First of all, a big thanks to Leafs-suck.com for letting me borrow some images (including the one above) for this, the biggest week on the 'Nucks and Pucks calendar. Now, one with the bashing!
Obviously the biggest storyline for this game is Mats Sundin's first game with the Canucks against the Leafs, the team for which he played 13 seasons and served as captain for 11. What will the reaction be when Mats takes his first shift? Damien Cox is calling on Leafs fans to cheer the big Swede who toiled so long for the organization, often with very little in the way of a supporting cast, and I applaud his stance.
Unfortunately, I am a little more pessimistic than Cox. I think there will be some scattered cheers, but in all honesty I expect there to be a considerable amount of bitter jeering from fans who are upset that Mats did not allow himself to be traded last season. Just think of how the Leafs could've squandered those first and second rounders they would've gotten in return.
Does the return of Kyle Wellwood to Toronto count as a storyline? Probably not. Although Wellwood was pretty darn stoked to score against his former team when the Canucks beat the Leafs 4-2 back in November.
This is also the Canucks' first game against Toronto since the migration of their former front-office tandem of Brian Burke and Dave Nonis to Toronto. However these two, each of whom served a tenure as Canucks' GM, were together in Anaheim to start the season so the novelty is slightly dimmed.
While we can predict with 95% certainty who will start in goal for the Canucks, the Leafs goaltending carousel provides no such certainty. Vesa Toskala has been mediocre, and has been called out in the media by his coach and GM for his poor play. Youngster Justin Pogge got his fourth career start just yesterday, and is sporting a rough 4.26 GAA and .837 save percentage for the season. But he has not been given a chance to settle into an NHL role, and when given that shot will surely shrink those numbers. Will Wilson go to the rookie against a Canucks team that, of late, has been somewhat of an offensive juggernaut?
Can the Canucks continue their offensive outburst? They have 29 goals in seven games this month (over 4 per game, for those of you scoring at home), and the Leafs seem like a prime target against whom to continue this trend. Here's betting that if they score early, they will jump all over the Leafs and put in 4+ goals. If they get off to a sluggish start, however, they will likely be hard pressed to scrape out 3.
Final Prediction: Canucks 5, Leafs 2. The Canucks jump out to a 3-0 lead by the end of the first period, then give up a powerplay goal early in the second before scoring themselves. The teams trade goals in the final frame, and the 'Nucks head to Montreal with another well-earned two points.
Canucks goal-scorers: D. Sedin, Sundin, Burrows, Edler, Demitra
Leafs goal-scorers: Blake, Ponikarovsky
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Leafs Bashing Week: A Response
On the occasion of Leafs Bashing Week here at Nucks and Pucks, I would like to offer a longtime Leafs fan counterpoint. Clearly, this is difficult to do with the present team (Dominic Moore skates well?) so I'll have to harken back to the relative 'Glory Years' of the early 90's and how I got suckered into loving this team in the first place...
In the spring of '93 I was a 10 year old Grade 5 student with absolutely no interest in sports (unless 'falling' and 'crying' are sports...then, enormous interest). One night I decided to join my dad in the basement to see what he was frequently screaming about. As it turns out, I wouldn't be disapointed.
Soon I became just as enamoured with the Leafs and their almost fairy tale playoff run as my dad. We bonded as I quickly learned Leaf watching rules from him, such as 'If you yell at Todd Gill to shoot on the power play, eventually he will' and 'Kent Manderville couldn't hit the ocean from the Queen Mary'(you don't need to understand the rules to yell them).
While recent editions of the Leafs have been pretty dull, that run in '93 was anything but. A game 7 overtime win over Detroit in the first round had my Dad literally screaming his head off (literally!), causing my dog to assume the house was on fire and run in counter clockwise circles for the next few days. Dramatic stuff!
The Norris Division final had some incredible goaltending by both St.Louis' Curtis Joseph and the Leafs Felix 'The Cat' Potvin. Toronto won 6-0 in game 7, proving in hindsight they probably should have dusted the Blues off in five or six, leaving the club dog tired for a classic series against Los Angeles.
This series had everything. Fantastic hitting, mediocre goaltending (often more fun to watch than excellent goaltending) a fight for the ages and even a shouting match between coaches Pat Burns and Barry Melrose that almost got physical. In the end, Wayne Gretzky kicked it into another gear in game 7, playing what he calls his best NHL game ever, to knock the Leafs out 5-4 in Game 7 at the Gardens.
Much like the '94 Canucks, that team has proven the only serious Cup contender the franchise has had in the expansion era. There was alot to like from the club that year: Wendel Clark's moustache, Bob Cole's memorable calls on 'Hockey Night in Canada' and, of course, Glenn Andersons moustache. But for me, it was Doug Gilmour who best exemplified what it meant to be a Leaf in those times.
As a player, I loved everything about Doug Gilmour. He was great defensively, could throw (and take) a solid bodycheck and was one of the leagues best setup men for much of his career. He had an incredible work ethic and willingness to win that electrified the Garden crowd night after night. Since he was not big or especially fast, he had to be smart and crafty around the net, accounting for much of his 450 goals and 1400 points. But above all that, Gilmour was one of a rare breed of players who could elevate his game to another level come playoff time. His 35 points in 21 games in the '93 playoffs remains one of the greatest individual accomplishments in Leaf history. For a 10 year old watching, he became my hockey hero. I modeled my play after him (to slightly less impressive results).
As I grew older, what I liked most about Gilmour was how human he was on the ice. Even in his prime years he was never the leagues best. He wasn't much of a goal scorer and occasionally took bad penalties. But these qualities endeared him to me all the more. After being traded from Toronto, I followed his career as his skills slowly declined but his toughness and willingness to win never wavered. Even at age 38, battered and beat up, he was the Habs best player in their brief '02 playoff run.
The next year came great news: Dougie was back! The Leafs were a competitive team and wanted some depth for the playoffs, netting Gilmour for practically nothing. I was ecstatic! While I was a little young to appreciate his talents back in grade 5, now I could finally watch Gilmour properly end his career in the Blue and White.
And end his career he did. In the 2nd period of his first game back, he collided with the Flames Dave Lowry, then courageously crawled to the bench on his hands and knees so as not to stop play. Gilmour was done for the year. He spoke optimistically about a comeback with the Leafs on a heavy discount, but GM John Ferguson Jr. made a brillant public relations move by cancelling Gilmours ice time in North York. Dougie was done. So to, thankfully, was JFJ.
It's tough to be a Leafs fan these days. The team has few bright spots and will almost certainly be bad for the next 2 or 3 years, minimum. Brian Burke appears to have a plan, but there's no guarantee it will be successful. Perhaps worst of all, the team has no heroes, at least not yet. But when people ask me 'how can you stick with the Leafs?' I remember that magical run 16 years ago led by a diminutive centre with an icy stare and hope against hope I'll have another chance to yell obscenities with my dad deep into springtime.
Happy Leaf Bashing Week Everyone!
Leaf Bashing Week Hurray!
You tell a good tale dear Leafs fan, and I understand what it is to cheer for a team that has no hope in the current season, whose glory days are long past. Keep on clinging to Dougie Gilmour, as I recall he played for the team again a few years back even though he was way over the hill! In another season, and another sport I still cling to the heroics of Barry Sanders. But this season, it is the heroics of Captain Roberto Luongo that will matter.
I look forward to seeing the Canucks toss around your heroless Leafs. To watch your rookie goaltender get peppered with shots from our steaming hot forwards (in looks and scoring ability). I am taking the effort to find a bar in Northern California that will show this game mid-Saturday afternoon for the sake of screaming with joy as the Canucks decimate the Leafs this Saturday.
Mats Sundin will get booed by the fans, and rightly so I say. For someone who is supposed to be a classy guy he sure didn't show it the way he treated the team as he left. The master of stringing folks along is going to get tangled up this weekend, but it won't matter. His teammates are going to rock the house.
Enjoy your rebuilding seasons Leafs fans, where Kaberle is your best hope. Ouch.
Go CANUCKS Go!
I hate the Canucks and hope they do just as horible as the Islanders done last year and as for that cryin captain of a goalie that can't hold any responsibility for his own the Canucks are stupid enough to pay an incredible amount of money on a goalie that if he shut his trap he can play goalie but paying out so much money for a goalie with no defence you might as well tie a pylon between the pipes and number it cause a goalie is only as good as his team and the Canucks ain't that good of a team. So for all you Canucks fans who are expecting a Cup, get use to let downs and start cheering on the Vancouver Giants who has potential.
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