Leafs/Lightning tonight: I missed the first period because of a hellish day at work. I tweeted to my peeps that at the end of the workday, I basically felt as though I’d been paroled from the circus. Reading through the Twitter messages on the game, though, it seemed to me that the Leafs likely played reasonably well in the first and were somewhat unfortunate to be down 1-0.
Saw the second and third periods, and the overtime too. Some thoughts:
J.S. Giguere needs to be tied to the crossbar. I’m not harshing on Jiggy in general; he made a great save in the OT on Lecavalier’s quasi-breakaway. I’m not even talking about the play in OT where he chased after a loose puck after Stalberg turned it over up ice. I know that he pretty much had to race for that puck, though the Leafs were lucky that the Lightning couldn’t hit a wide open cage when his clearing attempt was cut off. In the second and third periods though, he handled the puck like Tiger Woods handles an Escalade. (Thank you, I’m here all week, please don’t forget to tip your server). Bottom line: though Jiggy has played reasonably well and has been a vast improvement over Vesa “I Wouldn’t Have Thought That Had a Chance” Toskala, the more I see Giguere out to get stick on puck, the more I think I am in favour of the trapezoid rule;
Nikolai Kulemin is money, baby. Dollars, pesos, rubles, you name it, he is cash money. That is all;
Loved the game Dion Phaneuf played. Carl Gunnarsson too;
It’s important not to read too much into this win over the Lightning – beating a playoff bubble team that has about as much success outside of Florida as pink and green aluminum siding – but the Leafs showed speed, determination and passion yet again. This team is beginning to believe that they can win games with the present collection of personnel. They’re wrong about that, but it’s a step in the right direction and when the overall talent level is improved a little, up front especially, that little bit of confidence can go a long way towards creating a dangerous team.
All in all, it was another performance that, regardless of its defensive warts, proved that the Leafs might be accused of having questionable talent, but can’t be accused of exhibiting minimal effort.
As for the broadcast crew, I noticed that for the second time in as many games Joe Bowen was unable to correctly distinguish between a Leaf defenceman and a Leaf goaltender. This time, he has Francois Beauchemin making a save on Vincent Lecavalier OT quasi-breakaway. I took a lot of crap from Joe Bowen fans as a result of yesterday’s post; again I say that I’m a Joe Bow fan myself, but I think we’re entitled to expect him to be able to articulate the name of the Maple Leaf netminder with some degree of regularity and reliability at this point in the season. Watch the YouTube clip below. The first segment shows Giguere chasing the loose puck after Stalberg’s turnover; Bowen gets this bit right. In the second segment, though, rather than Jiggy he has other French guy Francois Beauchemin making the save on Lecavalier. Again, I’m not saying this means Joe Bowen is a bad broadcaster who doesn’t deserve to be on TV. I am saying that he’s gotta bring his game up a little bit, though.
Sometimes in professional sports, in the latter portion of a lost season, one can get the impression that folks are just mailing it in. Akin to garbage time in a game too far out of hand to salvage, the idea is that a team can be so far out of contention for a championship or qualification for the playoffs that those associated with the team have ceased to care about results in the remaining games. According to this slots baby review, online gaming and online casinos are getting very popular these days because of the huge possibilities that you have to win.
Typically, fans are concerned that their professional heroes have given up and are going through the motions; team management typically attempts to assuage these fears by stressing that players are auditioning for jobs for the next season. They commonly also offer hope that the team is using the remaining games as a developmental exercise – setting specific goals and trying to learn how to win by achieving those goals, regardless of their ultimate factual irrelevance.
Happily for Toronto Maple Leafs fans, it would seem that the Leaf players are buying in to this narrative for the most part. The Blue and White put in a mostly spirited effort against a depleted Bruins club that has given them fits this year, eventually prevailing in overtime on a goal by Nikolai Kulemin.
So no worries about anybody going through the motions in Leaf-land, right? At least for one night?
Well, not quite. The television broadcast crew that brought us the game on Sportsnet last night had some real difficulties. In particular, Joe Bowen and Greg Millen seemed to be having an inordinate amount of difficulty keeping Jonas Gustavsson and Carl Gunnarsson straight. It’s true that both men are Swedish and both are relatively new additions to the Leaf team whose last names begin with the letter “G”. Really, though, is it too much to ask that the crew whose job it is to know about these players could, by the time game number 66 rolls around, reliably distinguish between the team’s much-hyped young goaltender and a defenseman who has pleasantly surprised? Nevertheless, throughout Tuesday night’s game, Bowen and Millen continuously tripped over the Gustavsson/Gunnarsson identification.
This unfortunate difficulty manifested itself most notably late in the second period with the Bruins leading 2-1. Following a faceoff in the Bruins’ zone, Carl Gunnarsson directed a shot at the Bruins’ goal that found the twine, tying the game at twos. Regrettably, Joe Bowen attributed this goal to Jonas Gustavsson – the Leafs’ goaltender. Check out the clip (from YouTube) below:
I can’t say for sure how I would have reacted in, say 1995, if you had told me then what I would find myself doing some fifteen years down the road, on a sunny morning in early March.
Way back when, I was living the life of an upwardly mobile single young man living in the big city. I was a relatively recent entrant in the urban Rat Race (Toronto division). A young briefcase-carrying professional during the day, I was also writing music on the side, and I was very interested in (if not particularly successful at) advancing the fortunes of the band after which this blog is named. I lived on Queen Street East in a little flat over top of a jewellery store at Queen and Broadview. Over the noise of the streetcars turning and amid the steady parade of alcohol-fuelled gentlemen filing in and out of the strip joint on the corner, a community there was rapidly gentrifying. Not far from the back door, there was the clubhouse for the outlaw motorcycle gang; it was damaged (but only a little bit) by a rocket attack one night. Across from our place, there was a terrific Jamaican restaurant that served Red Stripe beer and the best jerk chicken you’re ever likely to sample. The neighbourhood, filled with a colourful cast of characters of the “down, but not quite out” variety, was also dotted with antique stores, little cafes and second hand shops. The estimable Reaction Studios, where the lads and I had only months before recorded our studio debut, was a short walk away. I played hockey three or four times a week with my buddies. I went to the precious few clubs that continued to support live music, and my bandmates and I schemed up ways to worm our way on to the Queen West circuit. I dabbled at film-making. I saw Important Movies, I read Important Books and I spent much of my time searching for Big Ideas to bring into my life.
I can’t, in good journalistic conscience, risk having left the false impression with the reader that I was at any point in this period of time edgy, cool or hip. I may very well have thought at the time that I was; in hindsight, it is abundantly clear to me that I most assuredly was not. The quality of my personal aesthetic and fashion achievement during this period of time is not, however, the point; instead, I am trying to convey to you that my life in 1995 was very much a life lived to the peculiar rhythms of the thriving urban community within which I existed.
It is within that context that I suggest that historical me would have had some considerable difficulty comprehending exactly how it came to pass that this morning, here in 2010, I found myself searching out my camera equipment for the following reason: so that I could take a picture of a dead raccoon that my wife had pointed out to me along the side of a country road. Let’s take that last sentence apart piece by precious little piece for a moment, shall we, to make sure we haven’t missed any of the wonderful and varied splendour it contains (and, not coincidentally, that life serves up so unexpectedly when you’re not looking). The logical propositions that are incorporated into that statement are as follows:
I have a wife (mildly surprising to 1995 me, no doubt);
We were together on a country road (not so terribly far-fetched for ’95 me, who would presume this rural peregrination as some sort of romantic journey, rather than a trip home from Horton’s);
My wife pointed something out that she thought would be of interest to me (awwwww);
The said item of interest was a deceased raccoon (wait, what?);
She was correct about this being of interest to me; and
She was so right, in fact, that I would actually drive home, retrieve my camera and excitedly return to the spot in question in order to take a picture.
I don’t know what your feelings are about the movie Forrest Gump. At this point in my life, I don’t much care, to be honest. Regardless of your views on this matter, though, it is difficult at times to argue with that movie’s oft-quoted line, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” I suspect that the little fellow pictured below would have to agree.
Every Picture Tells a Story, Don't It?
Rocky Raccoon Gives Us a Pompeii-like Tableau for Rural Folk
UPDATE: From @kidkawartha of the PPP crowd comes the epic de-motivational poster. I am without words, consigned only to chortles, giggles and snorts.
It’s forty minutes to game time – Gold Medal Game Time – here in Canada. I don’t have much time to type, as there is still much to do before my Mom and Dad join Spouse and I here in Juniorvania to watch the epic struggle for hockey gold that is about to unfold on Canadian soil.
I had to stop in to mention that Spouse and I were out getting some breakfast and some groceries earlier today. It is an amazing thing to see out there; we’re half a country away from Vancouver, but there is a palpable feeling of excitement on the streets. First of all, every other person (at least) is wearing some sort of Canada paraphernalia. Second, early on a Sunday morning, the streets and stores are busy: people are trying to get their errands done before 3 o’clock local time, which is when the puck drops. Cars are flying Canadian flags, and everybody everywhere – in the Horton’s this morning, in line at the grocery store – is talking about the general public excitement over these Olympic games in general, and the hockey game this afternoon in particular.
I was only six in 1972 when the time drew near for Game 8 against the Russians at Ludzhniki Ice Palace in Moscow. Still, I remember the excitement in our classroom on that day in September when the big black and white TV, mounted on movable aluminum rack, was wheeled into the room and all the kids sat down on the floor cross-legged to watch the game. I remember that same excitement not so long ago in 2002 when Canada’s best hockey players faced off against the Yanks in Salt Lake; finally we had a chance with our best players to reclaim the hockey gold we view as rightfully ours, for the first time in 50 years. I sat in the Black Swan Tavern on the Danforth in Toronto that day, and when the final few seconds ticked off the clock and the gold was back home where it belonged, I stood arm in arm with the friends I had watched the game with – some old, some very new – and we belted out “O Canada” at the top of our lungs as the celebration unfolded on the ice.
I have that same excitement and more today. It’s different, because the game is here, in Canada, where great games belong. We’ve wanted to have such a game here for a very long time, so long that we manufactured international events like Canada Cups and World Cups. Wins – and yes, it must be said, losses in those events (I’m looking at you, 1996) – were important and historic, but they pale in comparison to the import of this Olympic finale.
Let it be said, win or lose, that Canadian athletes have done us proud throughout these games. The determination of Joannie Rochette, the exuberance of a guys like Jon Montgomery or our female bobsledders, the skill shown by both our curling rinks – on and on it goes. It’s very Canadian to say that we are just happy to have gotten here, happy to have tried our hardest and enjoyed the competition. All of that is very much true.
But I want to win gold today. I want to win hockey gold. It’s not typically Canadian to allow oneself to say that aloud, to openly wish for this kind of success on the world stage, but we’re all doing it and it’s okay.
Spouse and I drove along the highway winding through snow-covered fields earlier today, with the sun shining down and glistening on the winter wonderland that surrounded us. We were drinking our Tim Horton’s, blaring the Tragically Hip’s “Little Bones” and flying a newly-purchased Canadian flag from the window of our truck. We were both excited about what we had seen around us, the expression of patriotism from our fellow citizens, and we were – and are- both excited about the prospect of an exciting conclusion to these Olympics. It is a good day to be a Canadian. Let’s enjoy it.
I’ve been holding my breath ever since about the first period of Game Two vs. Switzerland. Team Canada looked disorganized and got outworked by a highly motivated Swiss team; the hosts were lucky to win in a shootout.
Tonight, Team Canada worked harder but lost to a team with a better goaltender and – it must be said – a little bit of puck luck. Minor criticisms can be made – Pronger and Niedermayer both looked weak, Marleau and Thornton made all Canadians understand the frustration of Sharks fans as they completely disappeared inside an important game – but this game came down to some bad play by Martin Brodeur. Bob McKenzie of TSN said it best on the CTV telecast: switch the goalies and tell me the result wouldn’t have been different. Marty got us that gold in 2002, but he sure didn’t look like the same goaltender tonight. Expect Roberto Luongo to play for Canada from here to the conclusion of this tournament.
Lots of people are busy working out the permutations of who Canada will play in the medal round, but hear this: a win against Germany is by no means guaranteed. If the Germans play Canada like the Swiss did, and if Canada fails to adjust in the same fashion, there is a good chance that Canada’s tournament ends right away. I wouldn’t bet on it, but our team needs not to look past that game. You can bet the Germans aren’t.
In the meantime, here’s an idea for the next Visa Olympics related commercial. Morgan Freeman does the voiceover, of course. “Hear that sound? It’s the sound of an entire nation saying ‘FUCK RYAN MILLER’ – all at the same time!”
Just want to make it clear, posting the above score is in no way meant to diminish the excellent effort of the Norwegian hockey team. I am not talking smack about Norway, just trying to document what I hope will be a journey towards Olympic gold for Canada’s Men. Norwegian guys are okay by me – I saw a Visa commercial tonight that reminded me about an incident in the Turin Olympics when a Norwegian cross-country ski coach, seeing that Canada’s Sara Renner had broken one of her poles, gave her his own. Renner went on to claim a silver medal and essays on sportsmanship exploded out of word processors all over the world.
Good on you, Norway. Thanks for an entertaining game.
Both Kidkawartha (via Twitter) and MattBlack (via the Pension Plan Puppets FTB links roundup) recommended to all Leaf fans a reading of the comments in the Silver Seven Sens game thread. It is sage and wise advice, gratefully accepted and immediately productive this morning of several out-loud guffaws hereabouts. The game thread is a written record of the comments made by those inhabiting the Senators-themed blog thread dedicated to the Senators/Leafs game on Saturday night. The Senators, of course, came into the night with high expectations. Rested and rolling (they had Friday night off and were on an 11-game win streak), they and their fans looked forward to making some sort of a claim to bragging rights in this year’s version of the Battle of Ontario. By comparison, in the previous day or so, the Leafs had travelled to and from Newark, had there put in 57 solid minutes of work before coughing up 3 goals in as many minutes to lose 4-3 in heartbreaking fashion, and had received news of the passing of their General Manager’s son.
Happily for all fans of the Blue and White, it was the Leafs who showed up ready for the most recent installment of the Battle of Ontario. They ran the Senators out of the building, quickly and efficiently, much to the despair of Senators fans everywhere.
Following along with the game’s progress in the aforementioned game thread is an exercise in comparative anthropology: whereas ordinary human beings experience “reality”, we are able to learn that Senators fans enjoy a rich and imaginative fantasy world of their own invention. In this charming, but barely recognizable version of the world :
Nick Kypreos is preferable as a hockey journalist…when compared to any other human being;
It is uncertain who the “most overrated” band of all time is, but we know that the honour belongs to one of either Led Zeppelin or the Beatles; and
The “running” of J.S. Giguere by Daniel “Clownpants” Alfredsson was a great job.
After that, with the Senators thoroughly failing to provide any sort of sustained resistance to a Leaf victory, things got decidedly more fatalistic and profane. They also got less entertaining, except in a “Senators fans, your tears of shame are delicious” sort of way. Which, come to think of it, I enjoyed very much thank you. Click here to continue reading What Senators Fans and Spouse Had to Say About the Game
It was only one game. One game in another lost season; one game against a (recently) struggling Eastern Conference opponent and their backup goaltender.
Still, tonight’s 3-0 Leaf victory finally gave more than a little reason for hope to long-suffering Leaf fans. There was a goaltender in our net who made saves and who seemed confident about it. There was a beast of defenceman, Phaneuf, thumping offensive interlopers. Nikolai Kulemin was driving to the net, taking the puck through the middle of the ice decisively and in such a way as to create some worried moments for opposition defenders. Frederik Sjostrom showed some determination and self-sacrifice on the penalty kill and – for what may be the first time this year, at least for a Maple Leaf defender – forcing an opposition defenseman to abort the plan to shoot and dump off a “second-best” pass instead. There was a power play goal from Francois Beauchemin.
More generally, for the very first time this year, our team came out ready to play from the opening faceoff. If this trade has changed nothing else but the Leafs’ alarming tendency to tentatively piss away at least the first ten minutes of every game, frequently surrendering the lead and always ceding the momentum, it will have been worth it.
It was only one game; there are no guarantees that this widespread improvement will last. A lot of the numbers suggest that there are still lots of difficult times ahead for a Maple Leafs time that has little by way of personnel on the forward lines who have proven they can score in the NHL (at least beyond Phil Kessel). The goaltender’s performance has been trending downwards for a while, and the defence have struggled to shut the door on a consistent basis. All of these things demand that one keep perspective and remember that you cannot infer the existence of a trend from a small sample size of data. It was only one game. For the first time this year, though, I felt like watching one Leaf game tonight wasn’t enough.
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As an aside, shoutouts to eyebleaf of Sports in the City who (fittingly enough) headed off for a lengthy trip to India earlier this evening. I say “fittingly enough” because eye has been one of the few consistently positive voices in the Barilkosphere; there is something fitting about eye beginning a lengthy holiday on the very day that hope seemed to walk in the front door of the Air Canada Centre for the first time in a long time. After working so diligently over the last couple of years to ensure that at least some of us can see the bright side of things, eye can finally move on to other adventures. Safe travels, brother, you will be missed in these parts, but we look forward to your return.
A huge day for the Toronto Maple Leafs today: they traded Matt Stajan, Nik Hagman, Ian White and Jamal Mayers to Calgary for Dion Phaneuf, Fredrik Sjostrom and Keith Aulie. Stajan, White and Mayers are all on expiring contracts, so they are essentially rentals. Hagman has two years to go on an economical 3 million dollar deal for a streaky but reliable goal scorer.
That was a huge deal. My preliminary evaluation is that the trade reeks of desperation on the part of Darryl Sutter. He has overpaid for a couple of scoring forwards in a desperate attempt to turn the Flames’ ship around and make a run for the Cup while they have the core (Iginla, Kiprussof and Bouwmeester) signed up. Calgary is tied for third worst in the Western Conference at 143 goals for; turning to two players from the 29th place team in the league for help, and giving up a 24 year old potential franchise player-calibre asset for three rentals and a streaky scorer in the process, is a recipe for disaster. Darryl Sutter has just gone all in; this move combined with the Olli Jokinen trade last year may well cost him his job. Heck, he might have to move out of Calgary if Phaneuf re-acquires half of the potential he showed in his first couple of years in the league.
Even more remarkably, however, Brian Burke managed to unload Vesa Toskala the Incompetent and Jason Blake – the world’s most expensive and energetic hamster – for J.S. Giguere. I am at a loss to understand how Bob Murray steels himself to approach the microphone and announce to the press gathered for Ducks news that he has traded for Vesa fucking Toskala. The only explanation that makes any sense at all is that his team plays in Anaheim and nobody – himself possibly included – really cares about hockey.
As for how these trades affect the Maple Leafs, my analysis is posted over at Maple Leafs Hot Stove. Click on over there for the full details, but my general sense is that these moves make sense and represent positive steps towards the ultimate goal of icing a competitive team. It isn’t going to happen this year or possibly even next, but everything that happened today is consistent with the over-riding objectives I identified in my article about the rebuild for the Maple Leafs Annual last summer.
Update: I just realized something else…Brian Burke didn’t just make a bunch of trades, IT’S FREEDOM 55 DAY!!!
This and the #35 should hang flaming from the ACC rafters.
