Jeff Carter getting all those chances sure makes you unhappy huh? Anyways Vesa Toskala looks extremely shaky again and while he did make some nice saves I truly feel he may be fighting the puck. His confidence seems very low right now and it is showing. The Leafs started the period at a good pace but kind of slipped at the end of it. Really nice setup for Mike Richards goal but Toskala should of had his stick in the path of the pass.

2nd Period: Toskala looked a 100 times better, not as shaky. The Leafs outplayed Philadelphia for the most part but still had few errors that they need to fix in the third. Let's hope for more of the same physical play in the the third period.

3rd Period: You know I debated all night if I should write about the 3rd period and then I thought to myself I owe to you guys. But what a debacle the Leafs just slipped away in the 3rd and didn't even try to get going after the 3rd goal was scored by Philly. I think it is time to start dumping bodies and Burke needs to do it now this season is a write off and they aren't going to make the playoffs. Hopefully Burke reads this and sees we have had enough.

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Leafs VS Canadiens (2-6)

The Toronto Maple Leafs will welcome back Matt Stajan and will also have the services of newcomer Brad May for this game. The Leafs will go with Toskala and the Habs will use Halak as Carey Price is still out with an injury. Should be a good game the series is tied at 1-1, I would look for sparks between Koystisyn and Grabovski as well.

Oh my!! Just terrible all over the ice tonight EXPECIALLY Toskala he looked really bad and let in some serioud stinkers. The game took a turn for the worse after the May penalty (Which was a joke) Montreal opened up and Halak shut the door. I smell a Kaberle trade coming in the next few days.

Burke needs to decide what to do with this team because its become quite obvious we won't make the playoffs so I think this would be the perfect time to start dumping bodies. Lets hope change comes sooner rather than later.

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Maple Leafs acquire May from Ducks

In a not so bigtime trade the Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired 37 year old F Brad May from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a conditional 6th round pick. May will bring grit and some feistyness only Deveaux seems to have been bringing lately.

He should play on a line with Mayers and Mitchell also in other news F Nik Kulemin has been sent to the AHL Marlies.

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Leafs lose to Panthers

Ah the return of Bryan McCabe what will happen? Well I for one forsee a very loud booing going on tonight. In other news Deveaux and Schenn are back in the lineup which means Sifers and Newbury are not. Toskala will go for the Leafs while Anderson will go for Florida should be a highscoring affair.

I am truly sorry about not keeping everyone up to date on the game. I had an emergency and wasn't able to get to the site. But from what I heard on the radio I'm glad I missed it. Toronto had 10 shots in the 1st 2 periods not exactly a recipe for victory. Anyways I hope to have everything back to normal on Thursday.

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Senators VS Leafs (1-3)

The Battle of Ontario resumes tonight when the Leafs and Sens go one on one. The Leafs have sent down Jiri Tlusty and re-called Kris Newbury for this game he will play on a line with Hollweg and Mayers which should be mildly entertaining to watch. The Leafs start Ves Toskala against Martin Gerber.

1st Period: Pretty good 1st period very fast paced a couple questionable calls that should have not been there but what can you do. The Leafs have dried up for sure in the PP department and need to start scoring again. They seemed to be gaining some MO at the end of the period so hopefully they an build on that.

2nd Period: Good job by the Leafs and in particular Dominic Moore to put themselves back in the game. Toskala looks a lot better tonight the 2 days off may have been really what he needed to get his game back. Lots of scrums going on something that hasn't been around the battle of ontario for a longtime. Lets hope for more of the same in the 3rd.

3rd Period: Terrific finish for the Leafs tonight they are now 6-1-1 in the last 8 against the Sens and they are slowly taking over the battle of ontario. Toskala played really well and this should be a big confidence booster for the Finish goaltender lets hope they can carry some MO into the next game.

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BREAKING RUMOR! Leafs and Jackets To Make A Trade?

I guess people are interested in what Toronto has! There were a few scouts in attendance at tonights Leafs/Sabres game all of them from the Blue Jackets.

The Jackets from what I have heard have serious interest in Nik Antropov and Pavel Kubina as they would like to get better at the center position and the back end especially on the PP.

I think this trade would work for both teams give me your opinion in the comments section.

Nik Antropov and Pavel Kubina

for

Jakub Vorachek, Pascal Leclaire and a 2nd rounder

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Sabres VS Leafs (4-1)

Curtis Joseph will get his 2nd start in as many games the Maple Leafs have re-called Jiri Tlusty for this one. He will play on a line with Blake and Moore taking Williams spot as he is day to day with a sore shoulder.

1st Period: Pretty good period despite the lack of goals, lots of speed out there something everyone loves to see. Joseph looks good again hopefully he can keep that up. Pretty exciting for Hagman to get a penalty shot to bad he didn't capitalize on it. The Leafs as of right now look like the better team.

2nd Period: Very lackluster effort by the Leafs in that one a goal that should have been stopped and very questionable penalty. Oh well! Still 20 to go maybe we can salvage the game, if not oh well again. Brian Burke needs to make a move something he has yet to do since being named GM and President. I think the Leafs need a scorer and a tough guy. Lets hope for a better 3rd.

3rd Period: Let this be a lesson learned out there for my younger readers who play hockey! A poor effort will always result in a bad game. The Leafs while they outshot the Sabres did play well Joseph was very blah and so was the offense. Lets hope the Leafs can give a better effort Saturday against the Sens.

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